John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 14:30

"And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant shall be slain." — Isaiah 14:30 (ASV)

And the first-born of the poor shall feed. The Prophet, as has already been said, does not so much have in view the Philistines, to whom his threats were ineffective, as the Jews, whom he wanted to comfort in their affliction; for they were so severely afflicted that they were close to despair. He therefore calls them the first-born of the poor, as being eminent for their wretchedness; for, being reduced to extreme hardship, they were foremost among the wretched. Now, he promises that the Lord will deliver them from such misery, and will again feed and nourish them.

From this we perceive that the Philistines were cut down and destroyed for the benefit of the people of God. Similarly, the Lord promised to Abraham and his posterity, I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse them that curse thee; for those who are hostile to the children of God must find that God is hostile to them (Genesis 12:3).

And the needy shall lie down in safety. The Prophet compares his people to sheep, whom we must be like if we want God to be our keeper. No metaphor is used more frequently in Scripture than this. When the Lord disciplines us, we are like sheep that are scattered and exposed to wolves and robbers; but when he punishes our enemies, he intends to gather us together again, so that we may live in a safe and quiet place.

This is what Isaiah means when he says, in safety. Therefore, there are two things that the Lord promises here: first, pastures, that is, everything necessary for food and clothing; and secondly, safety and protection, so that we may be protected and defended from all harm. These two things belong to the duty of a shepherd, and they include all that is necessary for our salvation.

And I will kill thy root with famine. He now turns to the Philistines, whom he compares to a tree which strikes its roots so deep that we would be inclined to think that it cannot be rooted out in any way. But if the root is dried up, the tree also, however deeply rooted, must decay. From this we should infer that the condition of the wicked is never so firmly established that the Lord cannot easily overturn it; for not only will he cut off branches, but he will also dry up and destroy the root that is hidden underground.

And he will slay thy remnant. This is commonly viewed as referring to Hezekiah. However, I prefer, as I have already explained, to extend it to the whole body. The prophet speaks of this body as one man, and its king was the head and represented Christ himself. We might also refer it to the Assyrians and to any others whom the Lord used in destroying the Philistines, for it is customary for the Jews to use indefinite language when they speak of the agents through whom God executes His judgments.