Lexical Summary taan: Response, Testimony Original Word: טָעַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance thrust through A primitive root; to stab -- thrust through. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to pierce NASB Translation pierced (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. [טָעַן] verb pierce (Aramaic Pa`el טָעֵן pierce; Arabic  pierce, wound, goad) — only Pu`al Participle מְטֹעֲנֵי חָ֑רֶב Isaiah 14:19 those pierced with a sword. טַף see below טפף. below Topical Lexicon Context and Usage טָעַן appears once in the Old Testament, within the taunt-song against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:19). Isaiah depicts the tyrant as lying among the slain, “pierced by the sword”, a vivid image of violent, irreversible judgment. The verb intensifies the scene: the oppressor who once thrust others through is now himself run through and discarded. Historical Backdrop: The Fall of Babylon Isaiah delivered this oracle during a period when Assyria dominated the Near East, yet he already foresaw Babylon’s later ascendancy and collapse. Ancient records show that victorious armies commonly left enemy corpses unburied—an ultimate disgrace. By portraying the Babylonian ruler as pierced and cast aside, Isaiah speaks a language every eighth-century listener understood: no empire, however imposing, can stand against the Holy One of Israel. The Word Picture of Total Defeat 1. Physical termination: The piercing ends life abruptly, contrasting the king’s former pomp with sudden helplessness. Theological Themes: Divine Justice and Humiliation of the Proud • Covenant retribution: Pride and cruelty invite covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:25-26). Isaiah shows those curses falling on a pagan power that exceeds its divine mandate (Isaiah 10:5-19). Christological Perspectives While Isaiah 14 primarily targets historical Babylon, the language echoes beyond: Eschatological Resonance Later prophets and Revelation portray end-time antagonists meeting a fate akin to Isaiah’s pierced tyrant (Ezekiel 32:22-23; Revelation 19:17-21). The lone occurrence of טָעַן thus seeds an enduring prophetic pattern: arrogant rulers end in disgrace, assuring believers that final justice is certain. Practical Ministry Reflection 1. Call to humility: Leaders must remember that authority is delegated, not intrinsic. The pierced Babylonian stands as a warning against self-exaltation. Forms and Transliterations מְטֹ֣עֲנֵי מטעני mə·ṭō·‘ă·nê məṭō‘ănê meToaneiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 14:19 HEB: לְב֥וּשׁ הֲרֻגִ֖ים מְטֹ֣עֲנֵי חָ֑רֶב יוֹרְדֵ֥י NAS: with the slain who are pierced with a sword, KJV: of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, INT: Clothed the slain are pierced A sword go 1 Occurrence |
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