The prophet's inner sight does not miss the disasters awaiting Judah's neighbors, and we hear a prophecy about...
The prophet's inner sight does not miss the disasters awaiting Judah's neighbors, and we hear a prophecy about the coming military defeat of Moab, a pagan people related to the Israelites. Many times the Israelites fought with the Moabites, yet they remained relatives who spoke closely similar languages. And now a common enemy is advancing on both peoples.
In uttering the prophecy, Isaiah does not conceal that the disasters coming upon Moab flow directly from the sinful deeds of its people, for which they must now answer. One might have stopped with the statement of this fact, but we hear Isaiah's living sympathy for the Moabites and feel his compassion for them. The prophet wants to hope that the Moabites will be able to repent and change their ways, but sadly this does not happen. Their repentance is insincere and formal, and such "repentance" is needed neither by God nor, in truth, by those repenting themselves. All this causes still greater pain for the prophet, who sympathizes with those who suffer, yet also sees that they have not drawn the proper conclusions from what has happened to them.
15 The Destruction of Moab, Isa 15:1-9.
15:1 The burden - A prophecy of the destruction of the Moabites, the inveterate enemies of the Jews, begun by the Assyrian, and finished by the Babylonian emperors. In a night - Suddenly and unexpectedly.Ar - The chief city of Moab. Kir - Another eminent city of Moab.
15:2 Bajith - Which signifies an house. It is supposed to be some eminent house or temple of their idols. Dibon - Another city of Moab.To weep - To offer their supplications with tears to their idols for help.Medeba - Two considerable cities, anciently belonging to the Moabites.Beard - The hair of their heads and beards was shaved, as was usual in great mournings.
15:3 On the tops - Which were made flat, to which men used to go up, to cry to God in heaven, or to men for help.
15:4 Heshbon - Two other Moabitish cities. Jahaz - Another city in the utmost borders of Moab. Soldiers - Who use to be the most courageous.
15:5 Moab - Tho' they are a most vile nation. Zoar - Zoar was a town bordering upon Moab. Of destruction - Such a cry as men send forth when they are just falling into the pit of destruction.
15:6 Waters - Watery grounds being very fruitful, are commonly most inhabited; but now they also, much more the dry and barren grounds, shall be desolate and without inhabitant.
15:7 They - Their enemies. Brook - Possibly he means some such river which ran into Euphrates, and so gave them opportunity of carrying their spoils by water unto Babylon.
15:8 The cry - Their cry fills all the parts of the country.
15:9 More - More than hath been already mentioned. Lions - God shall send lions to find out those that escape the fury of men.
16 The Moabites exhorted to entertain kindly the banished Jews, Isa 16:1-5.
They are threatened for their pride and arrogance, Isa 16:6-8.
The prophet bewaileth them, Isa 16:9-11.
Their judgment, Isa 16:12-14.
16:1 Send - The prophet continues his prophecy against Moab, and gives them counsel what to do, to prevent, if possible, the desolation.Make your peace with God, by sacrifice, for all your injuries done to him, and to his people. Sela - An eminent city of Moab, seated upon a rock.Unto the mount - Unto the temple upon mount Zion.
16:2 Cast out - Which knows not whither to go. Arnon - Which was the border of the land of Moab, where they were, with design to flee out of their land, tho' they knew not whither.
16:3 Take counsel - Consider seriously what course to take.Shadow - Or, as the shadow of the night, large and dark, as the shadow of the earth is in the night - season. Conceal and protect my people in the time of their distress. The out - casts - Those of my people who are driven out of their land. Wandereth - Unto their enemies.
16:4 Mine out - casts - Whom tho' I have sorely chastened, yet I own for my people. At an end - Shall shortly be destroyed, and then thou wilt not lose the fruit of thy kindness. The present tense is put for the future.
16:5 In mercy - By my mercy. I am now punishing their sins, yet I will deliver them for my own mercy's sake. The throne - The kingdom of Judah. He - Their king. In truth - That is, firmly and constantly; for truth is often put for the stability and certainty of a thing, as Ch2 32:1 Isa 16, Pro 11:18, .Tabernacle - ln the house, or palace, which is called a tent, or tabernacle, with respect to the unsettledness of David's house, which now indeed was more like a tabernacle than a strong palace.Seeking - Searching out the truth of things with care and diligence.Hasting - Neither denying, nor yet delaying justice.
16:6 We - The prophet having spoken to the Moabites, now turns his speech to God's people. The sense is, I do not expect that my counsels will have any good effect upon Moab; they will still carry themselves insolently and outrageously. His lies - His vain imaginations, and false and crafty counsels, shall not take effect.
16:7 Moab - One Moabite shall howl or lament to or for another.Kirhareseth - An ancient and eminent city of Moab, which was preserved when their other cities were ruined, and therefore the destruction of it was more lamented. Stricken - Or, broken, overthrown or destroyed.
16:8 The lords - The Assyrians or Chaldeans, the great rulers of the eastern nations. Plants - The choicest vines. Under which one particular he seems to understand, not only all other fruits and goods, but even their choicest people. They - The lords of the heathen are come as far as Jazer, which is the utmost border of Moab. Wandered - The Moabites fled for their lives, and wandered hither and thither in the wilderness of Moab. Branches - Her people, called plants before.Stretched - Driven from their own homes, and dispersed into several countries. The sea - Over the Dead - sea, which was the border of Moab. They were forced to flee out of their own country to save their lives.
16:9 Sibmah - I will bewail Sibmah, as I did bewail Jazer, which was destroyed before Sibmah. Fallen - Those joyful shouts which were customary in the time of harvest and vintage, shall cease.
16:10 Treaders - In those times they used to squeeze out the juice of their grapes by treading them with their feet.
16:11 My bowels - Thro' compassion. In excessive grief, the bowels are sometimes rolled together, so as to make an audible noise.
16:12 When - When it shall appear that all their other devotions are vain. His sanctuary - To the temple of his great god Chemosh.But - His god can neither hear nor help him.
16:13 Since - Since the beginning of God's revelation to me concerning Moab, hitherto.
16:14 The Lord - Hath made this farther discovery of his mind to me.Three years - This may well be understood of some great blow given to the Moabites, either by Sennacherib, or his son Esarhaddon, from which notwithstanding they recovered and flourished again 'till Nebuchadnezzar compleated their destruction. Hireling - Within three years precisely counted; for hirelings are very punctual in observing the time for which they are hired. The glory - Their strength, and wealth, and other things in which they glory, shall be made contemptible to those who formerly admired them. With - With the great numbers of their people, of which they boasted.