Isaiah 3:26 — Word Study
WLCוְאָנ֥וּ וְאָבְל֖וּ פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ וְנִקָּ֖תָה לָאָ֥רֶץ תֵּשֵֽׁב׃
BSAAnd the gates [of Zion]pethach [entrances, doorways] will lamentʼânâh [mourn, sorrow] and mournʼâbal [grieve, lament] destitutenâqâh [desolate, empty] she will sityâshab▸ [dwell, remain] on the groundʼerets [land, earth]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאָנ֥וּ | and they will lament | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect third person common plural |
| וְאָבְל֖וּ | and they will mourn | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect third person common plural |
| פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ | gates its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְנִקָּ֖תָה | and it will be emptied | Verb, Niphal, sequential perfect third person feminine singular |
| לָאָ֥רֶץ | to the ground | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| תֵּשֵֽׁב׃ | it will sit | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground. |
| KJV | And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground. |
| ASV | And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground. |
| YLT | And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth! |
| WEB | Her gates shall lament and mourn. She shall be desolate and sit on the ground. |
| BBE | And in the public places of her towns will be sorrow and weeping; and she will be seated on the earth, waste and uncovered. |
The translations agree on the key elements of the verse, particularly regarding the mourning of Zion's gates and the city's desolation.
The structure features a main clause followed by two phrases that describe the state of Zion, emphasizing the progression from lamentation to desolation.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָנָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 3:26
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Lament over Ziongenerated
Isaiah 3:26 describes a scene of mourning in Zion, where the gates lament and the city is portrayed as desolate. This reflects the consequences of the people's actions and the resulting judgment. The imagery of mourning and emptiness emphasizes the severity of the situation, highlighting the loss experienced by the community.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 14:2 | “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. |
| 2 | Lamentations 1:4 | The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish. |
| 3 | Isaiah 47:1 | “Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of Chaldea! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. |
| 4 | Job 2:8–13 | And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes. |
| 5 | Lamentations 2:10 | The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וְנִקָּ֖תָה, ve.ni.Ka.tahgenerated
The verb נָקָה (naqah) is a Niphal form meaning 'to be emptied' or 'to be cleared.' It conveys the sense of desolation, indicating that something has been made empty or has lost its former state.
In this context, it describes Zion's state after judgment, emphasizing the city's emptiness and the absence of life and joy. The parsing indicates a third person feminine singular subject, which aligns with the feminine noun צִיּוֹן (Tsiyon), referring to Zion.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses emptied for וְנִקָּ֖תָה, which is consistent with the KJV's emptied and the ASV's emptied as well.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וְנִקָּ֖תָה, and it will be emptied, which governs the overall structure. The sentence presents a series of actions and states, with the gates lamenting and the city being described in its desolate condition.
The arrangement emphasizes the gates' mourning as a precursor to the city's emptiness, illustrating the cause-and-effect relationship between the lamentation and the resulting desolation.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וְאָנ֥וּ as ταπεινωθήσονται, which suggests a focus on the humiliation or lowering of Zion rather than just the act of lamenting. This choice indicates a broader interpretation of the emotional state of Zion.
The use of πενθήσουσιν for וְאָבְל֖וּ aligns with the theme of mourning but carries a slightly different nuance, emphasizing the depth of sorrow.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 3:26 shows the gates of Zion lamenting and mourning, indicating the city's sorrowful state. The verse portrays Zion as desolate, sitting on the ground, reflecting the consequences of judgment.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the deep sorrow of the city as it faces destruction and loss, representing the collective grief of its inhabitants.
Zion is destitute because it has lost its vitality and joy, symbolizing the consequences of sin and judgment.
This verse connects to broader biblical themes of mourning and lamentation, particularly in times of judgment or loss, as seen in other passages like Lamentations.
The lamentation serves as a reminder of the seriousness of turning away from God and the resulting consequences, emphasizing the need for repentance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond to loss or desolation in my life, and what does that reveal about my faith?
- In what ways can I express my sorrow for the brokenness in the world around me?
- What does it mean for me to dwell in a place of emptiness, and how can I seek restoration?
- How can I support others who are experiencing grief or desolation in their lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Father Jerome comments on this verse, noting the mourning of Zion's gates and the desolation of the city.
And her gates will mourn and lament, and the city itself, desolate, will sit upon the earth. Which we see with our own eyes until this day.Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 3:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd her gates shall lament and mourn,.... These being utterly destroyed; or there being none to pass through them, meaning the gates of the city of Jerusalem: and she [being) desolate; clear of
Read John Gill on Isaiah 3 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground. Her gates shall lament. The place of concourse personified is represented mourning for the loss of those multitudes which once frequented it.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 3 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHer gates; the gates of Zion or Jerusalem, which, by a figure very usual in sacred Scripture and all authors, are said to lament, to imply the great desolation of the place, that there should be no people to go out and come in by the gates, or to meet together in the gates, as they used to do. Shall sit upon the ground, like a mournful woman bewailing the loss of her husband and children.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 3 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 3:26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she [being] desolate shall sit upon the ground.Ver. 26. And her gates shall lament.] Because unfrequented. And the king desolate.] Swept and wiped of all; not, as once, with her turrified head and stretched forth neck. Sitteth upon the ground.] As a sad mourner. Money was coined by Vespasian with a woman sitting at the root of a palm tree, and this inscription, Iudaea capta. The Jews captured. πυργουνκεφαλην. - Nazian.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 3 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(25-26) Thy men . . .(26) her gates . . .—The feminine pronoun in both verses points to the daughter of Zion as representing her many daughters. As in Lamentations 1:1, and as in the JUDÆA CAPTA medals that commemorated the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, she is represented as sitting on the ground desolate and afflicted.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 3 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 26. Sit upon the ground.] Sitting on the ground was a posture that denoted mourning and deep distress. The prophet Jeremiah (Lamentations 2:8) has given it the first place among many indications of sorrow, in the following elegant description of the same state of distress of his country: - "The elders of the daughter of Sion sit on the ground, they are silent: They have cast up dust on their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth; The virgins of Jerusalem have bowed down their heads to the ground." "We find Judea," says Mr. Addison, (on Medals, Dial. ii,) "on several coins of Vespasian and Titus, in a posture that denotes sorrow and captivity. I need not mention her sitting…
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 3 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges26. her gates] the places of rendezvous in Eastern cities. lament and mourn] because they are now deserted. Cf. Lamentations 1:4; Jeremiah 14:2. and she, emptied, shall sit upon the ground] Cf. ch. Isaiah 47:1; Lamentations 2:10; Job 2:13.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 3 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd her gates - Cities were surrounded with walls, and were entered through gates opening into the principal streets.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Her gates shall lament and mourn. She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Her gates will mourn and lament; deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground.
Tyndale line
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate, shall sit upon the ground.
Then shall her gates mourne and lament, and she, being desolate, shall sit vpon the ground.
Strictly literal
and her gates shall lament and mourn; and, stripped, she shall sit upon the ground.
And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!
And her openings have lamented and mourned, || Indeed, she has been emptied, she sits on the earth!”
And then shall her gates lament and mourn; and stript of all shall she sit upon the ground.
Jerusalem's gates will lament and mourn; and she will be alone and sit upon the ground.
From the Latin
And her gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall sit desolate on the ground.
Simplified
The gates of Zion will cry and mourn. The city will be like a banished woman sitting on the ground.
And in the public places of her towns will be sorrow and weeping; and she will be seated on the earth, waste and uncovered.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Qisaa agree closely, with all six words matching. The Septuagint also corresponds word-for-word, though its word order differs. This consistency across witnesses highlights the stability of the text through various traditions.
וְאָנ֥וּ וְאָבְל֖וּ פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ וְנִקָּ֖תָה לָאָ֥רֶץ תֵּשֵֽׁב׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ואנו ואבלו פתחי׳ה ונקתה לארץ תשב
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 3:26
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָנָה (anah) is a primitive root meaning to groan or lament. It specifically covers the act of mourning, as noted in various lexicons. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to expressing sorrow.
[אָנָה] vb. mourn
base
H578 [אָנָה] mourn
578 'anah aw-naw'
a primitive root; to groan:--lament, mourn.
אָנָה (a.nah) — to lament.
(Qal) to mourn
Conj | Adv — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common pluralHc/Vqq3cp
la-ment'.
See MUSIC.
אָבַל (abal) is a primitive root meaning to mourn or lament. It covers various forms of mourning, including for humans and inanimate objects like gates and land. The verb can appear in different stems, such as Qal (to mourn), Hiphil (to cause to mourn), and Hithpael (to play the mourner).
אָבַל 39 vb. mourn
Qal mourn, lament
Hithp. mourn (mostly prose)
Hiph. cause to mourn
base
H56 אָבַל mourn
56 'abal aw-bal'
a primitive root; to bewail:--lament, mourn.
אָבַל (a.val) — to mourn.
1) to mourn, lament
1a) (Qal) to mourn, lament
1a1) of humans
1a2) of inanimate objects (fig.)
1a2a) of gates
1a2b) of land
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to mourn, cause to mourn (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to mourn
1c2) play the mourner
Conj | V-Qal-3cp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common pluralHc/Vqq3cp
Mourn
Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 35); the Egyptians for Jacob (50:3-10); Israel for Aaron (Num. 20:29), for Moses (Deut. 34:8), and for Samuel (1 Sam. 25:1); David for Abner (2 Sam. 3:31, 35); Mary and Martha for Lazarus (John 11); devout men for Stephen (Acts 8:2), etc.
(2.) For calamities, Job (1:20, 21; 2:8); Israel (Ex. 33:4); the Ninevites (Jonah…
פֶּ֫תַח (pethach) refers to an opening, such as a doorway or entrance. It is derived from a root meaning to open and encompasses terms like gate and entrance way. The entries consistently highlight its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.
פֶּ֫תַח 164 n.m. opening, doorway, entrance
base
H6607 פֶּ֫תַח opening, doorway, entrance
6607 pethach peh'-thakh
from 6605; an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or
entrance way:--door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate,
opening, place.
see HEBREW for 06605
פֶּ֫תַח (pe.tach) — entrance.
opening, doorway, entrance
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs
נָקָה (naqah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be clean or free from guilt, and it can also imply being empty or desolate. The entries indicate that it encompasses a range of meanings, including acquitting someone of guilt, being exempt from punishment, and being purged or cleaned out. The lexicons suggest various nuances, but they consistently focus on themes of innocence and cleanliness.
[נָקָה] vb. be empty(?), clean
Qal Inf. Abs.
Niph.
be cleaned out
be clean, free from guilt, innocent
be free, exempt from punishment
free, exempt from obligation
Pi.
hold innocent, acquit
leave unpunished
base
H5352 נָקָה be empty(?), clean .Inf. Abs.
. . be cleaned out
. be clean, free from guilt, innocent
. be free, exempt from punishment
. free, exempt from obligation
. . hold innocent, acquit
. leave unpunished
5352 naqah naw-kaw'
a primitive root; to be (or make) clean (literally or
figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be
bare, i.e. extirpated:--acquit X at all, X altogether, be
blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be
free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, X by no means,
be quit, be (leave) unpunished, X utterly, X wholly.
נָקָה (na.qah) — to clear.
1) to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off
1a) (Qal) to be empty, be clean, be pure
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be cleaned out, be purged out
1b2) to be clean, be free from guilt, be innocent
1b3) to be free, be exempt from punishment
1b4) to be free, be exempt from obligation
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to hold innocent, acquit
1c2) to leave unpunished
Conj | V-Niphal-3fs — Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person feminine singularHc/VNq3fs
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singularHVqi3fs
