Focused Passage

Isaiah 15:1-9

The Oracle Against Moab and the Night of Devastating Lament

The chapter moves from the overnight ruin of Moabite cities, to public mourning at religious and civic centers, to the prophet’s own cry over Moab, to fugitives fleeing southward, to dried-up waters and lost abundance, and finally to blood-filled waters and further calamity by lions.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night!

2Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.

3In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping.

4Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.

5My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.

6The waters of Nimrim are dried up, and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone, and the greenery is no more.

7So they carry their wealth and belongings over the Brook of the Willows.

8For their outcry echoes to the border of Moab. Their wailing reaches Eglaim; it is heard in Beer-elim.

9The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring more upon Dimon—a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

[This is] the burdenמַשָּׂ֖אH4853Noun - masculine singular constructagainst Moabמוֹאָ֑בH4124Noun - proper - feminine singular-כִּ֠יH3588ConjunctionArעָ֤רH6144Noun - proper - feminine singularin Moabמוֹאָב֙H4124Noun - proper - feminine singularis ruinedשֻׁדַּ֨דH7703Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singulardestroyedנִדְמָ֔הH1820Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular. . .כִּ֗יH3588Conjunctionin a nightבְּלֵ֞ילH3915Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructKirקִיר־H7024Noun - proper - feminine singularin Moabמוֹאָ֖בH4124Noun - proper - feminine singularis devastatedשֻׁדַּ֥דH7703Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singulardestroyedנִדְמָֽה׃H1820Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularin a nightבְּלֵ֛ילH3915Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 2

Original words

Dibonוְדִיבֹ֛ןH1769Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singulargoes upעָלָ֨הH5927Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto its templeהַבַּ֧יִתH1004Article | Noun - masculine singularto weepלְבֶ֑כִיH1065Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularat its high placesהַבָּמ֖וֹתH1116Article | Noun - feminine pluralMoabמוֹאָ֣בH4124Noun - proper - feminine singularwailsיְיֵלִ֔ילH3213Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularoverעַל־H5921PrepositionNeboנְב֞וֹH5015Noun - proper - feminine singularas well as overוְעַ֤לH5921Conjunctive waw | PrepositionMedebaמֵֽידְבָא֙H4311Noun - proper - feminine singularEveryבְּכָל־H3605Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructheadרֹאשָׁ֣יוH7218Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularis shavedקָרְחָ֔הH7144Noun - feminine singulareveryכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructbeardזָקָ֖ןH2206Noun - common singularis cut offגְּרוּעָֽה׃H1639Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

In its streetsבְּחוּצֹתָ֖יוH2351Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularthey wearחָ֣גְרוּH2296Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralsackclothשָׂ֑קH8242Noun - masculine singularonעַ֣לH5921Prepositionthe rooftopsגַּגּוֹתֶ֧יהָH1406Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularand in the public squaresוּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֛יהָH7339Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularthey allכֻּלֹּ֥הH3605Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularwailיְיֵלִ֖ילH3213Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularfalling downיֹרֵ֥דH3381Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularweepingבַּבֶּֽכִי׃H1065Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

Heshbonחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙H2809Noun - proper - feminine singularand Elealehוְאֶלְעָלֵ֔הH500Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singularcry outוַתִּזְעַ֤קH2199Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singulartheir voicesקוֹלָ֑םH6963Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralare heardנִשְׁמַ֣עH8085Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularas far asעַד־H5704PrepositionJahazיַ֖הַץH3096Noun - proper - feminine singularThereforeעַל־H5921Preposition. . .כֵּ֗ןH3651Adverbthe soldiersחֲלֻצֵ֤יH2502Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural constructof Moabמוֹאָב֙H4124Noun - proper - feminine singularcry outיָרִ֔יעוּH7321Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine pluraltheir soulsנַפְשׁ֖וֹH5315Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singulartrembleיָ֥רְעָהH3415Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularwithinלּֽוֹ׃Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

My heartלִבִּי֙H3820Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularcries outיִזְעָ֔קH2199Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularover Moabלְמוֹאָ֣בH4124Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singularher fugitivesבְּרִיחֶ֕הָH1281Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularflee asעַד־H5704Prepositionfar as Zoarצֹ֖עַרH6820Noun - proper - feminine singularas far as Eglath-shelishiyahעֶגְלַ֣תH5697Noun - proper - feminine singular. . .שְׁלִשִׁיָּ֑הH7992Number - masculine singular-כִּ֣י׀H3588ConjunctionWith weepingבִּבְכִי֙H1065Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularthey ascendיַֽעֲלֶה־H5927Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular-כִּ֚יH3588Conjunctionthe slopeמַעֲלֵ֣הH4608Noun - masculine singular constructof Luhithהַלּוּחִ֗יתH3872Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularthey lamentיְעֹעֵֽרוּ׃H5782Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .זַעֲקַת־H2201Noun - feminine singular constructtheir destructionשֶׁ֖בֶרH7667Noun - masculine singularon the roadדֶּ֣רֶךְH1870Noun - common singular constructto Horonaimחוֹרֹנַ֔יִםH2773Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or Zoar, like a heifer three years of age.
Verse 6

Original words

-כִּֽי־H3588ConjunctionThe watersמֵ֥יH4325Noun - masculine plural constructof Nimrimנִמְרִ֖יםH5249Noun - proper - feminine singularareיִֽהְי֑וּH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .כִּֽי־H3588Conjunctiondried upמְשַׁמּ֣וֹתH4923Noun - feminine plural[and] the grassחָצִיר֙H2682Noun - masculine singularis witheredיָבֵ֤שׁH3001Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthe vegetationדֶ֔שֶׁאH1877Noun - masculine singularis goneכָּ֣לָהH3615Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular[and] the greeneryיֶ֖רֶקH3418Noun - masculine singularisהָיָֽה׃H1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularno moreלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particle
Verse 7

Original words

Soעַל־H5921Preposition. . .כֵּ֖ןH3651Adverbthey carryיִשָּׂאֽוּם׃H5375Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine pluraltheir wealthיִתְרָ֣הH3502Noun - feminine singular. . .עָשָׂ֑הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularand belongingsוּפְקֻדָּתָ֔םH6486Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluraloverעַ֛לH5921Prepositionthe Brookנַ֥חַלH5158Noun - masculine singular constructof the Willowsהָעֲרָבִ֖יםH6155Article | Noun - feminine plural

BSB notes

  • Or Poplars
Verse 8

Original words

Forכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctiontheir outcryהַזְּעָקָ֖הH2201Article | Noun - feminine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerechoesהִקִּ֥יפָהH5362Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singularto the borderגְּב֣וּלH1366Noun - masculine singular constructof Moabמוֹאָ֑בH4124Noun - proper - feminine singular. . .עַד־H5704PrepositionTheir wailingיִלְלָתָ֔הּH3215Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularreaches Eglaimאֶגְלַ֙יִם֙H97Noun - proper - feminine singular[it is heard]יִלְלָתָֽהּ׃H3215Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularvvvוּבְאֵ֥רH879in Beer-elimאֵילִ֖יםH879Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

The watersמֵ֤יH4325Noun - masculine plural constructof Dimonדִימוֹן֙H1775Noun - proper - feminine singularare full ofמָ֣לְאוּH4390Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralbloodדָ֔םH1818Noun - masculine singular. . .כִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionbutכִּ֣יH3588ConjunctionI will bringאָשִׁ֥יתH7896Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularmoreנוֹסָפ֑וֹתH3254Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine pluraluponעַל־H5921PrepositionDimonדִּימ֖וֹןH1775Noun - proper - feminine singulara lionאַרְיֵ֔הH738Noun - masculine singularupon the fugitivesלִפְלֵיטַ֤תH6413Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructof Moabמוֹאָב֙H4124Noun - proper - feminine singularand upon the remnantוְלִשְׁאֵרִ֖יתH7611Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructof the landאֲדָמָֽה׃H127Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • MT, twice in this verse; DSS and Vulgate Dibon; Dimon, a wordplay on Dibon (see verse 2), sounds like the Hebrew for blood.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.