Isaiah 1:21

Geneva Bible (1560)

Howe is the faithfull citie become an harlot? It was full of iudgement, and iustice lodged therein, but now they are 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 Thus Dauid reigned ouer all Israel, & executed iudgement & iustice vnto all his people.
• 2 Chr 19:9 : 9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall yee doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfite heart.
• Neh 11:1 : 1 And the rulers of the people dwelt in Ierusalem: the other people also cast lottes, to bring one out of ten to dwel in Ierusalem the holy citie, and nine partes to be in the cities.
• Ps 46:4 : 4 Yet there is a Riuer, whose streames shall make glad the citie of God: euen the Sanctuarie of the Tabernacles of the most High.
• Ps 48:1 : 1 A song or Psalme committed to the sonnes of Korah. Great is the Lorde, and greatly to be praysed, in the Citie of our God, euen vpon his holy Mountaine.
• Ps 48:8 : 8 As we haue heard, so haue we seene in the citie of the Lord of hostes, in the Citie of our God: God will stablish it for euer. Selah.
• Isa 5:7 : 7 Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hostes is the house of Israel, and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plant, and hee looked for iudgement, but beholde oppression: for righteousnesse, but beholde a crying.
• Isa 48:2 : 2 For they are called of the holy citie, & staie themselues vpon the God of Israel, whose Name is the Lord of hostes.
• Isa 57:3-9 : 3 But you witches children, come hither, the seede of the adulterer and of the whore. 4 On whome haue ye iested? vpon whome haue ye gaped and thrust out your tongue? are not ye rebellious children, and a false seede? 5 Inflamed with idoles vnder euery greene tree? and sacrificing the children in the valleys vnder the tops of the rocks? 6 Thy portion is in the smooth stones of the riuer: they, they are thy lot: euen to them hast thou powred a drinke offering: thou hast offered a sacrifice. Should I delite in these? 7 Thou hast made thy bed vpon a very hie mountaine: thou wentest vp thither, euen thither wentest thou to offer sacrifice. 8 Behinde the doores also and postes hast thou set vp thy remembrance: for thou hast discouered thy selfe to another then me, and wentest vp, and diddest enlarge thy bed, and make a couenant betweene thee & them, and louedst their bed in euery place where thou sawest it. 9 Thou wentest to the Kings with oyle, and diddest increase thine oyntments and sende thy messengers farre off, and diddest humble thy selfe vnto hell.
• Jer 2:20-21 : 20 For of olde time I haue broken thy yoke, and burst thy bondes, and thou saidest, I will no more transgres, but like an harlot thou runnest about vpon al hie hilles, and vnder all greene trees. 21 Yet I had planted thee, a noble vine, whose plants were all natural: howe then art thou turned vnto me into the plants of a strange vine?
• Jer 3:1 : 1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne againe vnto her? Shall not this land be polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many louers: yet turne againe to mee, sayeth the Lord.
• Lam 1:8-9 : 8 Ierusalem hath grieuously sinned, therefore shee is in derision: all that honoured her, despise her, because they haue seene her filthinesse: yea, she sigheth and turneth backeward. 9 Her filthinesse is in her skirts: she remembred not her last ende, therefore she came downe wonderfully: she had no comforter: O Lorde, behold mine affliction: for the enemie is proud.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Againe, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, cause Ierusalem to knowe her abominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God vnto Ierusalem, Thine habitation and thy kindred is of the land of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. 4 And in thy natiuitie whe thou wast borne, thy nauell was not cut: thou wast not washed in water to soften thee: thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in cloutes. 5 None eye pitied thee to do any of these vnto thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open fielde to the contempt of thy person in ye day that thou wast borne. 6 And when I passed by thee, I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, and I said vnto thee, whe thou wast in thy blood, Thou shalt liue: euen when thou wast in thy blood, I saide vnto thee, Thou shalt liue. 7 I haue caused thee to multiplie as the bud of the fielde, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou hast gotten excellent ornaments: thy breastes are facioned, thine heare is growen, where as thou wast naked and bare. 8 Nowe when I passed by thee, and looked vpon thee, beholde, thy time was as the time of loue, and I spred my skirtes ouer thee, and couered thy filthines: yea, I sware vnto thee, and entred into a couenant with thee, saith the Lorde God, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water: yea, I washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oyle. 10 I clothed thee also with broydred worke, and shod thee with badgers skin: and I girded thee about with fine linen, & I couered thee with silke. 11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets vpon thine handes, and a chaine on thy necke. 12 And I put a frontlet vpon thy face, and earings in thine eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head. 13 Thus wast thou deckt with gold and siluer, and thy rayment was of fine linen, and silke, and broydred worke: thou didest eate fine floure, and honie and oyle, and thou wast very beautifull, and thou didest grow vp into a kingdome. 14 And thy name was spred among the heathen for thy beautie: for it was perfite through my beautie which I had set vpon thee, saith the Lord God. 15 Nowe thou didest trust in thine owne beautie, and playedst the harlot, because of thy renowme, and hast powred out thy fornications on euery one that passed by, thy desire was to him. 16 And thou didest take thy garments, & deckedst thine hie places with diuers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like thinges shall not come, neither hath any done so. 17 Thou hast also taken thy faire iewels made of my golde and of my siluer, which I had giuen thee, and madest to thy selfe images of men, and didest commit whoredome with them, 18 And tookest thy broydred garments, and coueredst them: and thou hast set mine oyle and my perfume before them. 19 My meate also, which I gaue thee, as fine floure, oyle, and honie, wherewith I fedde thee, thou hast euen set it before them for a sweete sauour: thus it was, saith the Lord God. 20 Moreouer thou hast taken thy sonnes and thy daughters, whome thou hast borne vnto me, and these hast thou sacrificed vnto them, to be deuoured: is this thy whoredome a small matter? 21 That thou hast slaine my children, and deliuered them to cause them to passe through fire for them? 22 And in all thine abominations and whoredomes thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. 23 And beside all thy wickednes (wo, wo vnto thee, saith the Lord God) 24 Thou hast also built vnto thee an hie place, and hast made thee an hie place in euery streete. 25 Thou hast built thine hie place at euery corner of the way, and hast made thy beautie to be abhorred: thou hast opened thy feete to euery one that passed by, & multiplied thy whoredome. 26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, which haue great members, and hast encreased thy whoredome, to prouoke me. 27 Beholde, therefore I did stretche out mine hand ouer thee, and will diminish thine ordinarie, and deliuer thee vnto the will of them that hate thee, euen to the daughters of the Philistims, which are ashamed of thy wicked way. 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insaciable: yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 29 Thou hast moreouer multiplied thy fornication from the land of Canaan vnto Caldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 Howe weake is thine heart, saith the Lorde God, seeing thou doest all these thinges, euen the worke of a presumptuous whorish woman? 31 In that thou buildest thine hie place in the corner of euery way, and makest thine hie place in euery streete, and hast not bene as an harlot that despiseth a reward, 32 But as a wife that playeth the harlot, and taketh others for her husband: 33 They giue giftes to all other whores, but thou giuest giftes vnto all thy louers, and rewardest them, that they may come vnto thee on euery side for thy fornication. 34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy fornications, neither the like fornication shall be after thee: for in that thou giuest a rewarde, and no reward is giuen vnto thee, therefore thou art contrary. 35 Wherefore, O harlot, heare the worde of the Lord. 36 Thus sayeth the Lorde God, Because thy shame was powred out, and thy filthinesse discouered through thy fornications with thy louers, and with all the idoles of thine abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didest offer vnto them, 37 Beholde, therefore I wil gather all thy louers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loued, with al them that thou hast hated: I will euen gather them round about against thee, and will discouer thy filthines vnto them, that they may see all thy filthines. 38 And I wil iudge thee after ye maner of them that are harlots, and of them that shead blood, and I wil giue thee the blood of wrath & ielousie. 39 I will also giue thee into their handes, and they shal destroy thine hie place, and shall breake downe thine hie places. They shall strippe thee also out of thy clothes, and shall take thy faire iewels, and leaue thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring vp a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swordes. 41 And they shall burne vp thine houses with fire, and execute iudgements vpon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt giue no reward any more. 42 So will I make my wrath towarde thee to rest, and my ielousie shall depart from thee, and I will cease and be no more angrie. 43 Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, but hast prouoked me with all these things, behold, therefore I also haue brought thy way vpon thine head, sayeth the Lorde God: yet hast not thou had consideration of all thine abominations. 44 Beholde, all that vse prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. 45 Thou art thy mothers daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsooke their husbandes and their children: your mother is an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, and her daughters, that dwell at thy left hand, and thy yong sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom, and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, nor done after their abominations: but as it had bene a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more then they in all thy wayes. 48 As I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, neither shee nor her daughters, as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Beholde, this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom, Pride, fulnesse of bread, and aboundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her daughters: neither did shee strengthen the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abomination before mee: therefore I tooke them away, as pleased me. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of thy sinnes, but thou hast exceeded them in thine abominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou hast done. 52 Therefore thou which hast iustified thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sinnes, that thou hast committed more abominable then they which are more righteous then thou art: be thou therefore confounded also, and beare thy shame, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters. 53 Therefore I will bring againe their captiuitie with the captiuitie of Sodom, and her daughters, and with the captiuitie of Samaria, and her daughters: euen the captiuitie of thy captiues in the middes of them, 54 That thou mayest beare thine owne shame, and mayest bee confounded in 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 pride, 57 Before thy wickednes was discouered, as in that same time of the reproch of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistims round about her which despise thee on all sides. 58 Thou hast borne therefore thy wickednesse and thine abomination, saith the Lord. 59 For thus saith the Lord God, I might euen deale with thee, as thou hast done: when thou didest despise the othe, in breaking the couenant. 60 Neuerthelesse, I wil remember my couenant made with thee in ye dayes of thy youth, and I wil confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receiue thy sisters, both thy elder & thy yonger, and I will giue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenat. 62 And I wil establish my couenant with thee, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord, 63 That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, & neuer open thy mouth any more: because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
• Ezek 22:1-9 : 1 Moreouer, the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 2 Now thou sonne of man, wilt thou iudge, wilt thou iudge this bloody citie? wilt thou shew her all her abominations? 3 Then say, Thus sayth the Lorde God, The citie sheddeth blood in the middes of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against her selfe to pollute her selfe. 4 Thou hast offended in thy blood, that thou hast shed, & hast polluted thy selfe in thine idols, which thou hast made, and thou hast caused thy dayes to draw neere, & art come vnto thy terme: therefore haue I made thee a reproch to the heathen, and a mocking to all countreys. 5 Those that be neere, & those that be farre from thee, shall mocke thee, which art vile in name and sore in affliction. 6 Beholde, the princes of Israel euery one in thee was ready to his power, to shed blood. 7 In thee haue they despised father and mother: in the middes of thee haue they oppressed the stranger: in thee haue they vexed the fatherlesse and the widowe. 8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast polluted my Sabbaths. 9 In thee are men that cary tales to shed blood: in thee are they that eate vpon the mountaines: in ye mids of thee they comit abomination. 10 In thee haue they discouered their fathers shame: in thee haue they vexed her that was polluted in her floures. 11 And euery one hath committed abomination with his neighbours wife, and euery one hath wickedly defiled his daughter in lawe, and in thee hath euery man forced his owne sister, euen his fathers daughter. 12 In thee haue they taken giftes to shed blood: thou hast taken vsurie and the encrease, and thou hast defrauded thy neighbours by extortion, & hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. 13 Beholde, therefore I haue smitten mine hands vpon thy couetousnesse, that thou hast vsed, and vpon the blood, which hath bene in the middes of thee. 14 Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with thee? I the Lorde haue spoken it, and will doe it. 15 And I wil scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countreys, and will cause thy filthines to cease from thee. 16 And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy selfe in the sight of the heathen, & thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord. 17 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 18 Sonne of man, the house of Israel is vnto me as drosse: all they are brasse, and tinne, and yron, and leade in the mids of the fornace: they are euen the drosse of siluer. 19 Therefore, thus sayth the Lorde God, Because ye are all as drosse, beholde, therefore I will gather you in the middes of Ierusalem. 20 As they gather siluer and brasse, and yron, and leade, and tinne into the middes of the fornace, to blowe the fire vpon it to melt it, so wil I gather you in mine anger and in my wrath, and wil put you there and melt you. 21 I wil gather you, I say, and blowe the fire of my wrath vpon you, and you shalbe melted in the mids thereof. 22 As siluer is melted in the mids of the fornace, so shal ye be melted in the mids thereof, and ye shall knowe, that I the Lord haue powred out my wrath vpon you. 23 And the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
• Hos 11:12 : 12 Ephraim copasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Iudah yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the Saints.
• Mic 3:2-3 : 2 But they hate the good, and loue the euill: they plucke off their skinnes from them, & their flesh from their bones. 3 And they eate also the flesh of my people, & flay off their skinne from them, & they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
• Zeph 3:1-3 : 1 Woe to her that is filthie and polluted, to the robbing citie. 2 She heard not the voyce: she receiued not correction: she trusted not in the Lord: she drew not neere to her God. 3 Her princes within her are as roaring lyons: her iudges are as wolues in the euening, which leaue not the bones till the morow.
• Zech 8:3 : 3 Thus saith the Lord, I wil returne vnto Zion, & wil dwel in the mids of Ierusalem: & Ierusalem shalbe called a citie of trueth, & the Mountaine of the Lord of hostes, the holy Mountaine.
• Luke 13:34 : 34 O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee, howe often would I haue gathered thy children together, as the henne gathereth her brood vnder her wings, and ye would not!
• Acts 7:52 : 52 Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted? & they haue slaine them, which shewed before of the comming of that Iust, of whome ye are now the betrayers and murtherers,
• Heb 12:22 : 22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion, and to the citie of the liuing God, the celestiall Hierusalem, and to ye company of innumerable Angels,
• Rev 11:2 : 2 But the court which is without the temple cast out, and mete it not: for it is giuen vnto the Gentiles, and the holy citie shall they treade vnder foote, two and fourtie moneths.
• Rev 11:8 : 8 And their corpses shall lie in the streetes of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord also was crucified.