Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 15

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:

A Prophecy of the Destruction of the Moabites, the inveterate and implacable Enemies of the Iews, begun by the Assyrian, and finished by the Babylonian Emperours.

Or, in a night, suddenly and unexpectedly; for Men sleep securely in the Night, and therefore the Evils which then overtake them, are most terrible to them.

The chief City of Moab, Numb. 21. 28. Deut. 2. 9.

Or rather, is cut off, as the Word oft signifies, as Ier. 47. 5. Hos. 10. 9, 15. and elsewhere.

Another eminent City of Moab, called more largely and fully Kir-heres, and Kir-Haresheth, Isa. 16. 7, 11. Ier. 48. 31, 36.

Marginal references: Ezek. 25. 8. Amos 2. 1.; Or, cut off.

2 He is gone up to Bajith , and to Dibon , the high places, to weep : Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba , on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off .

Which signifies an house. It is supposed to be the Name of a Place so called from some eminent House or Temple of their Idols which was in it. It is called more fully Beth-baal-meon, that is, The house of Baals habitation, Ios. 13. 17.

Another City of Moab, as is manifest from Ier. 48. 18, 22. where also was their other eminent High places. To these two Places they used to resort in case of great Difficulties and Troubles.

To offer their Supplications with Tears to their Idols for help.

Two considerable Cities, anciently belonging to the Moabites, from whom they were taken by the Amorites, and from them by the Israelites, and possessed by the Reubenites, Numb. 21. 30. & 32. 3, 38. but were, as it seems, recovered by the Moabites, in whose hands they now were, as is evident, for Nebo, Ier. 48. 1, 22. and for Medeba, from this Text.

The Hair of their Heads and Beards (which was their Ornament) was shaved, as was usual in great Mournings, as hath been oft observed upon di[illegible: 1+ letters]ers preceding Texts. See on Levit. 19. 27, 28. & 21. 5.

Marginal references: Jer. 47. 5. & 48. 37, 38. Ezek. 7. 18.

3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sack-cloth : on the tops of their houses , and in their streets , every one shall howl weeping abundantly.

This was another Practice of Mourners.

Which were made flat, Deut. 22. 8. to which men used to go up, either to walk, or to cry to God in Heaven or to Men for Help.

Publickly, without shame; whereas in ordinary Sorrows men are wont to seek secret Places for their Mourning.

Marginal references: Heb. descending into weeping, or, coming down with weeping.

4 And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh : their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz : therefore the armed souldiers of Moab shall cry out, his life shall be grievous unto him .

Two other Moabitish Cities; of which see Numb. 21. 25, 26. & 32. 3. 37.

Another City in the utmost Borders of Moah, Numb. 21. 23. called also Iahazah, Ios. 21. 36.

Who should be and use to be the most couragious.

The Moabites shall generally long for death, to free themselves from those dreadful Calamities which they perceive unavoidably coming upon them.

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 .

Their Destruction approaching is so dreadful, that although they are a most vile Nation, and by their implacable Enmity against God and his People do abundantly deserve it, yet the Respect which I have to Humane Nature fills me with Horrour at the very thoughts of it. Compare Isa. 16. 11.

Or, his bars, as others render it, and as this Word is frequently taken, as Exod. 26. 26, 27. Psal. 107▪ 16. &c. whereby he may understand their valiant Men, or their Princes and Rulers, who as they are called the shields of the earth, Psal. 47. 9. because, like Shields, they do or should defend their People; so for the same reason they may be called bars, because Bars are the Strength of the Gates of Cities or Castles, and therefore are mentioned as such Psal. 147. 13. Prov. 18. 19. Ier. 51. 30.

Or, shall cry unto Zoar; either shall cry as they go along the way, even till they come to Zoar; or, shall cry so as they may be heard to Zoar: which may easily be understood out of the foregoing Verse. Zoar was a Town bordering upon Moab; of which see [illegible: 1+ letters]en. 19. 20, 21, 22. & Deut. 34. 3.

Which some understand of the City of Zoar, so called for her Strength and Wantonness. But such a Description of Zoar seems very improper and impertinent in this place. The Words therefore are to be translated here, as they are by our Translators, Ier. 48. 34. as an▪ heifer of three years old; and so they belong to their Cry, and signifie that it is strong and loud, like that of such an Heifer.

He signifies, that the Cry should be universal, in all Places where they come, and reaching from one side of the Country to another. Of Luhith see Ier. 48. 4, 5.

Such a Cry as men send forth when they are just falling into the Pit of Destruction.

Marginal references: Or, to the borders thereof, even to Zoar, as an heis[illegible: 1+ letters]r.; Heb. breaking.; Jer, 48. 5. 34.

6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing .

Either, 1. properly, they shall be dried up; or, 2. figuratively, the Waterish Grounds, as waters seem to be taken, Eccles. 11. 1. Isa. 32. 20. These being very fruitful, are commonly most inhabited and cultivated; but now they also, and much more the dry and barren Grounds, shall be desolate, and without Inhabitant.

By the just and special Judgment of God. Thus God and Man conspire together to destroy them.

Marginal references: Heb. desolations.

7 Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry to the brook of the willows .

To wit, their Enemies; which is plainly implied.

Unto some Brook or River having great numbers of Willows growing by it, by which they might convey them to some eminent and strong City built upon the same River. Possibly he means some such River which [illegible: 1+ letters]an into Euphrates, and so gave them opportunity of carrying their Spoils by Water unto Babylon. Though the Words may be rendred, into the vally of the Arabians; whither the Spoils might be first carried, in order to their Transportation into Assyria or Chaldaea: for part of Arabia lay between Moab and those Countries. But the former Translation seems better, because these very Words are so rendred, Levit. 23. 40.

Marginal references: Or, valley of the Arabians.

8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab: the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beer-elim.

Their Cry fills all the Parts of the Country.

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.

This seems to be the same place with Dibon mentioned v. 2. here called Dimon for the great bloodshed in it, as it here follows; such changes of a Letter being not unusual in Proper Names, as in Merodach for Berodach, Isa. 39. 1.

Either, 1. more than upon other parts of the Country, that being one of their High-places, v. 2. or rather, 2. more than hath been already mentioned.

God shall send Lions to find out those who escape the Fury of Men.

Marginal references: Heb. additi [illegible: 1+ letters]s.