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Isaiah 15

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The Destruction of Moab's Cities and the Flight of Refugees 1–5

1
The burden of Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought. ​
2
They are gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth over Nebo, and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off. ​
3
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.
4
And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him. ​
5
My heart crieth out for Moab; her nobles flee unto Zoar, to Eglath-shelishi-yah: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction. ​

Desolation of the Land and Economic Ruin 6–7

6
For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate; for the grass is withered away, the tender grass faileth, there is no green thing. ​
7
Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away over the brook of the willows. ​

Judgment Spreads Across Moab 8–9

8
For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the wailing thereof unto Eglaim, and the wailing thereof unto Beer-elim. ​
9
For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 15

Verse 1

in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste — 'Burden' (massa) is the title of this oracle as of 14:28. 'Brought to silence' is damah, the verb of 6:5, 'Woe is me! for I am undone'. Ar of Moab was 'consumed' by the fire from Heshbon in Num 21:28, and Moab was Lot's son, born of his firstborn daughter (Gen 19:37).

Verse 2

on all their heads shall be baldness — Baldness (qorchah) and the cut beard are signs of mourning, as in 3:24, 'instead of well set hair baldness', and Jer 48:37, 'every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped'. 'Cut off' is gada', the verb of 10:33 and 14:12. 'Bajith' is the word for 'house', and the 'high places' (bamah) are where Moab goes up to weep.

Verse 4

Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh — 'Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh' (Num 32:37), and Jahaz is where Sihon 'fought against Israel' (21:23); the three are named again in Jer 48:34. 'Cry' (za'aq) is the verb used of Heshbon here and of Isaiah's own heart in v.5, and its noun is the 'cry' of v.8.

Verse 5

My heart shall cry out for Moab — The prophet's grief is echoed in 16:11, 'my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab', and in Jer 48:31 and 48:36. Zoar is the city where Lot found refuge from Sodom (Gen 19:22–23), and Moab was Lot's son. Jer 48:34 repeats 'an heifer of three years old' with Zoar and Horonaim.

Verse 6

the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate — Jer 48:34 repeats the line, 'the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate'. 'Withered away' is yabesh, the verb of 40:7, 'The grass withereth, the flower fadeth'. Here the 'hay', the 'grass' and the 'green thing' are the pasture and growth that depended on those waters.

Verse 7

that which they have laid up — 'Laid up' is pequddah, the word rendered 'visitation' in 10:3, 'what will ye do in the day of visitation… where will ye leave your glory?' 'Abundance' (yithrah) is what is left over. 'Willows' (arab) grow by streams: 'as willows by the water courses' (44:4).

Verse 8

the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab — The cry that began at Ar and Kir (v.1) now circles 'the borders' (gevul). 'Cry' (za'aqah) is the noun of the verb in vv.4–5, and 'howling' (yelalah) the noun of 'howl' in v.2. Eglaim and Beerelim are named only here.

Verse 9

the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood — 'Dimon' is possibly a form of Dibon (v.2). 'Him that escapeth' (peletah) is the word of 4:2 and 10:20, where the escaped of Israel are kept; the escaped of Moab meet 'lions', as the people newly settled in Samaria did (2 Kgs 17:25). 16:14 says 'the remnant shall be very small and feeble'.