1 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;

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.

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.

Commentary

Verse 1

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
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.
McArther Bible Commentary
. The demise of Moab taught Israel not to depend on that nation any more than others, but to depend on the Lord.
Bible Cross References
Numbers 21:28 Isaiah 11:14 Isaiah 13:1 Isaiah 25:10 Isaiah 25:12 Jeremiah 48:1 Ezekiel 25:8 Amos 2:1 Zephaniah 2:8 Zephaniah 2:9

Verse 2

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
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.
McArther Bible Commentary
Dibon. Moab chose the temple of the Moabite god Chemosh-three miles north of the Arnon-as the place of weeping because that god had failed to deliver the nation. Nebo … Medeba. Nebo is the mountain at the north end of the Dead Sea, east of the Jordan River, where the Lord took Moses to view the Promised Land (Deu 34:1). Medeba is five miles southeast of Nebo. baldness … every beard. Shaving heads and beards expressed disgrace and humiliation (Isa 22:12; Lev 21:5; Jer 41:5; Jer 48:37).
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 13:40 Leviticus 21:5 Numbers 21:28 2 Samuel 10:4 Isaiah 16:12 Jeremiah 3:21 Jeremiah 7:29 Jeremiah 47:2 Jeremiah 48:18 Jeremiah 48:22 Jeremiah 48:35 Jeremiah 48:37 Ezekiel 27:31 Ezekiel 30:2 Amos 8:10

Verse 3

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
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.
McArther Bible Commentary
sackcloth. Wearing of sackcloth occurs forty-six times in the Bible as a sign of mourning.
Bible Cross References
James 5:1 1 Samuel 5:12 Isaiah 3:24 Isaiah 22:1 Isaiah 22:4 Jeremiah 48:37 Jeremiah 48:38 Lamentations 2:10 Ezekiel 7:18 Amos 8:10 Jonah 3:6

Verse 4

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Heshbon - Two other Moabitish cities. Jahaz - Another city in the utmost borders of Moab. Soldiers - Who use to be the most courageous.
McArther Bible Commentary
Heshbon … Elealeh … Jahaz. The city of Heshbon was just under twenty miles east of the northern end of the Dead Sea in a territory claimed by both Israel and Moab (Deu 2:32-33). Elealeh was about one mile away from Heshbon. The location of Jahaz was over ten miles south of Heshbon.
Bible Cross References
Numbers 21:28 Numbers 32:3 Joshua 13:18 Isaiah 16:8 Isaiah 16:9 Jeremiah 48:21 Jeremiah 48:34

Verse 5

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
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.
McArther Bible Commentary
My heart will cry out. The prophecy expresses much greater sympathy for Moab's plight than for the other nations to be judged, even allowing for a surviving remnant (Isa 16:11, Isa 16:14). a three-year-old heifer. This phrase should not be translated, but rather is the proper name of Eglath-shelishiyah, a city of unknown location. Luhith … Horonaim. These are two more cities whose locations are unknown.
Bible Cross References
Numbers 21:29 Isaiah 16:11 Isaiah 59:7 Jeremiah 4:19 Jeremiah 4:20 Jeremiah 48:3 Jeremiah 48:5 Jeremiah 48:31 Jeremiah 48:34 Jeremiah 48:36 Jeremiah 50:46

Verse 6

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
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.
McArther Bible Commentary
Nimrim. This is possibly the Wadi Numeira, the drying up of whose waters, along with the dead grass, pictures widespread devastation in Moab.
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 19:5 Isaiah 19:6 Jeremiah 14:5 Jeremiah 48:34 Joel 1:10 Joel 2:3

Verse 7

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
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.
McArther Bible Commentary
Brook of the Willows. This probably refers to the Zered River; the refugees from Moab had to cross this river into Edom to escape their invaders.
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 23:40 Isaiah 15:8 Isaiah 30:6 Jeremiah 48:36

Verse 8

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
The cry - Their cry fills all the parts of the country.
McArther Bible Commentary
Eglaim … Beer Elim. The shouts of the fugitives reached all the way from the northern part of Edom (Eglaim) to its southern extremity (Beer Elim).
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 15:7 Isaiah 15:9

Verse 9

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
More - More than hath been already mentioned. Lions - God shall send lions to find out those that escape the fury of men.
McArther Bible Commentary
Dimon. Perhaps another spelling of Dibon (cf. Isa 15:2), this religious center of paganism is appropriate as a closing representation of the whole land of Moab. Lions. Flight from invading armies would not bring security but new dangers from the beasts of the wilderness.
Bible Cross References
2 Kings 17:25 Isaiah 15:8 Jeremiah 50:17