Focused Passage

Isaiah 24:16-23

The Whole Earth Laid Waste, the Everlasting Covenant Broken, and the LORD Reigning on Mount Zion

The chapter moves from the LORD emptying and ravaging the earth, to the leveling of all social ranks, to the earth’s defilement because of broken covenant, to the curse devouring the land, to the collapse of wine, music, city, and joy, to a remnant-like sound of praise from the ends of the earth, to the prophet’s anguish over treachery, to inescapable terror, pit, and snare, to cosmic shaking, to the punishment of heavenly hosts and earthly kings, and finally to the LORD reigning gloriously on Mount Zion.

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

16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me.” The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.

17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.

18 Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

19 The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.

20 The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.

21 In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.

22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days.

23 The moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

From the ends מִכְּנַ֨ף H3671 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of the earth הָאָ֜רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular we hear שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural singing זְמִרֹ֤ת H2158 Noun - masculine plural Glory צְבִ֣י H6643 Noun - masculine singular to the Righteous One לַצַּדִּ֔יק H6662 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular But I said וָאֹמַ֛ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular I am wasting away רָזִי־ H7334 Noun - masculine singular I am wasting away רָֽזִי־ H7334 Noun - masculine singular Woe א֣וֹי H188 Interjection is me לִ֑י Preposition | first person common singular The treacherous בֹּגְדִ֣ים H898 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural betray בָּגָ֔דוּ H898 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the treacherous בּוֹגְדִ֖ים H898 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural deal in וּבֶ֥גֶד H899 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular treachery בָּגָֽדוּ׃ H898 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Verse 17

Original words

Terror פַּ֥חַד H6343 Noun - masculine singular and pit וָפַ֖חַת H6354 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and snare וָפָ֑ח H6341 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular await you עָלֶ֖יךָ H5921 Preposition | second person masculine singular O dweller יוֹשֵׁ֥ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct of the earth הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

- וְֽ֠הָיָה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Whoever flees הַנָּ֞ס H5127 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the sound מִקּ֤וֹל H6963 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of panic הַפַּ֙חַד֙ H6343 Article | Noun - masculine singular will fall יִפֹּ֣ל H5307 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular into אֶל־ H413 Preposition the pit הַפַּ֔חַת H6354 Article | Noun - masculine singular and whoever climbs וְהָֽעוֹלֶה֙ H5927 Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular from מִתּ֣וֹךְ H8432 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct the pit הַפַּ֔חַת H6354 Article | Noun - masculine singular will be caught יִלָּכֵ֖ד H3920 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular in the snare בַּפָּ֑ח H6341 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the windows אֲרֻבּ֤וֹת H699 Noun - feminine plural of heaven מִמָּרוֹם֙ H4791 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular are open נִפְתָּ֔חוּ H6605 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural and the foundations מ֥וֹסְדֵי H4144 Noun - masculine plural construct of the earth אָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Noun - feminine singular are shaken וַֽיִּרְעֲשׁ֖וּ H7493 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Verse 19

Original words

The earth הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular is utterly broken apart רֹ֥עָה H7489 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . הִֽתְרֹעֲעָ֖ה H7489 Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person feminine singular the earth אֶ֔רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular is split open פּ֤וֹר H6565 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . הִֽתְפּוֹרְרָה֙ H6565 Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person feminine singular the earth אָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Noun - feminine singular is shaken violently מ֥וֹט H4131 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . הִֽתְמוֹטְטָ֖ה H4131 Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

The earth אֶ֙רֶץ֙ H776 Noun - feminine singular staggers נ֣וֹעַ H5128 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . תָּנ֤וּעַ H5128 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular like a drunkard כַּשִּׁכּ֔וֹר H7910 Preposition-k, Article | Adjective - masculine singular and sways וְהִֽתְנוֹדְדָ֖ה H5110 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular like a shack כַּמְּלוּנָ֑ה H4412 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular Earth’s rebellion פִּשְׁעָ֔הּ H6588 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular weighs it down וְכָבַ֤ד H3513 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular . . . עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular and it falls וְנָפְלָ֖ה H5307 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular never וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle to rise קֽוּם׃ס H6965 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct again תֹסִ֥יף H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Verse 21

Original words

- וְהָיָה֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular In that הַה֔וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular day בַּיּ֣וֹם H3117 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will punish יִפְקֹ֧ד H6485 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular עַל־ עַל־ H5921 Preposition the host צְבָ֥א H6635 Noun - common singular construct of heaven הַמָּר֖וֹם H4791 Article | Noun - masculine singular above בַּמָּר֑וֹם H4791 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and the kings מַלְכֵ֥י H4428 Noun - masculine plural construct of the earth הָאֲדָמָ֖ה H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular below עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 22

Original words

They will be gathered וְאֻסְּפ֨וּ H622 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural together אֲסֵפָ֤ה H626 Noun - feminine singular like prisoners אַסִּיר֙ H616 Noun - masculine singular in עַל־ H5921 Preposition a pit בּ֔וֹר H953 Noun - masculine singular They will be confined וְסֻגְּר֖וּ H5462 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural to עַל־ H5921 Preposition a dungeon מַסְגֵּ֑ר H4525 Noun - masculine singular and punished יִפָּקֵֽדוּ׃ H6485 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural after וּמֵרֹ֥ב H7230 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct many days יָמִ֖ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 23

Original words

The moon הַלְּבָנָ֔ה H3842 Article | Noun - feminine singular will be confounded וְחָֽפְרָה֙ H2659 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular and the sun הַֽחַמָּ֑ה H2535 Article | Noun - feminine singular will be ashamed וּבוֹשָׁ֖ה H954 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֗וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural will reign מָלַ֞ךְ H4427 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular on Mount בְּהַ֤ר H2022 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Zion צִיּוֹן֙ H6726 Noun - proper - feminine singular and in Jerusalem וּבִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם H3389 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular and before וְנֶ֥גֶד H5048 Conjunctive waw | Preposition His elders זְקֵנָ֖יו H2205 Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular with great glory כָּבֽוֹד׃פ H3519 Noun - masculine singular

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.