Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 14:22

"And I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son`s son, saith Jehovah." — Isaiah 14:22 (ASV)

For I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts — That is, against the family of the king of Babylon.

And cut off from Babylon the name — That is, all the males of the royal family, so that the name of the monarch will become extinct (Isaiah 56:5).

And remnant — All that is left of them, so that the family will cease to exist.

The son and nephew — Everyone of the family who could claim to be an heir of the throne. The dynasty will cease, and the proud and haughty family will become wholly extinct. This is the solemn purpose in regard to the family of the monarch of Babylon. It only remains to inquire when and how it was fulfilled.

The predicted circumstances concerning the king of Babylon spoken of here are as follows:

1. That he would be a proud, haughty, and oppressive prince (Isaiah 14:17, and throughout the prophecy).

2. That when he died he would be cast out with the common dead, and denied the common honors of the sepulchre—especially the honors which all other monarchs have in their burial (Isaiah 14:18–20).

3. That his posterity would be cut off, and that he would have no one to succeed him on his throne, or that the dynasty and the kingdom would terminate in him (Isaiah 14:21–22).

In regard to the application and the fulfillment of this prophecy, there have been three opinions.

1. That it does not refer to an individual sovereign, but to the kings of Babylon in general; that the description is designed to be applicable to the succession or the dynasty, as notably haughty, proud, and oppressive; and that the prophet means to say that that haughty and wicked reign of kings would cease. To this, the objections are obvious—

   1. The whole aspect and course of the prophet seems to have reference to an individual. Such an individual the prophet seems to have constantly in his eye. He descends to sheol (Isaiah 14:9); he is proud, ambitious, oppressive, cast out—all of which circumstances refer naturally to an individual, and not to a succession or dynasty.

   2. The main circumstance mentioned in the prophecy is applicable only to an individual—that he would be unburied (Isaiah 14:18–21). It was not true of all the kings of Babylon that they were unburied. How could it be said respecting a succession or a dynasty at all that it would be cast out of the grave as an abominable branch, and that it would not be joined with others in burial? All the circumstances, therefore, lead us to suppose that the prophet refers to an individual.

2. The Jews, in general, suppose that it refers to Nebuchadnezzar. But to this interpretation, the objections are equally obvious:

   1. It was not true that Nebuchadnezzar had no one to succeed him on the throne, or that his family was totally cut off, as it was foretold of this king of Babylon that his would be (Isaiah 14:21–22).

   2. It was not true that he was denied the privileges of burial that kings commonly enjoy.

      To meet this difficulty, the Jews have invented the following story. They say that when Nebuchadnezzar was driven from society during his derangement (Daniel 4), and while he was with the beasts of the field for seven years, the people made his son, Evil-Merodach, king. But when Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his right mind and to his throne, he threw Evil-Merodach into prison, where he lay until he died. At Nebuchadnezzar's death, the people released Evil-Merodach to make him king. However, he refused, because he did not believe his father was dead and said that if his father found him, he would kill him. To convince him that his father was dead, Nebuchadnezzar was taken out of the grave.

      But this is manifestly a fiction. Besides, the prophecy was not that the king would be taken out of the grave, but that he would not be buried. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded in the kingdom by his son Evil-Merodach, and he by Belshazzar, in whom the line of kings ended.

3. The only other interpretation of which this is susceptible is that which refers it to Belshazzar, in whose reign the city of Babylon was taken. This king, called in Scripture Belshazzar (Daniel 5), was the son of Evil-Merodach and the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. His name, as it occurs in pagan writers, was Nabonadius. In him the circumstances of the prophecy agree:

   1. He was an impious prince (Xen. Cyr. vii; Daniel 5).

   2. In his reign the city and the kingdom came to an end, as it was foretold.

   3. Every circumstance of the taking of Babylon would lead us to suppose that he was denied the privilege of a magnificent burial.

      1. He was slain in the night (Daniel 5:30).

      2. It occurred in the confusion of the city's capture—amidst the tumult caused by Cyrus's sudden and unexpected invasion. Therefore, it is altogether improbable that he had a regular and honored burial. Like the common dead, he would lie in the palace where he fell, or in the street.

      3. There is no evidence that Cyrus gave him an honorable sepulchre.

   4. None of his posterity occupied the throne to give honor to the memory of their father.

   5. In him the dynasty and the kingdom ended. Immediately on his death, the kingdom was given to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:28–31).

      None of the names of his posterity, if he had any, are known; and God cut off from him the name and remnant, the son and nephew, as was predicted (see Prideaux’s “Connection,” i. 2. 257-271, Ed. 1815).