Isaiah 14:31

Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet addresses the Philistine cities, commanding their gates and inhabitants to lament as an advancing northern army approaches. This judgment follows a declaration that the LORD will destroy the enemy's root by famine and spare the needy.

The words — The imperative הֵילִילִי (heili li) means "wail," paired with זַעֲקִי (za'aki) "cry out" and נָמוֹג (namog) "melt away" to describe Philistia's collapse. The conjunction כִּי (ki) "for" introduces the cause: a smoke cloud from the north with no stragglers.

The thread — This northern disaster motif echoes Jeremiah 1:14 and the Day of the LORD warnings in Isaiah 13:6, while the Philistine context aligns with Assyrian campaigns recorded in Isaiah 20:1.

Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment of divine judgment on hostile nations and recognition of Zion as the established refuge for the afflicted. It calls the reader to take seriously the certainty of God's intervention and the security offered to His people.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הֵילִ֤ילִֽיhei.Li.liwail שַׁ֙עַר֙sha.'arO gate זַֽעֲקִי־za.'a.ki-cry out עִ֔יר'IrO city נָמ֖וֹגna.Mogmelt away פְּלֶ֣שֶׁתpe.Le.shetO Philistia כֻּלֵּ֑ךְku.Le/khall of/ you כִּ֤יkifor מִצָּפוֹן֙mi./tza.fOnfrom/ [the] north עָשָׁ֣ן'a.Shansmoke בָּ֔אBa'[is] coming וְאֵ֥יןve./'Einand/ there not בּוֹדֵ֖דbo.Ded[is] an isolated [one]בְּמוֹעָדָֽיו׃be./mo.'a.Da/vamong/ ranks/ its

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 20:1 Before the year that the chief commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it,
Jeremiah 1:14 Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.
Isaiah 13:6 Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Isaiah 14:29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg.
Jeremiah 25:16 And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them.”
Isaiah 3:26 And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Isaiah 16:7 Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken.
Isaiah 24:12 The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.