The challenge in this verse is to decide on the identity of the participants; in the Hebrew they are referred to by pronouns. Literally, the verse reads “And it/he will spread out its/his hands in the midst of it/him, just as the swimmer will spread [his hands] to swim; and it/he will bring low its/his haughtiness with the movements of its/his hands.” To whom do these pronouns refer? A second question is how the action of swimming can illustrate someone’s demise. A third but related question has to do with the meaning of “spreading out the hands.” Is it to escape, to protect oneself, or to pray? Revised Standard Version reflects the majority view for the identity of the participants. In the first half of the verse the pronouns he and his refer to Moab while the pronoun it presumably refers to the dung-pit; in the second half of the verse the pronoun his also refers to Moab, and the LORD is the actor. Good News Translation also follows this view. This verse pictures Moab sinking down in the dung-pit, and spreading its hands like a swimmer, trying to stay afloat or to ask for help.

And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it: The pronoun he may be rendered “Moab” for clarity. Good News Translation uses the pronoun “They,” referring back to “the people of Moab” in the previous verse. As we noted above, spread out his hands can describe an action with several possible meanings. Often it signifies prayer or supplication (see 1.15; 1 Kgs 8.22) and we may assume that this is the sense here also. The Moabites will appeal to Yahweh to save them from trouble. The word hands keeps its literal sense here since the physical action of spreading them is compared with the movements of a swimmer. Hands may be rendered “arms.” Where spread out his hands has no meaning, translators may add “in prayer/supplication.” The phrase in the midst of it refers to the dung-pit. While the Moabites are in the pit, they appeal to Yahweh for help or deliverance. This phrase may be left implied (so Good News Translation) or rendered simply “there” (Bible en français courant).

As a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim: This simile is very unusual; it only occurs here in the Old Testament. There is no immediate connection between swimming and supplication; it is simply a graphic comparison between raising one’s arms in supplication and extending one’s arms when swimming. It is also possible, however, that the poet is being sarcastic and mocking when he compares Moab’s gestures of supplication with those of a swimmer—in a pit of manure!

But the LORD will lay low his pride together with the skill of his hands: Revised Standard Version explicitly identifies the subject of the verb lay low as the LORD (similarly Good News Translation), but some scholars consider the subject to be Moab. In the Hebrew text no subject is identified. New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible render the verb as a passive, thereby avoiding the need to identify a subject, but this is not strictly correct grammatically. For the whole verse Revised English Bible has “In it Moab will spread out his hands as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim, but his pride will be sunk with every stroke of his hands.” Since there are many examples in these prophecies where it is Yahweh who deals with a nations’ pride, we may assume that he is the unnamed subject of the action here too. Although the Moabites appeal to Yahweh, he will lay low their pride, that is, “humble” them.

A minor exegetical problem concerns the Hebrew preposition translated together with. New Revised Standard Version reflects the view of some scholars that it means “despite” here, as in Neh 5.18 (where Revised Standard Version uses “with”). For the whole clause it has “their pride will be laid low despite the struggle of their hands.” That is to say, the Moabites’ pride sinks despite their efforts to keep afloat. According to Revised Standard Version, the LORD humiliates both their pride and their efforts to stay afloat (similarly Good News Translation). Either interpretation is acceptable here.

The final challenge for the translators of this verse is the meaning of the Hebrew word rendered skill. Its root and its meaning are uncertain. We can agree with a majority of scholars that it probably refers to a skill or “cleverness” of the hands. Many versions take together with the skill of his hands to mean that Moab’s swimming movements may be quite clever, but nevertheless cannot save it. New International Version reflects this by rendering the whole clause as “God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands.” For the skill of his hands, Bible en français courant simply has “his movements,” which is acceptable here. For the whole clause it says “But despite his movements, the Lord brings his pride low.” It also includes a footnote to indicate that the meaning of the Hebrew here is uncertain, which is helpful.

For the translation of this verse we suggest the following models:

• The Moabites will stretch out their hands in supplication
like swimmers stretching out their hands when swimming.
But Yahweh will humble them,
along with the movements of their hands.

• Moab, like someone who is swimming,
will stretch out its hands in supplication,
but Yahweh will humiliate it
and what its hands have done.

• Moab, like someone who is swimming, will stretch out his hands,
but he will sink low in it,
despite his skill [or, movements].

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .