Isaiah 15:6

6 But the water of Nimrim has dried up. The grass has dried up, and all the plants are dead; nothing green is left.

Isaiah 15:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 15:6

For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate
Or dried up, through a great drought that should come upon the land at this time; or being defiled with the blood of the slain, as Jarchi: it may denote the well watered pastures about Nimrim, that should become the forage of the enemy, and be trodden under foot by its army, or be forsaken by the proprietors of them. Josephus ^F13 speaks of fountains of hot water springing up in the country of Peraea, where Nimrim was, of a different taste, some bitter, and others sweet; which, Dr. Lightfoot ^F14 suggests, might be these waters of Nimrim; and, according to the Jerusalem Talmud ^F15, Bethnimrah was in that part of the country which was called the valley, and so was very fruitful with springs of water. The word is in the plural number, and may design more places of the same name; and we read of Nimrah and Bethnimrah, ( Numbers 32:3 Numbers 32:36 ) . Jerom ^F16 calls it Nemra, and says it was a large village in his time; it seems to have its name from panthers or leopards, of which there might be many in these parts: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green
thing;
by which it seems that the desolation spoken of was not merely through the forage and trampling of the enemy's army, but by a drought.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F13 De Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 6. sect. 3. Ed. Hudson.
F14 Ut supra (See his Works, vol. 2.) p. 50.
F15 T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 38. 4.
F16 De locis Hebraicis, fol. 93. I.

Isaiah 15:6 In-Context

4 People in the cities Heshbon and Elealeh cry out loud. You can hear their voices far away in the city Jahaz. Even the soldiers are frightened; they are shaking with fear.

5 My heart cries with sorrow for Moab. Its people run away to Zoar for safety; they run to Eglath Shelishiyah. People are going up the mountain road to Luhith, crying as they go. People are going on the road to Horonaim, crying over their destruction.

6 But the water of Nimrim has dried up. The grass has dried up, and all the plants are dead; nothing green is left.

7 So the people gather up what they have saved and carry it across the Ravine of the Poplars.

8 Crying is heard everywhere in Moab. Their crying is heard as far away as the city Eglaim; it is heard as far away as Beer Elim.