Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
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?
- BSB who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”
- 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 2:3A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.
- Isa 13:19–22Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Ezra 1:2–4“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
- Zeph 2:13–14He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.
- 2 Chr 28:8–15The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.
- Isa 64:10Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
- Isa 58:6“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
- Isa 45:13I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Ezek 6:14I will stretch out my hand on them, and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations: and they will know that I am Yahweh. ’”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.