Focused Passage

Isaiah 29:1-8

Woe to Ariel: Blind Worship, Hidden Counsel, and the Coming Reversal

Isaiah 29 moves from a woe against Ariel/Jerusalem, to the LORD’s humbling siege, to the sudden vanishing of the nations, to Judah’s spiritual stupor and hollow worship, and finally to a promised reversal in which the deaf hear, the blind see, the humble rejoice, and Jacob’s shame is removed.

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

1Woe to you, O Ariel, the city of Ariel where David camped! Year upon year let your festivals recur.

2And I will constrain Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation; she will be like an altar hearth before Me.

3I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you.

4You will be brought low, you will speak from the ground, and out of the dust your words will be muffled. Your voice will be like a spirit from the ground; your speech will whisper out of the dust.

5But your many foes will be like fine dust, the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff. Then suddenly, in an instant,

6you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire.

7All the many nations going out to battle against Ariel—even all who war against her, laying siege and attacking her—will be like a dream, like a vision in the night,

8as when a hungry man dreams he is eating, then awakens still hungry; as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking, then awakens faint and parched. So will it be for all the many nations who go to battle against Mount Zion.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Woe to youה֚וֹיH1945InterjectionO Arielאֲרִיאֵ֣לH740Noun - proper - feminine singularthe cityקִרְיַ֖תH7151Noun - feminine singular construct[of] Arielאֲרִיאֵ֔לH740Noun - proper - feminine singularwhere Davidדָוִ֑דH1732Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .סְפ֥וּH3254Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralcampedחָנָ֣הH2583Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularYearשָׁנָ֛הH8141Noun - feminine singularuponעַל־H5921Prepositionyearשָׁנָ֖הH8141Noun - feminine singularlet your festivalsחַגִּ֥יםH2282Noun - masculine pluralrecurיִנְקֹֽפוּ׃H5362Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or Altar Hearth or Lion of God; probably a nickname for Jerusalem; twice in this verse, twice in verse 2, and once in verse 7
Verse 2

Original words

And I will constrainוַהֲצִיק֖וֹתִיH6693Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularArielלַֽאֲרִיאֵ֑לH740Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singularand there will beוְהָיְתָ֤הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularmourningתַֽאֲנִיָּה֙H8386Noun - feminine singularand lamentationוַֽאֲנִיָּ֔הH592Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularshe will beוְהָ֥יְתָהH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularlike an altar hearthכַּאֲרִיאֵֽל׃H740Preposition-k | Noun - proper - feminine singularbefore Meלִּ֖יPreposition | first person common singular

BSB notes

  • Or like Ariel; see the footnote for verse 1.
Verse 3

Original words

I will campוְחָנִ֥יתִיH2583Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularin a circleכַדּ֖וּרH1754Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singulararound youעָלָ֑יִךְH5921Preposition | second person feminine singularI will besiegeוְצַרְתִּ֤יH6696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularyouעָלַ֙יִךְ֙H5921Preposition | second person feminine singularwith towersמֻצָּ֔בH4674Adjective - masculine singularand set upוַהֲקִֽימֹתִ֥יH6965Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularsiege worksמְצֻרֹֽת׃H4694Noun - feminine pluralagainst youעָלַ֖יִךְH5921Preposition | second person feminine singular
Verse 4

Original words

You will be brought lowוְשָׁפַלְתְּ֙H8213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singularyou will speakתְּדַבֵּ֔רִיH1696Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person feminine singularfrom the groundמֵאֶ֣רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singularand out of the dustוּמֵֽעָפָ֖רH6083Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularyour wordsאִמְרָתֵ֑ךְH565Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singularwill be muffledתִּשַּׁ֣חH7817Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularYour voiceקוֹלֵ֔ךְH6963Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singularwill beוְֽ֠הָיָהH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularlike a spiritכְּא֤וֹבH178Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singularfrom the groundמֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙H776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singularyour speechאִמְרָתֵ֥ךְH565Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singularwill whisperתְּצַפְצֵֽף׃H6850Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singularout of the dustוּמֵעָפָ֖רH6083Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

But your manyהֲמ֣וֹןH1995Noun - masculine singular constructfoesזָרָ֑יִךְH2114Adjective - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singularwill beוְהָיָ֛הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularlike fineדַּ֖קH1851Adjective - masculine singulardustכְּאָבָ֥קH80Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singularthe multitudeהֲמ֣וֹןH1995Noun - masculine singular constructof the ruthlessעָֽרִיצִ֔יםH6184Adjective - masculine plural. . .וְהָיָ֖הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularlike blowingעֹבֵר֙H5674Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularchaffוּכְמֹ֤ץH4671Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singularThen suddenlyפִּתְאֹֽם׃H6597Adverbin an instantלְפֶ֥תַעH6621Preposition-l | Adverb
Verse 6

Original words

you will be visitedתִּפָּקֵ֔דH6485Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularbyמֵעִ֨םH5973Preposition-mthe LORDיְהוָ֤הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularof Hostsצְבָאוֹת֙H6635Noun - common pluralwith thunderבְּרַ֥עַםH7482Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularand earthquakeוּבְרַ֖עַשׁH7494Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularand loudגָּד֑וֹלH1419Adjective - masculine singularnoiseוְק֣וֹלH6963Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularwith windstormסוּפָה֙H5492Noun - feminine singularand tempestוּסְעָרָ֔הH5591Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularand consumingאוֹכֵלָֽה׃H398Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularflameוְלַ֖הַבH3851Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructof fireאֵ֥שׁH784Noun - common singular
Verse 7

Original words

Allכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe manyהֲמוֹן֙H1995Noun - masculine singular constructnationsהַגּוֹיִ֔םH1471Article | Noun - masculine pluralgoing out to battleהַצֹּבְאִ֖יםH6633Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralagainstעַל־H5921PrepositionArielאֲרִיאֵ֑לH740Noun - proper - feminine singulareven allוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructwho war against herצֹבֶ֙יהָ֙H6633Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularlaying siegeוּמְצֹ֣דָתָ֔הּH4685Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularand attackingוְהַמְּצִיקִ֖יםH6693Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine pluralherלָֽהּ׃Preposition | third person feminine singularwill beוְהָיָ֗הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularlike a dreamכַּֽחֲלוֹם֙H2472Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularlike a visionחֲז֣וֹןH2377Noun - masculine singular constructin the nightלַ֔יְלָהH3915Noun - masculine singular
Verse 8

Original words

-וְהָיָ֡הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularas whenכַּאֲשֶׁר֩H834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativea hungry manהָרָעֵ֜בH7457Article | Adjective - masculine singular. . .וְהִנֵּ֣הH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectiondreamsיַחֲלֹ֨םH2492Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularhe is eatingאוֹכֵ֗לH398Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthen awakensוְהֵקִיץ֮H6974Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularstill hungryוְרֵיקָ֣הH7386Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular. . .נַפְשׁוֹ֒H5315Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularas whenוְכַאֲשֶׁ֨רH834Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativea thirsty manהַצָּמֵא֙H6771Article | Adjective - masculine singular. . .וְהִנֵּ֣הH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectiondreamsיַחֲלֹ֤םH2492Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularhe is drinkingשֹׁתֶ֔הH8354Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthen awakensוְהֵקִיץ֙H6974Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular. . .וְהִנֵּ֣הH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectionfaintעָיֵ֔ףH5889Adjective - masculine singular. . .וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹH5315Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularand parchedשׁוֹקֵקָ֑הH8264Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularSoכֵּ֣ןH3651Adverbwill it beיִֽהְיֶ֗הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularfor allכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe manyהֲמוֹן֙H1995Noun - masculine singular constructnationsהַגּוֹיִ֔םH1471Article | Noun - masculine pluralwho go to battleהַצֹּבְאִ֖יםH6633Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralagainstעַל־H5921PrepositionMountהַ֥רH2022Noun - masculine singular constructZionצִיּֽוֹן׃סH6726Noun - proper - feminine 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.