Isaiah 15

Oracle of Judgment on Moab

1 An oracle of Moab: Because Ar is devastated in a night, Moab is destroyed; because Kir of Moab is devastated in a night, it is destroyed.

2 It has gone up [to] the house, and Dibon [to] the high places for weeping over Nebo, and Moab wails over Medeba. {Every head is bald}, every beard [is] shaved.

3 They gird themselves [with] sackcloth in its streets; on its roofs and public squares everyone wails, going down in weeping.

4 And Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed ones of Moab cry out; its soul quivers for him.

5 My heart cries out for Moab; its fugitives [flee] up to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For [at] the ascent of Luhith it goes up it with weeping; for [on] the road of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.

6 For the waters of Nimrim are wastelands; for [the] grass has withered, [the] vegetation has vanished, [there is] no greenness.

7 Therefore they carry [the] abundance it has made and their store of goods over the river of the poplars.

8 For [a] cry for help has encircled the territory of Moab, her wailing [is heard] as far as Eglaim, and her wailing [as far as] Beer Elim.

9 For the waters of Dimon are full [of] blood; but I will place added things upon Dimon: a lion for the survivors of Moab and for [the] remnant of [the] land.

Isaiah 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

The Divine judgments about to come upon the Moabites.

- This prophecy coming to pass within three years, would confirm the prophet's mission, and the belief in all his other prophecies. Concerning Moab it is foretold, 1. That their chief cities should be surprised by the enemy. Great changes, and very dismal ones, may be made in a very little time. 2. The Moabites would have recourse to their idols for relief. Ungodly men, when in trouble, have no comforter. But they are seldom brought by their terrors to approach our forgiving God with true sorrow and believing prayer. 3. There should be the cries of grief through the land. It is poor relief to have many fellow-sufferers, fellow-mourners. 4. The courage of their soldiers should fail. God can easily deprive a nation of that on which it most depended for strength and defence. 5. These calamities should cause grief in the neighbouring parts. Though enemies to Israel, yet as our fellow-creatures, it should be grievous to see them in such distress. In ver. ( 6-9 ) , the prophet describes the woful lamentations heard through the country of Moab, when it became a prey to the Assyrian army. The country should be plundered. And famine is usually the sad effect of war. Those who are eager to get abundance of this world, and to lay up what they have gotten, little consider how soon it may be all taken from them. While we warn our enemies to escape from ruin, let us pray for them, that they may seek and find forgiveness of their sins.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "temple"
• [b]. Literally "On all its heads baldness"
• [c]. The Hebrew is singular
• [d]. The Hebrew words for "cry out" and "quiver" are similar
• [e]. One of the Dead Sea Scrolls reads "Dibon" here
• [f]. Hebrew "survivor"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 15

This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of the Moabites; two of their principal cities are mentioned as made desolate, Isa 15:1 the inhabitants in divers places are represented as weeping and mourning, and showing various signs of it, Isa 15:2,3 yea, not only the common people, but the armed soldiers also, Isa 15:4 nay, even the prophet himself, Isa 15:5 the reasons of which were the great drought, so that there were no grass, nor green thing, Isa 15:6 the carrying away of their good things, either by themselves or others, Isa 15:7 the flight and cry of the people to the very borders of the land, Isa 15:8 and the great effusion of blood, Isa 15:9.