Isaiah 15:9

9 For the waters of Dimon be filled with blood; for I shall set increasings on Dimon, to those men of Moab that fled from the lion, and to the remnants of the land. (And the waters of Dimon be filled with blood; and I shall put more troubles upon Dimon, yea, I shall send lions upon those people who fled from Moab, and upon the remnants 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 By the greatness of work, and the visiting of them, to the strand of sallows they shall lead them. (And they shall carry their abundance, and all that they possess, over the Stream, or the Valley, of the Willows.)
8 For why (their) cry compassed the end of Moab; till to Eglaim the yelling thereof, and the cry thereof till to the well of Elim. (For their cry went about unto the end of Moab; their yelling unto Eglaim, and their cry unto Beerelim.)
9 For the waters of Dimon be filled with blood; for I shall set increasings on Dimon, to those men of Moab that fled from the lion, and to the remnants of the land. (And the waters of Dimon be filled with blood; and I shall put more troubles upon Dimon, yea, I shall send lions upon those people who fled from Moab, and upon the remnants of the land.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.