Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon
Isa 14:17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
That made...
שׂוּם
śûm, שִׂים
śiym: A verb meaning to appoint, to bring, to call, to put, to change, to charge, to commit, to consider, to convey, to determine. The primary meaning of the verb is to put, to set, or to place. The verb indicates that which God put on the earth, as noted in Genesis where God put the man and woman that He formed in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8). The usage of the verb in this sense indicates God's sovereignty over all creation, especially that of humankind. The verb is also used to describe Samuel's action concerning the stone he named Ebenezer (1Sam. 7:12). This stone was set up between Mizpah and Shen to remember God's deliverance of the Israelites from the Philistines. The verb is used to describe a committing of one's cause before God (Job 5:8). The word is used in Exodus in response to an interaction between Moses and God, in which God gave a new decree and law to the Israelites (Exo. 15:25). In this setting, the verb again emphasizes God's sovereignty, His ability to establish the order of things, and His ability to control the elements of nature and disease. In Deuteronomy, śûm is used to describe God's appointing of leaders over the different tribes of Israel, for their numbers were too great for Moses alone (Deu. 1:13). The word is also used to indicate a charging of someone, as where a man charged his wife with premarital sex (Deu. 22:14).
the world...
תֵּבֵל
tēḇēl: A feminine noun meaning world, earth. The word is used in a description of the clouds responding to the command of God, i.e., they swirled over the face of the whole earth (Job. 37:12). In Proverbs, the created world was a reason for rejoicing (Pro. 8:31). This word is also used to indicate the foundations of the earth, as in 2 Samuel where the foundations of the earth were laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord (2Sam. 22:16). Tēḇēl is also used to denote what was firmly established, i.e., the world (Psm. 93:1; 96:10); something that would be punished for its evil (Isa. 13:11); and what will be filled by Israel upon their blossoming (Isa. 27:6). In Nahum, the world and all who live in it will tremble at the presence of the Lord (Nam. 1:5).
as a wilderness,...
מִדְבָּר
miḏbār: I. A masculine noun meaning mouth, speech. It refers to the human instrument of talking, the mouth, but in context its beauty and pleasantness are stressed (Song 4:3). It stands in parallel usage to lips which precedes it in the previous line.
II. A masculine noun referring to a desert, a wilderness. It indicates a wilderness area, a desert, or a pasture used for animals in general (Gen. 37:22; Job 38:26; Jer. 23:10; Joel 2:22); in reference to specific areas, especially the great Sinai wilderness (Deu. 2:7). Several other specific wilderness areas are indicated: the wilderness of Shur (Exo 15:22); of Qedesh (Psm. 29:8); of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14); of En Gedi (1Sam. 24:1,2) and others. It is used figuratively of the Lord making Israel like a wilderness (Hos. 2:3,5); and of the Lord depicted as a possible wilderness to His people (Jer. 2:31). Some wilderness areas featured cities and villages (Jos. 15:61; Isa. 42:11).
and destroyed...
הָרַס
hāras: A verb meaning to pull down, to break through, to overthrow, to destroy. In Miriam and Moses' song, God threw down His enemies (Exo. 15:7). Elijah told God that the Israelites had pulled down God's altars (1Kgs. 19:10, 19:14). The psalmist wanted God to break out the teeth of the wicked (Psm. 58:6,7) and also said that God would tear down the wicked and not build them up again (Psm. 28:5). The foolish woman tore down her own house (Pro. 14:1). On Mount Sinai, God cautioned Moses to warn the people not to force their way through to see God and then perish (Exo. 19:21). In Exodus, this word is used in an even stronger sense when God instructs the Israelites not to worship foreign gods but to utterly demolish them (Exo. 23:24).
the cities...
עִיר
‛iyr: A feminine noun meaning a city, a town. It is a place where a gathering of persons carry on life (Gen. 4:17). There are various cities: a city militarily protected, fortified (Jos. 19:29); small towns dependent on and closely connected to other cities (Jos. 13:17; Jer. 19:15); royal cities attached to the king (Jos. 10:2); country towns (1Sam. 27:5). The Israelites built cities for storage and defense (Exo. 1:11; 1Kgs. 9:19). The Lord had Israel set aside certain cities for refuge, asylum, and temporary safety (Num. 35:11; Jos. 20:2). The city of Jerusalem is uniquely termed the city of God (Psm. 46:4,5; 87:3). God looked for cities that were known for righteousness (Isa. 1:26); truth (Zec. 8:3); holiness (Neh. 11:1, 11:18; Isa. 48:2; 52:1). Unfortunately, Jerusalem became known as a city of oppression (Zep. 3:1); the city of blood (Ezk. 22:2; 24:6); along with Nineveh (Nam. 3:1). Cities were special to God, for there His people lived.
thereof; that opened...
פָּתַח
pāṯaḥ: A verb meaning to open, to loosen. It is used to indicate the opening of many things: figuratively, the windows of heaven (Gen. 7:11, 8:6); storehouses opened to distribute grain (Gen. 41:56); a grave (Ezk. 37:12-13); a cistern (Exo. 21:33); a mouth of a cave (Jos. 10:22); a letter (Neh. 6:5); one's hand (Psm. 104:28). Used of a river, it means to cause it to run, to flow with water (Isa. 41:18); it means to move, to sell commodities (Amos 8:5). In Ezk. 21:28, 33, it refers to drawing out one's sword. It has a general sense in many contexts of loosing something: saddles (Gen. 24:32); armor (1Kgs. 20:11). Of flowers, the petals bloom, open up (Song 7:12,13); of plowing, it means to open, loosen the ground (Isa. 28:24). It indicates unopened wine, wine still under pressure (Job 32:19).
not...
לֹא
lō’, לוֹא
lô’, לֹה
lōh: An adverb meaning no, not. The term is primarily utilized as an ordinary negation, as in Genesis 3:4: "You will not surely die" (NIV cf. Jdg. 14:4; Psm. 16:10). Often it is used to express an unconditional prohibition, thus having the force of an imperative: "You shall not (= do not ever) steal"(Exo. 20:15 NIV; cf. Jdg. 13:5). Frequently, it functions as an absolute in answer to a question (Job 23:6; Zec. 4:5). The word is also employed in questions to denote that an affirmative answer is expected (2Kgs. 5:26; Jon. 4:11). When it is prefixed to a noun or adjective, it negates that word, making it have an opposite or contrary meaning (e.g., god becomes non-god; strong becomes weak; cf. Deu. 32:21; Pro. 30:25). When prefixed by the preposition be, meaning in or by, the combined term carries the temporal meaning of beyond or before (Lev. 15:25); the meaning without is also not uncommon for this combination (Job 8:11). A prefixed preposition le, meaning to or for, gives the term the meaning of without (2Chr. 15:3) or as though not (Job 39:16). Occasionally, the word suggests the meaning not only, on account of the context (Deu. 5:3).
the house...
בַּיִת
bayiṯ: A noun meaning house, dwelling, family, temple, palace. It is used basically to denote a building in which a family lives (Deu. 20:5) but can also refer to the family or household itself (Gen. 15:2; Jos. 7:14; 24:15). It often is used of a clan such as "house of Aaron" (Psm. 115:10, 115:12; 118:3). Sometimes it means palace or dynasty when employed in the Hebrew phrase "house of the king" (Gen. 12:15; 1Kgs. 4:6; Jer. 39:8). When the Old Testament speaks of the house of the Lord, it obviously refers to the Temple or Tabernacle (Exo. 23:19; Dan. 1:2). The word is also found in place names: Bethel, meaning "house of God" (Gen. 12:8); Beth-shemesh, meaning "house of the sun" (Jos. 15:10); and Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread" (Gen. 35:19).
of his prisoners?...
אָסִיר
’āsiyr: A masculine noun meaning prisoner, captive. It refers to a variety of prisoners or captives: prisoners of war (Isa. 14:17); prisoners held in containment for various reasons (Gen. 39:20); or who had been under taskmasters (Job 3:18). These persons were also the object of God's special concern (Psm. 68:6,7; 69:33,34; 79:11). This word describes the freed captives, prisoners from the Babylonian exile, the exiles of Israel (Zec. 9:11). They were prisoners of hope (Zec. 9:12) awaiting their release from captivity in Babylon.