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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. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; ​
2
He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off. ​
3
In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.
4
And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him. ​
5
My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall 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 hay is withered away, the 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 to the brook of the willows. ​

Judgment Spreads Across Moab 8–9

8
For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim. ​
9
For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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’.