Isaiah 14:9

ESV Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations.

NIV The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you— all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones— all those who were kings over the nations.

NASB Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come; It stirs the spirits of the dead for you, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

CSB Sheol below is eager to greet your coming, stirring up the spirits of the departed for you— all the rulers of the earth— making all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones.

NLT 'In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you.

KJV Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

NKJV “Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations.

What does Isaiah 14:9 mean?

Isaiah's description of the aftermath of the death of the king of Babylon moves from celebrations on earth to his reception in the place of the dead, This place is referred to as Sheol.

This poetic imagery isn't meant to be a precise, analytical, theologically nuanced representation of the afterlife. Instead, Isaiah pictures the place of the dead as it may have been imagined to his audience at the time of writing. The dead were thought to occupy a similar level of status in Sheol as they did during their lives on earth. He is picturing the dead kings of the nations as occupying thrones, as they did in life. Isaiah will turn that idea on its head.

This place of the dead is stirred up at the news that the evil king of Babylon will be arriving there. Sheol rouses the spirits of the dead leaders of the world to greet the fallen king. They are pictured as rising from their thrones as he enters. As if these leaders still had places of honor and authority.

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