Isaiah 1:21

Bishops' Bible (1568)

Howe happeneth it then that the righteous citie which was full of equitie, is become vnfaythfull as a whore? Righteousnesse dwelt in it, but nowe murtherers.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אֵיכָה֙ הָיְתָ֣ה לְזוֹנָ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה נֶאֱמָנָ֑ה מְלֵאֲתִ֣י מִשְׁפָּ֗ט צֶ֛דֶק יָלִ֥ין בָּ֖הּ וְעַתָּ֥ה מְרַצְּחִֽים׃

Transliteration

ʾêkâ hāyᵉtâ lᵉzônâ qiryâ neʾĕmānâ mᵉlēʾătî mišpāṭ ṣedeq yālîn bāh wᵉ'attâ mᵉraṣṣᵉḥîm

Grammar Details

• *ʾêkâ*: interrogative adverb - how
• *hāyᵉtâ*: verb, qal perfect, 3rd person feminine singular - has become
• *lᵉzônâ*: preposition lᵉ- + noun, feminine singular - a harlot
• *qiryâ*: noun, feminine singular - city
• *neʾĕmānâ*: adjective, niphal participle, feminine singular - faithful
• *mᵉlēʾătî*: adjective, feminine singular - full of
• *mišpāṭ*: noun, masculine singular - justice
• *ṣedeq*: noun, masculine singular - righteousness
• *yālîn*: verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - would lodge
• *bāh*: preposition bᵉ- + 3rd person feminine singular suffix - in her
• *wᵉ'attâ*: conjunction wə- + adverb - and now
• *mᵉraṣṣᵉḥîm*: piel participle, masculine plural - murderers

Word Meanings

• *ʾêkâ*: how/alas/what a tragedy
• *hāyᵉtâ*: has become/has turned into
• *lᵉzônâ*: a harlot/prostitute
• *qiryâ*: city/town
• *neʾĕmānâ*: faithful/trustworthy/loyal
• *mᵉlēʾătî*: full of/filled with
• *mišpāṭ*: justice/judgment/what is right
• *ṣedeq*: righteousness/justice/rightness
• *yālîn*: would lodge/dwell/remain overnight
• *mᵉraṣṣᵉḥîm*: murderers/assassins/those who kill

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 8:15 : 15 And Dauid raigned ouer all Israel, and executed iudgement and iustice vnto all his people.
• 2 Chr 19:9 : 9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shal ye do in the feare of the Lord faythfully, and with a pure heart:
• Neh 11:1 : 1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Hierusalem: The other people also cast lottes, that among ten one part should go to Hierusalem into the holy citie to dwell, and nyne partes to be in the cities.
• Ps 46:4 : 4 Yet the fludde by his ryuers shall make glad the citie of God: the holy place of the tabernacles of the most hyghest.
• Ps 48:1 : 1 A song, the psalme of the children of Corach. Great is God, and hyghly to be praysed: in the citie of our Lorde, his holy hyll.
• Ps 48:8 : 8 Lyke as we haue hearde, so haue we seene in the citie of God of hoastes: in the citie of our Lorde, God vpholdeth the same for euer. Selah.
• Isa 5:7 : 7 As for the vineyarde of the Lorde of hoastes, it is the house of Israel: and the man of Iuda, the plant of his pleasure: Of these he loked for equitie, but see there is oppression for ryghteousnesse, and lo it is a crying.
• Isa 48:2 : 2 For they are named of the holy citie, and are grounded vpon the God of Israel, whose name is the Lorde of hoastes.
• Isa 57:3-9 : 3 Come hyther therfore ye charmers children, ye sonnes of the adulterer and the whore. 4 Wherin take ye your pleasure? vpon whom gape ye with your mouth, and bleare out your tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, and a seede of dissimulation? 5 Ye make your fire vnder the okes, and vnder all greene trees, and ye offer children in the valleys and dennes of stone. 6 Thy part shalbe with the stony rockes by the riuer, yea euen these shalbe thy part: For there thou hast powred meate & drynke offeryng vnto them: Shoulde I delyght in that? 7 Thou hast made thy bed vpon hye mountaynes, thou wentest vp thyther, and there thou hast slayne sacrifices. 8 Behynde the doores and postes hast thou set vp thy remembraunce, when thou hadst discouered thy selfe to another then me, when thou wentest vp and made thy bed wider, and with those idols hast thou made a couenaunt, and louedst their couches where thou sawest them. 9 Thou wentest straight to kinges with oyle and diuers oyntmentes that is thou hast sent thy messengers farre of, and yet art thou fallen into the pit.
• Jer 2:20-21 : 20 I haue euer broken thy yoke of olde, and burst thy bondes, yet sayest thou: I wyll no more transgresse: but like an harlot thou runnest about vpon all hye hylles, and among all greene trees. 21 Wheras I planted thee a noble vine, and wholly a right seede: howe art thou turned then into a bitter vnfruitfull and straunge grape?
• Jer 3:1 : 1 Commonly when a man putteth away his wyfe, and she goeth from hym & maryeth with another, then the question is: shoulde he resort vnto her any more after that? (Is not that lande then defiled and vncleane?) But as for thee thou hast played the harlot with many louers, yet turne agayne to me, saith the Lorde.
• Lam 1:8-9 : 8 Hierusalem hath sinned greeuouslye, therfore is she come in decay: all they that had her in honour dispise her, for they haue seene her filthinesse, yea she sigheth and is ashamed of her selfe. 9 Her skirtes are defiled, she remembred not her last ende, therfore is her fall so wonderfull, and there is no man to comfort her: O Lorde consider my trouble, for myne enemie hath the vpper hande.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Agayne the word of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: 2 Thou sonne of man, shewe Hierusale their abhominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lorde God vnto Hierusalem: thy habitation and kinred is of the lande of Chanaan, thy father was an Amorite, thy mother an Hittite. 4 In the day of thy byrth when thou wast borne, the string of thy nauell was not cut of, thou wast not bathed in water to make thee cleane, thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in cloutes. 5 No eye pitied thee to do any of these thinges for thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee: but thou wast vtterly cast out vpon the fielde in contempt of thy person in the day of thy byrth. 6 Then came I by thee, and sawe thee defiled in thyne owne blood, and I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy blood, liue: euen when thou wast in thy blood, I sayde vnto thee, liue. 7 I caused thee to multiplie as the bud of the fielde, thou art growen vp, and waxen great, thou hast gotten a marueylous pleasaunt beautie, thy brestes are fashioned, thy heere is goodly growen, whereas thou wast naked & bare. 8 Nowe when I went by thee and looked vpon thee, beholde, thy tyme was come, yea euen the time to woo thee: then spread I my clothes ouer thee to couer thy dishonestie, yea I made an othe vnto thee, and contracted my selfe with thee (saith the Lorde God) and so thou becamest myne owne. 9 Then washed I thee with water, and purged thy blood from thee, and I annointed thee with oyle. 10 I clothed thee with broidred worke, and shod thee with badgers skin, and I gyrded thee about with fine linnen, and couered thee with silke. 11 I decked thee with costly apparell, I put braselets vpon thy hands, a chayne about thy necke. 12 And I put a frontlet vpon thy face, and eareringes vpon thyne eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon thyne head. 13 Thus wast thou deckt with golde and siluer, and thy rayment was of fine linnen, and of silke, and of broidred worke: thou didst eate fine floure, honye and oyle, marueylous beautifull wast thou, and thou dydst luckyly prosper into a kingdome. 14 And thy name was spread among the heathen for thy beautie: for it was perfite through thy beautie whiche I put vpon thee, saith the Lorde God. 15 But thou hast put thy confidence in thyne owne beautie, and played the harlot because of thy renowne, and hast powred out thy fornications with euery one that went by, thou wast his. 16 Thou didst take thy garmentes, and deckt thy hye places with diuers colours, and played the harlot thervpon, they come not, and it shall not be. 17 The goodly iewels whiche I gaue thee of mine owne golde and siluer, hast thou taken and made thee mens images therof, and committed whordome with them. 18 Thy broidred garmentes hast thou taken, and deckt them therewith: myne oyle and incense hast thou set before them. 19 My meate whiche I gaue thee, as fine floure, oyle and hony to feede the withall, that hast thou set before them for a sweete sauour: and thus it was saith the Lorde God. 20 Thou hast taken thyne owne sonnes and daughters whom thou hast begotten vnto me, and these hast thou offred vp vnto them to be deuoured: is this but a small whordome of thyne? 21 And thou hast slayne my chyldren, and deliuered them, to cause them to passe through the fire for them. 22 And yet in all thyne abhominations and whordomes, thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, howe naked and bare thou wast at that tyme, and wast defiled in thyne owne blood. 23 After all these thy wickednesses, (wo wo vnto thee, saith the Lorde God.) 24 Thou hast buylt vnto thee an hye place, and hast made thee an hye place in euery streete. 25 Thou hast buylt thyne hye plate at euery head of the way, thou hast made thy beautie to be abhorred, thou hast opened thy feete to euery one that came by, and multiplied thy whoredome. 26 Thou hast committed fornication with the Egyptians, thy neighbours whiche were great in fleshe, and thus hast thou increased thyne whordome to anger me. 27 Beholde, I did stretche out my hand ouer thee, and dyd minishe thy store of foode, and deliuered thee ouer into the wylles of them that hate thee, euen the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thyne abhominable wayes. 28 Thou hast plaied the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insatiable: yea thou hast I say with them played the harlot, and yet hadst thou not inough. 29 Thus hast thou furthermore multiplied thy fornication from the lande of Chanaan vnto the Chaldees, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 Howe weake is thyne heart saith the Lorde God, seeing thou doest all these workes of a presumptuous whorishe woman? 31 Buylding thy hye places at the head of euery way, and makest thy hye places in euery streete: thou hast not ben as another whore that holdeth scorne of a rewarde. 32 But as a wyfe that breaketh wedlocke, and taketh other in steede of her husbande. 33 Giftes are geuen to all other whores: but thou geuest rewardes vnto all thy louers, & rewardest them to come vnto thee on euery side for thy fornication. 34 It is come to passe with thee in thy whoredomes contrary to the vse of other women, yea there hath no suche fornication ben committed after thee: seeing that thou geuest gyftes vnto other, and no rewarde is geuen thee, therfore thou art contrary. 35 Therefore heare the worde of the Lorde, O thou harlot. 36 Thus saith the Lorde God, Because thou hast powred out thy brasse, and discouered thy filthynes thorowe thy fornications with thy louers, and with all the idols of thyne abhominations, and in the blood of thy chyldren whom thou hast geuen them: 37 Beholde therefore, I wyll gather together all thy louers with whom thou hast taken pleasure, yea and all them whom thou hast loued, and euery one that thou hatest: I wyll I say gather them together rounde about against thee, and wil discouer thy shame before them, that they may see all thy filthynesse. 38 Moreouer, I wyll iudge thee as a breaker of wedlocke and a murtherer, and recompence thee thyne owne blood in wrath and gelousie. 39 I wyll geue thee ouer into their handes, and they shal destroy thy hie place, and breake downe thy hye places, they shall strip thee also out of thy clothes: thy farre iewels shall they take from thee, and so leaue thee naked and bare. 40 Yea they shall bryng a company vpon thee, whiche shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swordes, 41 They shall burne vp thy houses with fire, and punishe thee in the sight of many women: thus wyll I make thee ceasse from playing the harlot, so that thou shalt geue out no more rewardes. 42 So wyll I make my wrath towarde thee to rest, and my ielousie shall depart from thee, and I will ceasse, and be angry no more. 43 Seing thou remembrest not the dayes of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these thinges: beholde therfore, I wyll bryng thyne owne wayes vpon thy head saith the Lord God, so that thou shalt not commit any more mischiefe vpon all thyne abhominations. 44 Beholde, all they that vse common prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe also against thee, saying: Such a mother, such a daughter. 45 Thou art euen thy mothers owne daughter, that hath cast of her husband and her chyldren: yea thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsoke their husbandes & their chyldren: your mother is an Hittito, & your father an Amorite. 46 Thyne eldest sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell vpon thy left hande: but thy younger sister that dwelleth on thy right hande is Sodoma and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, nor done after their abhominations, as a litle and a litle: but in all thy wayes thou hast ben more corrupt then they. 48 As truely as I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodoma thy sister with her daughters, haue not done as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Behold, the sinnes of thy sister Sodoma were these: Pryde, fulnesse of meate, and aboundaunce of idlenesse, these thinges had she and her daughters: besides that, they strengthed not the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abhomination before me, therefore I toke them away as I sawe good. 51 Neither hath Samaria done halfe of thy sinnes, yea thou hast exceeded them in thyne abhominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thyne abhominations whiche thou hast done. 52 Therfore thou which didst condemne thy sister, beare thyne owne shame: for thyne owne offences that thou hast comitted more abhominable then they dyd, which in deede are more righteous then thou art, be thou I say ashamed, and beare the shamefull rebuke, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters. 53 Therfore I wyll bryng agayne their captiuitie, the captiuitie of Sodom and her daughters, & the captiuitie of Samaria and her daughters, and the captiuitie of thy captiuities among them, 54 That thou mayest take thyne owne confusion vpon thee, and be ashamed of all that thou hast done, in that thou hast comforted them. 55 And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall returne to their former state, Samaria also and her daughters shall returne to their former state, when thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former state. 56 For thy sister Sodom was not heard of by thy report in the day of thy pryde, 57 Before thy wickednesse was discouered, according to the tyme of the reproche of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistines rounde about her, whiche depise thee on all sides. 58 Thou hast borne thy wickednesse and thyne abhomination, saith the Lorde. 59 For thus saith the Lorde God, I might by right deale with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the othe in breaking the couenaunt: 60 Neuerthelesse, I wyll remember my couenaunt with thee in the daies of thy youth, and I wyll establishe vnto thee an euerlasting couenaunt. 61 Then shalt thou remember thy wayes, and be ashamed when thou shalt receaue thy sisters, both thy elder and thy younger: and I wyll geue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenaunt. 62 And I wyll establishe my couenaunt with thee, that thou mayest know that I am the Lorde. 63 That thou mayest thinke vpon it, and be ashamed, and neuer open thy mouth any more for shame of thy selfe, when I am pacified towarde thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lorde God.
• Ezek 22:1-9 : 1 Moreouer the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, and sayde, 2 Thou sonne of man, wylt thou not iudge, wylt thou not iudge this blooddy citie? wylt thou not shewe her all her abhominations? 3 And tell them, thus saith the Lorde God, The citie sheddeth blood in the middest of it, that her tyme may come, and maketh idols agaynst her selfe, to defile her selfe. 4 Thou hast made thy selfe giltie in the blood that thou hast shed, and defyled thee in the idols which thou hast made: thou hast caused thy dayes to drawe nye, and made the tyme of thy yeres to come: therfore wyll I make thee a reproche among the heathen, and to be a mockyng in all landes. 5 Whether they be nye or farre from thee, they shall laugh thee to scorne, thou that hast gotten thee so foule a name, and art full of trouble. 6 Beholde the rulers of Israel, euery one in thee was redy to his power to shed blood. 7 In thee haue they dispised father and mother, in thee haue they oppressed the straunger, in thee haue they vexed the widowe and the fatherlesse. 8 Thou hast dispised my holy thynges, and defiled my Sabbathes. 9 Tale tellers are there in thee to shed blood, in thee are such as eate vpon the hylles, and in thee they commit abhomination. 10 In thee they discouered their fathers shame, in thee they haue humbled her that was set apart for pollution. 11 Euery man hath dealt shamefully with his neighbours wife, and abhominably defiled his daughter in lawe, in thee hath euery man forced his owne sister, euen his fathers daughter. 12 Yea giftes haue ben receaued in thee to shed blood, thou hast taken vsurie and encrease, thou hast oppressed thy neighbours by extortion, and forgotten me, saith the Lorde God. 13 Beholde, I haue smitten my handes vpon thy couetousnesse that thou hast vsed, and vpon the blood which hath ben shed in thee. 14 Is thy heart able to endure? or may thy handes be strenghthened in the dayes that I shal haue to do with thee? Euen I the Lorde that speake it, wyll bryng it also to passe. 15 I wyll scatter thee among the heathen, & strawe thee about in the landes, and wyll cause thy filthinesse to ceasse out of thee. 16 Yea and thou shalt be thine owne inheritaunce in the sight of the heathen, that thou mayest knowe that I am the Lorde. 17 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: 18 Thou sonne of man, the house of Israel is vnto me as drosse: all they are brasse, tinne, iron, and lead in the middest of the furnace, euen drosse of siluer are they. 19 Therfore thus saith the Lorde God, Forasmuch as ye all are turned into drosse, therfore beholde I wyll bryng you together vnto Hierusalem. 20 Lyke as they gather siluer, brasse, iron, tinne, and lead, into the middest of the furnace, and the fire is blowne there vnder to melt them: euen so wyll I gather you in mine anger & in my wrath, and let you remayne there and cause you to melt. 21 I wyll bryng you together, and blowe the fire of my wrath vpon you, and ye shalbe molten in the middest therof. 22 Lyke as the siluer is molten in the furnace, so shall ye also be molten therin, that ye may knowe howe that I the Lord haue powred my wrath vpon you. 23 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying:
• Hos 11:12 : 12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes, & the house of Israel with deceipt: but Iuda yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the saintes.
• Mic 3:2-3 : 2 But they hate the good, and loue the euill, they plucke of their skinnes from them, and their fleshe from their bones. 3 And they eate also the fleshe of my people, & flay of their skinne from them: and they breake their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the pot, and as fleshe within the cauldron.
• Zeph 3:1-3 : 1 Wo to that abhominable, filthy, and cruel citie. 2 She hearde not the voyce, she receaued not correction, she trusted not in the Lorde, she drewe not neare to her God. 3 Her rulers within her are as roaring lions, her iudges are as wolues in the euening, whiche leaue nothing behinde them till the morowe.
• Zech 8:3 : 3 Thus saith the Lord: I wyl returne vnto Sion, & wyll dwell in the middest of Hierusalem: so that Hierusalem shalbe called, A faithful and true citie, the hil of the Lorde of hoastes, an holy hill.
• Luke 13:34 : 34 O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, which kyllest prophetes, and stonest them that are sent vnto thee, howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children together, as a henne doth gather her young vnder her wynges, and ye woulde not?
• Acts 7:52 : 52 Which of the prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted? And they haue slayne them which shewed before of the commyng of that iuste, of whom ye are nowe the betrayers and murtherers:
• Heb 12:22 : 22 But ye are come vnto ye mount Sion, and to the citie of the lyuyng God, the celestiall Hierusalem, and to an innumerable companie of Angels,
• Rev 11:2 : 2 But the court which is without the temple, cast out, and meate it not: for it is geuen vnto the gentiles, and the holy citie shall they treade vnder foote fourtie and two monethes.
• Rev 11:8 : 8 And their bodyes shall lye in ye streates of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt, where our Lorde was crucified.