Isaiah 14:13
New International Version
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

New Living Translation
For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.

English Standard Version
You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;

Berean Standard Bible
You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.

King James Bible
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

New King James Version
For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;

New American Standard Bible
“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

NASB 1995
“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

NASB 1977
“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

Legacy Standard Bible
But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

Amplified Bible
“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly In the remote parts of the north.

Christian Standard Bible
You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You said to yourself:” I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North.

American Standard Version
And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;

Contemporary English Version
You said to yourself, "I'll climb to heaven and place my throne above the highest stars. I'll sit there with the gods far away in the north.

English Revised Version
And thou saidst in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You thought, "I'll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God's stars. I'll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble.

Good News Translation
You were determined to climb up to heaven and to place your throne above the highest stars. You thought you would sit like a king on that mountain in the north where the gods assemble.

International Standard Version
You said in your heart, 'I'll ascend to heaven, above the stars of God. I'll erect my throne; I'll sit on the Mount of Assembly in the far reaches of the north;

Majority Standard Bible
You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.

NET Bible
You said to yourself, "I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon.

New Heart English Bible
You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north.

Webster's Bible Translation
For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

World English Bible
You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you said in your heart: I go up into the heavens, "" I raise my throne above the stars of God, "" And I sit on the mountain of meeting in the sides of the north.

Young's Literal Translation
And thou saidst in thy heart: the heavens I go up, Above stars of God I raise my throne, And I sit in the mount of meeting in the sides of the north.

Smith's Literal Translation
And thou saidst in thy heart, I will go up to the heavens; from above to the stars of God I will lift up my throne, and I will sit upon the mountain of appointment in the thighs of the north.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And you said in your heart: ‘I will climb up to heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will be enthroned upon the mountain of the covenant, on the northern parts.

New American Bible
In your heart you said: “I will scale the heavens; Above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my seat on the Mount of Assembly, on the heights of Zaphon.

New Revised Standard Version
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will dwell also upon the high mountains in the outer regions of the north.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You have said in your heart: ‘I shall ascend to Heaven, and higher than the stars of God I shall lift my throne, and I shall sit in the high mountain that is in the slopes of the North!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou saidst in thy heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, Above the stars of God Will I exalt my throne, And I will sit upon the mount of meeting, In the uttermost parts of the north;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But thou saidst in thine heart, I will go up to heaven, I will set my throne above the stars of heaven: I will sit on a lofty mount, on the lofty mountains toward the north:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Downfall of the King of Babylon
12How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. 13You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. 14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”…

Cross References
Ezekiel 28:2
“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.

Ezekiel 28:12-17
“Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. / You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation. / You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. ...

2 Thessalonians 2:4
He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Revelation 12:7-9
Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. / But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. / And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 13:6
And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.

Genesis 11:4
“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

Daniel 8:10-11
It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth and trampled them. / It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary.

Obadiah 1:3-4
The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ / Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

Job 20:6-7
Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, / he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’

Matthew 11:23
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

Luke 10:18
So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Revelation 18:7
As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’

Psalm 48:2
Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.

Psalm 73:8-9
They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. / They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.

Jeremiah 49:16
The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, O occupiers of the mountain summit. Though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

thou

Isaiah 47:7-10
And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it…

Ezekiel 27:3
And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.

Ezekiel 28:2
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

I will ascend

Ezekiel 28:9,12-16
Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee…

Daniel 8:10-12
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them…

the mount

Isaiah 2:2
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Psalm 48:2
Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Jump to Previous
Ascend Assembly Congregation Enthroned Exalt Far Gods Heart Heaven Heavens Heights High Higher Inmost Meeting Meeting-Place Mount Mountain North Parts Raise Recesses Sacred Seat Sides Sit Stars Throne Utmost Uttermost
Jump to Next
Ascend Assembly Congregation Enthroned Exalt Far Gods Heart Heaven Heavens Heights High Higher Inmost Meeting Meeting-Place Mount Mountain North Parts Raise Recesses Sacred Seat Sides Sit Stars Throne Utmost Uttermost
Isaiah 14
1. God's merciful restoration of Israel
3. Their triumphant exultation over Babel
24. God's purpose against Assyria
29. Philistia is threatened














You said in your heart
This phrase introduces the internal dialogue of a being who is filled with pride and ambition. In the Hebrew text, the word for "heart" is "לֵבָב" (levav), which often signifies the inner self, mind, or will. This indicates that the intentions and desires are deeply rooted within the individual. In a conservative Christian perspective, this reflects the sin of pride, which originates from within and is a fundamental issue of the human condition. The heart is the seat of thought and intention, and this phrase sets the stage for the prideful declarations that follow.

I will ascend to the heavens
The desire to "ascend to the heavens" reflects an aspiration to rise above one's ordained place. The Hebrew verb "עָלָה" (alah) means to go up or ascend. This phrase can be seen as an expression of rebellion against God's established order. In the biblical context, the heavens are the realm of God, and the desire to ascend there suggests an attempt to usurp divine authority. This mirrors the temptation of humanity to elevate itself to a god-like status, reminiscent of the original sin in the Garden of Eden.

I will raise my throne
Here, the speaker expresses a desire to establish authority and dominion. The word "throne" in Hebrew is "כִּסֵּא" (kisse), symbolizing power and kingship. This phrase indicates an ambition to not only reach the heavens but to establish a position of rulership there. In a conservative Christian interpretation, this reflects the ultimate act of rebellion against God, as it seeks to replace God's sovereignty with self-rule. It is a stark reminder of the dangers of pride and the desire for power.

above the stars of God
The "stars of God" are often interpreted as angelic beings or celestial bodies that serve God. The Hebrew word for "stars" is "כּוֹכָבִים" (kokhavim). To place one's throne above them suggests a desire to surpass even the most exalted of God's creations. This phrase underscores the audacity and arrogance of the speaker's ambition. In the broader scriptural context, it serves as a warning against the hubris that seeks to elevate oneself above God's appointed order.

I will sit on the mount of assembly
The "mount of assembly" refers to a place of divine council or gathering. The Hebrew term "הַר מוֹעֵד" (har mo'ed) can be understood as a sacred mountain where divine beings convene. This phrase suggests a desire to take a seat among the divine council, further emphasizing the speaker's ambition to claim a position of authority and influence. In a conservative Christian view, this reflects the ultimate rebellion against God's sovereignty, as it seeks to infiltrate and dominate the divine order.

in the far reaches of the north
The "far reaches of the north" is often associated with the dwelling place of the gods in ancient Near Eastern mythology. The Hebrew phrase "יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן" (yarketei tsafon) suggests a place of great significance and power. In the biblical context, this can be seen as a metaphor for the highest and most exalted position one could aspire to. This phrase highlights the extent of the speaker's ambition, aiming for the utmost heights of power and glory. From a conservative Christian perspective, it serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of pride and the futility of attempting to usurp God's rightful place.

(13) I will ascend into heaven.--The boast of the Chaldaean king is represented as nothing less than an apotheosis, which they themselves claimed. So Shalmaneser describes himself as "a sun-god" (Records of the Past, iii. 83), Assurbanipal as "lord of all kings" (ib., iii. 78). In contrast with the Sheol into which the Chaldaean king had sunk, the prophet paints the heaven to which he sought to rise. He, the brightest star, would raise his throne above all the stars of God.

I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation . . .--The words have often been interpreted of Jerusalem or the Temple, as the "mountain of assembly" (as the tabernacle was "the tent of the congregation," or "of meeting"), and "the sides (better, recesses) of the north" have been connected, like the same phrase in Psalm 48:2, with the portion of the Temple which the king of Babylon is supposed to threaten. Most modern scholars are, however, agreed that this interpretation is untenable. What is brought before us is the heaven, the "mountain of assembly," where the great gods in whom the king of Babylon believed sat in council. So Assyrian hymns speak of "the feasts of the silver mountains, the heavenly courts" (as the Greeks spoke of Olympus), where the gods dwell eternally (Records of the Past, iii. 133). And this ideal mountain was for them, like the Meru of Indian legend, in the farthest north. So in the legendary geography of Greece, the Hyperborei, or "people beyond the north wind," were a holy and blessed race, the chosen servants of Apollo (Herod., ii. 32-36). In Ezekiel 28:14 the prophet recognises an ideal "mountain of God" of like nature, and the vision of the future glory of a transfigured Zion, in chap 2:1-3, implies, as we have seen, an idea of the same kind. Possibly the same thought appears in Ezekiel's vision, "out of the north" (Isaiah 1:4).

Verse 13. - For thou hast said; rather, and thou - thou saidst; i.e. weak as thou art now shown to have been, it was thou that didst dare to say. I will ascend into heaven, etc. (comp. Isaiah 10:13, 14; Isaiah 37:24, 25). Isaiah represents rather the thoughts of the Babylonian monarch than his actual words. The Babylonian inscriptions are full of boasting egotism; but they do not contain anything approaching to impiety. The king may regard himself as, in a certain sense, Divine; but still he entertains a deep respect and reverence for those gods whom he regards as the most exalted, as Merodach, Bel, Nebo, Sin, Shamas. He is their worshipper, their devotee, their suppliant (see 'Records of the Past,' vol. 5. pp. 111-148). The Babylonian monarchs may have believed that after death they would mount up to heaven and join the "assembly of the great gods" (ibid., vol. 3. p. 83); but we scarcely know enough as yet of the religions opinions of the Babylonians to state positively what their belief was on the subject of a future life. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation. The early commentators explained this of Mount Zion, especially on account of the phrase, "in the sides of the north," which is used of the temple-bill in Psalm 48:2. But it is well objected that Mount Zion was a place of no grandeur or dignity or holiness to the Babylonians, who had made it a desolation; and that no Babylonian monarch would have desired to "sit" there. Moreover, the "mountain" of this passage must be one which is "above the heights of the clouds" and "above the stars of God," which the most imaginative poet could not have said of Mount Zion. A mythic mountain, belonging to the Babylonian theosophy, was therefore seen to be intended, even before the times of cuneiform decipherment (Rosenmüller, Michaelis, Knobel). Now that the Babylonian inscriptions can be read, it is found that there was such a mountain, called "Im-Kharsak," or "Kharsak-Kurra," which is described as "the mighty mountain of Bel, whose head rivals heaven, whose root is the holy deep," and which "was regarded as the spot where the ark had rested, and where the gods had their seat" ('Records of the Past,' vol. 11. p. 131, with the comment of Mr. Sayce, p. 130). In Babylonian geography this mountain was identified, either with the peak of Rowandiz, or with Mount Elwend, near Ecbatana. In the sides of the north. Both El-wend and Rowandiz are situated to the northeast of Babylou - a position which, according to ancient ideas, might be described indifferently as "north" or "east."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You
וְאַתָּ֞ה (wə·’at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

said
אָמַ֤רְתָּ (’ā·mar·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

in your heart:
בִֽלְבָבְךָ֙ (ḇil·ḇā·ḇə·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

“I will ascend
אֶֽעֱלֶ֔ה (’e·‘ĕ·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

to the heavens;
הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

I will raise
אָרִ֣ים (’ā·rîm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

my throne
כִּסְאִ֑י (kis·’î)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

above
מִמַּ֥עַל (mim·ma·‘al)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 4605: The upper part, with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top

the stars
לְכֽוֹכְבֵי־ (lə·ḵō·wḵ·ḇê-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3556: A star, a prince

of God.
אֵ֖ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

I will sit
וְאֵשֵׁ֥ב (wə·’ê·šêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on the mount
בְּהַר־ (bə·har-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

of assembly,
מוֹעֵ֖ד (mō·w·‘êḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting

in the far reaches
בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י (bə·yar·kə·ṯê)
Preposition-b | Noun - fdc
Strong's 3411: Flank, side, extreme parts, recesses

of the north.
צָפֽוֹן׃ (ṣā·p̄ō·wn)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter


Links
Isaiah 14:13 NIV
Isaiah 14:13 NLT
Isaiah 14:13 ESV
Isaiah 14:13 NASB
Isaiah 14:13 KJV

Isaiah 14:13 BibleApps.com
Isaiah 14:13 Biblia Paralela
Isaiah 14:13 Chinese Bible
Isaiah 14:13 French Bible
Isaiah 14:13 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Isaiah 14:13 You said in your heart I will (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 14:12
Top of Page
Top of Page