John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 26:14

"[They are] dead, they shall not live; [they are] deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish." — Isaiah 26:14 (ASV)

The dead shall not live. The Prophet again speaks of the unhappy end of the wicked, whose prosperity often agitates and distresses us, as we read in the Psalms of David (Psalms 37:1, 73:3, 17). So that our eyes may not be dazzled by the present appearances of things, he foretells that their end will be very miserable.

Others interpret this passage as relating to believers, who appear to die without any hope of a resurrection. But unquestionably, he speaks of the reprobate, and this will become even more evident from a contrasting statement he makes in the nineteenth verse.

A contrast exists between the resurrection of good people and wicked people. Indeed, there would be little difference between them if it were not evident that the latter are sentenced to eternal death, while the former will receive a blessed and everlasting life.

Moreover, not only does eternal death await the wicked, but all the sufferings they endure in this world are the beginning of everlasting destruction, because they cannot be soothed by any consolation and they feel that God is their enemy.

The slain shall not rise again. The word which we translate as slain is translated by others as giants; but as in many passages of Scripture רפאים (rĕphāīm) denotes slain, this term is also more appropriate in this passage, because otherwise there would be no contrast (Psalms 88:11; Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 9:18; Proverbs 21:16).

Therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them. This is added for explanation, as it assigns the reason why the reprobate perish without hope: namely, because it is the purpose of God to destroy them. In the wrath of God they have nothing to look for but death and ruin.