The Meaning of Isaiah 15:2 Explained

Isaiah 15:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: He hath gone up to Bajith and Dibon, The high places -- to weep, On Nebo and on Medeba Moab howleth, On all its heads is baldness, every beard cut off.

Darby: He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep; Moab howleth over Nebo, and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.

ASV: They are gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth over Nebo, and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 15:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 15

1  The lamentable state of Moab

What do the individual words in Isaiah 15:2 mean?

He hasgone up to the temple and to Dibon the high places to weep Over Nebo and over Medeba Moab will wail On all their heads [will be] baldness [And] every beard cut off
עָלָ֨ה הַבַּ֧יִת וְדִיבֹ֛ן הַבָּמ֖וֹת לְבֶ֑כִי עַל־ נְב֞וֹ וְעַ֤ל מֵֽידְבָא֙ מוֹאָ֣ב יְיֵלִ֔יל בְּכָל־ רֹאשָׁ֣יו קָרְחָ֔ה כָּל־ זָקָ֖ן גְּרוּעָֽה

עָלָ֨ה  He  hasgone  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הַבַּ֧יִת  to  the  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְדִיבֹ֛ן  and  to  Dibon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דִּיבֹון 
Sense: a town in Moab on the east side of the Jordan which was taken over by the Israelites and rebuilt by the children of Gad.
הַבָּמ֖וֹת  the  high  places 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
לְבֶ֑כִי  to  weep 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכִי  
Sense: a weeping, weeping.
עַל־  Over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
נְב֞וֹ  Nebo 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְבֹו 
Sense: a Babylonian deity who presided over learning and letters; corresponds to Greek Hermes, Latin Mercury, and Egyptian Thoth.
וְעַ֤ל  and  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מֵֽידְבָא֙  Medeba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֵידְבָא  
Sense: a town in Moab assigned to Reuben and located 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Heshbon; still extant.
מוֹאָ֣ב  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
יְיֵלִ֔יל  will  wail 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָלַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to howl, wail, make a howling.
בְּכָל־  On  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
רֹאשָׁ֣יו  their  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
קָרְחָ֔ה  [will  be]  baldness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קָרַח  
Sense: baldness, bald.
כָּל־  [And]  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זָקָ֖ן  beard 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: זָקָן  
Sense: beard, chin.
גְּרוּעָֽה  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: גָּרַע 
Sense: to diminish, restrain, withdraw, abate, keep back, do away, take from, clip.