The Meaning of Isaiah 14:12 Explained

Isaiah 14:12

KJV: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

YLT: How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations.

Darby: How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! Thou art cut down to the ground, that didst prostrate the nations!

ASV: How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

How art thou fallen  from heaven,  O Lucifer,  son  of the morning!  [how] art thou cut down  to the ground,  which didst weaken  the nations! 

What does Isaiah 14:12 Mean?

Study Notes

son of the morning
Isaiah 14:12-14 evidently refer to Satan, who, as prince of this world-system is the real unseen ruler of the successive world- powers. Tyre, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, etc. (see Ezekiel 28:12-14 Lucifer, "day-star," can be none other that Satan. This tremendous passage marks the beginning of sin in the universe. When Lucifer said, "I will," sin began. See Scofield " Revelation 20:10 ".
See other instances of addressing Satan through another, Genesis 3:15 ; Matthew 16:22 ; Matthew 16:23 .
world
Kosmos, Summary: In the sense of the present world-system, the ethically bad sense of the word, refers to the "order," "arrangement," under which Satan has organized the world of unbelieving mankind upon his cosmic principle of force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and pleasure. Matthew 4:8 ; Matthew 4:9 ; John 12:31 ; John 14:30 ; John 18:36 ; Ephesians 2:2 ; Ephesians 6:12 ; 1 John 2:15-17 . This world- system is imposing and powerful with armies and fleets; is often outwardly religious, scientific, cultured, and elegant; but, seething with national and commercial rivalries and ambitions, is upheld in any real crisis only by armed force, and is dominated by Satanic principles.

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 14:12 mean?

How you are fallen from heaven Lucifer son of the morning [How] you are cut down to the ground You who weakened on the nations
אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־ ! שָׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָאָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל־ ! גּוֹיִֽם

אֵ֛יךְ  How 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
נָפַ֥לְתָּ  you  are  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם  from  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הֵילֵ֣ל  Lucifer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֵילֵל  
Sense: shining one, morning star, Lucifer.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
! שָׁ֑חַר  of  the  morning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁחַר  
Sense: dawn.
נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ  [How]  you  are  cut  down 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: גָּדַע  
Sense: to cut, hew, chop, cut down, hew down, hew off, cut off, cut in two, shave off.
לָאָ֔רֶץ  to  the  ground 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
חוֹלֵ֖שׁ  You  who  weakened 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָלַשׁ 
Sense: to be weak, be prostrate.
! גּוֹיִֽם  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.