You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. “May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse declares the wicked king won't be buried with his victors, not just because he destroyed his own land and people, but because his descendants will also be erased from memory. This isn't just a personal punishment, but a sweeping curse on his entire lineage, highlighting that the consequences of profound evil extend far beyond one lifetime.
You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. “May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes amidst a taunting song directed at the fallen king of Babylon, celebrating his destruction. It contrasts his ignominious end with the honor typically afforded rulers, emphasizing that his cruelty and devastation of his own land mean he won't even receive a proper burial alongside other kings. The prophecy then extends this curse to his entire lineage, declaring that no descendant will ever achieve renown.
What does it mean to be denied a proper burial? In the ancient world, burial was a matter of honor and belonging. This verse speaks of a disgraced end for a terrible ruler.
Isaiah 14:20 describes a king who will not be buried with his enemies. This isn't just about a lack of funeral rites; it signifies a complete social and spiritual ostracization. His tyranny and destruction of his own land and people mean he won't even share the common grave of warriors. It's a stark picture of a ruler whose wickedness cuts him off from even the basic dignities afforded to the defeated.
This concept of a dishonored burial appears elsewhere in Scripture, often linked to severe judgment:
What happens to the family name of someone who wreaks havoc? This verse declares a powerful curse on the lineage of an evil ruler.
The second part of Isaiah 14:20 delivers a devastating blow not just to the individual ruler, but to his entire family line: 'May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!' This is more than just a wish; it's a prophetic declaration that his descendants will be cut off, their names and legacy erased from history. The Babylonian dynasty, represented by this king, will reach its absolute end with him.
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This echoes the principle that wickedness has far-reaching consequences, impacting generations:
Understand the original words
mērēʿīm · Hebrew Noun
A person who practices iniquity, violates God’s law, or acts in rebellion against the divine will. It characterizes individuals whose nature and actions are fundamentally contrary to God's righteousness.
This prophecy was delivered during the Babylonian exile, a period of immense suffering and national crisis for Judah. Its inclusion of a specific king and dynasty highlights God's ultimate sovereignty over even the most powerful earthly empires and the eventual downfall of oppressive rulers.
605 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon begins his conquest of Judah, deporting Jewish nobility and taking spoils from Jerusalem to Babylon.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks a profound crisis for the Jewish people.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event is a major geopolitical shift in the ancient Near East.
c. 540-539 BC— this verse
Belshazzar's Reign and the Feast
Belshazzar, co-ruler or king of Babylon, presides over a feast where the divine judgment described in Daniel 5 occurs, immediately preceding the city's fall.
Late 6th century BC
The Dynasty Ends
The Babylonian dynasty, including Belshazzar and his lineage, is extinguished with the Persian conquest, fulfilling prophecies of its demise and lack of lasting renown.
This passage describes a similar fate for King Jehoiakim, whose burial will be like that of a donkey, emphasizing a dishonorable end due to his wicked deeds and oppression of his people.
Ezekiel 29:5Here, Pharaoh of Egypt is described as being cast into the desert, with no one to gather or bury him, illustrating a complete rejection and removal from the land due to his pride and destruction.
Matthew 7:13-14Jesus contrasts the narrow gate leading to life with the wide gate and broad road leading to destruction, highlighting that destructive paths, often taken by many, ultimately lead to ruin and oblivion.
Proverbs 10:7This proverb directly states that the memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot, paralleling Isaiah's declaration that the offspring of evildoers will not be renowned.
clarkeIsaiah 14:20: "Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned."
Because thou hast destroyed thy land, etc. "Because thou hast destroyed thy country; thou hast slain thy people" - Xenophon gives an instance of this king's wanton cruelty in killing the son of Gobrias, on no other provocation than that, in hunting, he struck a boar and a lion which the king had missed. Cyrop. 4:309.
wesleyIsaiah 14:20: "Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned."
14:20 Joined - Not buried as they are. Slain - Thou hast exercised great tyranny and cruelty, not only to thine enemies, but even to thine own subjects. The seed - Such as Belshazzar was, being descended from that Nebuchadnezzar who had made such horrid slaughters and devastations in the world, merely to gratify his own insatiab…
The verse declares the wicked king won't be buried with his victors, not just because he destroyed his own land and people, but because his descendants will also be erased from memory. This isn't just a personal punishment, but a sweeping curse on his entire lineage, highlighting that the consequences of profound evil extend far beyond one lifetime.
This passage comes amidst a taunting song directed at the fallen king of Babylon, celebrating his destruction. It contrasts his ignominious end with the honor typically afforded rulers, emphasizing that his cruelty and devastation of his own land mean he won't even receive a proper burial alongside other kings. The prophecy then extends this curse to his entire lineage, declaring that no descendant will ever achieve renown.
This passage comes amidst a taunting song directed at the fallen king of Babylon, celebrating his destruction. It contrasts his ignominious end with the honor typically afforded rulers, emphasizing that his cruelty and devastation of his own land mean he won't even receive a proper burial alongside other kings. The prophecy then extends this curse to his entire lineage, declaring that no descendant will ever achieve renown.
"You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people.
“May the offspring of evildoers
nevermore be named!" — The verse declares the wicked king won't be buried with his victors, not just because he destroyed his own land and people, but because his *descendants* will also be erased from memory. This isn't j…
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Last reviewed October 2026