Isaiah 14:12
New International Version
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

New Living Translation
“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.

English Standard Version
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

Berean Standard Bible
How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

King James Bible
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!

New King James Version
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!

New American Standard Bible
“How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations!

NASB 1995
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

NASB 1977
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

Legacy Standard Bible
How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

Amplified Bible
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning [light-bringer], son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, You who have weakened the nations [king of Babylon]!

Christian Standard Bible
Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground.

American Standard Version
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!

Contemporary English Version
You, the bright morning star, have fallen from the sky! You brought down other nations; now you are brought down.

English Revised Version
How art thou fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst lay low the nations!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations!

Good News Translation
King of Babylon, bright morning star, you have fallen from heaven! In the past you conquered nations, but now you have been thrown to the ground.

International Standard Version
"How you have fallen from heaven, Day Star, son of the Dawn! How you have been thrown down to earth, you who laid low the nation!

Majority Standard Bible
How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

NET Bible
Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations!

New Heart English Bible
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn. How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low.

Webster's Bible Translation
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!

World English Bible
How you have fallen from heaven, shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
How you have fallen from the heavens, "" O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to earth, "" O weakener of nations.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
How thou fallest from the heavens, brilliant star, son of the morning! thou wert cut off to the earth, overthrowing upon the nations!
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations?

Catholic Public Domain Version
How is it that you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who used to rise like the sun? How is it that you have fallen to the earth, you who wounded the peoples?

New American Bible
How you have fallen from the heavens, O Morning Star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the earth, you who conquered nations!

New Revised Standard Version
How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How are you fallen from heaven! howl in the morning! for you have fallen down to the ground, O reviler of the nations.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
How you have fallen from Heaven! Wail at dawn! You are fallen into the ground, Infamous One of the nations!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, That didst cast lots over the nations!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven! He that sent orders to all the nations is crushed to the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Downfall of the King of Babylon
11Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket. 12How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. 13You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 28:12-17
“Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. / You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation. / You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. ...

Revelation 12:7-9
Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. / But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. / And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Luke 10:18
So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.

Job 38:4-7
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. / Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it? / On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone, ...

Revelation 9:1
Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.

Matthew 11:23
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Revelation 8:10
Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

Daniel 8:10
It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth and trampled them.

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”

Job 1:6-7
One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. / “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”

Revelation 20:1-3
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. / He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. / And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.

Psalm 82:6-7
I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’ / But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”


Treasury of Scripture

How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

how art thou fallen

Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

Isaiah 34:4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Ezekiel 28:13-17
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created…

Lucifer.

2 Peter 1:19
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Revelation 2:28
And I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 22:16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

weaken

Isaiah 14:4-6
That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! …

Jeremiah 50:23
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

Jeremiah 51:20-24
Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; …

Jump to Previous
Bodies Cast Cut Dawn Day-Star Dead Earth Fall Fallen Great Ground Heaven Heavens Laid Lots Morning Nations Once Prostrate Shining Star Weaken Weakened
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Bodies Cast Cut Dawn Day-Star Dead Earth Fall Fallen Great Ground Heaven Heavens Laid Lots Morning Nations Once Prostrate Shining Star Weaken Weakened
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














How you have fallen from heaven
This phrase evokes a dramatic image of a great fall from a high and exalted position. The Hebrew word for "fallen" is "נָפַל" (naphal), which conveys a sudden and catastrophic descent. In the context of Isaiah, this fall is often interpreted as a reference to the king of Babylon, symbolizing pride and hubris leading to downfall. From a conservative Christian perspective, this verse is also seen as a typological reference to the fall of Satan, who, according to Christian tradition, was cast out of heaven due to his rebellion against God. This dual interpretation underscores the theme of divine justice and the consequences of pride.

O morning star
The term "morning star" is translated from the Hebrew word "הֵילֵל" (helel), which means "shining one" or "light-bringer." In ancient Near Eastern culture, the morning star (often associated with the planet Venus) was a symbol of beauty and brightness. In the context of Isaiah, it metaphorically represents the king of Babylon's former glory and splendor before his fall. In Christian theology, this term has been traditionally linked to Lucifer, whose name means "light-bringer" in Latin, further reinforcing the narrative of a once-glorious being who fell from grace.

son of the dawn
This phrase complements "morning star" and emphasizes the idea of a being associated with light and the beginning of a new day. The Hebrew "בֶּן־שָׁחַר" (ben-shachar) literally means "son of the dawn," suggesting a close relationship with the light and the promise of a new day. Historically, this could refer to the king of Babylon's perceived role as a bringer of prosperity and enlightenment to his people. In a broader theological context, it highlights the tragic irony of a figure associated with light being cast into darkness due to pride and rebellion.

You have been cut down to the ground
The imagery here is of a tree being felled, a common metaphor in the Bible for the destruction of the proud and powerful. The Hebrew word "גָּדַע" (gada) means "to cut down" or "to hew," indicating a decisive and forceful action. This phrase signifies the complete and utter downfall of the once-mighty figure, whether it be the king of Babylon or, in Christian interpretation, Satan. It serves as a stark reminder of the ultimate futility of opposing God's will and the inevitable judgment that follows.

O destroyer of nations
This title underscores the destructive power and influence of the figure being addressed. The Hebrew "חוֹלֵשׁ עַל־גּוֹיִם" (choles al-goyim) can be translated as "one who weakens the nations." Historically, it reflects the king of Babylon's role in conquering and subjugating other nations, spreading fear and devastation. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this can also be seen as a reference to Satan's role in leading humanity astray and causing spiritual ruin. The phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive potential of unchecked ambition and pride, and the ultimate accountability before God.

(12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!--The word for Lucifer is, literally, the shining one, the planet Venus, the morning star, the son of the dawn, as the symbol of the Babylonian power, which was so closely identified with astrolatry. "Lucifer" etymologically gives the same meaning, and is used by Latin poets (Tibull. i., 10, 62) for Venus, as an equivalent for the phosphoros of the Greeks. The use of the word, however, in mediaeval Latin as a name of Satan, whose fall was supposed to be shadowed forth in this and the following verse, makes its selection here singularly unfortunate. Few English readers realise the fact that it is the king of Babylon, and not the devil, who is addressed as Lucifer. While this has been the history of the Latin word, its Greek and English equivalents have risen to a higher place, and the "morning star" has become a name of the Christ (Revelation 22:16).

Verse 12. - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer! Babylon's sudden fall is compared, with great force and beauty, to the (seeming) fall of a star from heaven. The word translated "Lucifer" means properly "shining one," and no doubt here designates a star; but whether any particular star or no is uncertain. The LXX. translated by ἑωσφόρος, whence our "Lucifer." The subjoined epithet, "son of the morning" or "of the dawn," accords well with this rendering. How art thou cut down to the ground! One of Isaiah's favorite changes of metaphor. It is a favorite metaphor also to which he reverts - that of representing the destruction of a nation by the felling of a tree or of a forest (comp. Isaiah 2:12, 13; Isaiah 10:33, 34, etc.). Which didst weaken the nations; rather, which didst prostrate the nations. The word used is one of great force (comp. Exodus 17:13; Job 14:10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
אֵ֛יךְ (’êḵ)
Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

you have fallen
נָפַ֥לְתָּ (nā·p̄al·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

from heaven,
מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם (miš·šā·ma·yim)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

O Morning Star,
הֵילֵ֣ל (hê·lêl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1966: The morning-star

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of the dawn!
שָׁ֑חַר (šā·ḥar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7837: Dawn

You have been cut down
נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ (niḡ·da‘·tā)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1438: To fell a, tree, to destroy anything

to the ground,
לָאָ֔רֶץ (lā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

O destroyer
חוֹלֵ֖שׁ (ḥō·w·lêš)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2522: To prostrate, to overthrow, decay

of
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

nations.
גּוֹיִֽם׃ (gō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven morning (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 14:11
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