ישעיהו, פרק י״ד, פסוק י״ט

The ultimate fate of a cruel tyrant often stands as a complete reversal of the honor and majesty usually reserved for kings after their passing. Instead of resting peacefully in a grand, prepared tomb, this particular ruler faces deep humiliation, discarded with the disrespect shown to the lowest commoner. Commentators agree that this prophecy targets Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The primary approach among commentators [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, חומת אנך] grounds this in a historical tradition. After Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind and lived like a wild beast for seven years, his son, Evil-Merodach, ruled in his place. When Nebuchadnezzar recovered his sanity, he reclaimed the throne and imprisoned his son. Upon Nebuchadnezzar's actual death years later, the people wanted to crown Evil-Merodach once more. Terrified that his father might still be alive and would return to kill him, Evil-Merodach refused. To prove beyond a doubt that the tyrant was truly dead, the masses dragged Nebuchadnezzar's corpse out of its grave.

A different perspective views this downfall as a metaphor [רד״ק]. In this interpretation, the grave symbolizes the king's magnificent palace, and an evil spirit from God casts him out of his royal home to live among the wild beasts. Returning to the literal humiliation, the imagery emphasizes his forced distance from the royal tomb he had carefully prepared for himself during his lifetime [שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He is compared to a bad sapling or a rotten branch that a farmer uproots and throws far away [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A unique approach [מלבי״ם] suggests his resting place is akin to a dumping ground for animal carcasses, a stark contrast to a respectful human burial.

The degradation continues with his appearance, as he is covered in torn garments stained with the blood of casualties [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The corpse is so filthy and repulsive that no one even bothers to strip the clothes from it [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Another view suggests he is simply buried among masses of war casualties without any special royal honor [שד״ל]. A more visual interpretation [מלבי״ם] proposes that his garments are decorated with images of the very people he murdered, serving as a constant reminder of his immense cruelty. These fallen individuals surrounding him are understood either as victims fatally pierced by swords and spears [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שד״ל, אבן עזרא] or as the sword-bearing soldiers themselves [מלבי״ם, אבן עזרא, רד״ק].

Ultimately, the tyrant is cast into the dark depths of a pit where stones sink [רש״י, מצודת ציון, שד״ל], or into a simple stone-lined grave [רד״ק]. He is left as a trampled corpse, crushed like mud in the streets [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. His body remains unburied and discarded, eventually tossed into a mass grave for no reason other than to prevent the stench of his rotting remains from polluting the land [שד״ל].