Chapter Fifteen

1–9. The calamitous fate of the Moabites.

Isaiah 15:1. A prophecy about Moab. Surely in the night Ar-Moab is laid waste and brought to ruin; surely in the night Kir-Moab is laid waste and brought to ruin! Isaiah sees in his prophetic vision how the Moabites, who held themselves so highly, are in the most miserable condition. From the north enemies have attacked the land of Moab, devastating the Moabite cities and the fertile Moabite pastures, and spreading death everywhere. Loud sorrowful cries of the Moabites are heard from one end of their land to the other. Even the Moabite warriors have fallen into despair, and crowds of Moabites flee to the south, hoping to find refuge in the southern strongholds, while others are crossing the boundary of their domains into the land of Edom. The cities of Moab, in the process, the prophet lists in the order of their importance. The Moabites were related to Israel (Gen 19:30-38), but both internally and externally were alien to it and even always hostile, which of course was caused by the nearness of Moabite lands to the lands of the tribes of Gad (to the north) and Reuben (to the south). The Moabites for a long time after the settlement of Israel in Palestine maintained their independence and even after the death of the Hebrew judge Othniel, for eighteen years oppressed Israel (Judg 3:11-14), and only David made them his tributaries (2 Sam 8:2). The Moabite king Mesha, about 900 years before the Birth of Christ, again conquered independence for his people (2 Sam 1:1; 2 Sam 3:4 and ff., cf. the inscription on the monument of King Mesha—Christian Reading 1870, article by Prof. Khvolson: the newly discovered monument of King Mesha) and even took possession of some portions of the tribe of Gad. In subsequent times, the Moabites expanded their domain even more, as is evident from the fact that Isaiah depicts them as possessors of the cities of Heshbon and Elealeh, which did not yet belong to King Mesha. For a time the Israelite king Jeroboam II restored the power of Israel over Moab (2 Sam 14:25), but with the rapid decline of the Israelite kingdom following the death of this king, the Moabites grew strong again. The resettlements which took place regarding the subjects of the Israelite kingdom during the reign of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser (734 BC), when many Israelites from beyond the Jordan were taken to Assyria (2 Sam 15 and 1 Chr 5:6)—and during Sargon’s reign (722 BC)—were beneficial to them. The Moabites then grew proud, and Isaiah very opportunely turned to them with terrible predictions.

Isaiah 13:1. “A prophecy”—see Is.13:1. “Surely,” that is, this is perfectly true. “In the night.” A night attack is much more terrible than a daytime one, because people in their sleep fall into complete panic. “Ar-Moab”—the chief city of the country, on the river Arnon (ar in Moabite means the same as ir in Hebrew—city). “Kir-Moab”—the southern, strongest Moabite stronghold, standing on a high steep mountain (now Kerak). In the inscription of King Mesha this word is mentioned four times and everywhere means the same city (Kir in Hebrew literally: wall). The thought of verse 1 is this: the two most important cities of the Moabite country will fall during a night attack by enemy forces.

Isaiah 15:2. He goes up to Bayith and Dibon, goes up to the high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, all their beards are shaved off. “He,” that is, Moab.—Bayith. In Hebrew habaith means literally: house, and therefore can mean a house or shrine—of the chief god of the Moabites, Chemosh, which, of course, stood on an elevation (cf. 1 Sam 5:2). “Dibon”—a city north of the Arnon (Num 21:30; Num 32:3), where the inscription of King Mesha was found, he being born in this city. “The high places”—places where worship was performed among the Canaanites. Nebo—a city of the same name as the well-known mountain where Moses died. There was a Moabite temple. “Medeba”—to the south-southeast of Nebo. “Shaving of hair on the head” and “shaving of the beard”—the customary signs of mourning in the East (cf. Jer 16 and Jer 48:37).

Isaiah 15:3. In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their roofs and in their squares everyone wails, dissolved in tears. Isaiah 3:23. “Sackcloth.” See Is.3:23. “On their roofs.” In Palestine the roofs served as a place of rest in the evenings; the roofs were flat. Some houses in Bethlehem, for example, are even now connected with each other by such flat roofs, which thus form continuous communication through the air (Geikie. The Holy Land vol. 1, p. 431). Therefore Samuel could converse with Saul on the roof (1 Sam 9:25). To the roof, sometimes special stairs lead directly from the courtyard of the house.

Isaiah 15:4. And Heshbon cries out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed men of Moab cry out; his soul trembles within him. “Heshbon”—a city located north of Medeba (Num 21:25). “Elealeh”—about half an hour’s journey to the northeast of Heshbon. “Jahaz”—this, probably, is the most extreme point of the Moabite country on its eastern border (Deut 2:32).

Isaiah 15:5. My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-Shelishiyah; for at the ascent of Luhith they go up with weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction; Isaiah 15:6. For the waters of Nimrim are dried up, the grass is withered, all the vegetation is gone, nothing is green. From the north the prophet’s gaze turns to the south of the Moabite country. The prophet cannot remain indifferent to the calamities of Moab and with his mournful cry warns the southern Moabite cities of the coming troubles. The prophet already sees how the Moabites flee to Zoar. This city was located on the south-eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Here it is called Eglath-Shelishiyah or, more precisely, a three-year-old heifer (Eglat—heifer), as a stronghold very strong, never yet taken by enemies, just as a heifer up to three years old had not gone under the yoke and, therefore, had an untapped reserve of strength (Plin. VIII, 4. 5). “Go up to the ascent of Luhith” from Hebrew it is more correct to translate: “on the ascent of Luhith.” This is a road along which Moabite refugees go with weeping. “Along the road to Horonaim”—along the path to the Dead Sea. “The waters of Nimrim.” By this expression the prophet means the city lying to the north, Beth-Nimra in the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:27). Near this city were excellent pastures, and the prophet speaks of the destruction of them here. The waters of the Nimrim springs have already disappeared, and therefore Moabite refugees hasten to the south.

Isaiah 15:7. Therefore they carry away the abundance they have gathered and their savings across the Wadi Arabah. Isaiah 15:8. The cry goes around the territory of Moab; their wailing reaches Eglaim and their weeping reaches Beer-Elim; Isaiah 15:9. For the waters of Dimon are full of blood, and I will bring upon Dimon still more—lions for those who flee from Moab and for the remnant of the land. “Across the Wadi Arabah”—from Hebrew more accurately: “across the desert stream.” This is the last, south-eastern tributary of the Dead Sea, into which it flows, running through Gores-Safie. Eglaim—probably on the southern shore of the Dead Sea. “Beer-Elim”—from Hebrew “spring of terebinths” or “spring of heroes” (the word el can mean both “terebinth” and “mighty, hero”). This spring should be sought to the northeast of Moab, in the wilderness (Num 21 and ff.). “The waters of Dimon.” Here, instead of the well-known name Dibon, the prophet created a new one—Dimon—in order to give a hint about the fate awaiting this place through a play on words. Dimon, by its root, is similar to the word dam—blood, and since Dibon—this is indeed a very important Moabite city—will be subjected to terrible devastation by the enemy, the prophet calls it Dimon, that is, the city where blood flows. “Its waters”—this is precisely the river Arnon, into which, in the prophet’s conception, the blood of those killed by the enemy flows in abundance. “And I will bring upon Dimon”—from Hebrew because I... Consequently, upon those who escaped from the attack of the enemy, lions and other beasts of prey will fall. However, some commentators understand by lions the same enemies of Moab. Note. On the authenticity of chapter 15 and its division into strophes, more will be said after the explanation of chapter 16, with which chapter 15 represents one connected whole.