Isaiah 15 3

Isaiah 15:3 kjv

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.

Isaiah 15:3 nkjv

In their streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth; On the tops of their houses And in their streets Everyone will wail, weeping bitterly.

Isaiah 15:3 niv

In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping.

Isaiah 15:3 esv

in the streets they wear sackcloth; on the housetops and in the squares everyone wails and melts in tears.

Isaiah 15:3 nlt

They will wear burlap as they wander the streets.
From every home and public square will come the sound of wailing.

Isaiah 15 verses

Isaiah 15 3 meaning

This verse describes the widespread, intense, and public nature of the grief and lamentation that will engulf Moab. In every public space—their streets, on their rooftops, and in their public squares—the people of Moab will collectively express their profound sorrow by girding themselves with sackcloth and crying out in an agonizing, all-consuming wail, to the point of being utterly overcome by weeping. It vividly paints a picture of national devastation and despair under divine judgment.

Isaiah 15 3 Context

Isaiah 15 is an "oracle concerning Moab," part of a series of prophecies by Isaiah against various surrounding nations (Chapters 13-23). These oracles demonstrate God's sovereignty over all peoples, not just Israel, and warn against relying on human alliances or idols. Historically, Moab was a kingdom east of the Dead Sea, often hostile to Israel but sharing cultural and linguistic ties. This specific prophecy foretells a sudden and devastating judgment upon Moab, described with intense emotional imagery, likely referring to an invasion or political upheaval that would dismantle its proud existence. The preceding verses of Isaiah 15 describe the immediate shock and destruction, and verse 3 details the comprehensive public display of grief that follows the initial blows to their cities. This lament serves as a stark contrast to Moab's traditional pride and prosperity often celebrated in other parts of their culture.

Isaiah 15 3 Word analysis

• וּבְחֻצוֹתֶיהָ (ū-ḇə-ḥuṣōṯêhā): "And in its streets."
  • `וּ` (u-) is "and."
  • `בְּ` (bə-) is "in."
  • `חֻצוֹת` (ḥuṣōṯ) refers to "streets," "outlying areas," or "broad ways." This emphasizes the public and pervasive nature of the lament, spilling beyond enclosed spaces into the common thoroughfares of the cities of Moab. The suffix `-הָ` (-hā) denotes "its" (referring to Moab).
• חָבְשׁוּ (ḥāḇəšū): "They shall gird themselves / they will bind."
  • The root `חבש` (ḥaḇaš) means to bind, wrap, gird, or put on. Though in the perfect tense (past tense form), it carries a future prophetic certainty, describing a sure and imminent event. This is the act of wrapping the sackcloth around the body.
• שַׂקִּים (śaḳḳîm): "Sackcloth."
  • The plural of `שַׂק` (śaḳ), meaning "sack" or "sackcloth." It was a coarse, rough material, often made of goat hair, worn as a sign of mourning, humility, repentance, or deep distress. It symbolized intense suffering and sometimes contrition before God. The public display of sackcloth highlights the corporate nature of Moab's sorrow.
• עַל גַּגֹּותֶיהָ (ʿal gaggōṯeihā): "Upon its housetops."
  • `עַל` (ʿal) means "upon" or "on."
  • `גַּגֹּות` (gaggōṯ) refers to "housetops" or flat roofs. In the ancient Near East, roofs were significant for daily life, social gatherings, worship (both legitimate and idolatrous), and public announcements or displays of emotion. Wailing on housetops broadcast the grief widely, signifying an inescapable disaster affecting the entire populace. The suffix `-הָ` (-hā) means "its."
• וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ (ū-ḇireḥōḇōṯeihā): "And in its broad places / squares."
  • `וּ` (u-) is "and."
  • `בְּ` (bə-) is "in."
  • `רְחֹבוֹת` (rəḥōḇōṯ) refers to "broad places," "public squares," or "open spaces" within a city. These were centers for communal activity. Their occupation by wailing people further underlines the comprehensive and public devastation. The suffix `-הָ` (-hā) means "its."
• כֻּלֹּה יְלִיל (kul·lōh yəlîl): "All of it / everyone wailing."
  • `כֻּלֹּה` (kul·lōh) means "all of it" or "everyone" (from `כֹּל`, kōl, meaning "all" or "every"). This denotes the universal extent of the grief, indicating that no one or no place within Moab would be untouched by the lament.
  • `יְלִיל` (yəlîl) is a noun meaning "wailing" or "howling." It signifies a loud, mournful cry, often associated with intense suffering, sorrow, or a cry for help. This is not quiet sobbing, but a demonstrative, piercing sound of agony.
• יֹרֵד בַּבֶּכִי (yōrêḏ baḇeḵî): "Going down in weeping / descending with weeping."
  • `יֹרֵד` (yōrêḏ) is a participle of the verb `ירד` (yārad), "to go down" or "to descend." This word carries multiple layers of meaning:
    1. Literal movement: Perhaps descending from the rooftops to the streets in lament, intensifying the public display of grief.
    2. Profuse weeping: Suggesting an overwhelming flood of tears, as if being consumed by weeping, "going down into tears."
    3. Spiritual/emotional descent: Sinking into deep despair, losing all hope, being brought low by affliction. The grief is so overwhelming that it brings them down.
  • `בַּבֶּכִי` (baḇeḵî) means "in weeping" (`בְּ`, bə- = "in," `בֶּכִי`, beḵî = "weeping"). It reiterates the primary form of their distress, characterizing their complete surrender to sorrow.

This grouping of words, particularly "on their housetops and in their broad places everyone shall wail," forms a powerful phrase underscoring the universal and pervasive nature of the national mourning, leaving no corner of public life untouched by the sorrow.

Isaiah 15 3 Bonus section

• The Depth of Public Mourning: The description in Is 15:3 transcends mere sorrow; it speaks to a ritualized, performative aspect of ancient Near Eastern lament. Girding with sackcloth, ascending to rooftops for public wailing, and congregating in broad places were conventional acts to signify severe affliction, humility, or even a call for divine mercy, yet here it underscores judgment.
• A Polemic against Moab's Idolatry/Pride: While not explicit in verse 3, the wider oracle (Is 15-16, and especially Jer 48) suggests this deep mourning is a divine response to Moab's pride, their trust in their false god Chemosh (Num 21:29, 1 Kgs 11:7), and their insolence against God's people. The "wailing" here stands in stark contrast to Moab's reputation for wine and song (Is 16:10).
• Echoes in Lamentations and the Suffering Servant: The themes of widespread national lament, tears, and devastation resonate strongly with the book of Lamentations, which grieves over the destruction of Jerusalem. While different contexts, the raw human response to divine judgment or national calamity is powerfully consistent across Scripture. This intense imagery can also be a foreshadowing of the ultimate suffering, where "all weep," leading some scholars to draw parallels to the sufferings depicted in the Psalms and even of Christ in Gethsemane or on the cross, "going down in weeping" (Mat 26:38, Heb 5:7), though in a redemptive rather than judgmental context.

Isaiah 15 3 Commentary

Isaiah 15:3 portrays a comprehensive picture of national distress engulfing Moab. Every facet of public life, from the city streets to the private housetops and communal squares, becomes a stage for universal lament. The imagery of girding with sackcloth and pervasive wailing indicates not just a private grief but a communal despair so profound it spills into every open space. The phrase "going down in weeping" signifies an overwhelming flood of sorrow that reduces the people to prostration, physically and emotionally brought low. This judgment is an inescapable demonstration of God's sovereignty, transforming Moab's former pride into public and intense humiliation.