Isaiah 14:8-9

14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, ¹ 

as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, ² 

‘Since you fell asleep, ³ 

no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ ⁴ 

14:9 Sheol ⁵  below is stirred up about you,

ready to meet you when you arrive.

It rouses ⁶  the spirits of the dead for you,

all the former leaders of the earth; ⁷ 

it makes all the former kings of the nations

rise from their thrones. ⁸ 

[14:8]  ¹ tn Heb “concerning you.”

[14:8]  ² tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.

[14:8]  ³ tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”

[14:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”

[14:9]  ⁵ sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.

[14:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.

[14:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.

[14:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.