Bible Strands

Isaiah 14:16

Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet addresses a fallen ruler, describing the moment after his descent to Sheol when observers confront his ruin. The speaker contrasts the ruler’s former terrifying authority with his current humbled state.

The words — The Hebrew יַשְׁגִּיחוּ (yash.Gi.chu) means they will stare, while מַרְגִּיז (mar.Giz) denotes who made tremble. These terms ground the verse in the visual shock of onlookers measuring a once-mighty figure against his present fate.

The thread — The collapse of a proud ruler appears in Jeremiah 50:23 and Jeremiah 51:20, which describe Babylon as a shattered hammer and war club. Psalm 58:10 also tracks the pattern of the wicked being destroyed and the righteous observing the result.

Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that human power is temporary and subject to judgment. It requires the reader to evaluate earthly authority by its inevitable collapse rather than its initial display.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

רֹאֶ֙יךָ֙ro.'Ei./kha[those who] see/ youאֵלֶ֣יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ youיַשְׁגִּ֔יחוּyash.Gi.chuthey will stareאֵלֶ֖יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ youיִתְבּוֹנָ֑נוּyit.bo.Na.nuthey will consider carefullyהֲזֶ֤הha./Zeh¿/ [is] thisהָאִישׁ֙ha./'Ishthe/ manמַרְגִּ֣יזmar.Giz[who] made trembleהָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earthמַרְעִ֖ישׁmar.'Ish[who] made shakeמַמְלָכֽוֹת׃mam.la.Khotkingdoms

King James Version

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Cross-references