Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 15:2–5

The NET BibleOther versions

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15:2They went up to the temple,1

the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament.2

Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba,3 Moab wails.

Every head is shaved bare,

every beard is trimmed off.4

15:3In their streets they wear sackcloth;

on their roofs and in their town squares

all of them wail,

they fall down weeping.

15:4The people of5 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.

For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;

their courage wavers.6

15:5My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight,7

and for the fugitives8 stretched out9 as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.

For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;

they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim.10

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “house.”
  2. 2 Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.
  3. 3 Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”
  4. 4 Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.
  5. 5 The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  6. 6 The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. , ).
  7. 7 Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
  8. 8 The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See בָּרִחַ, and 138 בָּרִיהַ.
  9. 9 The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  10. 10 Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

He has gone up to the temple, and to Dibon,

to the high places to weep;

over Nebo and over Medeba

Moab wails.

On every head is baldness;

every beard is shorn;

in the streets they wear sackcloth;

on the housetops and in the squares

everyone wails and melts in tears.

Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;

their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;

therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;

his soul trembles.

My heart cries out for Moab;

her fugitives flee to Zoar,

to Eglath-shelishiyah.

For at the ascent of Luhith

they go up weeping;

on the road to Horonaim

they raise a cry of destruction;

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Dibon goes up to its temple,

to its high places to weep;

Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba.

Every head is shaved

and every beard cut off.

In the streets they wear sackcloth;

on the roofs and in the public squares

they all wail,

prostrate with weeping.

Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz.

Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out,

and their hearts are faint.

My heart cries out over Moab;

her fugitives flee as far as Zoar,

as far as Eglath Shelishiyah.

They go up the hill to Luhith,

weeping as they go;

on the road to Horonaim

they lament their destruction.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Dibon went up to its temple

to weep at its high places.

Moab wails on Nebo and at Medeba.

Every head is shaved;

every beard is chopped short.

In its streets they wear sackcloth;

on its rooftops and in its public squares everyone wails,

falling down and weeping.

Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.

Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out,

and they tremble.

My heart cries out over Moab,

whose fugitives flee as far as Zoar,

to Eglath-shelishiyah;

they go up the Ascent of Luhith weeping;

they raise a cry of destruction

on the road to Horonaim.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Your people will go to their temple in Dibon to mourn.

They will go to their sacred shrines to weep.

They will wail for the fate of Nebo and Medeba,

shaving their heads in sorrow and cutting off their beards.

They will wear burlap as they wander the streets.

From every home and public square will come the sound of wailing.

The people of Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out;

their voices will be heard as far away as Jahaz!

The bravest warriors of Moab will cry out in utter terror.

They will be helpless with fear.

My heart weeps for Moab.

Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah.

Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith.

Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

It has gone up to the house,

and Dibon to the high places

for weeping over Nebo,

and Moab wails over Medeba.

Every head is bald,

every beard is shaved.

They gird themselves with sackcloth in its streets;

on its roofs and public squares everyone wails,

going down in weeping.

And Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;

therefore the armed ones of Moab cry out;

its soul quivers for him.

My heart cries out for Moab;

its fugitives flee up to Zoar,

to Eglath-shelishiyah.

For at the ascent of Luhith it goes up it with weeping;

for on the road of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep:

Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba:

On all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.

In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth:

On the tops of their houses, and in their streets,

Every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.

And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh:

Their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz:

Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out;

His life shall be grievous unto him.

My heart shall cry out for Moab;

His fugitives shall flee unto Zoar,

An heifer of three years old:

For by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up;

For in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.

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