Isaiah 15:3
New International Version
In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping.

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

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

Berean Standard Bible
In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping.

King James Bible
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.

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

New American Standard Bible
In their streets they have put on sackcloth; On their housetops and in their public squares Everyone is wailing, overcome with weeping.

NASB 1995
In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; On their housetops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

NASB 1977
In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; On their housetops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

Legacy Standard Bible
In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; On their rooftops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in weeping.

Amplified Bible
In their streets they have wrapped themselves with sackcloth; On their [flat] housetops and in their open squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

Christian Standard Bible
In its streets they wear sackcloth; on its rooftops and in its public squares everyone wails, falling down and weeping.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In its streets they wear sackcloth; on its rooftops and in its public squares everyone wails, falling down and weeping.

American Standard Version
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.

Contemporary English Version
In the towns and at home, everyone wears sackcloth and cries loud and long.

English Revised Version
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth: on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one howleth, weeping abundantly.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In their streets they wear sackcloth. On their roofs and in their city squares everyone wails and cries.

Good News Translation
The people in the streets are dressed in sackcloth; in the city squares and on the rooftops people mourn and cry.

International Standard Version
In its streets they wear sackcloth; on its rooftops and in its squares everyone wails and falls down weeping.

Majority Standard Bible
In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping.

NET Bible
In their streets they wear sackcloth; on their roofs and in their town squares all of them wail, they fall down weeping.

New Heart English Bible
In their streets, they dress themselves in sackcloth; on their roofs and in their squares, everyone wails, weeping abundantly.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
In their streets, they clothe themselves in sackcloth. In their streets and on their housetops, everyone wails, weeping abundantly.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
In its out-places they girded on sackcloth, "" On its pinnacles, and in its broad places, "" Everyone howls—going down with weeping.

Young's Literal Translation
In its out-places they girded on sackcloth, On its pinnacles, and in its broad places, Every one howleth -- going down with weeping.

Smith's Literal Translation
And in their places without they girded themselves with sackcloth: upon her roofs and in her streets every one shall wail, going down into weeping.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
In their streets they are girded with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets all shall howl and come down weeping.

Catholic Public Domain Version
At their crossroads, they have been wrapped with sackcloth. On their rooftops and in their streets, everyone descends, wailing and weeping.

New American Bible
In the streets they wear sackcloth, and on the rooftops; In the squares everyone wails, streaming with tears.

New Revised Standard Version
in the streets they bind on sackcloth; on the housetops and in the squares everyone wails and melts in tears.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth; on the housetops and in their streets every one shall howl, weeping vehemently.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
In its streets they put on sackcloth, and upon the rooftops and in the market every man howls and comes down with weeping
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; On their housetops, and in their broad places, Every one howleth, weeping profusely.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Gird yourselves with sackcloth in her streets: and lament upon her roofs, and in her streets, and in her ways; howl all of you with weeping.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Oracle Concerning Moab
2Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off. 3In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping. 4Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 48:37-38
For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth. / On all the rooftops of Moab and in the public squares, everyone is mourning; for I have shattered Moab like an unwanted jar,” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 27:30-31
They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. / They will shave their heads for you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and bitter mourning.

Amos 8:10
I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.

Revelation 18:19
Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

Jeremiah 4:8
So put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.”

Micah 1:8
Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.

Lamentations 2:10
The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.

Matthew 11:21
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Joel 1:13
Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

2 Samuel 1:11-12
Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same. / They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

Job 2:12
When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

Jeremiah 6:26
O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

Ezekiel 7:18
They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.

Luke 10:13
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Revelation 11:3
And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”


Treasury of Scripture

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.

their streets

2 Samuel 3:31
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

2 Kings 6:30
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

Jonah 3:6-8
For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes…

on the

Isaiah 15:2
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.

Isaiah 22:1
The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

Deuteronomy 22:8
When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

weeping abundantly.

Isaiah 15:5
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.

Jump to Previous
Abundantly Bitter Broad Broadways Covering Crying Dissolved Dress Gird Girded Haircloth Houses Housetops Howl Howleth Melted Melts Out-Places Pinnacles Places Profusely Public Roofs Sackcloth Squares Streets Tears Themselves Tops Waileth Wailing Wails Wear Weeping
Jump to Next
Abundantly Bitter Broad Broadways Covering Crying Dissolved Dress Gird Girded Haircloth Houses Housetops Howl Howleth Melted Melts Out-Places Pinnacles Places Profusely Public Roofs Sackcloth Squares Streets Tears Themselves Tops Waileth Wailing Wails Wear Weeping
Isaiah 15
1. The lamentable state of Moab














In their streets
The phrase "in their streets" refers to the public areas within the cities of Moab. Streets in ancient times were not just pathways but were central to community life, serving as places for commerce, social interaction, and public gatherings. The Hebrew word for "streets" is "rechov," which can also mean a broad place or plaza. This indicates that the mourning is not hidden but is a public display of grief, affecting the entire community. The streets, once bustling with life, are now filled with sorrow, highlighting the depth of Moab's calamity.

they wear sackcloth
Sackcloth is a coarse material, often made from goat's hair, traditionally worn as a sign of mourning or repentance. The Hebrew word "saq" signifies a garment of humility and distress. Wearing sackcloth in the streets symbolizes a collective acknowledgment of suffering and a plea for mercy. It is a physical manifestation of inner turmoil and a call to God for intervention. This act of donning sackcloth in public underscores the severity of the situation and the communal nature of the lamentation.

on the rooftops
In ancient Near Eastern culture, rooftops were flat and used as additional living spaces. The mention of "rooftops" suggests that the mourning extends to every part of daily life, even into private spaces. The Hebrew word "gag" for rooftop indicates a place of refuge and retreat, yet here it becomes a place of lament. This imagery conveys that there is no escape from the pervasive grief, as even the most personal spaces are filled with sorrow.

and in the public squares
Public squares, or "rechovot" in Hebrew, were central locations in a city where people gathered for various activities, including markets, legal proceedings, and social events. The mourning in these squares signifies a disruption of normal life and commerce. It highlights the communal aspect of the tragedy, as these spaces, typically associated with life and vibrancy, are now scenes of collective mourning and despair.

they all wail
The act of wailing, expressed by the Hebrew word "yalal," is a loud, mournful cry. It is an expression of deep anguish and sorrow. The use of "all" emphasizes the universality of the grief; no one is exempt from the suffering. This communal wailing is a powerful auditory symbol of the nation's distress, echoing through the streets and squares, a cry for help and a lament for what has been lost.

falling down weeping
The phrase "falling down weeping" conveys a sense of overwhelming grief that brings people to their knees. The Hebrew word "bakah" for weeping indicates a deep, uncontrollable sorrow. This imagery of falling down suggests a physical manifestation of emotional collapse, a surrender to the weight of their despair. It reflects a profound sense of helplessness and the need for divine intervention, as the people are brought low by their circumstances.

(3) In their streets . . .--The picture of lamentation is continued. The flat roofs of Eastern houses were a natural resort for such wailings (Isaiah 22:1). The "broad places," the bazaars or market-places, were also, like the agora of Greek cities, a natural place of concourse. The prophet represents them as filled with the sound of wailing.

Verse 3. - In their streets; literally, in his streets; i.e. the streets of Moab. They shall gird themselves with sackcloth. Another widely spread custom, known to the Assyrians (Jonah 3:5), the Syrians (1 Kings 20:31), the Persians (Esther 4:1, 2), the Israelites (Nehemiah 9:1), and, as we see here, to the Moabites. The modern wearing of black garments, especially crape, is representative of the old practice. Every one shall howl. "Howling" remains one of the chief tokens of mourning in the East. It was a practice of the Egyptians (Herod., 2:79), of the Persians (ibid., 8:99; 9:24), of the Babylonians (Jeremiah 51:8), and probably of the Orientals generally. Weeping abundantly; or, running down with tears (comp. Jeremiah 9:18; Jeremiah 13:17; Herod., 8:99).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
In its streets
בְּחוּצֹתָ֖יו (bə·ḥū·ṣō·ṯāw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

they wear
חָ֣גְרוּ (ḥā·ḡə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2296: To gird, gird on, gird oneself

sackcloth;
שָׂ֑ק (śāq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8242: A mesh, coarse loose cloth, sacking, a bag

on
עַ֣ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the rooftops
גַּגּוֹתֶ֧יהָ (gag·gō·w·ṯe·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1406: A roof, the top of an altar

and in the public squares
וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֛יהָ (ū·ḇir·ḥō·ḇō·ṯe·hā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7339: A broad open place, plaza

they all
כֻּלֹּ֥ה (kul·lōh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

wail,
יְיֵלִ֖יל (yə·yê·lîl)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3213: To howl, make a howling

falling down
יֹרֵ֥ד (yō·rêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

weeping.
בַּבֶּֽכִי׃ (bab·be·ḵî)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1065: A weeping, a dripping


Links
Isaiah 15:3 NIV
Isaiah 15:3 NLT
Isaiah 15:3 ESV
Isaiah 15:3 NASB
Isaiah 15:3 KJV

Isaiah 15:3 BibleApps.com
Isaiah 15:3 Biblia Paralela
Isaiah 15:3 Chinese Bible
Isaiah 15:3 French Bible
Isaiah 15:3 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Isaiah 15:3 In their streets they dress themselves (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 15:2
Top of Page
Top of Page