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

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

2 Dibon 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.

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

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

5 My 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.

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

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

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

9 The 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 burden מַשָּׂ֖א H4853 Noun - masculine singular construct against Moab מוֹאָ֑ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular - כִּ֠י H3588 Conjunction Ar עָ֤ר H6144 Noun - proper - feminine singular in Moab מוֹאָב֙ H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular is ruined שֻׁדַּ֨ד H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular destroyed נִדְמָ֔ה H1820 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular . . . כִּ֗י H3588 Conjunction in a night בְּלֵ֞יל H3915 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Kir קִיר־ H7024 Noun - proper - feminine singular in Moab מוֹאָ֖ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular is devastated שֻׁדַּ֥ד H7703 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular destroyed נִדְמָֽה׃ H1820 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular in a night בְּלֵ֛יל H3915 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 2

Original words

Dibon וְדִיבֹ֛ן H1769 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular goes up עָלָ֨ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to its temple הַבַּ֧יִת H1004 Article | Noun - masculine singular to weep לְבֶ֑כִי H1065 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular at its high places הַבָּמ֖וֹת H1116 Article | Noun - feminine plural Moab מוֹאָ֣ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular wails יְיֵלִ֔יל H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular over עַל־ H5921 Preposition Nebo נְב֞וֹ H5015 Noun - proper - feminine singular as well as over וְעַ֤ל H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition Medeba מֵֽידְבָא֙ H4311 Noun - proper - feminine singular Every בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct head רֹאשָׁ֣יו H7218 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular is shaved קָרְחָ֔ה H7144 Noun - feminine singular every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct beard זָקָ֖ן H2206 Noun - common singular is cut off גְּרוּעָֽה׃ H1639 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

In its streets בְּחוּצֹתָ֖יו H2351 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular they wear חָ֣גְרוּ H2296 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural sackcloth שָׂ֑ק H8242 Noun - masculine singular on עַ֣ל H5921 Preposition the rooftops גַּגּוֹתֶ֧יהָ H1406 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular and in the public squares וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֛יהָ H7339 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular they all כֻּלֹּ֥ה H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular wail יְיֵלִ֖יל H3213 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular falling down יֹרֵ֥ד H3381 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular weeping בַּבֶּֽכִי׃ H1065 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

Heshbon חֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ H2809 Noun - proper - feminine singular and Elealeh וְאֶלְעָלֵ֔ה H500 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular cry out וַתִּזְעַ֤ק H2199 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular their voices קוֹלָ֑ם H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural are heard נִשְׁמַ֣ע H8085 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular as far as עַד־ H5704 Preposition Jahaz יַ֖הַץ H3096 Noun - proper - feminine singular Therefore עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֗ן H3651 Adverb the soldiers חֲלֻצֵ֤י H2502 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct of Moab מוֹאָב֙ H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular cry out יָרִ֔יעוּ H7321 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their souls נַפְשׁ֖וֹ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular tremble יָ֥רְעָה H3415 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular within לּֽוֹ׃ Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

My heart לִבִּי֙ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular cries out יִזְעָ֔ק H2199 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular over Moab לְמוֹאָ֣ב H4124 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular her fugitives בְּרִיחֶ֕הָ H1281 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular flee as עַד־ H5704 Preposition far as Zoar צֹ֖עַר H6820 Noun - proper - feminine singular as far as Eglath-shelishiyah עֶגְלַ֣ת H5697 Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . שְׁלִשִׁיָּ֑ה H7992 Number - masculine singular - כִּ֣י׀ H3588 Conjunction With weeping בִּבְכִי֙ H1065 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular they ascend יַֽעֲלֶה־ H5927 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction the slope מַעֲלֵ֣ה H4608 Noun - masculine singular construct of Luhith הַלּוּחִ֗ית H3872 Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular they lament יְעֹעֵֽרוּ׃ H5782 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . זַעֲקַת־ H2201 Noun - feminine singular construct their destruction שֶׁ֖בֶר H7667 Noun - masculine singular on the road דֶּ֣רֶךְ H1870 Noun - common singular construct to Horonaim חוֹרֹנַ֔יִם H2773 Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

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

Original words

- כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction The waters מֵ֥י H4325 Noun - masculine plural construct of Nimrim נִמְרִ֖ים H5249 Noun - proper - feminine singular are יִֽהְי֑וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction dried up מְשַׁמּ֣וֹת H4923 Noun - feminine plural [and] the grass חָצִיר֙ H2682 Noun - masculine singular is withered יָבֵ֤שׁ H3001 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the vegetation דֶ֔שֶׁא H1877 Noun - masculine singular is gone כָּ֣לָה H3615 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular [and] the greenery יֶ֖רֶק H3418 Noun - masculine singular is הָיָֽה׃ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular no more לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle
Verse 7

Original words

So עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֖ן H3651 Adverb they carry יִשָּׂאֽוּם׃ H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural their wealth יִתְרָ֣ה H3502 Noun - feminine singular . . . עָשָׂ֑ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and belongings וּפְקֻדָּתָ֔ם H6486 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural over עַ֛ל H5921 Preposition the Brook נַ֥חַל H5158 Noun - masculine singular construct of the Willows הָעֲרָבִ֖ים H6155 Article | Noun - feminine plural

BSB notes

  • Or Poplars
Verse 8

Original words

For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction their outcry הַזְּעָקָ֖ה H2201 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker echoes הִקִּ֥יפָה H5362 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular to the border גְּב֣וּל H1366 Noun - masculine singular construct of Moab מוֹאָ֑ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . עַד־ H5704 Preposition Their wailing יִלְלָתָ֔הּ H3215 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular reaches Eglaim אֶגְלַ֙יִם֙ H97 Noun - proper - feminine singular [it is heard] יִלְלָתָֽהּ׃ H3215 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular vvv וּבְאֵ֥ר H879 in Beer-elim אֵילִ֖ים H879 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

The waters מֵ֤י H4325 Noun - masculine plural construct of Dimon דִימוֹן֙ H1775 Noun - proper - feminine singular are full of מָ֣לְאוּ H4390 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural blood דָ֔ם H1818 Noun - masculine singular . . . כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction but כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I will bring אָשִׁ֥ית H7896 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular more נוֹסָפ֑וֹת H3254 Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural upon עַל־ H5921 Preposition Dimon דִּימ֖וֹן H1775 Noun - proper - feminine singular a lion אַרְיֵ֔ה H738 Noun - masculine singular upon the fugitives לִפְלֵיטַ֤ת H6413 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of Moab מוֹאָב֙ H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular and upon the remnant וְלִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית H7611 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of the land אֲדָמָֽה׃ H127 Noun - 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.