The Meaning of Isaiah 14:11 Explained

Isaiah 14:11

KJV: Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

YLT: Brought down to Sheol hath been thine excellency, The noise of thy psaltery, Under thee spread out hath been the worm, Yea, covering thee is the worm.

Darby: thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, the noise of thy lyres: the maggot is spread under thee, And worms cover thee.

ASV: Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thy pomp  is brought down  to the grave,  [and] the noise  of thy viols:  the worm  is spread  under thee, and the worms  cover  thee. 

What does Isaiah 14:11 Mean?

Study Notes

grave Heb. "Sheol,"
hell
Sheol is, in the O.T., the place to which the dead go.
(1) Often, therefore, it is spoken of as the equivalent of the grave, merely, where all human activities cease; the terminus toward which all human life moves (e.g. Genesis 42:38 grave Job 14:13 grave Psalms 88:3 grave
(2) To the man "under the sun," the natural man, who of necessity judges from appearances, sheol seems no more than the grave-- the end and total cessation, not only of the activities of life, but of life itself. Ecclesiastes 9:5 ; Ecclesiastes 9:10
(3) But Scripture reveals sheol as a place of sorrow 2 Samuel 22:6 ; Psalms 18:5 ; Psalms 116:3 ; in which the wicked are turned Psalms 9:17 and where they are fully conscious; Isaiah 14:9-17 ; Ezekiel 32:21 see, especially, Jonah 2:2 what the belly of the great fish was to Jonah that sheol is to those who are therein). The sheol of the O.T. and hades of the N.T. (See Scofield " Luke 16:23 ") are identical.

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 14

1  God's merciful restoration of Israel
3  Their triumphant exultation over Babel
24  God's purpose against Assyria
29  Philistia is threatened

What do the individual words in Isaiah 14:11 mean?

Is brought down to Sheol Your pomp [And] the sound of your stringed instruments under you is spread the maggot and cover you worms
הוּרַ֥ד שְׁא֛וֹל גְּאוֹנֶ֖ךָ הֶמְיַ֣ת נְבָלֶ֑יךָ תַּחְתֶּ֙יךָ֙ יֻצַּ֣ע רִמָּ֔ה וּמְכַסֶּ֖יךָ תּוֹלֵעָֽה

הוּרַ֥ד  Is  brought  down 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
שְׁא֛וֹל  to  Sheol 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שְׁאֹול  
Sense: sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit.
גְּאוֹנֶ֖ךָ  Your  pomp 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
הֶמְיַ֣ת  [And]  the  sound 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: הֶמְיָה  
Sense: sound, music (of instruments).
נְבָלֶ֑יךָ  of  your  stringed  instruments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root:  
Sense: a skin-bag, jar, pitcher.
תַּחְתֶּ֙יךָ֙  under  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
יֻצַּ֣ע  is  spread 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָצַע  
Sense: to spread out, make a bed.
רִמָּ֔ה  the  maggot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִמָּה  
Sense: maggot, worm (as cause and sign of decay).
וּמְכַסֶּ֖יךָ  and  cover  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מְכַסֶּה  
Sense: covering, that which covers.
תּוֹלֵעָֽה  worms 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּולָע 
Sense: worm, scarlet stuff, crimson.