Isaiah 16:14

Isaiah 16:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But now the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.
• New International Version (NIV)But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But now the Lord has spoken, saying, "In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be very few and feeble."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”

Context of Isaiah 16:14

12So it will come to pass when Moab presents himself, When he wearies himself [worshiping] on his high place [of idolatry] And comes to his sanctuary [of Chemosh, god of Moab] to pray, That he will not prevail. 13This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab [when Moab’s pride and resistance to God were first known]. But now the Lord speaks, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man [who will not serve longer than the agreed time], the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all the great population, and the remnant [that survives] will be very small and of no account.”

Isaiah 16:14 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בְּשָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ כִּשְׁנֵ֣י שָׂכִ֔יר וְנִקְלָה֙ כְּב֣וֹד מוֹאָ֔ב בְּכֹ֖ל הֶהָמ֣וֹן הָרָ֑ב וּשְׁאָ֥ר מְעַ֛ט מִזְעָ֖ר ל֥וֹא כַבִּֽיר׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But now the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Within threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of an hirelingשָׂכִירώâkîyr · hiredH7916
• and the gloryכָּבוֹדkâbôd kâbôd · gloryH3519
• of Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
• shall be contemnedקָלָהqâlâh · to dishonorH7034
• with all that greatרַבrab · manyH7227
• multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
• and the remnantשְׁאָרshe'âr · remnantH7605
• veryמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
• smallמִזְעָרmiz‛âr · littleH4213
• feebleכַּבִּירkabbîyr · mightyH3524
• feebleלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808

Cross-references for Isaiah 16:14

• Isaiah 7:16For before the child will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land (Canaan) whose two kings you dread will be deserted [both Ephraim and Aram].
• Isaiah 15:5My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are [fleeing] as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; For on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their destruction.
• Isaiah 21:16For the Lord has said this to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired man [who will work no longer than was agreed], all the splendor of [the tribe of] Kedar will end;
• Deuteronomy 15:8but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend to him whatever he needs.
• Isaiah 17:4“Now in that day the [former] glory of Jacob [Israel—his might, his population, his prosperity] will fade, And the fatness of his flesh will become lean.
• Isaiah 23:9The Lord of hosts has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty, To bring into contempt and humiliation all the honored of the earth.
• Genesis 31:1Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying: “Jacob has taken away everything that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has acquired all this wealth and honor.”
• Esther 5:11Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the large number of his sons, and every instance in which the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him over the officials and servants of the king.
• Jeremiah 9:23Thus says the Lord, “Let not the one who is wise and skillful boast in his insight; let not the one who is mighty and powerful boast in his strength; let not the one who is rich boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] abundance;
• Nahum 2:9Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure— Wealth from every precious object.
• Jeremiah 48:46Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O Moab! The people of [the pagan god called] Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive And your daughters into captivity.

Commentaries on Isaiah 16:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Within three years - בשלש beshalish כשלש keshalish, according, or in or about three years, is the reading of nine of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and two ancient editions. But the present reading may well stand: "Now, the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling." It seems as if this prophecy had been delivered before, without any time specified for its fulfillment; but now the time is determined" in three years, as the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14But now the Lord hath spoken - This refers to the particular and specific prophecy of Isaiah that destruction should come upon them in three years. Instead of a “general but indefinite” prediction of calamity to the Moabites, such as had been uttered by the former prophets, or by Isaiah himself before, it was now specific and definite in regard to the “time” when it should be fulfilled. Within three years - We have no means of ascertaining the exact…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 Those who will not be counselled, cannot be helped. More souls are ruined by pride than by any other sin whatever. Also, the very proud are commonly very passionate. With lies many seek to gain the gratification of pride and passion, but they shall not compass proud and angry projects. Moab was famous for fields and vineyards; but they shall be laid waste by the invading army. God can soon turn laughter into mourning, and joy into heaviness…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14In three years, as a hired worker counts the years (see also Isaiah 21:16): A man who sold himself into servitude would calculate the remaining time down to the last day. This verse refers to unknown events. The glory of Moab will be ended, probably because of the Assyrian conquest of Moab (late 700s BC). those who are left will be few and feeble: Though reduced by war, the Moabites still existed during Nehemiah’s time (Nehemiah 13:23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. three years ... hireling--Just as a hireling has his fixed term of engagement, which neither he nor his master will allow to be added to or to be taken from, so the limit within which Moab is to fall is unalterably fixed (Is 21:16). Fulfilled about the time when the Assyrians led Israel into captivity. The ruins of Elealeh, Heshbon, Medeba, Dibon, &c., still exist to confirm the inspiration of Scripture. The accurate particularity of specification of…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Moab
• Moab; Moabites
• Moab, Moabite
• Grind
• Outcast
• Treader
• Arnon
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Esther, the Rest of
• Ezekiel

Commentaries on Isaiah 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings