The Meaning of Isaiah 5:14 Explained

Isaiah 5:14

KJV: Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

YLT: Therefore hath Sheol enlarged herself, And hath opened her mouth without limit. And gone down hath its honour, and its multitude, And its noise, and its exulting one -- into her.

Darby: Therefore doth Sheol enlarge its desire, and open its mouth without measure; and her splendour shall descend into it, and her multitude, and her tumult, and all that is joyful within her.

ASV: Therefore Sheol hath enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, descend into it .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore hell  hath enlarged  herself,  and opened  her mouth  without measure:  and their glory,  and their multitude,  and their pomp,  and he that rejoiceth,  shall descend  into it. 

What does Isaiah 5:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 5:1-17 - A Disappointing Harvest
In a picture of great beauty, Isaiah describes a vineyard situated on one of the sunny heights visible from Jerusalem. Every care which an experienced vine-dresser could devise had been expended on it, but in vain. The vine-dresser himself is introduced, demanding if more could have been done. When God selects a nation, a church, or an individual for high and holy work in the world and expends care and pains on the preparation of the instrument, and His plans miscarry through no failure on His part but through the obstinancy or obtuseness of the human soul, the measure of what might have been is the gauge of its doom. The worst weeds grow on the richest soil. This picture is the counterpart of Paul's dread of being a castaway, 1 Corinthians 9:27.
The six woes which follow, arising from drunkenness and avarice remind us of sorrows that menace the selfish heart. How different such a lot to the blessedness of the humblest soul that possesses God and is possessed by Him! "Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be condemned. Jehovah redeemeth the soul of His servants; and none of them that take refuge in Him shall be condemned," Psalms 34:21-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 5

1  Under the parable of a vineyard, God excuses his severe judgment
8  His judgments upon covetousness
11  Upon lasciviousness
13  Upon impiety
20  And upon injustice
26  The executioners of God's judgments

What do the individual words in Isaiah 5:14 mean?

Therefore has enlarged Sheol itself and opened its mouth beyond measure and shall descend their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he who is jubilant into it
לָכֵ֗ן הִרְחִ֤יבָה שְּׁאוֹל֙ נַפְשָׁ֔הּ וּפָעֲרָ֥ה פִ֖יהָ לִבְלִי־ חֹ֑ק וְיָרַ֨ד הֲדָרָ֧הּ וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ וּשְׁאוֹנָ֖הּ וְעָלֵ֥ז בָּֽהּ

הִרְחִ֤יבָה  has  enlarged 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָחַב  
Sense: to be or grow wide, be or grow large.
שְּׁאוֹל֙  Sheol 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שְׁאֹול  
Sense: sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit.
נַפְשָׁ֔הּ  itself 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וּפָעֲרָ֥ה  and  opened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּעַר  
Sense: to open wide, gape.
פִ֖יהָ  its  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
לִבְלִי־  beyond 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb
Root: בְּלִי 
Sense: wearing out adv of negation.
חֹ֑ק  measure 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
וְיָרַ֨ד  and  shall  descend 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הֲדָרָ֧הּ  their  glory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: הָדָר  
Sense: ornament, splendour, honour.
וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ  and  their  multitude 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: הָמֹון 
Sense: (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound.
וּשְׁאוֹנָ֖הּ  and  their  pomp 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁאֹון 
Sense: roar, din, crash, uproar.
וְעָלֵ֥ז  and  he  who  is  jubilant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָלֵז  
Sense: exultant, jubilant.
בָּֽהּ  into  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular