Lexical Summary almon: Almon Original Word: אַלְמֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance widowhood From 'alam as in 'alman; bereavement -- widowhood. see HEBREW 'alam see HEBREW 'alman NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom alam Definition widow- hood NASB Translation widowhood (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אַלְמֹן noun [masculine] widowhood, figurative of Babylon Isaiah 47:9 ("" שְׁכוֺל, compare Isaiah 47:9; see BaNB 59). Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Immediate Context Isaiah 47:9 places the expression within an oracle against Babylon: “These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day—loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, despite your many sorceries and the potency of your spells”. The noun portrays the sudden, irreversible devastation that will befall the proud city when the LORD acts in judgment. Historical Setting: Babylon’s Fall The prophecy was fulfilled when the Medo-Persian forces under Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. The empire that had paraded its power over Judah (2 Kings 24–25; Jeremiah 52) would itself experience the very sorrows it had inflicted. The imagery of bereavement communicates national humiliation: a once-fertile “queen city” reduced to helplessness, bereft of heirs and consorts, stripped of security and legacy. Prophetic Connotations 1. Covenant Echoes. The double calamity mirrors covenant curses that warned Israel of “bereavement and barrenness” for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:18, 53). Isaiah applies the same covenant logic to a pagan superpower, underscoring Yahweh’s universal rule. Theological Motifs • Sovereign Justice. The LORD alone appoints kings and removes them (Daniel 2:21). Babylon’s widowhood testifies that history bends to His righteousness. Intercanonical Resonances • Lamentations 1:1 portrays Jerusalem as a desolate widow, offering a sobering parallel and warning to God’s own people. Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Social Justice with Gospel Priorities. The plight of widows remains a litmus test of communal righteousness. Faith communities must embody God’s protective heart (Acts 6:1-6). Eschatological and Christological Outlook Isaiah’s oracle anticipates the ultimate triumph of the Messiah, who will “proclaim good news to the poor… bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1). At His return, all sources of oppression symbolized by Babylon will be cast down (Revelation 19:1-3). The New Jerusalem will know neither bereavement nor mourning (Revelation 21:4), for the Lamb has secured everlasting consolation. The single Old-Testament use of this term therefore serves as a luminous signpost: God’s kingdom will outlast every empire, and His compassion will erase the sorrows that sin and pride have multiplied. Forms and Transliterations וְאַלְמֹ֑ן ואלמן vealMon wə’almōn wə·’al·mōnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 47:9 HEB: אֶחָ֖ד שְׁכ֣וֹל וְאַלְמֹ֑ן כְּתֻמָּם֙ בָּ֣אוּ NAS: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come KJV: the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come INT: one Loss and widowhood full will come 1 Occurrence |
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