Isaiah Chapter 3 · Verse 26
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Original Language Analysis
פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ
And her gates
H6607
פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ
And her gates
Strong's:
H6607
Word #:
3 of 6
an opening (literally), i.e., door (gate) or entrance way
וְנִקָּ֖תָה
and she being desolate
H5352
וְנִקָּ֖תָה
and she being desolate
Strong's:
H5352
Word #:
4 of 6
to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e., extirpated
Cross References
Jeremiah 14:2Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.Lamentations 2:10The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.Lamentations 1:4The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.Job 2:13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
Historical Context
Following Babylonian conquest, Jerusalem's gates were burned (Nehemiah 1:3), and survivors mourned amid ruins. The imagery proved tragically accurate, vindicating prophetic warning.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the desolation of formerly prosperous 'gates' warn against trusting in temporary securities?
- What restoration hope sustains us when experiencing consequences of corporate or personal sin?
Analysis & Commentary
The imagery of gates lamenting and mourning while Jerusalem sits desolate 'upon the ground' depicts total devastation. City gates, centers of commerce and justice (Ruth 4:1), become sites of grief rather than prosperity. The personified city 'being desolate shall sit upon the ground' echoes Lamentations' depiction of Jerusalem's post-exile mourning (Lamentations 1:1). This concludes chapter 3's judgment oracle: from pride to prostration, from glory to grief.