Isaiah 16 6

Isaiah 16:6 kjv

We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

Isaiah 16:6 nkjv

We have heard of the pride of Moab? He is very proud? Of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath; But his lies shall not be so.

Isaiah 16:6 niv

We have heard of Moab's pride? how great is her arrogance!? of her conceit, her pride and her insolence; but her boasts are empty.

Isaiah 16:6 esv

We have heard of the pride of Moab ? how proud he is! ? of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not right.

Isaiah 16:6 nlt

We have heard about proud Moab ?
about its pride and arrogance and rage.
But all that boasting has disappeared.

Isaiah 16 verses

Isaiah 16 6 meaning

Isaiah 16:6 reveals God's definitive understanding and assessment of Moab's character. It describes their immense and manifold pride, manifested as insolence, arrogance, and empty boasts, but crucially declares that these vaunted claims and falsehoods will ultimately prove futile and offer no genuine help or protection. The verse highlights that despite their excessive self-exaltation, their strength and words are void before divine judgment.

Isaiah 16 6 Context

Isaiah 16:6 is part of a larger prophetic oracle against Moab, spanning chapters 15 and 16. This oracle details Moab's impending destruction and the widespread lament that will accompany it. Chapters 15-16 initially portray Moab as devastated and seeking refuge, with the specific city of Kir-hareseth mourning its agricultural losses and ultimate fall. The surrounding nations, including Judah, are expected to hear of and mourn Moab's destruction. The historical backdrop for these oracles could be either an Assyrian invasion (under Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, or Sennacherib) or the later Babylonian invasion under Nebuchadnezzar, all of which heavily impacted the smaller nations surrounding Israel.

Verse 6 specifically attributes Moab's downfall not merely to an invading army, but to their inherent character flaw: excessive pride. This pride, previously hinted at in other prophetic judgments against Moab (e.g., Jer 48), is presented here as the underlying spiritual and moral reason for their suffering. The earlier verses described the physical effects of judgment; verse 6 gives the divine rationale for it. This insight serves as a crucial warning: even amidst suffering, if the root of pride is not addressed, redemption is unattainable. The contrast between Moab's perceived greatness and its inevitable downfall is central to the passage's message.

Isaiah 16 6 Word analysis

• We have heard (שָׁמַעְנוּ shama'nu): A prophetic declaration, suggesting widespread knowledge or a divine certainty. It indicates that Moab's pride is not a hidden fault but is well-known and blatant.

• of the pride (גְאוֹן־מוֹאָב֙ gə’ōwn-mō’āḇ): The first mention of a core term. Ga'on refers to haughtiness, arrogance, or insolence. It can also denote majesty or grandeur, but here, in the context of Moab, it carries a negative connotation, indicating excessive self-esteem.

• of Moab (מוֹאָב mō’āḇ): The specific nation being addressed, east of the Dead Sea, historically known for its animosity towards Israel and its self-sufficiency based on its fertile lands.

• how great it is (גֵּא֣ה מְאֹ֔ד gē’â mə’ōḏ): Literally "exceedingly proud." An intensifying phrase, highlighting the extreme degree of Moab's arrogance. This isn't just pride, but overwhelming pride.

• their insolence (גַּאֲוָת֛וֹ ga’ăwāṯōw): A synonym for pride (ga'avah), used here as a variant of ga'on. It signifies an elevated sense of self-importance leading to disregard for others. This accumulation of terms emphasizes the pervasive nature of Moab's pride.

• their pride (וּגְאֹונ֥וֹ ūḡə’ōwnōw): Another repetition of ga'on. The repetition is a literary device for emphatic underscoring, painting a comprehensive picture of overwhelming self-exaltation.

• their fury (וְעֶבְרָתֹ֖ו wə‘eḇrāṯōw): Derived from 'evrah, typically meaning "wrath" or "fury." In this context, often understood as the aggressive manifestation of their pride—their fierce, unbridled haughtiness, often leading to acts of oppression or contempt for others, specifically towards Israel.

• their arrogant boasts (אִלְפִּ֑יו ’alpîw): This Hebrew term is ambiguous. Some scholars connect it to 'eleph (thousand), suggesting "multitude of boastings." Others relate it to the root 'aleph, which can imply "teachings" or "principles," thus twisted boasts. The ESV renders it as "arrogant boasts," reflecting the common scholarly understanding that it refers to Moab's vain words and pronouncements that stem from its pride.

• but their lies will not avail (לֹ֥א כֵ֖ן בַּדָּֽיו׃ lō’ ḵēn baḏāw): The pivotal contrast.

  • לא כן (lo ken): Literally "not so," meaning "it will not be thus," or "it is not true." It functions as a declarative negation of their previous self-assurances.
  • בַּדָּֽיו (baḏāw): Often translated as "their bars" (supports, strongholds) or "their idle boasts/lies." Given the context of boasting and the negation, "their lies" or "their empty boastings/falsehoods" is the most fitting translation, suggesting that their proud declarations, which they believe offer support or strength, will be utterly ineffective and bring no benefit.

• Group of Words Analysis:

  • "We have heard of the pride of Moab, how great it is—of their insolence, their pride, their fury, their arrogant boasts": This lengthy enumeration uses synonymous parallelism to vividly describe Moab's multi-faceted pride. The repetition of terms like ga'on and related words is a powerful rhetorical device, accentuating the pervasive and intense nature of Moab's self-exaltation, implying it saturated their national character and public display. It is not just one form of pride, but an array of expressions that lead to self-deception and haughtiness towards God and man.
  • "but their lies will not avail": This concluding phrase stands in stark contrast to the preceding enumeration of pride. Despite the vastness and intensity of Moab's pride and boasts, their outcome will be nullity. It underscores the ultimate futility and emptiness of human self-exaltation when it challenges divine sovereignty. It's a statement of divine judgment—what Moab relies upon as truth and strength is ultimately powerless.

Isaiah 16 6 Bonus section

The intense repetition of terms related to pride (ga'on, ga'avah, 'evratō) in Isaiah 16:6 is not accidental but a common prophetic literary device known as pleonasm or anaphora. It's designed to ensure that the reader or listener fully grasps the sheer scale and pervasive nature of Moab's sin. This verbal overkill ensures the indictment is unmistakable. Such exaggerated emphasis highlights that this isn't just an incidental character trait but a defining characteristic and the fundamental issue contributing to their downfall. In ancient Near Eastern literature, hyperbole and repetition were potent ways to convey strong emotions or significant truths, signaling the profound spiritual depth of the charge against Moab. The repeated sound and meaning of pride words also evokes a sense of Moab's incessant, blustering self-admiration.

Isaiah 16 6 Commentary

Isaiah 16:6 serves as a divine commentary on the core sin underlying Moab's impending judgment: its rampant pride. The repeated use of terms for "pride" (like ga'on, ga'avah) and its aggressive manifestations ("insolence," "fury," "arrogant boasts") reveals a nation steeped in self-aggrandizement and a disdain for anything external to itself, including God's authority or the needs of others. This is a profound spiritual disease, not merely a minor character flaw. The accumulation of these terms is not redundant but deeply emphatic, creating a powerful portrait of a nation completely consumed by its own inflated sense of self.

The ultimate thrust of the verse, "but their lies will not avail," strips away any veneer of Moab's self-deception. What they present as strength, truth, or a valid claim—their proud boasts and confident assertions—will crumble under divine scrutiny and judgment. Their confidence is built on falsehoods, and therefore, their "bars" or "supports" will provide no stability. This acts as a universal warning that no human pride, no matter how grandly expressed or strongly held, can ultimately stand against the truth of God or thwart His sovereign plans. The divine ear "has heard" their pride, and the divine hand will ensure its nullification, revealing that genuine power and truth reside only in the Almighty.