New International Version
Isaiah 14:31
31Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
Isaiah 14:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Wail, O gate! Cry, O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north, And no one will be alone in his appointed times.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Wail at the gates! Weep in the cities! Melt with fear, you Philistines! A powerful army comes like smoke from the north. Each soldier rushes forward eager to fight.
Context of Isaiah 14:31
29Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. 30The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors. Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks. 32What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”
Read all of Isaiah 14Isaiah 14:31 word by word
הֵילִ֤ילִֽי שַׁ֙עַר֙ זַֽעֲקִי־עִ֔יר נָמ֖וֹג פְּלֶ֣שֶׁת כֻּלֵּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י מִצָּפוֹן֙ עָשָׁ֣ן בָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין בּוֹדֵ֖ד בְּמוֹעָדָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Howlיָלַלyâlal · to wailH3213
- O gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- cryזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
- O cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- thou, whole Palestinaפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתpelesheth · PhilistiaH6429
- dissolvedמוּגmûg · to meltH4127
- for there shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- from the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- a smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
- aloneבָּדַדbâdad · be aloneH909
- in his appointed timesמוֹעָדmô‛âd · ranksH4151
Cross-references for Isaiah 14:31
- Isaiah 13:6Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
- Isaiah 16:7Therefore the Moabites wail, they wail together for Moab. Lament and grieve for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.
- Isaiah 20:1In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it—
- Jeremiah 1:14The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.
- Jeremiah 25:16When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 14:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31There shall come from the north a smoke "From the north cometh a smoke" - That is, a cloud of dust raised by the march of Hezekiah's army against Philistia; which lay to the south-west from Jerusalem. A great dust raised has, at a distance, the appearance of smoke: Fumantes pulvere campi; "The fields smoking with dust." - Virg. Aen. 11:908.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Howl, O gate - That is, ye who throng the gate. The gates of a city were the chief places of concourse. Cry, O city - The prophet here fixes the attention upon some principal city of Philistia, and calls upon it to be alarmed in view of the judgments that were about to come upon the whole land. Art dissolved - The word dissolved‘ (מוג mûg ) is applied to that which melts, or which wastes away gradually, and then to that which faints or disappears. It…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 Assurance is given of the destruction of the Philistines and their power, by famine and war. Hezekiah would be more terrible to them than Uzziah had been. Instead of rejoicing, there would be lamentation, for the whole land would be ruined. Such destruction will come upon the proud and rebellious, but the Lord founded Zion for a refuge to poor sinners, who flee from the wrath to come, and trust in his mercy through Christ Jesus. Let us tell…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31The advancing army, probably Assyria, would stir up clouds of dust like smoke that were ominously visible in the north.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. gate--that is, ye who throng the gate; the chief place of concourse in a city. from ... north--Judea, north and east of Palestine. smoke--from the signal-fire, whereby a hostile army was called together; the Jews' signal-fire is meant here, the "pillar of cloud and fire," (Ex 13:21; Ne 9:19); or else from the region devastated by fire [Maurer]. Gesenius less probably refers it to the cloud of dust raised by the invading army. none ... alone ... in…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 14:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 14
- 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
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