Isaiah 14:21

Prepare slaughter for his children - That is, cut them off not only from inheriting the honor of their father, but from life. This command seems to be directed to the Medes and Persians, and denotes that they would thus cut off his children.

For the iniquity of their fathers - On account of the crimes of their ancestors - the pride, haughtiness, and oppression of the kings of Babylon. This is the statement of a general principle of the divine administration, that the consequences of crime often pass over from the perpetrator, and impinge on his descendants (see Exodus 20:5).

That they do not rise - That they do not rise to occupy the places of their fathers; that they be degraded and reduced from their elevation and honored.

Nor fill the face of the world with cities - The Septuagint renders this, ‘And fill the land with wars.’ The Chaldee, ‘And fill the face of the world with “enemies.”’ The Syriac, ‘And fill the face of the earth with war.’ These versions evidently took the word ערים ‛ārı̂ym to mean “enemies” or “wars” - a sense which the word sometimes may have. But the common interpretation is to be preferred. The apprehension was, that they would fill the land, if they lived, with such cities of pride, magnificence, and wickedness, as “Babylon” was, and that thus crimes would be multiplied and prolonged; and hence, the purpose of God was not only to cut off Babylon - the “model” of all cities of arrogance and pride - but also to cut off those who would be disposed to rear similar cities, and to fill the land again with crime.