The Meaning of Isaiah 15:3 Explained

Isaiah 15:3

KJV: In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.

YLT: In its out-places they girded on sackcloth, On its pinnacles, and in its broad places, Every one howleth -- going down with weeping.

Darby: In their streets they are girded with sackcloth; on their roofs, and in their broadways, every one howleth, melted into tears.

ASV: In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In their streets  they shall gird  themselves with sackcloth:  on the tops  of their houses, and in their streets,  every one shall howl,  weeping  abundantly. 

What does Isaiah 15:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 15

1  The lamentable state of Moab

What do the individual words in Isaiah 15:3 mean?

In their streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth On the tops of their houses and in their streets Everyone will wail bitterly weeping
בְּחוּצֹתָ֖יו חָ֣גְרוּ שָׂ֑ק עַ֣ל גַּגּוֹתֶ֧יהָ וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֛יהָ כֻּלֹּ֥ה יְיֵלִ֖יל יֹרֵ֥ד בַּבֶּֽכִי

בְּחוּצֹתָ֖יו  In  their  streets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
חָ֣גְרוּ  they  will  clothe  themselves  with 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
שָׂ֑ק  sackcloth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.
גַּגּוֹתֶ֧יהָ  the  tops  of  their  houses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: גָּג  
Sense: roof, top, housetop.
וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֛יהָ  and  in  their  streets 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רְחֹב  
Sense: broad or open place or plaza.
כֻּלֹּ֥ה  Everyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יְיֵלִ֖יל  will  wail 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָלַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to howl, wail, make a howling.
יֹרֵ֥ד  bitterly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
בַּבֶּֽכִי  weeping 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכִי  
Sense: a weeping, weeping.