Isaiah 14:21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.

◄ Isaiah 14:21 ►

New International Version
Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.

New Living Translation
Kill this man’s children! Let them die because of their father’s sins! They must not rise and conquer the earth, filling the world with their cities.”

English Standard Version
Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”

Berean Standard Bible
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.

King James Bible
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

New King James Version
Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities.”

New American Standard Bible
“Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons Because of the wrongdoing of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth, And fill the surface of the world with cities.”

NASB 1995
“Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”

NASB 1977
“Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”

Amplified Bible
“Prepare a slaughtering place for his sons Because of the wickedness [the sin, the injustice, the wrongdoing] of their fathers. They must not rise and take possession of the earth, And fill the face of the world with cities.”

Christian Standard Bible
Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons, because of the iniquity of their ancestors. They will never rise up to possess a land or fill the surface of the earth with cities.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons, because of the iniquity of their fathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or fill the surface of the earth with cities.”

American Standard Version
Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

Contemporary English Version
We will slaughter your sons to make them pay for the crimes of their ancestors. They won't take over the world or build cities anywhere on this earth.

English Revised Version
Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Prepare a place to slaughter their sons because of their ancestors' guilt. They won't be able to rise, possess the earth, and rebuild cities all over it.

Good News Translation
Let the slaughter begin! The sons of this king will die because of their ancestors' sins. None of them will ever rule the earth or cover it with cities.

International Standard Version
Prepare a massacre for his sons because of the guilt of their forefathers! They are not to rise and inherit the earth, and cover the surface of the world with cities."

Majority Standard Bible
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.

NET Bible
Prepare to execute his sons for the sins their ancestors have committed. They must not rise up and take possession of the earth, or fill the surface of the world with cities."

New Heart English Bible
Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.

Webster's Bible Translation
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

World English Bible
Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Prepare slaughter for his sons; Because of the iniquity of their fathers, "" They do not rise, nor have possessed the land, "" Nor filled the face of the world [with] cities.

Young's Literal Translation
Prepare ye for his sons slaughter; Because of the iniquity of their fathers, They rise not, nor have possessed the land, Nor filled the face of the world with cities.

Smith's Literal Translation
Prepare slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; they shall not rise and possess the land, and fill the face of the habitable globe with cities.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Prepare his children for slaughter for the iniquity of their fathers: they shall not rise up, nor inherit the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Prepare his sons for the slaughter, according to the iniquity of their fathers. They will not rise up, nor inherit the earth, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

New American Bible
Make ready to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers; Lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the breadth of the world with cities.

New Revised Standard Version
Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their father. Let them never rise to possess the earth or cover the face of the world with cities.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with war.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Prepare slaughter for his children by the evil of their fathers, lest they arise and possess the Earth, and they fill the face of the world with war

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Prepare ye slaughter for his children For the iniquity of their fathers; That they rise not up, and possess the earth, And fill the face of the world with cities.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Prepare thy children to be slain for the sins of their father; that they arise not, and inherit the earth, nor fill the earth with wars.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Downfall of the King of Babylon
…20You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned. 21Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities. 22“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Deuteronomy 5:9
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Numbers 14:18
‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

Jeremiah 31:29-30
“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’ / Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.

Ezekiel 18:19-20
Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live. / The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

2 Kings 9:26
‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”

1 Kings 21:29
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

Job 21:19
It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.

Lamentations 5:7
Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.

Psalm 109:13-15
May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation. / May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out. / May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.

Jeremiah 22:30
This is what the LORD says: “Enroll this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will prosper to sit on the throne of David or to rule again in Judah.”

Matthew 23:35-36
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. / Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Luke 11:50-51
As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, / from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Treasury of Scripture

Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

slaughter

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Leviticus 26:39
And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

Matthew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

do not

Isaiah 27:6
He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

Habakkuk 2:8-12
Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein…

Jump to Previous

Arise Children Cities Cover Covering Earth Evil-Doing Face Fathers Fill Forefathers Guilt Heritage Inherit Iniquity Places Possess Possessed Possession Prepare Ready Rise Sins Slaughter Surface Waste World

Jump to Next

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

Berean Study Bible

Prepare a place
The Hebrew word for "prepare" is "kun," which implies establishing or setting something in order. This phrase suggests a deliberate and intentional act, reflecting God's sovereign judgment. In the context of ancient Israel, preparation often involved meticulous planning, whether for worship, battle, or judgment. Here, it underscores the seriousness and inevitability of divine justice.

to slaughter
The term "slaughter" in Hebrew is "tabach," which conveys a sense of sacrifice or execution. This word is often associated with the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, where animals were offered to God. In this context, it signifies a severe judgment, emphasizing the gravity of the consequences for sin. It serves as a stark reminder of the holiness of God and the seriousness with which He views sin.

his sons
The phrase "his sons" refers to the descendants of the wicked, specifically the Babylonian rulers in this context. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the family line was of utmost importance, and the fate of one's descendants was a reflection of one's legacy. This highlights the communal and generational impact of sin, where the consequences extend beyond the individual to their progeny.

for the iniquity of their fathers
The Hebrew word for "iniquity" is "avon," which denotes guilt or moral perversity. This phrase indicates that the sins of the ancestors have repercussions for future generations. It reflects the biblical principle of corporate responsibility, where the actions of one generation can affect the next. This serves as a sobering reminder of the enduring impact of sin and the importance of repentance and righteousness.

they are not to rise
The phrase "not to rise" suggests a permanent downfall or destruction. In the Hebrew context, to "rise" often meant to stand or to be established. This indicates that the descendants will not recover or regain power, emphasizing the finality of God's judgment. It serves as a warning against pride and self-reliance, reminding believers of the ultimate authority of God.

to inherit the land
Inheritance of the land was a significant theme in the Old Testament, symbolizing God's promise and blessing to His people. The denial of this inheritance to the wicked underscores the loss of divine favor and the forfeiture of God's blessings due to sin. It serves as a contrast to the faithful, who are promised an eternal inheritance through Christ.

or cover the earth with their cities
The phrase "cover the earth with their cities" implies expansion and dominion. In the ancient world, building cities was a sign of power and influence. This phrase indicates that the wicked will not have the opportunity to spread their influence or establish their legacy. It serves as a reminder of the futility of human ambition apart from God and the ultimate triumph of His kingdom.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) Prepare slaughter for his children.--Literally, as in Jeremiah 51:40, a slaughter house. The command may be addressed to the Medes of Isaiah 13:17, or to any minister of the Divine vengeance. In the judgment of God, as seen in history, that judgment falls necessarily on the last members of an evil and cruel dynasty. In this sense the sins of the fathers are visited on the children, while, in the eternal judgment which lies behind the veil, each single soul stands, as in Ezekiel 18:4, on its own personal responsibility, and may win pardon for itself. Penitent or impenitent (and the latter seems here implied), the children of the evil-doers should cease to be conquerors and rulers.

Nor fill the face of the world with cities.--The words describe the boast of the great monarchs, who, like Nimrod, built cities to perpetuate their fame. (Comp. Genesis 10:10-12; Daniel 4:30.) The Babylonian and Assyrian kings record their destructive and constructive work with equal exultation (Records of the Past, v., pp. 80, 119, 123). Various readings have been suggested, giving ruined heaps, or terrible ones, or enemies, or conflicts; but there seems no need for any change. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - Prepare slaughter for his children. Belshazzar had "wives and concubines" (Daniel 5:2), and therefore probably children. The magnanimity of Cyrus may have spared them; but neither Cambyses nor Darius Hystaspis had the same merciful disposition. As soon as there was seen to be danger of Babylon revolting, they would almost certainly be put to death. For the iniquity of their fathers (comp. Exodus 20:5). The destruction of their posterity was a part of the punishment of the fathers. That they do not rise; i.e. "that they do not recover themselves and become great monarchs once more, and once more build great cities, "such as those which they were famous for Babel, Erech, Accad, Calneh, Ur, Sepharvaim, Borsippa, Opts, Teredon, etc. It was as city-builders that the Babylonians were especially celebrated (Genesis 10:10; Daniel 4:30; Herod., 1:178, etc.).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Prepare
הָכִ֧ינוּ (hā·ḵî·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3559: To be erect

a place to slaughter
מַטְבֵּ֖חַ (maṭ·bê·aḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4293: A slaughtering place

his sons
לְבָנָ֛יו (lə·ḇā·nāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

for the iniquity
בַּעֲוֺ֣ן (ba·‘ă·wōn)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity

of their fathers.
אֲבוֹתָ֑ם (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father

They will never
בַּל־ (bal-)
Adverb
Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest

rise up
יָקֻ֙מוּ֙ (yā·qu·mū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

to possess
וְיָ֣רְשׁוּ (wə·yā·rə·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin

a land
אָ֔רֶץ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

or cover
פְנֵֽי־ (p̄ə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the earth
תֵבֵ֖ל (ṯê·ḇêl)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8398: The earth, the globe, its inhabitants, a particular land

with their
וּמָלְא֥וּ (ū·mā·lə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

cities.
עָרִֽים׃ (‘ā·rîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

Links

Isaiah 14:21 NIV
Isaiah 14:21 NLT
Isaiah 14:21 ESV
Isaiah 14:21 NASB
Isaiah 14:21 KJV

Isaiah 14:21 BibleApps.com
Isaiah 14:21 Biblia Paralela
Isaiah 14:21 Chinese Bible
Isaiah 14:21 French Bible
Isaiah 14:21 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Isaiah 14:21 Prepare for slaughter of his children because (Isa Isi Is)