KJV ORIGINAL
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
And her city gates will cry out in sorrow and grief; and she, left empty and abandoned, will sit on the ground in mourning.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes Jerusalem as a devastated city that will mourn like a widow sitting in the dust after losing everything.
📚 Historical Context
Isaiah is prophesying about the coming judgment on Jerusalem and Judah due to their pride, injustice, and turning away from God. In ancient times, city gates were centers of commerce, justice, and community life - when they 'mourned,' it meant the city's prosperity and social order had collapsed. The image of sitting on the ground was a traditional posture of deep mourning and desolation in Hebrew culture.
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