who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”
Parallel translations
- WEB who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?”
- KJV That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
- NKJV Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
- NASB Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’
- NLT Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
He is remembered as the one who turned the world into a wilderness, destroyed cities, and never freed his captives. His legacy is unrelieved cruelty.
Overview
The onlookers recount the tyrant's destructive career: ruined lands, overthrown cities, and prisoners kept in bondage. His refusal to release captives stands in sharp contrast to the Lord, who proclaims liberty to the captives. The passage anticipates Christ, who came to set prisoners free (Luke 4:18).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Joel 2:3Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them.
- Isa 13:19–22And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Ezra 1:2–4“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.
- Zeph 2:13–14And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
- 2 Chr 28:8–15Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen—women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria.
- Isa 64:10Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation.
- Isa 58:6Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?
- Isa 45:13I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”
- Ezek 6:14I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 14:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.