Focused Passage

Isaiah 16:1-5

Moab’s Plea, Zion’s Throne of Mercy, and the Judgment of Moab’s Pride

The chapter moves from a call to send lambs from Moab to Zion, to Moab’s fugitives seeking counsel and shelter, to the promise of a throne established in love, to the exposure of Moab’s pride, to lament over Moab’s destroyed vineyards and silenced harvest joy, to the failure of Moab’s high-place worship, and finally to the fixed judgment within three years.

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

1 Send the tribute lambs to the ruler of the land, from Sela in the desert to the mount of Daughter Zion.

2 Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon:

3 “Give us counsel; render a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees.

4 Let my fugitives stay with you; be a refuge for Moab from the destroyer.” When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ceased, and the oppressors have vanished from the land,

5 in loving devotion a throne will be established in the tent of David. A judge seeking justice and hastening righteousness will sit on it in faithfulness.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Send שִׁלְחוּ־ H7971 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural the [tribute] lambs כַ֥ר H3733 Noun - masculine singular to the ruler מֹשֵֽׁל־ H4910 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular of the land אֶ֖רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular from Sela מִסֶּ֣לַע H5554 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular in the desert מִדְבָּ֑רָה H4057 Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the mount הַ֖ר H2022 Noun - masculine singular construct of Daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct Zion צִיּֽוֹן׃ H6726 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

- וְהָיָ֥ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Like fluttering birds כְעוֹף־ H5775 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular . . . נוֹדֵ֖ד H5074 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular pushed מְשֻׁלָּ֑ח H7971 Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular out of the nest קֵ֣ן H7064 Noun - masculine singular so are תִּֽהְיֶ֙ינָה֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural the daughters בְּנ֣וֹת H1323 Noun - feminine plural construct of Moab מוֹאָ֔ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular at the fords מַעְבָּרֹ֖ת H4569 Noun - feminine plural of the Arnon לְאַרְנֽוֹן׃ H769 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Give us הָבִיאוּ H935 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular counsel עֵצָה֙ H6098 Noun - feminine singular render עֲשׂ֣וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural a decision פְלִילָ֔ה H6415 Noun - feminine singular . . . שִׁ֧יתִי H7896 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular Shelter us at noonday צָהֳרָ֑יִם H6672 Noun - masculine plural with shade צִלֵּ֖ךְ H6738 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular . . . בְּת֣וֹךְ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct as dark as night כַלַּ֛יִל H3915 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Hide סַתְּרִי֙ H5641 Verb - Piel - Imperative - feminine singular the refugees נִדָּחִ֔ים H5080 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural do not אַל־ H408 Adverb betray תְּגַלִּֽי׃ H1540 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person feminine singular the one who flees נֹדֵ֖ד H5074 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

Let my fugitives נִדָּחַ֔י H5080 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular stay יָג֤וּרוּ H1481 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural with you בָךְ֙ Preposition | second person feminine singular be הֱוִי־ H1933 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular a refuge סֵ֥תֶר H5643 Noun - masculine singular for Moab מוֹאָ֛ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular from מִפְּנֵ֣י H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct the destroyer שׁוֹדֵ֑ד H7703 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular When כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the oppressor הַמֵּץ֙ H4160 Article | Noun - masculine singular has gone אָפֵ֤ס H656 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular destruction שֹׁ֔ד H7701 Noun - masculine singular has ceased כָּ֣לָה H3615 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and the oppressors רֹמֵ֖ס H7429 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular have vanished תַּ֥מּוּ H8552 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural from מִן־ H4480 Preposition the land הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 5

Original words

in loving devotion בַּחֶ֙סֶד֙ H2617 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular a throne כִּסֵּ֔א H3678 Noun - masculine singular will be established וְהוּכַ֤ן H3559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular in the tent בְּאֹ֣הֶל H168 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of David דָּוִ֑ד H1732 Noun - proper - masculine singular A judge שֹׁפֵ֛ט H8199 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular seeking וְדֹרֵ֥שׁ H1875 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular justice מִשְׁפָּ֖ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular and hastening וּמְהִ֥ר H4106 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct righteousness צֶֽדֶק׃ H6664 Noun - masculine singular will sit וְיָשַׁ֥ב H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular on [it] עָלָ֛יו H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular in faithfulness בֶּאֱמֶ֖ת H571 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.

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.