Worms to worms

When the king of Babel falls to Sheol, he will be covered with worms and worms will spread out beneath him (Isaiah 14:11).

Two words are used for “worm,” and the most commonly used of them is most often used not to describe worms per se but the scarlet coloring that comes from the worms. The tabernacle texts of Exodus use the word over 25 times in this sense. Yahweh’s house, and His priest, are covered with worm-dye, scarlet covering. All creation – from sheep to worm, from cedar to hyssop – gives itself to the Lord’s house.

The king of Babel too has been covered with rich royal pomp (14:11), with the scarlet dye of worms. But when the Lord comes to visit Babel, he will don a different garment, a robe of worms.