And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

ISAIAH 10:14KJV
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Isaiah 10:14 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 10:14 mean?

Isaiah 10:14 describes someone boasting that they have easily taken the wealth of nations, comparing it to finding a nest full of eggs and gathering them without any resistance. The verse paints a picture of complete conquest, where no one is able to defend, protest, or even make a sound in response.

In context, the speaker is the king of Assyria, who is arrogantly claiming that his power has allowed him to plunder other peoples without opposition. This verse is part of a larger passage where God, through Isaiah, exposes the pride of the Assyrian ruler and sets up a warning that such arrogance will not go unpunished.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 10:14

  • "hand" (יָד, yad): This word emphasizes personal power or ability. The king is claiming that his own strength has accomplished these feats.
  • "nest" (קֵן, qen): The image of a nest suggests something unguarded and vulnerable, highlighting how easy the conquest seemed.
  • "gathereth" / "gathered" (אָסַף, asaf): This word means to collect or take in, reinforcing the idea of gathering spoils without effort or resistance.
  • "moved the wing" (נָדַד כָּנָף, nadad kanaph): This phrase refers to even the slightest attempt to resist or escape, like a bird flapping its wing, but here, there is none.

Why Isaiah 10:14 matters

  • Isaiah 10:14 shows the depth of the Assyrian king’s pride, helping readers understand why God later rebukes and judges him in the passage.
  • The verse uses vivid imagery to communicate how helpless the conquered nations seemed, which makes the king’s arrogance even clearer.
  • This verse connects to the broader message in Isaiah 10, where God reminds both Israel and Assyria that all power ultimately belongs to Him, not to human rulers.

Where else these words appear

“eggs” Hebrew H1000 · used in 4 verses

  • Deuteronomy 22:6 If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:
  • Job 39:14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
  • Isaiah 59:5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

“peeped” Hebrew H6850 · used in 4 verses

  • Isaiah 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
  • Isaiah 29:4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
  • Isaiah 38:14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

“nest” Hebrew H7064 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
  • Job 29:18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
  • Isaiah 16:2 For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

“opened” Hebrew H6475 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
  • Judges 11:36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
  • Psalms 144:10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.