Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
Parallel Translations
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Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
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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.
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Howl, O gate; cry, O city; melt away, O Philistia, all of thee; for there cometh a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to Isaiah 14:31 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Isaiah 20:1 In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it;
- Jeremiah 1:14 Then Yahweh said to me, “Out of the north, evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.
- Isaiah 13:6 Wail, for Yahweh’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
- Isaiah 14:29 Don’t rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.
- Jeremiah 25:16-20 They will drink, and reel back and forth, and be insane, because of the sword that I will send among them.” Then I took the cup at Yahweh’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, to whom Yahweh had sent me: Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, with its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is today; Pharaoh king of Egypt, with his servants, his princes, and all his people; and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
- Isaiah 3:26 Her gates shall lament and mourn. She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
- Isaiah 16:7 Therefore Moab will wail for Moab. Everyone will wail. You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth, utterly stricken.
- Isaiah 24:12 The city is left in desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, from the Jews or Assyrians: for they…
That is, from the Jews or Assyrians: for they were brought to most extreme misery.
But they shall be all ready, and join together.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 14:31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou,…
Isa 14:31 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.
Ver. 31. Howl, O gate.] Philistines are elsewhere taxed for flashy and foolish mirth {Jdg 16:23-30 2Sa 1:20-21} Here they are told they have more cause to fear than flear, to sigh than sing, to howl than hollo.
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“ Quis globus, O cives, caligiue, volvitur atra?
Hostis adest. ” - Virg.
From the north a smoke,] i.e., Hezekiah’s army raising a dust, and setting all in a combustion.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain O gate: the gate is put either,
O gate: the gate is put either,
1. Metaphorically, for the people passing through the gates, or for the magistrates and others who used to meet in the gate for judgment, or upon other occasions; or,
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2. Synecdochically, for the city, as gates are commonly put, as Jer 22:19, and as it is explained in the next words.
O city: city is here put collectively for their cities, of which see 1Sa 6:17.
Dissolved, Heb. melted; which may be understood either,
1. Of the fainting of their spirits and courage, as Exo 15:15; Jos 2:9,24, &c.; or, 2. Of the dissolution of their state.
From the north; either,
1. From Judea; which lay northward from some part of the Philistines’ land. But in truth Judea lay more east than north from Palestine, and therefore the Philistines are said to be on the west, Isa 11:14, and never, so far as I remember, on the north. Or,
2. From Chaldea. as may be gathered,
1. From the Scripture use of this phrase, which generally designs that country, as Jer 1:14,15; 6:1,22, &c.
2. From Jer 47, where destruction is threatened to the Philistines from the north, Isa 14:2, which all understand of the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar. And whereas it is speciously objected, That this suits not with the next verse, which speaks of Zion’s safety at the time of this destruction of the Philistines, whereas Zion and the land and people of Judah were destroyed together with the Philistines by Nebuchadnezzar; I humbly conceive it may be answered, that that verse is added to express the far differing condition of God’s people and of the Philistines in the events of that Babylonian war; and that whereas the Philistines should be irrecoverably and eternally destroyed thereby, and no remnant of them should be left, as was said, Isa 14:30, God’s people, though they should be sorely scourged, and carried into captivity, yet they should be strangely preserved, and after some years delivered, and restored to their own land and temple; whereby it would appear that Zion stood upon a sure foundation, and, albeit it was grievously shaken, yet it could not be utterly and finally overthrown.
A smoke; a grievous judgment and calamity, which is oft signified by smoke, as Gen 15:17; Deu 29:20; Joe 2:30, either because smoke is generally accompanied with fire, or because it causeth a great darkness in the air; for afflictions are frequently described under the names of fire and darkness. In his appointed times: when God’s appointed time shall come for the execution of this judgment, not one person of all that numerous army, which is signified by the smoke last mentioned, shall retire and desert his colours, or lag behind the rest; but they shall march with great unanimity and alacrity, and none of them shall withdraw his hand till the work be finished, till the Philistines be utterly destroyed.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain What shall one then answer the messengers of the…
What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation?.... Or nations, of any of the nations. Not the messengers sent to Hezekiah, Isa 39:1 but rather such as were sent to him, to congratulate him upon his victory over the Philistines; or any others that were sent, and came from other nations, that inquired about these matters, and the answer returned is,
That the Lord hath founded Zion; and not Hezekiah; he had given his people victory over their enemies, and protected, defended, and established them, and therefore ought to have all the glory:
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and the poor of his people shall trust in it; or, "betake themselves to it"; as to a place of safety, being founded by the Lord, and under his protection. So the church of God, which often goes by the name of Zion in Scripture, is of his founding; he has laid Christ as the foundation of it, and such as are sensible of their spiritual poverty, misery, and danger, trust in him; not in Zion, but in the foundation God has laid in Zion, or built his church upon.
Next: Isaiah Chapter 15
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Gate - The gate is put for the city.…
Gate - The gate is put for the city. City - City is here put collectively for their cities. The north - From Chaldea. A smoak - A grievous judgment and calamity. Times - When God's appointed time shall come, not one of all that numerous army shall desert his colours, or lag behind the rest.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 31. There shall come from the north a…
Verse 31. There 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. xi. 908.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 14:31. Howl, O gate — O people, who…
Isa 14:31. Howl, O gate — O people, who used to pass through the gates; cry, O city — O inhabitants of the city; or city may be put collectively for all their cities. Thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved — Hebrew, נמוג, art melted, which may be understood, either of the faintness of their spirits and courage, or of the dissolution of their state; there shall come from the north a smoke — A grievous judgment, or calamity, often signified by smoke, as Gen 15:17; Joe 2:30; both because smoke is generally accompanied with fire, and because it darkens the air, and afflictions are frequently signified by fire and darkness. Many interpreters understand the prophet as speaking here of the calamity brought on the Philistines by Hezekiah, foretold in the preceding verses, observing that Judea lay to the north of some parts of Palestine. But certainly it lay more to the east than north of the greater part of that country: and accordingly, the Scriptures generally speak of the Philistines as being to the west of the Jews: see Isa 11:14. It seems, therefore, that Chaldea, and not Judea, is here meant by the north, as it generally is in the writings of the prophets; and that the calamity intended is not that spoken of in Isa 14:29-30, but a new affliction to be brought upon them by the Assyrians or Babylonians: probably the same which Jeremiah predicted as coming from the north on the Philistines, Jer 47:2, &c. And none shall be alone in his appointed times — When God’s appointed time shall come, not one of all that numerous army that shall invade Palestine, shall desert his colours, lag behind the rest, or withdraw his hand, till the work of destruction be finished.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Howl, O gate - That is, ye who throng…
Howl, 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.
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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 means here that the kingdom of Philistia would disappear, or be destroyed. It probably conveys the idea of its fainting, or becoming feeble from fear or apprehension.
From the north a smoke - From the regions of Judah, which lay north and east of Philistia. The ‘smoke’ here probably refers to a cloud of dust that would be seen to rise in that direction made by an invading army.
And none shall be alone in his appointed times - There has been a great variety of interpretation in regard to this passage. Lowth renders it, ‘And there shall not be a straggler among his levies.’ The Hebrew is, as in the margin, ‘And not solitary in his assemblies.’ The Septuagint renders it, Καί οὐκ ἔσται τοῦ εῖναι Kai ouk estai tou einai - ‘And it is not to be endured.’ The Chaldee, ‘And there shall be none who shall retard him in his times.’ The Arabic, ‘Neither is there anyone who can stand in his footsteps.’ The Vulgate, ‘Neither is there anyone who can escape his army.’ Aben Ezra renders it, ‘No one of the Philistines shall dare to remain in their palaces, as when a smoke comes into a house all are driven out.’ Probably the correct idea is given by Lowth; and the same interpretation is given by Gesenius, Rosenmuller, Dathe, and Michaelis. No one of the invading army of Hezekiah shall come by himself; no one shall be weary or be a straggler; the army shall advance in close military array, and in dense columns; and this is represented as the cause of the cloud or smoke that the prophet saw rising, the cloud of dust that was made by the close ranks of the invading host (compare Isa 5:27).
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain gate--that is, ye who throng the gate; the chief…
gate--that is, ye who throng the gate; the chief place of concourse in a city.
from . . . north--Judea, north and east of Palestine.
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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," (Exo 13:21; Neh 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 . . . appointed times--Rather, "There shall not be a straggler among his (the enemy's) levies." The Jewish host shall advance on Palestine in close array; none shall fall back or lag from weariness (Isa 5:26-27), [LOWTH]. MAURER thinks the Hebrew will not bear the rendering "levies" or "armies." He translates, "There is not one (of the Philistine watch guards) who will remain alone (exposed to the enemy) at his post," through fright. On "alone," compare Psa 102:7; Hos 8:9.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 31. Howl, O gate — Ye who throng the…
31. Howl, O gate — Ye who throng the gates; the chief place of concourse for trials of justice, for news, and for business. The gates here are those of Philistia’s fortress-towns.
Dissolved — Possibly, this word is used in allusion to another panic stricken Philistian scene, recorded in 1Sa_14:12-16. The word is well illustrated by it.
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From the north a smoke — From Judah, north and northeast. The passage, literally translated, reads: “Out of the north cometh a smoke,” as of a marching column of cloud or flame; symbol of Jehovah’s lead of his own to battle.
None shall be alone in his appointed times — Most commentators now agree in the main with Lowth’s rendering: “There is no straggler in his levies,” or “in his appointed places.” That is, all the portions of his host are at their appointed posts of duty, and reach their places of rendezvous in good time and accurate order.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 31. As in Isa_14:29 the prophet had rebuked the…
31. As in Isa_14:29 the prophet had rebuked the premature rejoicing of the Philistines, so here he calls them to public lamentation in view of the advancing enemy.
thou … art dissolved] Render as an imper. melt away, entire Philistia! Smoke may be either a symbol of war (Jer_1:13 f.) or it may be a vivid picture of the burning villages that mark the track of the invader. The phrase from the north points almost unmistakeably to the Assyrians (see on ch. Isa_10:27).
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none shall be … times] Most critics render: there is no straggler in his battalions (cf. ch. Isa_5:27). The last word closely resembles that for “appointed times,” but is differently vocalised, and does not occur elsewhere.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (31) Howl, O gate . . .—The “gate,” as…
(31) Howl, O gate . . .—The “gate,” as elsewhere, is the symbol of the city’s strength. The “city” stands probably for Ashdod, as the most conspicuous of the Philistine cities.
From the north.—Here of the Assyrian invaders, as in Jer_1:14; Jer_10:22; Jer_46:20 of the Chaldean. The “smoke” may be either that of the cities which the Assyrians burnt, or, more probably, the torch-signals, or beacons, which they used in their night marches or encampments (Jer_6:1; Jer_1:2). (See Note on Isa_4:5.)
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None shall be alone in his appointed times.—Better, there is no straggler at the appointed places: i.e., all the troops shall meet at the rendezvous which was indicated by the column of fiery smoke as a signal.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Howl, O gate; cry, O city. Each city of…
Howl, O gate; cry, O city. Each city of Philistia is hidden to howl and lament. All will suffer; not one will be spared. Art dissolved; literally, art melted; i.e. "faintest through fear". (comp. Jos_2:9 Jer_49:23) There shall come from the north a smoke. The "smoke" is the Assyrian host, which ravages the country as it advances, burning towns, and villages, and peasants" cots, and watchmen"s towers. It enters the country "from the north," as a matter of course, where it adjoins upon Judaea. The coast route, which led through the Plain of Sharon, was that commonly followed by Egyptian armies. None shall be alone in his appointed times; rather, there shall be no straggler at the rendezvous.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Howl, gate; cry, city
Howl, gate; cry, city
Here "gate" and "city" represent the people at the city gates and in the cities. "Howl, you people at the city gates; cry, you people in the cities" (See: Metonymy)
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you will melt away
Melting away represents becoming weak because of fear. AT: "you will grow weak with fear" (See: Metaphor)
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke
This implies that a large army is coming from the north. AT: "For from the north comes a large army with a cloud of smoke" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
a cloud of smoke
Possible meanings are 1) this represents a cloud of dust that the army stirs up as they travel on dry dirt roads. AT: "a cloud of dust" or 2) there is a lot of smoke because of all the things that the army destroys and burns. AT: "much smoke" (See: Metaphor)
there is no straggler in his ranks
"no one in his ranks walks slowly behind the others"
How will they respond to the messengers of that nation?
The author uses this question to introduce his instruction about how the Israelites should speak to the messengers. AT: "This is how we will answer the messengers of Philistia." (See: Rhetorical Question)
Yahweh has founded Zion
"Yahweh started Zion"
in her
"in Jerusalem" or "there"
the afflicted of his people
"those of his people who have been afflicted"
translationWords
gate
Philistines
nation
Yahweh
Zion
afflicted
people group
refuge
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 14:31 The advancing army, probably Assyria, would stir up…
14:31 The advancing army, probably Assyria, would stir up clouds of dust like smoke that were ominously visible in the north.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.