Isaiah 15:9

9 For the waters of Dimon will be full of blood; Because I will bring more upon Dimon, Lions upon him who escapes from Moab, And on the remnant of the land."

Isaiah 15:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 15:9

For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood
Of the slain, as the Targum adds. This was a river in the land of Moab, as say Jarchi and Kimchi; it had its name from the blood of the slain, Some take it to be the name of a city, and the same with Dibon, ( Isaiah 15:2 ) but, because of the abundance of blood shed in it, got this new name; and the Vulgate Latin version here calls it Dibon; and the Syriac version Ribon; and the Arabic version Remmon: for I will bring more upon Dimon;
or "additions" F18, not merely add blood to the waters of the river, as Jarchi and Kimchi; but bring additional evils and plagues, as Aben Ezra. The Targum interprets it,

``the congregation of an army;''
but what these additions were are explained in the next clause: lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the
land;
or a "lion" F19; the meaning is, that such who escaped the sword should be destroyed by lions, or other beasts of prey, which was one of the Lord's four judgments, ( Ezekiel 14:21 ) . The Targum is,
``a king shall ascend with his army, and so spoil the remainder of their land;''
and Aben Ezra interprets it of the king of Assyria; and Jarchi of Nebuchadnezzar, who is called a lion, ( Jeremiah 4:7 ) and the sense is thought to be this, that whom Sennacherib king of Assyria should leave, Nebuchadnezzar should destroy. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render the last clause, "the remnant of Adama", a city of Moab; so Cocceius.
FOOTNOTES:

F18 (twpown) "addita", Pagninus, Montanus; "additiones", Vatablus; "additamenta", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F19 (hyra) "leonem", Pagninus, Montanus

Isaiah 15:9 In-Context

7 Therefore the abundance they have gained, And what they have laid up, They will carry away to the Brook of the Willows.
8 For the cry has gone all around the borders of Moab, Its wailing to Eglaim And its wailing to Beer Elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon will be full of blood; Because I will bring more upon Dimon, Lions upon him who escapes from Moab, And on the remnant of the land."

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate read Dibon; Septuagint reads Rimon.
  • [b]. Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate read Dibon; Septuagint reads Rimon.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.