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Isaiah XIV 4B-23: Ironic Reversal through Concentric Structure and Mythic

Allusion

Robert H. O'Connell

Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 38, Fasc. 4. (Oct., 1988), pp. 407-418.

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Vetus Testamentum XXXVIII, 4 (1988)

ISAIAH XIV 4B-23: IRONIC REVERSAL THROUGH

CONCENTRIC STRUCTURE AND MYTHIC

ALLUSION1

ROBERT H. O 'CONNELL

Dallas

The poem of Isa. xiv 4b-23 consists primarily of qLn6h-meter (3

2). Based on conventional usage of this "dirge" meter in

funerary lament forms and its combination here with the sardonic

tone of a rn i l genre the poem jeers with all the irony one would ex-

pect of a funerary taunt song. But there is more.

Concentric Structure n Isa, xiu 46-23

O n the basis of the appearance of demarcating framing elements

(i.e., the formulaic introduction in xiv 4a and the formulaic

Yahwistic ascription in xiv 22b, d , and 23d) Isa. xiv 4b-21 might

seem to comprise a single poetic unit .2 However, the overall con-

centric structure of the poem favors including verses 22-3 in the

unit. This concentric structure may be outlined as follows:

A "Y HW H" shatters his foes (4b-5)

B Domination of the Oppressed (6)

C "The whole land is at rest and peace" 7)D "Pine trees" and "Cedars of Lebanon:"

"No woodsman comes to cut us down" 8)

My thanks to Robert B. Chisholm, J r , for his helpful comments upon reading

this article.So Frederick A. Vanderburgh, "The Ode on the King of Babylon, Isaiah xiv

4b-21", A J S L 29 (1913), pp. 11 1-21; A. Dupont -Sommer , "Note exigit ique sur

Isaie 14, 16-21 , Re vu e de l histoire des religions 134 (1947-48), p. 72; GottfriedQuell, "Jesaja 14, 1-23", Leonhard Rost (ed.), Fe.rtschrift Friedrich Baumgart el z u m

70. Geburtstag 14. Januar 958 (Erlangen, 1959), pp. 131-2, 145-55; W. C. vanWyk, "Isaiah 14:4b-21: A poem of contrasts and irony", O T W S A 22-23 (1979-80), pp. 241-2; Robert Alter, Th e Art ofBiblica l Poetry, (New York, 1985), pp. 147-8. Raymond C. Van Leeuwen, "Isa. 14:12, h 6 l Z a l g w y m and Gilgamesh XI , 6",/ B L 99 (1980), p. 173, sees the unit as Isa. xiv 4b-20.



E The startled reaction of "all the kings

of the nations" [emphasison their

activity] (9)

F Sarcasticquotation of deceased

kings [emphasison his stasis] (10)

G "All your pomphasbeen brought

down to the grave" (11)AXIS1: SardonicCelestial Pseudo-epithets JJk

[2vbs;emphasison descent] (12)

AXIS2: 7-foldArrogant Assault on the

CosmicMountain [anacrusis 5vbs

in 7 cola;emphasis on ascent]

(13-14)

G' "You arebrought down to the k

grave" (15)

F' Sarcasticquotation of deceased

kings [emphasison his (former)

activity] (16-17)

E ' The secure stateof "all the kings

of the nations" [emphasison their

stasis] (18)

D' "You are ..likea rejected branch";

"covered with...thosepierced by the

sword" (19a-e)

C ' "You have destroyed your [own]land"

(19f-20~)

B ' Domination of theOppressors (20d-21)

A' y hw h ?b'wt shattershis foes

[3-foldascription toYHWHwithy h w h ~ b ' w t

as aframe] (22-3)

Despite the prevalence of strophic analyses of this poem its

overall structureis actually c~ncen t r i c . ~ sevenfoldarrogation of

For var ia t ions on the view that the poem is s t rophic we have: (a) the poemis comprised of f ive seven- line s trophes: so V an de rbu rgh (n . 2) , p p. 11 1-21; A .D u p o n t - S o m m e r , evue de l'histoim des religions 134 (1947-48) , p . 72; (b) the po em

is comprised of three seven- l ine s trophes, a nine- l ine s trophe and a three- l ine

strophe: so Quell ( n . 2) , p p. 145-55; (c) the poem is comprised of fou r seven-l inestrophes an d a f ive-l ine s trophe: so va n W yk (n . 2) , pp . 240, 244. St il l subscr ibingto the view that the poem has a s trophic pat t ern, yet mo re sensit ive to i ts concen-t ric s t ruc ture , a re the t rea tmen ts by van Wyk and Luis Alonso Schokel , "Tra duc -



rights to YHWH's high station on the Cosmic Mountain, which

constitutes the main axis of the poem (uu. 13-14, i. e. , the five verbs

extend structurally over seven cola: u u 13a, 13b-c, 13d-e, 14a,

14b), is framed by a seven-tiered concentric framework. T he func-

tion of the seven-fold correspondence between elements of the main

axis (uu. 13-14) and the concentric framework is to prove

poetically the justice of the overthrow of this arrogant would-be

usurper (i.e., his debasement corresponds in extent to his ar-

rogance).

The axis of the poem is two-phased: u. 12 sardonically describes

the humiliation of the tyrant using mythic epithets which he might

be expected to have arrogated to himself. This downward thrust

directly opposes the usurper's sevenfold arrogation (uu. 13-14) with

its upward t h r ~ s t . ~

T o the best of my knowledge no one has yet perceived the extent

of this concentric arrangement or its importance for a literary

understanding of the poem. will first make some remarks concern-

ing how ironic reversal is conveyed through structural elements in

the poem and then briefly comment on the significance of thepoem's main rhetorical function (i.e., ironic reversal) as viewed

against similar use of mythic imagery in the Bible and the ancient

Near East.

Ironic Reversal through Structural Elements

The particles )yk (uu. 4b, 12a) and k (u. 15a) delimit the poem

into three distinct sections (uu. 4b-11, 12-14, and 15-23) but the

cibn de textos poCticos. 11 , Cultura Bz blica 17:174 (1960) , pp. 257-9. AlonsoSchokel divides the poem into f ive uneven s trophes in the pat tern: A (uu. 5-10) ,

B (uu. 10c-12 ), C (uu. 13 -14 ), B' (u. 15) , A ' (uu. 16-21) . In van W yk's t rea tm entof the f ive-strophe s tructure his diagram shows a concentr ic pat tern, but his

schema (p. 240) seems to account for the deta ils som ewhat less precise ly tha n thatproposed in this ar t ic le precise ly because his t rea tment upholds a t radi t ional

s t rophic de l inea t ion of the poem. Pe rhaps the cogency of Hans Kosmala ' sarguments for the t ransposi t ion of u u 16-17 between u u 9 an d 10 should a lso be

re-exam ined in the light of the unsettlin g effect it would have o n the con centricsymm e t r y o f t he poe m ( F o r m a nd S t r uc tu r e in A ncie nt H e b r e w P oe t ry [ C on-t inued] , V T 16 [1966], pp. 168-72) .

W . S . P r ins loo , I sa iah 14 :12-15-Humil ia t ion , Hu br is , Hum il ia t ion ,Z W 93 (1981), pp . 432-8 , was sens i tive to an A-B-A pa t te rn of hum i l ia t ion ,

hub r is , hum il ia t ion in u u 12-15 bu t , fa il ing to perceive t hat h e was w orking halfin and half out of the poem's two-phased axis , his proposed s truc ture seem s sl ight-ly out of a l ignment with the larger concentr ic pat tern which I am proposing here .



overall formal structure of the poem remains concentric. In each

case the particle serves to signal the arrival of a new phase of the

poem: the first particle (u. 4b) introduces the centripetal half of the

major concentric structure which outlines seven aspects of the

usurper s downfall, the second particle (u. 12a) introduces the two-

phased axis (uu. 12, 13-14) which justly and sardonically links the

lofty epithets of the would-be usurper with the depth of his

downfall, and the final particle (0. 15a) begins the centrifugal half

of the poem s major concentric structure .

The mirror image of the seven-tiered frame emphasizes the

reversals inherent in poetic justice. The medial correspondent tiers

(B-B C-C D-D E-E F-F ) evidence a programmatic reversal

of circumstances: B-B (uu. 6, 20d-21) shows the shift from the

domination of the oppressed to that of the oppressors, C-C7 uu. 7 ,

19f-20c) shows the contrast between the formerly conquered lands

now at rest and the formerly ruling land now destroyed, D-D (uu.

8, 19a-e) shows the shift from trees relieved of their woodcutter to

the rejection of the (royal) scion whose former entourage now lies

pierced by the sword, E-E (nu. 9, 18) shows the change from thestartled response of deceased kings to their present peaceful state,

and F-F (uu. 10, 16-17) shows, both times through a sarcastic

quotation of the deceased rulers, the contrast between the usurper s

present immobility and his former activity. The irony in each of

these reversals resides in the fact that each of his undertakings

brings about a result fully unexpected by this usurper.

T he outermost and innermost corresponding tiers of the concen-

tric frame, however, emphasize not reversal bu t, by repetition, theirrevocability of the decree underlying the taunt song (i.e., A-A

[ u u 4b-5, 22-31 makes the same assertion of YHWH vanquishing

his foe; G-G [uu. 11, 151 affirms the downfall of the arrogant

usurper) . Nevertheless, A-A taken together contrast with G- G in

a way which heightens the antithesis between the triumph of

Y H W H an d the final fate of his arch-foe. The theme of reversal is

also evident in the axis itself with the emphasis shifting from a mode

of humil iating descent (AXIS , u 12) to that of arrogant ascent(AXIS2, u u 13-14).

A number of other structural patterns are inlayed into the poem s

concentric structure which further serve to emphasize the idea of

reversal in the poem. First of all, there is use of panelling (i.e., an

alternating A-B-A-B structure) running concurrent with the con-



centric pattern so that a common mode links E-F' (uv. 9, 16-17;

both stressing activity) and F-E' (uv. 10, 18; both stressing stasis).

T o emphasize further this cross-pollination between the E an d

F tiers certain keywords which are repeated have transferred

from the E to the F' tier (e.g., ) r~ ,gzh = mrgyz) and, likewise, from

the F to E' tier (e.g., klm).

As examples of simple chiasm, a number of keyword collocations

(some of which are antithetical and some of which are simply

paronomastic) which exist between corresponding tiers appear in

reverse word order from one another. For example:

C 7) Sqth 1 h'r; C ' (19f-20c) )rsk 1 Sht

D (8) l)-yclh 1 hkrt D' (19a-e) mtCny hrb 1 ywrdy

E(9)S)wl l rgzh F ' (16-17)mrgyzlh)rs

G (1 1) hwrd 1 S'wl G' (15) S)wl 1 twrd

If we assume as a working hypothesis the validity of the poem's

concentric structure it may be instructive to draw out some less ob-

vious keyword collocations and associations. In verse 5 (i.e., A),

both of the terms m.th and Sbt, as is well-known, may mean either

rod, staff or , by a frozen metonymical usage, tribe depending

on their usage in context. Viewed within the larger context of this

poem there seems to be deliberate amphiboly (i.e., pun) in which

both senses are meant : mth and Sbt have the sense rod , staff in

the immediate context of u 5 (obvious on first reading when

Y H W H is said to break [Sbr] them) but when this verse is seento correspond to u 22c-d (A'), where Y H W H is said to cut off

from Babylon both name and survivor, offspring and descendant ,

we can see that the only link between the terms of the A tiers

depends on the amphiboly of both mth and Sbt. This linking device

is clever. It serves as a lexical pivot to mark the turn from the

general assertion that YHWH breaks the scepter (i.e., rule) of

wicked rulers (v. 5 = A) to the specific assertion that Y H W H will

cut off the line (i.e., regal succession) of Babylon's rulers (v. 22c-d= A').

In a similar way, though not as a structural linking device, hmyt

nblyk the music or your harps (u. 1 I) , in this context of the grave,

may have been designed for irony to evoke paronomastically the

antithetic language hmwt nbltk your corpse to death (cf. 1QIsa)



paralleling S wl g ) ~ n k . ~ onnother link between sections based

possible mental imagery is the expression knsr ntCb (v . 19 D )

meaning rejected (royal) scion which is a metonymy for the re-

jection of his right to kingship using plant imagery and correlates

this verse with the plants mentioned in u 8 (D).

That the literary reversal is not always so subtle in this poem is

evident from the succession of stich-words in the closing series of

tiers which not only serves to intensify the sense of poetic justice in

the poem but twice explicitly links the oppressor's intention with an

appropriate reversal:

AXIS2 (1 3) yrkty spwn

G (15) yrkty bwr

F' (16-1 7 ) 1)-pth byth

E (18) bbytw

D (19a-e) w th hs lkt mqbrk lbwS hrgym

C (19f-20c) 1)-thd tm bqbwrh rnk hrgt

B' (20d-21) bl-yqmw

A (22-3) wqmty lyhm

Turning now from this consideration of the working of ironic

reversal through the use of structural elements, I would like to il-

lustrate briefly how such reversal is reinforced by allusion to mythic

imagery within biblical and ancient Near Eastern literature.

Ironic Reversal through Mythic Allusion

The poem of Isa. xiv 4b-23 seems to constitute a good exampleof the use of literary structure for the purpose of allusive cueing.

This is not the only context in biblical literature in which the ar-

rogation of rights to the station of God upon the Cosmic Mountain,

is presented in a multi-tiered chiastic framework. Nor is it the only

time such is associated with rulers of ancient Mesopotamia. By its

subject matter and concentric structure the poem seems to allude

to the ancient story of the overthrow at the tower of Babel (Gen.

xi 1-9) where we also see hubris (i.e ., that of united humanity) rais-ing up an earthly rival to the mythic ideal Cosmic Mountain on

Cf. Jean Carmignac, Six passages d'Isaee 6clairCs par Qumran , S.Wagner (ed.), Bibel und Qumran: Beitrage rur Erforschung der Beziehungen zwischen

Bibel- und Qumranwissenschaj?(Berlin, 1968), pp. 39-40. Cf. Alter (n. 2), pp. 147-50,for some further examples of word-play in Isa. xiv.



which God dwells. The six-tiered concentric structure of Gen. xi 1-

9 appears as follow^:^

A all the earth had one language (kl-h1r? Sph Iht)

B there (Sm) (2)(1)

C one another (3S Y-rchw) (3a)

D come let us make bricks (nlbnh lbnym)

E let us build for ourselves (nbnh lnw)

(3b)

(4a)

F a city and a tower (Cyr wmgdl) (4b)AXIS and YHWH came down to see (wyrdyhwh

lr'wt) (5a)F the city and the tower (It-hCyr wlt-hmgdl) (5b)E' which the sons of man began to build

(bnw bny hldm) (5c)

D' come . . . let us confuse (nblh) (7a)C ' everyone's language (3s Spt rchw) (7b)

B from there (mJm) (8)

A [confused] the language of all the earth ([bll] Spt kl-hlr;) (9)

In the text of Gen. xi it is a man-made mountain which constitutes

the assault on godhood and there, as in Isa. xiv, the entire episode

is cast in an ascent-descent polarity with which the concentric struc-

ture is, in each case, so sympathetic.

The effect of Isa. xiv evoking this primeval precedent of God's

overthrow of hubris at Babel's ziggurat is to emphasize the pattern

according to which YH W H overthrows all opposition. Tha t which

was established in antiquity continues as the pattern in Israel's

history. All who rise up against God will be debased. Thus, what

seems to constitute a deliberate literary allusion to Gen. xi serves

to reinforce Isaiah's purpose for in that context, as in Isa. xiv, con-

centric structure is the key device used to elicit ironic reversal of the

intentions of the characters described within the text.

In addition to this structurally cued allusion to primeval history

within the biblical traditions the implied story-line of Isa. xiv seems

to evoke the story-line of the ancient widely-known Epic of

Gilgamesh. Attesting its widespread popularity copies of this epic

have been discovered in excavations throughout the Near East from

Iraq to Turkey including one Canaanite level at Megiddo.

Thematic correspondence between this Mesopotamian classic and

Cf. J . P. Fokkelman, Narrative rt in Genesis (Assen and Amsterdam, 1975),

p. 22 .



Isa. xiv strongly suggests that the author of Isaiah was deliberately

using the device of allusive cueing to evoke the themes of this

familiar Mesopotamian story so as to invert its storyline as a parody

on the fall of this legendary (and thus archetypal) king of Babylon.

Isa. xiv 4b-21 is thus a subtle reversal of royal-mythic themes well-

rehearsed in Mesopotamian culture. It is designed to evoke

recognition that it is YHWH who vanquishes the pride of the

Mesopotamian king(s).

Raymond Van Leeuwen has suggested several verbal and

thematic analogues which exist between Gilgamesh XI and Isa. xiv

([n. 21, pp. 173-84). Enlisting support from Thorkild Jacobsen s

study of the epic, he affirms that the main theme of the quest in

Gilgamesh is the desire to acquire immortality-a prerogative of

the gods alone.7 Gilgamesh s quest is thus equated with a hubristic

assault on godhood (cf. Isa. xiv 13-14). The episode where

Gilgamesh s companion Enkidu assails the keeper of the mythic

Cedar Forest (cf. Isa. xiv 8 is nothing but such an affront for this

keeper is the guardian of Enlil s personal garden. Enkidu pays for

his hubris with his own life (cf. Isa. xiv 11, 15). The shock of

Enkidu s death sets Gilgamesh on a fear-filled quest for immortali-

ty. When Gilgamesh finally meets Utnapishtim, the only man ever

to attain immortality, he is shocked with disappointment at the

limbo-like existence of this former hero who lies prostrate on his

back distant from gods and men (cf. Isa. xiv 12). The denouement

of Gilgamesh s quest for immortality is his resigned acceptance of

both the death of Enkidu and the fact of his own irrevocable mor-

tality.

Isaiah s purpose in evoking the familiar Mesopotamian story-

line is not, however, to convey the atmosphere of resigned accept-

ance toward human mortality with which the epic closes. What we

see in Isa. xiv is the utter ruin of an unrelenting tyrant. Thematic

correspondence between Gilgamesh XI and Isa. xiv is designed to

evoke the mythic imagery of this Mesopotamian story so as to in-

vert its story-line and create a parody on the fall of the Mesopota-

mian king. For the purpose of allusive cueing, a few key lines in theIsaiah poem seem to contain a paraphrase of key points in the

Mesopotamian legend:8

The Treasures of Darkness; Hlstory of Mesopotamian Religi on N e w H a v e n ,

C o n n . , 1 9 7 6 ) , pp. 215-19.

C f . V a n L e e uw e n n . 2) , p. 183.



Gilg. X I Isa xiv

You have become weak like us 3-4 10

[emphasizing reversal in both

Gilg. X I and Isa. xiv]

You lie indolent on your back 6 12

Staring in startled amazement 2-4 16

[from shock due to the reversal of

expectations]

What could not have occurred to Van Leeuwen is the strategic loca-

tion that these paraphrastic allusions have in the Isaiah poem: both

vv. 10 and 16 occur in matched tiers (i .e ., F-F ' ) which describe the

shocked reaction of foreign kings toward the former Mesopotamian

king. This is another reversal of the Gilgamesh imagery for there

it was the Mesopotamian king, Gilgamesh himself, who was

shocked at the final state of Utnapishtim.

Of particular interest for purposes of ironic reversal is the

paronomastic proximity in v . 12 of hwls' ' lgwyrn the one who sub-

jected (despoiled) the nat ionswg o the reading suggested by Van

Leeuwen: weakened on your back (p. 182). Here, as in vv. 5

22c-d, 19 and 11 above, the device of amphiboly is most likely at

play, restraining us from holding too rigidly to either of two

legitimate lexical interpretations for a given word or expression.

We might expect that such a literary device which would require

alternative vocalizations would have been regarded more tolerably

at a time when the vocalization of the text was not as yet fixed by

tradition.1° As a result, the Mesopotamian king is seen to havereversed roles not only in relation to his own past but, by allusion

to Gilgamesh XI , in relation to his legendary ideal. I n Isa. xiv this

C f . A G ui l l a ume , T he U se o f hls in Exod . xvii .13 , I s a . x iv .12 , a nd Job

xiv.10 , JTS N .S . 14 ( 1963 ) , p . 91 .

l o O f c ou r se , non -r epe ti t ious a m ph ibo ly based on hom onymy ( r a the r t ha n

polysemy) bet ter conforms to the caut ions of D. F . Pay ne , Charac ter i s tic W ord -Play in 'Second Isa iah ' : A Reappraisa l , JSS 12 (1967) , pp . 207-29, against c i t ing

dubious examples of del ibera te amphiboly but , of course , i t is in the very natureof wordplay that incontrovertible evidence for intentional use of the device will

o f ten be lack ing . Pe rhap s suppo r t f rom one fur the r ana logue be tween I sa . x iv an dGi lg . X I m ay be found in the c los ing f rame which desc ribes a marsh land , swept

with the broo m of destruct ion, now inhabited by owls ( Is a . xiv 23). Cf . s imilarlang uag e in Gilg. X I 42-7 where the device of amph iboly (based o n polysemy) is

used to mis lead the in habi tan ts o f Shur ipp ak conce rn ing the t rue fu ture condi t ion

of the sur rounding reg ion .

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/xvii.13

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/xvii.13



description of the Mesopotamian monarch's incapacitation comes

strategically as the first phase (v. 12) in the poem 's two-phased axis

and, as such, in closest possible juxtaposition to the description of

the insolent activity which brought about his ultimate downfall (vv.

13-14).

~ h kolemic parody inherent in the intertextual relation set up

between Isa . xiv an d Gilgamesh XI is based on the inversion of the

original epic themes. Van Leeuwen brings these out admirably (p .

184):

Whereas Gilgamesh repeatedly boasts of his exploit in the CedarForest, in Isaiah 14 the cedar trees themselves boast because the

Cutter [i.e., kOrTt] has himself been cut down and laid (ikb) to rest

like a fallen tree (v 8) . The inversion of the scene between Gilgamesh

and Utnapishtim is particularly striking. Both passages are set in the

realm beyond death When Gilgamesh has traversed the Waters of

Death, he is surprised to find the once mighty Utnapishtim weak and

like himself. In Isaiah 14, the once mighty tyrant, Helel Son of

Dawn, arrives in the realm of the dead. There he is greeted by mortal

kings, now shades, who are astounded Even more his corpseis cast from the grave, without proper burial or a resting place among

the shades (Isa 14:18,19).

It seems to me that Van Leeuwen rightly assesses that this allu-

sion thus echoes a Mesopotamian epic so as to mortify a Mesopota-

mian ruler. T h e inversion created by the allusion of Isa. xiv to Gilg.

X I heightens the element of reversal already evident in the concen-

tric structure of the poem.

Wh at then should be said about the mythic imagery in uu 12-14such as the na me Helel, son of Shahar (hyll bn-Shr), the reference

to the stars of 'El (kkby-'l), to sitting on the M ount of

Assembly (hr-mwcd) and the recesses of Saphon Cyrkty jpwn),

an d ascend ing to the tops of the clouds ('I-bmty 'b)? The re have

been many and varied attempts to identify their mytho-cultural

background yet without any apparent c o n s e n ~ u s . ~ ~he very fact

As a small sampling: P. Grelot, Isa'ie xiv 12-15 et son arrikre-plan

mythologique , Revue de l'histoire des religions 149 ( 195 6) , pp. 18-48, argues for asyncretism of the same mythic material from Greek, to Ugaritic and then toHebrew literature; J . W. McKay, Helel and the Dawn-Goddess: A re-examination of the myth in Isaiah xiv 12-15 , VT 20 (1970) ,pp. 45 1-64 , prefersa Greek mythic origin mediated in modified form through Phoenician mythologyto the Hebrews who further modify; Ulf Oldenburg, Above the Stars of El: Elin Ancient South Arabic Religion , Z A W 8 2 ( 19 7 0) , pp. 187-208, contends for a



that as many mythological backgrounds have been proposed as

Greek, Ugaritic, Old South Arabian, and Mesopotamian, each

with some degree of correspondence to the imagery of Isa. xiv 12-14

yet none with complete analogy-either to Isa. xiv or between

themselves-seems to support the idea that precise identification of

the mythic background is not only unlikely but not to be expected.

Myth in the ancient Near East was a syncretistic phenomenon.

Thus, although basic mythic structures remained the same there

was a tendency to differentiate the details of the mythic material

from one society to another. hyll bn Shr in Isa. xiv 12 is therefore

probably no more than a familiar Canaanite alloform for the an-

cient Near Eastern mythological character who exceeds his proper

status and subsequently has to undergo humiliation (whether

limited and self-imposed, as in the case of Ugaritic Athtar, or utter

and externally imposed, as in the case of Greek Phaethon). Similar

mythic analogues, none with precise correspondence between

cultures, can be discerned between the ancient near eastern ideals

of the Cosmic Mountain, the Divine Assembly and the functions of

the various deities. Nevertheless, even without a precise identifica-tion of the culture of origin for the mythic language in Isa. xiv 12-

14 it is clear that its function is to portray the Mesopotamian tyrant

as a mythic usurper who arrogantly attempts to exceed his proper

status and to take the place of the most high god. See the Appendix.

APPENDIX

A comment will now be added as to the identity of the figure

represented by the Mesopotamian despot. A precise identification

of a particular historical figure seems unlikely. The language is

deliberately stereotypical and this to allow some degree of

transference between either an Assyrian or Babylonian ruler (at dif-

ferent stages of Israel s history). In this connection, note the jux-

taposition here of Isa. xiv 24-27 which concerns the Assyrian

counterpart to the Babylonian overthrow mentioned in Isa. xiv 22-

23 (A ) which, like the latter, is a section framed by mention ofyhwh

background in Ol d Sou th Arab ic re lig ion ; P . C . Cra ig ie , Hele l , A th ta r andPh ae th on (Jes 14 , 12-15) , ZAW 85 (1973) , pp . 223-5 , coun ters McKay andGrelot by claiming a d is t inctly Ugarit ic mythological milieu .

l See Prinsloo (n . 4), pp 435-6; Gerald Lynwood Keown, History of the Inter

pretation of Isaiah 1 4 : 1 2 I 5 (P h . D . d is serta t ion , Sou the rn Bap t is t Theo log ica lSeminary, Louisvil le , Kentucky, 1979), pp 138-42.



sb wt portra yed as shatter ing his foes. Ind ee d, I sa. xiv 24-27 should

probably be viewed as a n al ternative extention of A ' ( i .e. , A") in

the concen tr ic s t ruc ture of the poem ( i . e . , A:A ' :A :A W )which by

its subst i tut ion al ters the specific address of this taunt song. This

double-address view is corroborated by the correspondence which

exists betw een Isa . xiii 1-xiv 27 an d xxxvi-xxxix in the overall con-

centric design which governs Isa. xiii-xxxix:

AA Ora cle against Babylon (xii i)

AA ' Fun erary T au n t So ng (x iv [3 -4a] , 4b-21) aga ins t:

(A') the Babylonian King (xiv 22-3)BB Fune rary T au n t Son g (x iv 4b-21) aga ins t:

(A") the Assyrian Ki ng (xiv 24-7)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BB' Deliverance from Assyrian T hr ea t against

Jerusalem (xxxvi 1 xxxvii 20)

BB" T au n t Song aga ins t the Assyrian Kin g

(xxxvii [21-22a], 2213-35, [36-81)IN SE T: Son g of Del iverance of Jud ah ' s Kin g

(xxxvii i [I-91, 10 -20 , [2 1-21)

AA" Rec ept ion of Envo ys from the Babylonian Kin g

(xxxix)

There has been a theological t radit ion of interpret ing the

Vulgate 's t rans lat ion Lucifer ("Light bearer") for the H ebre w yll

as a reference to Satan. In the historical set t ing envisaged by this

poem one might rightly affirm that the angelic adversary ofY H W H was a real and active force in the mov em ent of foreign op-

pressors, b it in the l i terary context of the book such a n inte rpreta -

t ion would itself seem entirely foreign. H ow eve r, w ithin the larger

theological context of the Bible (cf. Gen. xi 1-9; Isa. xiv 4b-27;

Ez ek. xxviii 1-19 ; R ev . xvii-xvii i, xx 7-10) there seems to be a

typological pat terning w hereby all the foes of Y H W H ar e cas t down

from assai l ing his throne. By this pat tern there may be a cor-

respondence to the fall of Sa tan to which Jesus al ludes (L uk e x 18)but a co rrespondence to pat te rnin g is not i tself a direct predict ion.

T h u s , in the context of Isa. xiv "Lucifer" is only the prou d but

now fal len Mesopotamian king who, framed in hyperbolic

language , has on ly a pa t t e rned correspondence to any of Y H W H 's

adversaries.

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