ישעיהו, פרק י״ד, פסוק י״א

The fall of a tyrant is marked by a sharp and extreme transition from the peak of prestige, control, and pride to the deep, degrading low of death. The primary approach among commentators is that there is a complete reversal of the king's state. A ruler who once imagined himself to be a god is now cast into the grave just like any ordinary human being. His steep descent into the underworld strips away all his former glory [מצודת ציון].

Along with his immense pride, the constant noise of his musical instruments plunges into the grave [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. The grand melodies that once accompanied his lavish feasts and played as he prepared for sleep are now completely silenced [רד״ק, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While other monarchs are often remembered through songs of praise played on harps long after they die, this king is entirely forgotten, and his music ends with him [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, some suggest that the noise descending with him does not refer to musical instruments at all, but rather to the loud commotion of the wicked and villainous armies he commanded [רש״י]. However, others reject this view, maintaining that the focus remains strictly on the silencing of his royal musicians [שד״ל].

A chilling contrast is drawn between the king's magnificent past and his miserable present. In life, he rested on luxurious beds made of marble, silk, and gold, wrapped in the most expensive blankets. Now, his body is discarded like any common casualty of war. Instead of fine linens, his mattress is made of maggots beneath him, and his covering is a blanket of worms above him [אברבנאל, רד״ק, שד״ל]. Commentators note a specific distinction between the types of insects consuming him. The base of his new bed consists of tiny, countless maggots [שד״ל], forming a stationary mattress upon which his body lies [מלבי״ם]. Over him rests a second type of insect, consisting of larger worms [שד״ל] that crawl and swarm, serving as a moving, living blanket that covers his remains [מלבי״ם].