Isaiah 15:1

1 The burden of Moab. For Ar was destroyed in (the) night, Moab was still; for the wall was destroyed in the night, Moab was still. (The burden of Moab. For Ar was destroyed in the night, Moab is now silent; and for Kir was destroyed in the night, Moab is now silent.)

Isaiah 15:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 15:1

The burden of Moab
A heavy, grievous prophecy, concerning the destruction of Moab. The Targum is,

``the burden of the cup of cursing, to give Moab to drink.''

This seems to respect the destruction of it by Nebuchadnezzar, which is prophesied of in ( Jeremiah 48:1-22 ) for that which was to be within three years, ( Isaiah 16:14 ) looks like another and distinct prophecy from this; though some think this was accomplished before the times of Nebuchadnezzar, either by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, some time before the captivity of the ten tribes, as Vitringa and others; or by Sennacherib, after the invasion of Judea, so Jarchi. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to
silence;
this was a chief city in Moab, perhaps the metropolis of it; see ( Numbers 21:28 ) ( Deuteronomy 2:9 Deuteronomy 2:18 ) . Kimchi conjectures it to be the same with Aroer, which was by the brink of the river Arnon, ( Deuteronomy 2:36 ) ( Deuteronomy 3:12 ) and is mentioned with Dibon, as this, in ( Numbers 32:34 ) of which notice is taken, and not of Ar, in ( Jeremiah 48:19 Jeremiah 48:20 ) . Some versions take Ar to signify a "city", and render it, "the city of Moab", without naming what city it was; and the Targum calls it by another name, Lahajath; but, be it what city it will, it was destroyed in the night; in such a night, as Kimchi interprets it; in the space of a night, very suddenly, when the inhabitants of it were asleep and secure, and had no notice of danger; and so the Targum adds,

``and they were asleep.''

Some have thought this circumstance is mentioned with a view to the night work, that work of darkness of Lot and his daughter, which gave rise to Moab; however, in a night this city became desolate, being taken and plundered, and its inhabitants put to the sword, and so reduced to silence; though the last word may as well be rendered "cut off" ^F14, utterly destroyed, being burnt or pulled down; two words are made use of, to denote the utter destruction of it: because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to
silence;
either in the same night, or rather in another. Kir, another city of Moab, met with the same fate as Ar. This is called Kirhareseth, and Kirharesh, in ( Isaiah 16:7 Isaiah 16:11 ) and so Kirheres in ( Jeremiah 48:31 Jeremiah 48:36 ) called Kir of Moab, to distinguish it from Kir in Assyria, ( Amos 1:5 ) ( 2 Kings 16:9 ) and Kir in Media, ( Isaiah 22:6 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (hmdn) "succisus", Pagninus, Montanus; "excisa", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. So Ben Melech interprets it by (trkn) .

Isaiah 15:1 In-Context

1 The burden of Moab. For Ar was destroyed in (the) night, Moab was still; for the wall was destroyed in the night, Moab was still. (The burden of Moab. For Ar was destroyed in the night, Moab is now silent; and for Kir was destroyed in the night, Moab is now silent.)

2 The king's house, and Dibon ascended to high places, into wailing; on Nebo, and on Medeba, Moab shall yell. In all heads thereof shall be baldness, and each beard shall be shaved. (The daughter, or the people, of Dibon go up to the hill shrines to weep; Moab shall yell, or shall wail, about Nebo, and about Medeba. On all their heads shall be baldness, and each beard shall be shaved.)

3 In the meeting of three ways thereof they be girded in a sackcloth, all yelling on the houses thereof, and in the streets thereof; it shall go down into weeping (they shall go down weeping).

4 Heshbon shall cry (out), and Elealeh, (and) the voice of them is heard till to Jahaz (and their voice is heard unto Jahaz); on this thing the ready men of Moab shall yell (with fear), the soul thereof shall yell to itself (in fear).

5 Mine heart shall cry to Moab, the bars thereof till to Zoar, a cow calf of three years (My heart shall cry out for Moab, for its barons, or its nobles, have fled unto Zoar, and unto Eglath Shelishiyah). For why a weeper shall go up by the going up of Luhith, and in the way of Horonaim they shall raise (up a) cry of sorrow.