Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Isaiah 16:2

For it is as a fleeing bird cast out of the nest; the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arnon;   Birds;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Moabites;   Rivers;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Propitiation;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ford;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Uzziah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arnon;   Ford;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Arnon;   Bird;   Ford;   Moab, Moabites;   Nest;   Sela;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Arnon ;   Fords;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon ammonites children of ammon;   Arnon;   Handicraft;   Moab;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Arnon;   Ford;   Nest;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Arnon;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bamoth-Baal;   Birds;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Like a bird fleeing,forced from the nest,the daughters of Moabwill be at the fords of the Arnon.
Hebrew Names Version
For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Mo'av be at the fords of the Arnon.
King James Version
For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
English Standard Version
Like fleeing birds, like a scattered nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
New American Standard Bible
Then, like fluttering birds or scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be at the crossing places of the Arnon.
New Century Version
The women of Moab try to cross the river Arnon like little birds that have fallen from their nest.
Amplified Bible
For like wandering birds or scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the [river] Arnon.
World English Bible
For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For it shall be as a birde that flieth, and a nest forsaken: the daughters of Moab shall be at the foordes of Arnon.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings,The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon.
Berean Standard Bible
Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon:
Contemporary English Version
The women of Moab crossing the Arnon River are like a flock of birds scattered from their nests.
Complete Jewish Bible
The daughters of Mo'av at the fords of the Arnon are like fluttering birds pushed from the nest.
Darby Translation
And it shall be [that] as a wandering bird, [as] a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.
Easy-to-Read Version
The women of Moab try to cross the river Arnon. They run around looking for help, like little birds that have fallen from their nest.
George Lamsa Translation
And he shall be like a bird that changes its nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be deserted at the fords of Arnon.
Good News Translation
They wait on the banks of the Arnon River and move aimlessly back and forth, like birds driven from their nest.
Lexham English Bible
And this shall be: like a bird fleeing from a thrust away nest shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of Arnon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(For as for the doughters of Moab, they were as it had bene a trymblinge byrde, yt is put out of hir nest, by the fery of Arnon) which messaunger sayde:
American Standard Version
For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.
Bible in Basic English
For the daughters of Moab will be like wandering birds, like a place from which the young birds have gone in flight, at the ways across the Arnon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of Arnon.
King James Version (1611)
For it shalbe that as a wandering bird cast out of the nest: so the daughters of Moab shalbe at the fordes of Arnon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For as for the daughters of Moab they shalbe as a trembling birde that is put out of her neste: for they shall cary them vnto Arnon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For thou shalt be as a young bird taken away from a bird that has flown: even thou shalt be so, daughter of Moab: and then do thou, O Arnon,
English Revised Version
For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of Arnon.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And it schal be as a foule fleynge, and briddis fleynge awei fro the nest, so schulen be the douytris of Moab in the passyng ouer of Arnon.
Update Bible Version
For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.
Webster's Bible Translation
For it shall be, [that], as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, [so] the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
New English Translation
At the fords of the Arnon the Moabite women are like a bird that flies about when forced from its nest.
New King James Version
For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
New Living Translation
The women of Moab are left like homeless birds at the shallow crossings of the Arnon River.
New Life Bible
Then, like birds driven from their nest, the people of Moab will be where the Arnon River can be crossed.
New Revised Standard
Like fluttering birds, like scattered nestlings, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yet shall it be that - Like wandering birds from a nest cast forth, Shall be the daughters of Moab, at the fords of Amen.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it shall come to pass, that as a bird fleeing away, and as young ones flying out of the nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be in the passage of Arnon.
Revised Standard Version
Like fluttering birds, like scattered nestlings, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
Young's Literal Translation
And it hath come to pass, As a wandering bird, a nest cast out, Are daughters of Moab, [at] fords of Arnon.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon.

Contextual Overview

1 Send a lamb to the ruler of the land, from the rock of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Zion. 2 For it is as a fleeing bird cast out of the nest; the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. 3 Take counsel; do judgment; make your shadow as the night in midday; hide the outcasts; do not uncover the fugitive! 4 Let My outcasts stay with you, Moab. Be a hiding place to them from the face of the destroyer. For the exacter has ceased, destruction has failed; the trampler is ended out of the land. 5 And in mercy the throne shall be founded; and he shall sit on it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice, and swift in righteousness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as: Isaiah 13:14, Proverbs 27:8

cast out of the nest: or, a nest forsaken

the fords: Numbers 21:13-15, Deuteronomy 2:36, Deuteronomy 3:8, Deuteronomy 3:12, Joshua 13:16, Judges 11:18

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:36 - the border Joshua 12:1 - from the Psalms 109:10 - General Jeremiah 48:9 - wings Jeremiah 48:12 - wanderers Jeremiah 48:20 - Arnon Micah 1:11 - Pass

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she has given to me of the tree, and I ate.
Genesis 3:17
And He said to the man, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat from it, the ground shall be cursed because of you; you shall eatof it in sorrow all the days of your life.
Genesis 16:1
And Sarai, Abram's wife, did not bear to him; and to her belonged a female slave, an Egyptian, and her name was Hagar.
Genesis 16:2
And Sarai said to Abram, See, now, Jehovah has kept me from bearing; go in now to my slave-girl; perhaps I may be built up from her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Genesis 16:4
And he went in to Hagar and she conceived; and she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Genesis 16:6
But Abram said to Sarai, See, your slave girl is in your hand. Do to her what is good in your eyes. And Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from before her.
Genesis 16:9
And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand.
Genesis 16:10
And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, I will exceedingly multiply your seed, so that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 17:16
and I have blessed her and have also given to you a son from her. Yea, I have blessed her and she shall become nations; kings of people shall be from her.
Genesis 18:10
And He said, Returning I will return to you at the time of life; and, Behold! A son shall be to your wife Sarah. And Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, and it was behind Him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For it shall be,.... Or, "otherwise it shall be" z; if ye do not pay this tribute:

[that] as a wandering bird cast out of the nest: or, "as a wandering bird, the nest sent out": that is, as a bird that has forsaken its nest, and wanders about, and its young ones are turned out of the nest, scarcely fledged, and unable to shift for themselves, but flutter about here and there, trembling and frightened, see Proverbs 26:2:

[so] the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon: turned out of their houses, wandering up and down, not knowing where to go; unable to help themselves, and in the utmost fright and consternation, fleeing to the very borders of their land, as the fords of Arnon were, see Numbers 21:13.

z והיה "alioqui", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For it shall be - It shall happen in the time of the calamity that shall come upon Moab.

As a wandering bird - (See Isaiah 10:14.) The same idea is presented in Proverbs 27:8 :

As a bird that wanders from her nest,

So is a man that wandereth from his place.

The idea here is that of a bird driven away from her nest, where the nest is destroyed, and the young fly about without any home or place of rest. So would Moab be when the inhabitants were driven from their dwellings. The reason why this is introduced seems to be, to enforce what the prophet had said in the previous verse - the duty of paying the usual tribute to the Jews, and seeking their protection. The time is coming, says the prophet, when the Moabites shall be driven from their homes, and when they will need that protection which they can obtain by paying the usual tribute to the Jews.

The daughters of Moab - The females shall be driven from their homes, and shall wander about, and endeavor to flee from the invasion which has come upon the land. By the apprehension, therefore, that their wives and daughters would be exposed to this danger, the prophet calls upon the Moabites to secure the protection of the king of Judah.

At the fords of Arnon - Arnon was the northern boundary of the land of Moab. They would endeavor to cross that river, and thus flee from the land, and escape the desolations that were coming upon it. The river Arnon, now called Mujeb, flows in a deep, frightfully wild, and rocky vale of the same name Numbers 21:15; Deuteronomy 2:24; Deuteronomy 3:9, in a narrow bed, and forms at this time the boundary between the provinces of Belka and Karrak (Seetzen). Bridges were not common in the times here referred to; and, indeed, permanent bridges among the ancients were things almost unknown. Hence, they selected the places where the streams were most shallow and gentle, as the usual places of crossing.


 
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