Isaiah 15:4 Komentář

This chapter, and that which follows it, are the burden of Moab - a prophecy of some great desolation that was coming upon that country, which bordered upon this land of Israel, and had often been injurious and vexatious to it, though the Moabites were descended from Lot, Abraham's kinsman and companion, and though the Israelites, by the appointment of God, had spared them when they might both easily and justly have cut them off with their neighbours. In this chapter we have, I. Great lamentation made by the Moabites, and by the prophet himself for them (Isa 15:1-5). II. The great calamities which should occasion that lamentation and justify it (Isa 15:6-9).

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 15 This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of the Moabites; two of their principal cities are mentioned as made desolate, Isa 15:1 the inhabitants in divers places are represented as weeping and mourning, and showing various signs of it, Isa 15:2 yea, not only the common people, but the armed soldiers also, Isa 15:4 nay, even the prophet himself, Isa 15:5 the reasons of which were the great drought, so that there were no grass, nor green thing, Isa 15:6 the carrying away of their good things, either by themselves or others, Isa 15:7 the flight and cry of the people to the very borders of the land, Isa 15:8 and the great effusion of blood, Isa 15:9.

And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh,.... Two other cities in the land of Moab. The first of these was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who took it from the Moabites, Num 21:25 it came into the hands of the Reubenites, Num 32:3 and afterwards was again possessed by the Moabites, Jer 48:2. Josephus (t) calls it Essebon, and mentions it among the cities of Moab; it goes by the name of Esbuta in Ptolemy (u); and is called Esbus by Jerom (w), who says it was a famous city of Arabia in his time, in the mountains over against Jericho, twenty miles distant from Jordan; hence we read of the Arabian Esbonites in Pliny (x). Elealeh was another city of Moab, very near to Heshbon and frequently mentioned with it, Isa 16:9. Jerom says (y) that in his time it was a large village, a mile from Esbus, or Heshbon. By these two places are meant the inhabitants of them, as the Targum paraphrases it, who cried for and lamented the desolation that was coming, or was come upon them: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz; sometimes called Jahazah, Jos 13:18 it was a frontier town, at the utmost borders of the land, Num 21:23 hence the cry of the inhabitants of the above cities is said to reach to it, which expresses the utter destruction that should be made; see Jer 48:34 this is thought to be the same place Ptolemy (z) calls Ziza. Jerom (a) calls it Jazza, as it is in the Septuagint here, and says that in his time it was shown between Medaba and Deblathai. Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; not as when they go to battle, with courage and cheerfulness, as some have thought; but through fear, and as in great terror and distress; and so it signifies, that not only the weak and unarmed inhabitants, men and women, should be in the utmost confusion and consternation, but the soldiers that should fight for them, and defend them; who were accoutred, or "harnessed", as the word signifies, and were "girt" and prepared for war, as the Targum renders it; even these would be dispirited, and have no heart to fight, but lament their sad case: his life shall be grievous to everyone; the life of every Moabite would be a burden to him; he would choose death rather than life; so great the calamity: or the life of every soldier; or "his soul shall cry out", grieve or mourn for "himself" (b); for his own unhappy case; he shall only be concerned for himself, how to save himself, or make his escape; having none for others, for whose defence he was set, and for whom he was to fight; but would have no concern for his king or country, only for himself. (t) Antiqu. l. 13. c. 15. sect. 4. (u) Geograph. l. 5. c. 17. P. 137. (w) De locis Hebraicis, fol. 90. M. (x) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 11. (y) De locis Hebraicis, fol. 90. M. (z) Geograph. l. 5. c. 17. p. 137. (a) De locis Hebraicis, fol. 92. F. (b) "anima ejus vociferabit sibi", Pagninus & Montanus.

(Verse 4.) Esbon and Eleale will cry out. These are the names of cities in the province of Moab, of which Esbon was once the city of the Amorite king. Concerning this city, Jeremiah also said, 'Fire has come out of Esbon, and a flame from the midst of Seon.' The name Esbon means 'thought' and therefore, Jeremiah, alluding to the name, says against Esbon, 'they have devised evil.' (Jeremiah XLV.) The voice of them was heard even to Jaza. The city of Jaza (also known as Jasa) lies close to the Dead Sea, where the border of the Moabite province is. This indicates that the wailing of the province will resound to the very ends of the land. Hence, Jeremiah also says: From the outcry of Heshbon, even to Eleale and Jaza, they have raised their voice (Jeremiah 48:34). Therefore the Moabites will wail, every one will wail for himself; for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth you shall mourn, utterly stricken. But if, as Aquila wanted, they are understood to be exerting their shoulders, that suggests to us the feeling that everyone has bared their chests to mourn.

(Verse 4) Then they shall understand all their vain thoughts, which are interpreted as Esbon, and the futile ascent of pride, which sounds like Eleale, so that the voice of their deeds may be heard, and the commandment they thought was from God, condemning themselves by their own confession. Therefore, the bars, that is, those who were strong in Moab and understood their error, shall howl, and they who had hopes will begin to have regrets when their soul howls to itself.

Hesebon shall cry, weeping, and Eleale, which were cities that were, indeed, in the land of the kingdom of Moab; their voice is heard even to Jasa, which is another city of Moab. And as to the diversity of those who weep: for this, evil, shall the well appointed men, namely, well appointed for fighting, not just old men, and together with others but also to itself, when it stands alone; his soul, for mourning proceeds from the innermost of the heart: upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof general mourning (Jer 48:3).

God declares to Jeremiah that not even Moses and Samuel, whose prayers had been so prevalent, could divert him from his purpose of punishing so wicked a people, Jer 15:1. Accordingly their captivity is again announced in a variety of images so full of terror, Jer 15:2-9, that the prophet complains of his own hard fate in being obliged to deliver such unwelcome messages, Jer 15:10; for which too he is reproved, Jer 15:11-14. Immediately he appeals to God for his sincerity, and supplicates pardon, Jer 15:15-18; and God tempers his reproof with promising again to protect him in the faithful discharge of his duty, Jer 15:19-21.

The armed soldiers "The very loins" - So the Septuagint, ἡ οσφυς, and the Syriac. They cry out violently, with their utmost force.

THE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CHAPTERS FORM ONE PROPHECY ON MOAB. (Isa 15:1-9) Because--rather, "Surely"; literally, "(I affirm) that" [MAURER]. night--the time best suited for a hostile incursion (Isa 21:4; Jer 39:4). Ar--meaning in Hebrew, "the city"; the metropolis of Moab, on the south of the river Arnon. Kir--literally, "a citadel"; not far from Ar, towards the south. He--Moab personified. Bajith--rather, "to the temple" [MAURER]; answering to the "sanctuary" (Isa 16:12), in a similar context. to Dibon--Rather, as Dibon was in a plain north of the Arnon, "Dibon (is gone up) to the high places," the usual places of sacrifice in the East. Same town as Dimon (Isa 15:9). to weep--at the sudden calamity. over Nebo--rather "in Nebo"; not "on account of" Nebo (compare Isa 15:3) [MAURER]. The town Nebo was adjacent to the mountain, not far from the northern shore of the Dead Sea. There it was that Chemosh, the idol of Moab, was worshipped (compare Deu 34:1). Medeba--south of Heshbon, on a hill east of Jordan. baldness . . . beard cut off--The Orientals regarded the beard with peculiar veneration. To cut one's beard off is the greatest mark of sorrow and mortification (compare Jer 48:37).

Heshbon--an Amorite city, twenty miles east of Jordan; taken by Moab after the carrying away of Israel (compare Jer. 48:1-47). Elealeh--near Heshbon, in Reuben. Jahaz--east of Jordan, in Reuben. Near it Moses defeated Sihon. therefore--because of the sudden overthrow of their cities. Even the armed men, instead of fighting in defense of their land, shall join in the general cry. life, &c.--rather, "his soul is grieved" (Sa1 1:8) [MAURER].