Isaiah 15

Judgment on Moab

1 The oracle concerning ¹Moab. Surely in a night ²Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.

2 They have gone up to the temple and to ³Dibon, even to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; Everyone's head is ⁴bald and every beard is cut off.

3 In their streets they have girded themselves with ⁵sackcloth; ⁶On their housetops and in their squares Everyone is wailing, ⁷dissolved in tears.

4 ⁸Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore * the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him.

5 My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are as far as ⁹Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah *, For they go up the ¹⁰ascent of Luhith weeping; Surely on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress ¹¹over their ruin.

6 For the ¹²waters of Nimrim are desolate. Surely the grass is withered, the tender grass died out, There is ¹³no green thing.

7 Therefore * the ¹⁴abundance which they have acquired and stored up They carry off over the brook of Arabim.

8 For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab, Its wail goes as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim.

9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; Surely I will bring added woes upon Dimon, A ¹⁵lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon 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.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 11:14; Isaiah 25:10; Jeremiah 48:1; Ezekiel 25:8-11; Amos 2:1-3; Zephaniah 2:8-11
• 2. Numbers 21:28
• 3. Jeremiah 48:18, 22
• 4. Leviticus 21:5; Jeremiah 48:37
• 5. Jonah 3:6-8
• 6. Jeremiah 48:38
• 7. Isaiah 22:4
• 8. Numbers 21:28; Numbers 32:3; Jeremiah 48:34
• 9. Jeremiah 48:34
• 10. Jeremiah 48:5
• 11. Isaiah 59:7; Jeremiah 4:20
• 12. Isaiah 19:5-7; Jeremiah 48:34
• 13. Joel 1:10-12; Joel 2:3
• 14. Isaiah 30:6; Jeremiah 48:36
• 15. 2 Kings 17:25; Jeremiah 50:17

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "burden of"
• [b]. Lit "house"
• [c]. Lit "going down in weeping"
• [d]. Another reading is "the loins of"
• [e]. Lit "desolations"
• [f]. Lit "come to an end"
• [g]. Or "the poplars"
• [h]. Heb "dam" (a wordplay)

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.