Ezekiel 25:9

9 I'll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.

Ezekiel 25:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 25:9

Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the
cities
Or, "the shoulder of Moab" F20; that part of their country where their greatest strength lay, So the Targum renders it,

``the strength of Moab;''
where their principal cities were, their frontier towns, and fortified places, as appears by what follows: from his cities which are on his frontiers;
or, "from his Ars" F21, from his cities which are at his end;
at the extreme part of the land, upon the borders of his countries; the two cities of Ar and Aroer, ( Numbers 21:28 ) ( Deuteronomy 2:36 ) : the glory of the country;
as the above cities were, and what follow: Bethjeshimoth;
this was formerly in the tribe of Reuben, now in the possession of the Moabites, and one of their principal cities, ( Joshua 13:20 ) : Baalmeon;
the same with Bethbaalmeon, and which was also of the tribe of Reuben, ( Joshua 13:17 ) ( Numbers 32:38 ) , in Jerom's time it was a large village in Moab, about nine miles from Heshbon: some think by Meon is meant Menes, or Osiris the god of the Egyptians, and so this might be a temple of his; or at least he might have a temple in it, from whence it had its name: and Kirjathaim;
or the double city, built also by the Reubenites, ( Numbers 32:37 ) ( Joshua 13:19 ) , now in the hands of the Moabites, ten miles from Medeba; on this side of the country of Moab, and through these cities, the Lord threatens to open a way for their enemies to enter in and destroy them, as follows:
FOOTNOTES:

F20 (Ptk) (ton wmon) , Sept.; "humerum", V. L. Montanus.
F21 (Myrehm) "ab ipsis", Haris, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus.

Ezekiel 25:9 In-Context

7 I'll step in and hand you out as loot - first come, first served. I'll cross you off the roster of nations. There'll be nothing left of you. And you'll realize that I am God."
8 "God, the Master, says: Because Moab said, 'Look, Judah's nothing special,'
9 I'll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.
10 I'll lump Moab in with Ammon and give them to the people of the east for the taking. Ammon won't be heard from again.
11 I'll punish Moab severely. And they'll realize that I am God."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.