Isaiah 47:14

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: [there shall] not [be] a coal to warm at, [nor] fire to sit before it.

Behold, they shall be as stubble {H7179}; the fire {H784} shall burn {H8313} them; they shall not deliver {H5337} themselves {H5315} from the power {H3027} of the flame {H3852}: there shall not be a coal {H1513} to warm {H2552} at, nor fire {H217} to sit {H3427} before it.

Look, they will be like straw! The fire will consume them. They will not save even themselves from the power of the flame. It will not be coals for warming oneself, not a fire to sit beside!

Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before.

Isaiah 47:14 is a powerful declaration of impending, irreversible judgment against Babylon, which in this chapter is personified as the "daughter of Babylon" or "Lady of Kingdoms." After boasting of her power and self-sufficiency, and engaging in oppressive cruelty, the prophet Isaiah reveals her swift and utter downfall.

Context

Chapter 47 of Isaiah is a vivid prophetic lament and judgment against ancient Babylon. Having previously been used by God as an instrument of judgment against Judah, Babylon grew arrogant, believing herself invincible and beyond accountability (Isaiah 47:7). She relied on her own wisdom, sorceries, and astrology, which the preceding verses (47:9-13) expose as utterly useless in the face of divine wrath. Verse 14 specifically targets the futility of her astrologers and soothsayers, stating that those who claimed to predict the future and offer protection will themselves be consumed by the judgment they cannot foresee or avert.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Sovereignty: This verse underscores God's absolute power to bring down even the mightiest and most arrogant nations. Babylon's destruction is not by human hands alone but is a direct act of God's justice.
  • Futility of Self-Reliance and Occult Practices: Babylon's trust in her own strength, wisdom, and pagan divinations proves worthless. The imagery of "stubble" highlights how easily and completely human efforts and false spiritualities are consumed when confronted by God's righteous anger. This echoes the broader biblical warning against relying on anything other than the true God (Jeremiah 17:5).
  • Irreversible Destruction: The phrase "not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it" vividly portrays the absolute and complete nature of the devastation. There will be no lingering comfort, no remnant for solace, only total annihilation and desolation. It speaks to a judgment so severe that nothing will be left to provide relief or hope.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "stubble" is qash (קַשׁ), referring to dry, light stalks left after harvest, which are highly flammable and burn quickly without leaving much behind. This imagery powerfully conveys the fragility and worthlessness of those facing God's judgment. The phrase "they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame" (לֹא יַצִּילוּ אֶת נַפְשָׁם מִיַּד לֶהָבָה) emphasizes their utter helplessness and lack of escape. The concluding picture, "not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it," uses a double negative to emphatically state the absence of any beneficial outcome or comfort from the destructive fire.

Practical Application

Isaiah 47:14 serves as a timeless warning against pride, self-sufficiency, and reliance on anything other than the one true God. It reminds us that all human systems, powers, and intellectual pursuits, when divorced from God's truth, are ultimately fragile and susceptible to divine judgment. For those who trust in God, this verse offers assurance that He is sovereign and will ultimately bring justice against oppressors and those who defy Him. It encourages us to place our hope not in fleeting worldly comforts or human wisdom, but in the enduring power and faithfulness of God, whose justice is sure and whose salvation is eternal (Psalm 62:5).

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Malachi 4:1

    ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

  • Nahum 1:10

    For while [they be] folden together [as] thorns, and while they are drunken [as] drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

  • Isaiah 10:17

    And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

  • Ezekiel 15:7

    And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from [one] fire, and [another] fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I set my face against them.

  • Matthew 10:28

    And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

  • Isaiah 41:2

    Who raised up the righteous [man] from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made [him] rule over kings? he gave [them] as the dust to his sword, [and] as driven stubble to his bow.

  • Isaiah 40:24

    Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

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