Isaiah 47:2
New International Version
Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams.

New Living Translation
Take heavy millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, and strip off your robe. Expose yourself to public view.

English Standard Version
Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers.

Berean Standard Bible
Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams.

King James Bible
Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

New King James Version
Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, Take off the skirt, Uncover the thigh, Pass through the rivers.

New American Standard Bible
“Take the millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

NASB 1995
“Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

NASB 1977
“Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

Legacy Standard Bible
Take the millstones and grind flour. Uncover your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

Amplified Bible
“Take millstones [as a female slave does] and grind meal; Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers [at the command of your captors].

Christian Standard Bible
Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil, strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, wade through the streams.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Take millstones and grind meal; remove your veil, strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, wade through the streams.

American Standard Version
Take the millstones, and grind meal; remove thy veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.

Contemporary English Version
Start grinding grain! Take off your veil. Strip off your fancy clothes and wade across rivers.

English Revised Version
Take the millstones, and grind meal: remove thy veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Take millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil. Take off your skirt. Uncover your legs, and cross the river.

Good News Translation
Turn the millstone! Grind the flour! Off with your veil! Strip off your fine clothes! Lift up your skirts to cross the streams!

International Standard Version
Take millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, strip off your robes, bare your legs, and wade through the rivers.

Majority Standard Bible
Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams.

NET Bible
Pick up millstones and grind flour! Remove your veil, strip off your skirt, expose your legs, cross the streams!

New Heart English Bible
Take the millstones, and grind meal; remove your veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

World English Bible
Take the millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, lift up your skirt, uncover your legs, and wade through the rivers.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Take millstones, and grind flour, "" Remove your veil, draw up the skirt, "" Uncover the leg, pass over the floods.

Young's Literal Translation
Take millstones, and grind flour, Remove thy veil, draw up the skirt, Uncover the leg, pass over the floods.

Smith's Literal Translation
Take the two mill-stones and grind flour, and uncover thy veil; strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Take a millstone and grind meal: uncover thy shame, strip thy shoulder, make bare thy legs, pass over the rivers.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Take a millstone and grind meal. Uncover your shame, bare your shoulder, reveal your legs, cross the streams.

New American Bible
Take the millstone and grind flour, remove your veil; Strip off your skirt, bare your legs, cross through the streams.

New Revised Standard Version
Take the millstones and grind meal, remove your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Take the millstone and grind flour; remove your veil, cut off your white hair, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Take a millstone, grind flour, open your veil, cut your white hair, reveal your lower legs, pass over the rivers
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Take the millstones, and grind meal; Remove thy veil, Strip off the train, uncover the leg, Pass through the rivers.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Take a millstone, grind meal: remove thy veil, uncover thy white hairs, make bare the leg, pass through the rivers.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fall of Babylon Predicted
1“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of Chaldea! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. 2Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. 3Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”…

Cross References
Jeremiah 25:10
Moreover, I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.

Nahum 3:5-6
“Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms. / I will pelt you with filth and treat you with contempt; I will make a spectacle of you.

Lamentations 1:8-9
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. / Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!

Ezekiel 16:37-39
therefore I will surely gather all the lovers with whom you found pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose you before them, and they will see you completely naked. / And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy. / Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.

Micah 1:11
Depart in shameful nakedness, O dwellers of Shaphir. The dwellers of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you.

Revelation 18:7-8
As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ / Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Jeremiah 13:22
And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.

Nahum 3:4-5
because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft. / “Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms.

2 Kings 24:15
Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Jeremiah 50:38
A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols.

Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

Ezekiel 23:26-29
They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry. / So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ / For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust. ...

Jeremiah 51:13
You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.

Revelation 18:22-23
And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. / The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

Jeremiah 51:25
“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who devastate the whole earth, declares the LORD. I will stretch out My hand against you; I will roll you over the cliffs and turn you into a charred mountain.


Treasury of Scripture

Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover your locks, make bore the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

the milestones

Exodus 11:5
And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

Judges 16:21
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Job 31:10
Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

make bare

Isaiah 3:17
Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Isaiah 20:4
So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

Jeremiah 13:22,26
And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare…

Jump to Previous
Bare Cross Crushed Draw Flour Grind Leg Lift Meal Millstones Remove Rivers Robe Skirt Skirts Streams Strip Thigh Train Uncover Uncovered Veil Wade
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Bare Cross Crushed Draw Flour Grind Leg Lift Meal Millstones Remove Rivers Robe Skirt Skirts Streams Strip Thigh Train Uncover Uncovered Veil Wade
Isaiah 47
1. God's judgment upon Babylon and Chaldea
6. For their unmercifulness
7. Pride
10. And over-boldness
11. Shall be irresistible














Take millstones
The phrase "Take millstones" refers to the act of grinding grain into flour, a task typically assigned to servants or women in ancient times. The Hebrew root for "millstones" is "רֵחַיִם" (reḥayim), which signifies the dual stones used for grinding. This imagery symbolizes a fall from power and luxury to a position of servitude and labor. Historically, Babylon, once a mighty empire, is being humbled and brought to a state of menial labor, indicating God's judgment and the reversal of fortunes.

and grind flour
Grinding flour was a labor-intensive task, often associated with the lowest social status. The Hebrew word for "grind" is "טָחַן" (taḥan), which conveys the idea of crushing or pulverizing. This action represents the humbling of Babylon, as the once proud and powerful city is reduced to performing the work of a servant. It serves as a metaphor for the dismantling of pride and the consequences of arrogance against God.

remove your veil
The instruction to "remove your veil" signifies the loss of dignity and status. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a veil was a symbol of modesty and respectability, often worn by women of higher status. The Hebrew word "צָעִיף" (tsa'if) for "veil" suggests a covering or a garment that conceals. The removal of the veil indicates exposure and vulnerability, reflecting Babylon's impending disgrace and the stripping away of its former glory.

strip off your skirt
"Strip off your skirt" continues the theme of exposure and humiliation. The Hebrew term "חֲצָרִים" (ḥaṣarim) for "skirt" refers to the outer garment or robe. This act of stripping away clothing symbolizes the removal of protection and honor, leaving Babylon bare and defenseless. It is a vivid portrayal of the city's impending shame and the divine judgment that will leave it exposed to the world.

bare your thigh
The phrase "bare your thigh" further emphasizes the theme of exposure and vulnerability. In ancient times, baring the thigh was considered indecent and shameful, especially for women. The Hebrew word "גַּלָּה" (galah) means to uncover or reveal. This act signifies the complete humiliation of Babylon, as it is laid bare before the nations, stripped of its power and prestige.

wade through the streams
"Wade through the streams" suggests a forced journey through difficult and humiliating circumstances. The Hebrew word "עָבַר" (avar) for "wade" implies passing through or crossing over. This imagery of wading through water can symbolize the trials and tribulations that Babylon will face as a result of its pride and defiance against God. It is a call to humility and repentance, as the once mighty city is brought low and made to endure hardship.

(2) Take the millstones.--Always the most servile form of female labour (Exodus 11:5; Job 31:10; Matthew 24:41).

Uncover thy locks.--The picture of suffering is heightened by the fact that the female slave has to wade unveiled, and bare-legged, all sense of shame outraged, to the scene of her labours. The picture is, of course, to be taken symbolically, not literally.

Verse 2. - Take the millstones, and grind meal. Do the hard work commonly allotted to female slaves. Turn the heavy upper millstone all day long upon the nether one (comp. Exodus 11:5). Babylon having been personified as a female captive, the details have to be in unison. Uncover thy locks. Babylonian women are represented in the Assyrian sculptures as wearing closefitting caps upon their heads (see 'Ancient Monarchies,' vol. 2, p. 500). Make bare the leg... pass over the rivers. On the way from their own city to the land of their captivity, they would have to wade through streams, and in so doing to expose parts of their persons which delicacy required to be concealed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Take
קְחִ֥י (qə·ḥî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

millstones
רֵחַ֖יִם (rê·ḥa·yim)
Noun - md
Strong's 7347: A mill-stone

and grind
וְטַ֣חֲנִי (wə·ṭa·ḥă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 2912: To grind meal, to be a, concubine

flour;
קָ֑מַח (qā·maḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7058: Flour, meal

remove
גַּלִּ֨י (gal·lî)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

your veil,
צַמָּתֵ֧ךְ (ṣam·mā·ṯêḵ)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 6777: (woman's) veil

strip off
חֶשְׂפִּי־ (ḥeś·pî-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 2834: To strip off, to make naked, to drain away, bail up

your skirt,
שֹׁ֛בֶל (šō·ḇel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7640: Flowing skirt, train

bare
גַּלִּי־ (gal·lî-)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

your thigh,
שׁ֖וֹק (šō·wq)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7785: The, leg

wade through
עִבְרִ֥י (‘iḇ·rî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

the streams.
נְהָרֽוֹת׃ (nə·hā·rō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 47:2 Take the millstones and grind meal (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 47:1
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