The Meaning of Isaiah 14:17 Explained

Isaiah 14:17

KJV: That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

YLT: He hath made the world as a wilderness, And his cities he hath broken down, Of his bound ones he opened not the house.

Darby: that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that dismissed not his prisoners homewards?

ASV: that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[That] made  the world  as a wilderness,  and destroyed  the cities  thereof; [that] opened  not the house  of his prisoners? 

What does Isaiah 14:17 Mean?

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 14:17 mean?

who made the world as a wilderness and its cities destroyed his prisoners' not [Who] did open the house of
שָׂ֥ם תֵּבֵ֛ל כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְעָרָ֣יו הָרָ֑ס ؟ אֲסִירָ֖יו לֹא־ פָ֥תַח בָּֽיְתָה

שָׂ֥ם  who  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
תֵּבֵ֛ל  the  world 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֵּבֵל  
Sense: world.
כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר  as  a  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
וְעָרָ֣יו  and  its  cities 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הָרָ֑ס  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַס  
Sense: to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly.
؟ אֲסִירָ֖יו  his  prisoners' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָסִיר  
Sense: prisoner, captive, bondman.
פָ֥תַח  [Who]  did  open 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
בָּֽיְתָה  the  house  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.