Isaiah 3:9 The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

◄ Isaiah 3:9 ►

New International Version
The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

New Living Translation
The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don’t even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves.

English Standard Version
For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

Berean Standard Bible
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

King James Bible
The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

New King James Version
The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.

New American Standard Bible
The expression of their faces testifies against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have done evil to themselves.

NASB 1995
The expression of their faces bears witness against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

NASB 1977
The expression of their faces bears witness against them. And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

Legacy Standard Bible
The expression of their faces answers against them, And they declare their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to their soul! For they have dealt out evil on themselves.

Amplified Bible
Their partiality testifies against them, They display their sin like Sodom; They do not even hide it. Woe (judgment is coming) to them! For they have brought evil on themselves [as a reward].

Christian Standard Bible
The look on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom, they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster on themselves.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The look on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom, they flaunt their sin. They do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought evil on themselves.

American Standard Version
The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have done evil unto themselves.

Contemporary English Version
The look on your faces shows that you are sinful as Sodom, and you don't try to hide it. You are in for trouble, and you have brought it all on yourselves.

English Revised Version
The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The look on their faces will be held against them. They boast about their sins, which are like [those of the people of] Sodom. They don't even bother to hide them. How horrible it will be for these people, because they have brought disaster on themselves.

Good News Translation
Their prejudices will be held against them. They sin as openly as the people of Sodom did. They are doomed, and they have brought it on themselves.

International Standard Version
"The expressions on their faces give them away. They parade their sin around like Sodom; they don't even try to hide it. How horrible it will be for them, because they have brought disaster on themselves!"

Majority Standard Bible
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

NET Bible
The look on their faces testifies to their guilt; like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. Too bad for them! For they bring disaster on themselves.

New Heart English Bible
The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it. Woe to their soul. For they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Webster's Bible Translation
The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe to their soul! for they have rewarded evil to themselves.

World English Bible
The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, "" And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, "" They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, "" For they have done evil to themselves.

Young's Literal Translation
The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil.

Smith's Literal Translation
The withdrawing of their face answered against them; and they announced their sins as Sodom, and they covered not. Wo to their soul! for they rewarded evil to themselves.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The shew of their countenance hath answered them: and they have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, and they have not hid it: woe to their souls, for evils are rendered to them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The acknowledgement of their countenance is their response. For they have proclaimed their own sin, like Sodom; and they have not concealed it. Woe to their souls! For evils are being repaid to them.

New American Bible
Their very look bears witness against them; they boast of their sin like Sodom, They do not hide it. Woe to them! They deal out evil to themselves.

New Revised Standard Version
The look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom, they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Their hypocrisy witnesses against them; and they declare their sins like Sodom, they do not hide them. Woe to their soul! for they have wrought evil to themselves.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Their favoritism is a witness against them, and they have shown their sins as Sadom and they are not hidden. Woe to their souls, for they have set for themselves evil rewards!

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
The show of their countenance doth witness against them; And they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! For they have wrought evil unto themselves.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Wherefore now their glory has been brought low, and the shame of their countenance has withstood them, and they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and made it manifest.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

A Judgment Against Judah
…8For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they spoke and acted against the LORD, defying His glorious presence. 9The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves. 10Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Jeremiah 6:15
Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:12
Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD.

Ezekiel 16:50
Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.

Ezekiel 9:9
He replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’

Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.

Hosea 5:5
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; even Judah stumbles with them.

Hosea 7:10
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him.

Zephaniah 3:5
The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.

Proverbs 30:13
There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—

Genesis 19:5
They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”

2 Peter 2:6-8
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; / and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless / (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

Luke 17:28-30
It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. / But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. / It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Romans 1:32
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

Revelation 11:8
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified.

Matthew 11:23-24
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. / But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Treasury of Scripture

The show of their countenance does witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe to their soul! for they have rewarded evil to themselves.

the shew

Isaiah 3:16
Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

1 Samuel 15:32
Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

2 Kings 9:30
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

and they declare

Genesis 13:13
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Genesis 18:20,21
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; …

Genesis 19:5-9
And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them…

woe

Lamentations 5:16
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!

Hosea 13:9
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

Jump to Previous

Appearance Bears Conceal Countenance Covered Curse Declare Declared Disaster Display Evil Face Faces Full Hidden Hide Look Measure Open Partiality Position Respect Rewarded Shew Show Sin Sodom Soul Testifies Testify Themselves View Witness Witnessed Witnesses Woe Wrought

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Isaiah 3

1. The great calamities which come by sin
10. The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12. The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16. The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25. The general desolation

Berean Study Bible

The expression on their faces
This phrase suggests an outward manifestation of inner corruption. In Hebrew, the word for "expression" can be linked to the idea of a countenance or appearance that reveals one's true character. Historically, the face was considered a reflection of the heart's condition. In a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the biblical truth that sin cannot be hidden from God, as one's demeanor often betrays their inner moral state. The visible evidence of sin serves as a warning to others and a call to repentance.

testifies against them
The Hebrew root for "testifies" is often used in legal contexts, implying a formal accusation or witness. This suggests that their own actions and demeanor serve as a witness to their guilt. In the biblical narrative, God often uses the natural consequences of sin as a testimony against the sinner. This phrase underscores the principle that sin carries its own evidence and consequences, aligning with the conservative Christian belief in divine justice.

and they parade their sin like Sodom
The reference to Sodom is significant, as it evokes the notorious biblical city known for its egregious sinfulness and subsequent destruction. The Hebrew word for "parade" implies a brazen, shameless display. This phrase indicates a society that not only sins but does so openly and proudly, without remorse. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this serves as a stark warning against the normalization and celebration of sin, reminding believers of the severe consequences that befell Sodom.

they do not conceal it
This phrase highlights the absence of shame or repentance. In biblical times, concealment of sin was often associated with an awareness of wrongdoing and a desire to avoid judgment. The lack of concealment here suggests a hardened heart and a society that has lost its moral compass. For conservative Christians, this is a call to maintain a sensitive conscience and to seek forgiveness and transformation through Christ.

Woe to them
"Woe" is a term of lament and impending judgment. In Hebrew, it conveys a deep sense of sorrow and foreboding. This pronouncement serves as a divine warning of the consequences of persistent sin. In the conservative Christian tradition, it is a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the urgent need for repentance and alignment with God's will to avoid divine judgment.

for they have brought disaster upon themselves
This phrase emphasizes personal responsibility and the natural consequences of sin. The Hebrew concept here is one of self-inflicted harm, where individuals or societies suffer due to their own choices. From a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the biblical principle of sowing and reaping, where actions have consequences, and turning away from God leads to inevitable ruin. It serves as a call to personal accountability and the pursuit of righteousness.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) They declare their sin as Sodom.--The comparison is, it should be remembered, of probably an earlier date than that in Isaiah 1:10. In the reign of Ahaz (perhaps the prophet, editing in his old age, thought also of that of Manasseh) there was not even the homage which vice pays to virtue by feigning a virtue which it has not. Men fell into an utter shamelessness, like that of the cities of the plain (Genesis 19:5), generally in the luxury and profligacy of their lives (Ezekiel 16:49), perhaps also with a more definite and horrible resemblance (1Kings 14:24; 1Kings 15:12; 2Kings 23:7). . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - The show of their countenance doth witness against them. This is not in itself a sin, but it is a sign of frequent and habitual sin. Vice, long indulged in, stamps its mark upon the countenance, giving men what is called "a bad expression" - a guilty and hardened look. It does not require a skilled physiognomist to detect at a glance the habitual criminal or sensualist. They declare their sin as Sodom. Not only does their countenance betray them, but, like the Sodomites (Genesis 19:5, 9), they boldly and impudently declare their wicked purposes beforehand, and make no attempt at concealment. Hypocrisy has been said to be the homage that vice pays to virtue. Where there is none, where vice has ceased to shroud or veil itself, a very advanced stage of wickedness has been reached. They have rewarded evil unto themselves. They have "received in themselves the recompense of their error which was meet" (Romans 1:27). Their sins have at once marred their countenance and injured their moral nature.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

The expression
הַכָּרַ֤ת (hak·kā·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1971: Respect, partiality

on their faces
פְּנֵיהֶם֙ (pə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

testifies against them,
עָ֣נְתָה (‘ā·nə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

and like Sodom
כִּסְדֹ֥ם (kis·ḏōm)
Preposition-k | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5467: Sodom -- a Canaanite city near the Dead Sea

they flaunt
הִגִּ֖ידוּ (hig·gî·ḏū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

their sin;
וְחַטָּאתָ֛ם (wə·ḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender

they do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

conceal it;
כִחֵ֑דוּ (ḵi·ḥê·ḏū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3582: To secrete, by act, word, to destroy

woe
א֣וֹי (’ō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 188: Lamentation, Oh!

to them,
לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם (lə·nap̄·šām)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they have brought
גָמְל֥וּ (ḡā·mə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1580: To deal fully or adequately with, deal out to, wean, ripen

disaster
רָעָֽה׃ (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

upon themselves.
לָהֶ֖ם (lā·hem)
Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 3:9 The look of their faces testify against (Isa Isi Is)