TAUNT SONGS: ISAIAH 14; EZEKIEL 28; JOB 38-39

The presence of figurative language throughout much of the Bible must be recognized, even by those who hold to a "literal" interpretation. The most likely figures of speech to sometimes lead an honest student of the Bible astray are sarcasm, irony and taunt songs. The problem in these cases is that the intended meaning may be the exact opposite of the literal meaning. One notorious example of a taunt song is found in Isaiah 14.

Isaiah 14

This song is addressed to the King of Babylon (v. 4). He is described first as a ruler who conquered nations (5-8); his fate in Sheol is predicted with the maggots eating him (9-11); and his present fate is contrasted with the grand plans that he had (12-14). These latter verses are the taunt song told in typical sarcastic hyperbole: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God...I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.'”

He is specifically stated to be only a human being in verse 16 and compared to other earthly kings in verses 18-19. He is clearly said to be dead and not even honored with a tomb. Verse 20 states that he once ruled a land and had people reporting to him. Verse 21 utters a curse on his children. It is primarily verse 12 that has caused people to identify him with Satan (day-star = Venus = Lucifer in Latin). People have coupled this one verse in Isaiah with the fact that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14) and Jesus' saying in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan fall from heaven,” to wrongly conclude that Isaiah is literally describing Satan's fall from heaven at some earlier time period. 

But note that to take that "literal" interpretive path, those commentators have to totally disregard the verses that state literally that the person in question is a human being. The other thing they have to ignore is the fact that the passage is clearly addressed to the King of Babylon.

Ezekiel 28 

This passage, which many people think refers to Satan, has probably been even more misunderstood. It is part of many similar passages in Ezekiel declaring woes against the neighboring nations. The Prince of Tyre is addressed here (v. 1) after several chapters describing the nation of Tyre and the woes it will experience. Again, it is a poetic taunt song in which sarcastic, hyperbolic language is used. The fact that it is addressed to a mere man can be seen in verses 2 and 9 (“you are but a mortal”); he got his wealth through trade (verses 4-5, 16); he will be conquered by another nation (v. 7); and they will kill him (verses 8-11). It is only by taking the verses regarding the Prince's perfection (Ezekiel 28:11, 15), his presence in Eden (v. 13), and being cast down from the mountain of God (vv. 14-16) as literal and out of context, that one can associate him with Satan at all. At best he, and the King of Babylon, may be taken as types of Satan only.

Some commentators have even gone further afield by comparing the "crystalline Eden" of Ezekiel 28:13 with the garden-like of Eden of Genesis 2 and used it to help prove the theory of two creations. According to their scheme, Satan was placed in charge of the first earth but made a complete mess of things. So God wiped out that creation until it was void and formless (Gen. 1:1). He then started all over as described in Genesis 1:2 onward. 

Job 38-39

There is a very similar taunt song in Job 38-39: “Where is the way to the home of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take them to where they belong? Surely you know, for you were already born then, and the span of your days is great?” (Job 38:19-21)   God is sarcastically suggesting that Job is so ancient that he must have been present on the first day of creation and seen where light and darkness went once they were separated.