The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out in song.
Parallel Translations
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The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out in song.
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The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
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The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing.
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to Isaiah 14:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 126:1-3 When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.
- Psalms 96:11-13 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.
- Psalms 98:7-9 Let the sea roar with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing for joy together. Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
- Isaiah 49:13 Sing, heavens, and be joyful, earth! Break out into singing, mountains, for Yahweh has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.
- Psalms 98:1 Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
- Proverbs 11:10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.
- Jeremiah 51:48 Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, will sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers will come to her from the north,” says Yahweh.
- Revelation 18:20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her.”
- Revelation 19:1-6 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God; for his judgments are true and righteous. For he has judged the great prostitute, who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.” A second said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!” A voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small and the great!” I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Meaning, that when tyrants reign, there can be no…
Meaning, that when tyrants reign, there can be no rest nor quietness, and also how detestable a thing tyranny is, seeing the insensible creatures have occasion to rejoice at their destruction.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 14:7 The whole earth is at rest, [and]…
Isa 14:7 The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing.
Ver. 7. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet.] Quievit, conticuit. {a} All is hushed that was used to be set in an uproar by these restless ambitionists.
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They break forth into singing.] By a wide opening of the lips and lungs, as the word signifieth.
{a} ανεπαυσατο πεποιθως. - Sept.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The whole earth; the inhabitants and subjects of that…
The whole earth; the inhabitants and subjects of that vast empire, who groaned under their cruel bondage.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet,....…
The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet,.... The troubler of them being gone; and which will be the ease of the people of God, who in the latter day will fill the face of the earth, when the beast and false prophet will be taken and cast alive into the lake of fire; and especially when Satan shall be bound, and put in prison for a thousand years, that he may deceive the nations no more, Rev 19:20,
they break forth into singing; that is, the inhabitants of the earth, because of the fall of the king of Babylon, they being delivered from so great a tyrant or oppressor; or, "utter a song of praise", as the Targum, Aben Ezra says the word in the Arabic language is expressive of "clearness", and so it does signify to speak purely, dearly, and fluently, with open, mouth, and a clear voice (z); it is rendered in Psa 98:4 "make a loud noise"; by singing a joyful song; and such a song will be sung by the church, when the mystical Babylon is fallen; see Rev 15:2.
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(z) "perspicuo, puriore sermone fuit, fluida oratione disertas fuit, ----diserte, eleganter locutus est", Castel. col. 3040.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The earth - The subjects of that vast empire,…
The earth - The subjects of that vast empire, who groaned under their cruel bondage.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The whole earth is at rest - The kingdom…
The whole earth is at rest - The kingdom of Babylonia, or Chaldea, extended nearly over the whole pagan world. Now that Babylon was fallen, and that those oppressions would cease, the world is represented as in peace and quietness.
They break forth into singing - That is, the inhabitants of all the nations that were subject to Babylon now rejoice that they are released from its galling and oppressive yoke.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Earth. Subject to, or bordering upon the Assyrian empire.…
Earth. Subject to, or bordering upon the Assyrian empire. Under Darius the Mede, (the Cyaxares of Xenophon) and Cyrus, the people were little molested. (Calmet) --- The neighbouring princes (fir-trees, &c., ver. 8.) were also at rest. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain they--the once subject nations of the whole earth. HOUBIGANT…
they--the once subject nations of the whole earth. HOUBIGANT places the stop after "fir trees" (Isa 14:8), "The very fir trees break forth," &c. But the parallelism is better in English Version.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 7, 8. Earth is at rest — Better, Hath…
7, 8. Earth is at rest — Better, Hath gone into rest.
Is quiet — Has become quiet. The verbs are inchoatively past.
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Break forth into singing — There being no subject to the verb, great generality is given to the rejoicing. Yea, the fir trees, etc. — Indeed, cypress and cedar join the chorus. By these, some suppose the usual symbols for rulers, leaders, generals, etc., are intended. Now that they are safe from an all-crushing opposer, they too rejoice. But a better sense is, that firs and cedars are conspicuous parts of the one great scenery, or picture, representing all nature as rejoicing. These almost imperishable timbers were used by the tyrants for ornamental building, for siege apparatus, for fleets and ordinary ships, and they also share the general joy. Tristram, (Nat. Hist. Bible,) regards the “fir” of the Bible to be the Aleppo pine, and for strength and durability to be only inferior to the cedar of Lebanon.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 7. they break forth into singing] A favourite idea…
7. they break forth into singing] A favourite idea in the second part of the book: ch. Isa_44:23, Isa_49:13, Isa_54:1, Isa_55:12.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (7) They break forth into singing . . .—The…
(7) They break forth into singing . . .—The phrase is noticeable as characteristic of Isaiah (Isa_44:23; Isa_49:13; Isa_52:9; Isa_54:1; Isa_55:12), and is not found elsewhere. The emancipated nations are represented as exulting in the unfamiliar peace that follows on the downfall of their oppressor.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain At rest... singing. The first result of the fall…
At rest... singing. The first result of the fall of Babylon is general peace, rest, and quiet; then the nations, recognizing the blessedness of the change, burst out into a song of rejoicing. The peace did not really continue very long; for Persia took up the role of conqueror which Babylon had been forced to drop, and, under Cambyses and Darius Hystaspis, produced as much stir and disturbance as had been caused by Babylon., Still, there was an interval of about eleven years between the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus (B.C. 538), and the expedition by Cambyses against Egypt (B.C. 527).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
This is part of the taunt song that the Israelites will sing to the king of Babylon.
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The whole earth
This refers to everyone on earth. AT: "everyone on earth" (See: Metonymy)
Even the cypress trees rejoice over you with the cedars of Lebanon
Isaiah speaks of the trees as if they were people who could rejoice. This emphasizes that it is such a great thing that God has stopped the king of Babylon that even nature would rejoice if it could. AT: "It will be as if even the cyprus trees and the cedars of Lebanon rejoice over you" (See: Personification)
rejoice over you
Why they rejoice can be stated clearly. AT: "rejoice that God has made you powerless" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Since you are laid low
Being laid low represents being made powerless and unimportant. AT: "Since you have become powerless" (See: Metaphor)
Sheol below is eager to meet you
Sheol is spoken of as if it were a person who is eager to meet his guests. This implies that the king dies. AT: "Sheol is like a host eager to meet you" (See: Personification)
It arouses the dead for you, all the kings of the earth
"it wakes up the dead for you, all the kings of the earth." Sheol is spoken of as if it were a person that could wake up those who are in it. AT: "All the dead kings of the earth in Sheol wake up to greet you" (See: Personification)
translationWords
rest
fir
joy
cedar
Lebanon
Hades
die
throne
nation
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 14:7-8 The land and people will be at rest…
14:7-8 The land and people will be at rest and quiet because the oppression has ended and the king of Babylon has died. • The whole creation will join in praise, able to sing again (see also 42:11; 44:23; cp. Rom 8:22).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.