A PROPHECY AGAINST MOAB The prophet Isaiah presents prophesies concerning certain nations that surround Judah and Israel that would be soon realized, in order to confirm to the people two things: The truth of the prophesies of the prophet, concerning the distant future, as the captivity, the return from it, the coming of the Messiah, and His redemptive works. That is besides confirming that God is the Lord of the whole world, the Almighty, and the Controller of nations. In this chapter, the prophet prophesies the utter destruction of Moab, by the hand of Esarhaddon or Sennacherib, for which the heart of the prophet cried out, longing for their return to God, and for their salvation, rather than that cruel destiny, caused by their denial of faith. 1. Prompt realization of the prophecy 1. 2. Destruction of the great cities 2-5. 3. Occurrence of a famine 6-9. 1. PROMPT REALIZATION OF THE PROPHECY “The burden against Moab: Because in the night ‘Ar’ of Moab is laid waste and destroyed, because in the night ‘Kir’ of Moab is laid waste and destroyed.” (Is. 15: 1) The Moabites were descendants of Lot, so they were related to Israel. They inhabited the region east of the Dead Sea. Their country was formed of two sections: Moab, and the plains of Moab, and that were within the valley of the Jordan facing Jericho. The children of Reuben allowed the Moabites to dwell in their cities, and took after them the worship of the god Chemosh. Good relations were sometimes there, between Moab and Israel; There Naomi went to sojourn, and came back with Ruth. And when Saul persecuted David, the later left his parents with the king of Moab. Despite that, the Moabites harbored a spirit of animosity toward Israel and Judah. They often joined forces with neighboring nations against them. The prophet Isaiah prophesied the destruction of the great cities of Moab, a prophecy that was literally and accurately realized, within three years of its proclamation (Is. 16: 14), by the hands of the king of Assyria, in a sudden and an unexpected way. ‘Ar’ is a Semitic name, meaning “city” also called ‘Aroer’ (Deuteronomy 2: 36), was 14 miles south of the river ‘Arnon.’ St. Jerome calls it ‘Areopolis,’ and ‘Rabbath Moab,’ i.e. great Moab. The site is still called ‘Rabba’ on the Roman road. ‘Kir’ is a Semitic name, meaning “wall,” or “a walled city,” 11 miles east of the southern part of the Dead Sea. It is an Armenian region subject to Assyria, Kurgistan or Georgia between the Black and Caspian seas (Isa 22:6). The river Kur (Cyrus) in it falls into the Caspian Sea. From Kir the Syrians migrated originally; and to it they were removed from Damascus by Tiglath Pileser (2 Kings 16:9). Keil thinks Kir to be Kurena along the river Mardus in Media, or else Karine a town in Media, on the ground that the remote parts of Armenia were beyond the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 19:37); but Esarhaddon subdued it1. The two cities Ar and Kir were destroyed in one night, not in one day. 1 Fausset's Bible Dictionary. Whenever the Sun of righteousness sets on the human soul, that likens a great walled city, it would be overcome by the darkness of ignorance and evil, and would lose all that it labored for, during the long years. That is why the apostle Paul says, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are neither of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night” (1 Thessalonians 5: 5, 6) Who likens him who watches and prays in his secret place, surrounded by a hallow of light amid the outer darkness? As to the evil one, who walks as a son of darkness, he stands in the light of the day, yet, although surrounded by light from outside, he is filled with darkness within. Dear brothers, I wish that we are not deceived but be watchful. He who does not watch in righteousness, his watchfulness is not counted for him!2 St. Ephram the Syrian As man forsakes the love of the dark world he becomes pure through the work of the Holy Spirit, and through his attachment to the true purity... the soul shines, and becomes itself light, according to the promise of the Lord (Matthew 13: 43)3. St. Gregory of Nyssa 2. DESTRUCTION OF THE GREAT CITIES The prophet Isaiah portrays what happens to the great cities of Moab, beside Ar and Kir. “He (Moab) has gone up to the temple (House, Bajith) and Dibon, to the high places to weep.” (Is. 15: 2) As desolation came to Moab, many people sought refuge with the pagan gods, crying out with tears, hoping that they would rescue them, but in vain. In a similar way to what the prophets and priests of Baal have done in the days of Elijah. They went to the ‘Bajith,’ interpreted as the ‘temple’ by some, or “bayt” that is the house of the god Chemosh or the god’s temple, or “bat” meaning “girl” or “daughter,” that is “the daughter of the city” or its inhabitants4. Dibon, a Moabite name meaning ‘heights,’ or ‘washing,’ is a city three miles north of the river Arnon, northwest of ‘Aroer,’ called ‘El-Dheib,’ or ‘Daibon,’ where the height of the Moabite god Chemosh is found. Some scholars interpret ‘Bajith’ and ‘Dibon,’ as house of Dibon or daughter of Dibon, as though the Moabites have gone to take refuge in the temple, or house of the god Chemosh, weeping and wailing for what had become of them. “Moab will wail over ‘Nebo’ and over ‘Medeba.’” (Is. 15: 2) Nebo was destroyed; close to the great mountain of Nebo, east of the Jordan, at the south end of the Dead Sea, the mountain to which the prophet Moses ascended to look from afar to the Promised Land, his soul rejoicing, yearning to cross over to the land of the living, to enjoy the heavenly Canaan. At that spot he died (Deuteronomy 34). ‘Nebo,’ fortified by the great mountain, has been a defense center for the Moabites, but it was lost and destroyed, to turn into an object for wailing. At the same spot, where Moses rejoiced, the Moabites wailed. What causes the believer’s heart to rejoice, would demolish the soul of the unbeliever! 2 On Nativity, hymn 1. 3 On Virginity 11. 4 cf. R.E. Clements: The New Century Bible Commentary, Isaiah 1-39, 1987, p. 152. They also wailed over Medeba, the Hebrew means "waters of quiet," or "gently flowing water." It was so called as it includes a lake at its south whose length and width are 360 feet, and several others at the north and east. Medeba was a source of conflict between Moab and Israel. Apparently the Ammonites controlled the city in the time of David; for the Syrian mercenaries, allies of the Ammonites, "encamped before Medeba" (1 Chron 19:7) before their defeat by Joab, the captain of David's army. In Ahaz’ time Medeba was a sanctuary of Moab. Medeba, now known as Madeba or Madiyabah, 5 miles to the south east of Nebo, 14 miles east of the Sea of Lot. It is on the King’s Highway, the main northsouth highway through Transjordan5. “On all their heads will be baldness; and every beard cut off. In their streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth. On the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one will wail, weeping bitterly.” (Is. 15: 2, 3) All these were signs of great sorrow (Jeremiah 48: 37; 2 Samuel 3: 31; Jeremiah 4: 8; 41: 5; Lamentations 2: 10). Baldness refers to humiliation, as the conquerors used to cut the hair of male and female captives. Cutting the beards of priests refers to their loss of spiritual authority and dignity. Clothing with sackcloth refers to deep despair; as to crying and wailing, that mean loss of inner joy. This is the portrait of the soul that denies its God, to get captivated by the evil enemy; It loses its freedom, beauty, authority, dignity, and joy, to liken an ugly, humble and broken nation; that finds no rest, neither in streets nor on the roof, where pagans used to place their gods; wherever it goes it finds no rest. “Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, their voice shall be heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab will cry out. His life will be burdensome to him.” (Is. 15: 4). The Moabites escaped from one city to another; their wailing was heard from afar. Heshbon, a Moabite name that means ‘ordinance,’ or ‘stronghold’ was the capital of Sihon king of the Amorites, the Moabites took it over from the tribe of Levi (Joshua 21; 1 Chronicles 6: 81), known nowadays as Hesban, situated in Transjordan about 50 miles east of Jerusalem and approximately 14 miles southwest of modern Amman, Jordan’ ‘Elealeh,’ a Hebrew name, that probably means ‘God ascended.’ It is located in the east of Jordan, in the portion of Reuben (Num 32:3,37). Appropriated by Moab, and named as a Moabite town by Isaiah (Isa 15:4; 16:9; Jer 48:34) along with Heshbon. Now El-A'al, ‘the high,’ a mile north of Heshbon, commanding a wide view of the plain and southern Belka6. The two cities at the far north were object of conflict between Israel and Moab. ‘Jahaz,’ a Hebrew name, meaning a ‘trampled on place,’ known nowadays as Belka, is 10 or 12 miles south of Heshbon. The prophet could not help feeling sad for what came to happen to these great cities, to say, “My heart will cry out for Moab.”(Is. 15: 5) He shared the bitterness of his enemies, yearning for them to forsake their animosity and enjoy salvation. That is how men of God should be filled with inner true love, and deep longing even for the salvation of their oppressors! If he was not evil, he would not be your enemy. Therefore, wish him good, to make him forsake his evil and animosity. He is an enemy, not because of his human nature, but because of his sin!7 5 Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers. 6 Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database. 7 Ser. On N.T. Lessons 6:9. St. Augustine Our prayers for our friends are not as useful as if they are for our enemies... If we pray for our friends we shall not be better than tax collectors. But if we pray for and loved our enemies we would liken God in His love for mankind8. St. John Chrysostom The prophet says, “My heart will cry out for Moab. His fugitives shall flee to Zoar, like a three-year-old heifer. For by the ascent of Luhith, they will go up with weeping. For in the way of Horonaim, they will raise up a cry of destruction.” (Is. 15: 5) The word “fugitive” in Hebrew came in the single form; as though the prophet is portraying to us, the fugitives from far north to Zoar in the south - that small town where Lot took refuge when Sodom and Gomorrah were burnt - as to liken one 3- year-old heifer, that escaped as though from a heavy yoke it was not used to carry. They became like one person who had no one to support or to comfort, escaping to small places Zoar, to find no refuge. Zoar: Many scholars believe the site of Zoar to be esSafi, at the foot of the mountains of Moab, about 4.5 miles up the River Zered from where it empties into the Dead Sea. Tradition has placed Zoar at the southeastern end of the Dead Sea. The original site may now be covered with water9. As to Luhith and Horonaim their locations are not known, but most probably not far from Zoar. 3. OCCURRENCE OF A FAMINE It does not stop at the destruction of great cities, bitter defeat, wailing and escape, but a famine is to come over Moab, as a natural consequence of defeat in war, and of destruction of natural and human resources; or probably as a sign that nature itself is turning against them. The prophet says, “For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate. For the green grass has withered away. The grass fails, there is nothing green. Therefore the abundance they have gained, and what they have laid up, they will carry away to the brook of the willows.” (Is. 15: 6, 7) ‘Nimrim’ is the plural of Nimrah, a name means ‘leopard,’ or ‘clear water’ of springs in the valley of Nimira, on the beach, south east of the Red Sea. The name is from leopards infesting the thick wood between the inner and outer banks of the Jordan, which overflows at times into that intermediate space and drives the wild beast out of its lair (Jeremiah 49:19; 50:44)10. Some scholars state that the meaning here, is that the multitudes of fugitives would be so enormous, that the oasis would not be wide enough to accommodate them together with their animals; so they will have to leave their cattle, and to take only what they can carry of their treasures, hoping to go on their way in the best way possible. But they couldn’t take all their needs11, some scholars see that inspite of the famine their country suffered from, their enemies have confiscated all their possessions and carried it to their countries to leave Moab void of everything. ‘Eglaim’ means "two ponds". Same as Eneglaim, which means ‘fountain of two calves.’ On the extreme boundary of Moab (Isa 15:8), over against Engedi, near where Jordan enters the Dead Sea12. All Moab turned into a place for crying and wailing, heard in the south in the المط ا رن أبیفانیوس: الأماني الذهبیة من مقالات إكلیل القدیسین یوحنا الذهبي الفم، 1972 ، ص 8 .49 9 Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers. 10 Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database. 11 New International Comm, on the O.T., Isaiah 1-39, p. 338-9. 12 Ibid. valley of Nimira, up to Eglaim, near Kir and Beer elim in the north, and “The waters of Dimon will be full of blood” (Is. 15: 9), because of enormous bloodshed on that famed night [Dimon or Dibon mean blood; he probably means the waters of the river Arnon]; no one will find water to quench his thirst. The remnants to escape would be in a condition of terror, as though confronting a fierce lion, from which there is no escape (Is. 15: 9). In short, Moab would lose, beside its great cities, its fields, waters, and peace, to become completely desolate.
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