Isaiah 16:14

And now the LORD says, “In three years, as a hired worker counts the years, Moab’s splendor will become an object of contempt, with all her many people. And those who are left will be few and feeble.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh delivers a pronouncement concerning Moab, following the earlier oracle introduced in Isaiah 16:13.

The words — The text employs עַתָּה ('a.Tah, "now") to mark a decisive turning point and שָׂכִיר (sa.Khir, "hired laborer") to define the precise, contractual timeframe of the judgment.

The thread — This prophecy runs parallel to Isaiah 21:16, which applies the same hired-worker timeline to Kedar, and Jeremiah 48:42, which ties Moab’s ruin to its vaunting against Yahweh.

Why it lands — The text states that Moab’s splendor will become contemptible within three years, leaving only a few feeble survivors. Readers must acknowledge that divine judgment executes on a fixed schedule, reducing national pride to a remnant regardless of prior strength.

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

וְעַתָּ֗הve./'a.Tahand/ now דִּבֶּ֣רdi.Berhe says יְהוָה֮Yah.wehYahweh לֵאמֹר֒le./Mor<to>/ saying בְּשָׁלֹ֤שׁbe./sha.Loshin/ three שָׁנִים֙sha.Nimyears כִּשְׁנֵ֣יki/sh.Neilike/ [the] years of שָׂכִ֔ירsa.Khira hired laborer וְנִקְלָה֙ve./nik.Lahand/ it will be lightly esteemed כְּב֣וֹדke.Vod[the] honor of מוֹאָ֔בmo.'AvMoab בְּכֹ֖לbe./Kholfor/ all הֶהָמ֣וֹןhe./ha.Monthe/ multitude הָרָ֑בha./Rav<the>/ great וּשְׁאָ֥רu./she.'Arand/ a remnant מְעַ֛טme.'Atlittle מִזְעָ֖רmiz.'Arsmallness ל֥וֹאLo'not כַבִּֽיר׃ סkha.Bir[will be] mighty

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 21:16 For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.
Isaiah 23:9 The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.
Jeremiah 48:42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he vaunted himself against the LORD.
Jeremiah 48:46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity.
Genesis 31:1 Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”
Deuteronomy 15:8 Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.
Esther 5:11 Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
Isaiah 7:16 For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
Isaiah 15:5 My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.
Isaiah 17:4 “In that day the splendor of Jacob will fade, and the fat of his body will waste away,