ISAIAH 15 THE ORACLE CONCERNING MOAB
Isaiah 15
The oracle concerning Moab
Judgement against Moab
Isa 15:1 The burden of Moab. Because in
the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the
night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence;
This was a heavy message from the Lord concerning Moab. Ar, the capital of Moab — also known as Rabbath Moab or Areopolis — was situated south of the river Arnon, a city fortified with walls of burnt brick. It would be suddenly and completely destroyed, as suggested by the mention of "the night," symbolising unexpected ruin. Kir/ Kir-hareseth, which later became the capital, is the modern city of Kerek or Karak, a natural fortress located on a high, steep rocky hill commanding views as far as Jerusalem.
The people went up to their sanctuaries and
high places of worship to mourn the destruction that had come upon them. Bajith
(also rendered Bayith or Beth) means ‘house’ or ‘temple’. Dibon, where the
famous Moabite Stone was discovered, lay a few miles north of the Arnon and was
among the first to receive tidings of the southern fortresses' fall. In deep
mourning, the men shaved their heads and beards — a traditional sign of grief —
and lamented the destruction of Nebo and Medeba. Nebo was a Moabite town near
Mount Nebo, east of Jordan, while Medeba lay a few miles to its south.
Isa 15:3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.
The people wore sack
clothes as a sign of mourning, grieving openly for the
fallen cities. They wailed in the streets and upon their rooftops, weeping with
such intensity as though they would submerge in their own tears of sorrow.
Isa 15:4 And Heshbon shall cry, and
Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed
soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.
Heshbon, once a notable city of the Amorites,
was taken by Moab and later by Israel, but eventually reclaimed, it became the ‘pride of Moab’. It stood southwest of Elealeh, a town of Reuben, both situated on
hills surrounded by walls. The wailing of their people could be heard as far as
Jahaz, a city east of Jordan and north of Ar, once occupied by the Reubenites.
The devastation left even the soldiers demoralised, their courage drained, that
they joined in the public mourning. Overwhelmed by calamity, the people of Moab
found life wearisome and tedious.
Isa 15:5 My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.
The prophet, though a rival nation’s
destruction was foretold, grieved deeply for Moab’s suffering. Fugitives fled
in various directions — some to Zoar, a small town in
the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. where Lot sought refuge when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed (Genesis
19:23). The phrase ‘an heifer of three years old’ symbolises Moab’s former
youthful strength, untamed spirit, but now in helpless vulnerability. At the
peak of its vigour, it is startled and driven in distress. Refugees mournfully
ascended Luhith, a mountainous region, on their way to Horonaim (meaning ‘two
hollows’ or ‘two holes’, known for its cave dwellings), where their cries of
destruction echoed.
Isa 15:6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
Nimrim (likely Beth-Nimrah, meaning ‘house of
clear waters’) was a well-watered city of Reuben, east of the Dead Sea. Its
pure fountains and streams once made the land fertile. In times of war, it was
customary for invading forces to destroy a region’s water sources by diverting
them or clogging them with stones and debris. Thus, the waters failed, the land
withered, and no green thing remained to sustain life.
Isa 15:7 Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows.
The invaders would seize Moab’s accumulated
wealth and possessions, carrying them off to places along the well-watered
Brook of the Willows. The desolation of Nimrim forced the inhabitants to flee,
leaving the land empty and barren.
Isa 15:8 For the cry is gone round about
the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof
unto Beerelim.
The cry of distress, wailing and mourning
spread throughout Moab’s borders, reaching even the distant southern cities of
Eglaim and Beer-elim (Numbers 21:14–18). Every corner of the land echoed with
lamentation.
Isa 15:9 For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.
Dimon (likely the same as Dibon, the names often interchangeable in Semitic dialects) was a prominent town on the northern bank of the Arnon. The bloodshed would be so vast that the waters near Dimon would run red — a dreadful yet familiar image in times of slaughter. The Lord’s judgment was not yet complete. Those few who escaped the massacre and sought refuge in the wilderness or mountain caves would fall prey to lions and wild beasts, sealing the nation’s desolation.
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