An issue of Jehovah’s judgment upon the nations is the restoring and establishing of His beloved Israel (vv. 1-3, 32; 17:7, 10) and His changing the heart of and blessing the judged nations (Isa. 16:1-4; 18:1, 7; 19:19-25). See note Isa. 16:5¹.

Following the reading of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ancient versions; the Hebrew text is unclear.

Lit., male goats.

The Latin Vulgate translates, Lucifer. This refers to Satan, who, as the Daystar, son of the dawn, was one of the earliest angels (the sons of God — Job 38:7, cf. Job 1:6) created by God at the “dawn” of the universe. He was appointed by God to be the head of all the angels (Ezek. 28:14; Jude 1:9) and later became Satan, the adversary of God, after he rebelled against God (see note Isa. 14:13¹). Because of his rebellion, Lucifer as Satan was judged by God (vv. 12-15; Ezek. 28:16-19; Luke 10:18).

In vv. 12-15 Isaiah identifies Lucifer with Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon (v. 4), thus regarding Nebuchadnezzar as a figure of Satan, as one who was one with Satan (cf. Ezek. 28:12). This unveils Satan’s kingdom of darkness behind the nations (Eph. 6:12b; cf. Dan. 10:13, 20) and his oneness with the rulers of the nations.

Satan’s rebellion against God is revealed in vv. 13-14 and in Ezek. 28:15-18. Satan’s heart was lifted up because of his beauty, and he corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness (Ezek. 28:17). In his arrogance Satan declared five times, “I will…,” indicating that his intention in his rebellion was to overthrow God’s authority and to exalt himself to be equal with God. Satan’s ambition for position became the motivation of all the rebellions recorded in the Scriptures (Gen. 11:4; Num. 12:1-2; 16:1-3; 2 Sam. 15:10-12 etc.). Because of his rebellion Satan became God’s adversary, God’s enemy (Zech. 3:1-2; Rev. 12:9a; Rev. 20:2a).

The highest place, where God sits on His throne, in the place where He assembles with all the angels (Job 1:6; 2:1). In his rebellion against God, Satan wanted to be on the same level as God.

This is Hades in the New Testament (see note Matt. 11:23^1d). Satan wanted to exalt himself to the uttermost parts of the north (v. 13), but God judged the rebellious Satan, sentencing him to be cast from the heavens to the earth and into Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit (vv. 12, 15; Ezek. 28:17). See Luke 10:18 and note Luke 10:18¹; Rev. 12:9 and note Rev. 12:9¹. Because Satan’s rebellion polluted not only the earth but also the heavens (see note Col. 1:20⁵ and note Heb. 9:23¹), both the earth and the heavens were judged by God. As a result, the sun and the stars did not shine, and the earth was covered with darkness and buried under deep water (Gen. 1:2; Job 9:5-7).

According to Rev. 12:4a and Rev. 12:9b, one-third of the angels of heaven joined Satan in his rebellion. They too must have been judged by God (cf. Matt. 25:41), and after being judged they became the fallen angels, Satan’s subordinates as the rulers, the authorities, the world-rulers of this darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12 and note Eph. 6:12²; see note Dan. 10:11¹). The living creatures on the earth in the preadamic age also joined Satan in his rebellion. After being judged by God through water (Gen. 1:2), they became disembodied spirits, the demons (Matt. 8:28-32; 12:43-45), who lodge in the water with which they were judged (see note Matt. 8:32² and note Rev. 21:1³) and work on earth for Satan’s kingdom of darkness (Matt. 12:26; Acts 26:18a; Col. 1:13a).