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Friday, September 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Isaiah 16:2

The women of Moab crossing the Arnon River are like a flock of birds scattered from their nests.

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:
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.
Literal Translation
For it is as a fleeing bird cast out of the nest; the daughters of Moab shall be 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 lambs as gifts to the ruler of the land. Send them across the desert from Sela to Mount Zion. 2 The women of Moab crossing the Arnon River are like a flock of birds scattered from their nests. 3 Moab's messengers say to the people of Judah, "Be kind and help us! Shade us from the heat of the noonday sun. Hide our refugees! Don't turn them away. 4 Let our people live in your country and find safety here." Moab, your cruel enemies will disappear; they will no longer attack and destroy your land. 5 Then a kingdom of love will be set up, and someone from David's family will rule with fairness. He will do what is right and quickly bring justice.

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
"It was the woman you put here with me," the man said. "She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it."
Genesis 3:17
The Lord said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate fruit from that tree. And so, the ground will be under a curse because of what you did. As long as you live, you will have to struggle to grow enough food.
Genesis 16:1
Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar,
Genesis 16:2
and Sarai said to Abram, "The Lord has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine." Abram agreed,
Genesis 16:4
Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and was hateful to Sarai.
Genesis 16:6
Abram said, "All right! She's your slave, and you can do whatever you want with her." But Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
Genesis 16:9
The angel said, "Go back to Sarai and be her slave.
Genesis 16:10
I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael, because I have heard your cry for help. And later I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all.
Genesis 17:16
I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.
Genesis 18:10
One of the guests was the Lord , and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son." Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent.

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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