Isaiah 15

Isaiah 13–23 is a collection of oracles (prophecies proclaiming the will of God) concerning the nations surrounding Israel. Chapter 15 follows the oracle against Philistia at the end of Isaiah 14 and begins the oracle against Moab, which continues through Isaiah 16.

Outline

• Verse 1 Ar of Moab and Kir of Moab are laid waste in a single night.
• Verses 2–4 The Moabites go up to Bajith and to Dibon, to the high places (altars on elevated sites), to weep, and they wail over Nebo and Medeba. They shave their heads and beards and gird themselves with sackcloth. The cry of Heshbon and Elealeh is heard as far as Jahaz.
• Verses 5–7 The speaker cries out for Moab. Its nobles flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah; the waters of Nimrim dry up, and the grass withers. The refugees carry their possessions across the brook of the willows.
• Verses 8–9 The cry spreads to Eglaim and Beer-elim, and the waters of Dimon are full of blood. God declares that He will bring lions upon those who escape and upon the remnant.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 15:1, "in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste": the opening of the oracle, announcing a sudden destruction.
• Isaiah 15:5, "My heart shall cry out for Moab": frequently noted as an expression of grief over the downfall of a hostile nation.
• Isaiah 15:9, "lions upon him that escapeth of Moab": a declaration that calamity will overtake even those who escape. Here the word denotes literal lions.

People and Places

• Moab: a people and kingdom east of the Dead Sea. Genesis 19 identifies them as descendants of Lot.
• Dibon: a major city of Moab. The inscription of Mesha, king of Moab (the Mesha Stele), was discovered here in 1868.
• Nebo: a Moabite city or mountain, generally identified with the area of Mount Nebo.
• Heshbon: formerly the royal city of Sihon, king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:26).
• Zoar: the city to which Lot fled from Sodom (Genesis 19:22).
• Other place names: Medeba, Elealeh, Jahaz, Nimrim, Eglaim, and others are towns and watercourses in the land of Moab. The locations of many of them are uncertain.

Points for Reflection

• The text does not name the invader. Many interpreters connect the oracle with an Assyrian campaign, but scholars differ on which event is in view.
• Interpreters are divided over whether the "my" of verse 5 refers to the prophet or to God.
• "Dimon" refers to Dibon; some see the spelling as a wordplay on the Hebrew word for "blood" (dam).
• Jeremiah 48 laments the fall of Moab using many of the same place names, such as Horonaim, Zoar, and Nimrim, along with similar expressions.
• The New Testament does not quote this chapter directly. However, the inclusion of the Moabite woman Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5) is sometimes mentioned in connection with God's concern for the nations.