Isaiah 14 · Verse 12

Isaiah 14:12

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isaiah 14:12, King James Version

Isaiah 14:12 in other translations

BSBHow you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.
WEBHow you have fallen from heaven, shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!
ASVHow art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!
YLTHow hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations.
DARBYHow art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! Thou art cut down to the ground, that didst prostrate the nations!
BBEHow great is your fall from heaven, O shining one, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the earth, low among the dead bodies!
WebsterHow art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

What does Isaiah 14:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Lucifer--"day star." A title truly belonging to Christ (Re 22:16), "the bright and morning star," and therefore hereafter to be assumed by Antichrist. Gesenius, however, renders the Hebrew here as in Eze 21:12; Zec 11:2, "howl." weaken--"prostrate"; as in Ex 17:13, "discomfit."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 O Lucifer, son of the morning - The Versions in general agree in this translation, and render הילל heilel as signifying Lucifer, Φωσφωρος, the morning star, whether Jupiter or Venus; as these are both bringers of the morning light, or morning stars, annually in their turn. And although the context speaks explicitly concerning Nebuchadnezzar, yet this has been, I know not why, applied to the chief of the fallen angels, who is most incongruously denominated Lucifer, (the bringer of light!) an epithet as common to him as those of Satan and Devil. That the Holy Spirit by his prophets should call this arch-enemy of God and man the light-bringer, would be strange indeed. But the truth is, the text speaks nothing at all concerning Satan nor his fall, nor the occasion of that fall, which many divines have with great confidence deduced from this text. O how necessary it is to understand the literal meaning of Scripture, that preposterous comments may be prevented! Besides, I doubt much whether our translation be correct. הילל heilel, which we translate Lucifer, comes from ילל yalal, yell, howl, or shriek, and should be translated, "Howl, son of the morning;" and so the Syriac has understood it; and for this meaning Michaelis contends: see his reasons in Parkhurst, under הלל halal.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 14:1-23

The destruction of Babylon, and the death of its proud monarch. (Is. 14:1-23) Assurance of the destruction of Assyria. (Is. 14:24-27) The destruction of the Philistines. (Is. 14:28-32) Verses 1-23 The whole plan of Divine Providence is arranged with a view to the good of the people of God. A settlement in the land of promise is of God's mercy. Let the church receive those whom God receives. God's people, wherever…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 14:1-23 →

Isaiah 14:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֵ֛יךְ'eikhhow!H349
נָפַ֥לְתָּna.Fal.tayou have fallenH5307
מִשָּׁמַ֖יִםmi.sha.Ma.yimfrom heavenH8064
הֵילֵ֣לhei.LelO shining oneH1966
בֶּן\־ben-son ofH1121
שָׁ֑חַרSha.chardawnH7837
נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּnig.Da'.tayou have been cut downH1438
לָאָ֔רֶץla.'A.retzto the groundH776
חוֹלֵ֖שׁcho.LeshO defeaterH2522
עַל\־'al-overH5921
גּוֹיִֽם\׃go.Yim[the] nationsH1471

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 14:12

  • Ezekiel 28:13-17

    Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. …

  • Luke 10:18

    And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

  • Revelation 12:7-10

    And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

  • Revelation 8:10

    And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

  • Revelation 22:16

    I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

  • 2 Peter 1:19

    We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

  • Isaiah 34:4

    And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

  • 2 Peter 2:4

    For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

  • Revelation 2:28

    And I will give him the morning star.

  • Jeremiah 51:20-24

    Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid; I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. …

  • Isaiah 14:4-6

    That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

  • Jeremiah 50:23

    How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
How art thou fallen.
13:10; 34:4; Eze 28:13-17; Lu 10:18; 2Pe 2:4; Re 12:7-10
Lucifer. or, day-star.
2Pe 1:19; Re 2:28; 22:16
weaken.
4-6; Jer 50:23; 51:20-24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 14:11

    Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

  • Isaiah 14:12

    How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

  • Isaiah 14:13

    For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Read all of Isaiah 14

Isaiah 14:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¡Cómo caiste del cielo, oh Lucero, hijo de la mañana! Cortado fuiste por tierra, tú que debilitabas las gentes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Comment es-tu tombé des cieux, astre brillant, fils de l’aurore? Tu es abattu jusqu’à terre, toi qui subjuguais les nations!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wie bist du vom Himmel gefallen, du Glanzstern, Sohn der Morgenröte! zur Erde gefällt, Überwältiger der Nationen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quomodo cecidisti de cælo, Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris? corruisti in terram, qui vulnerabas gentes?