Isaiah 15:4

15:1-9 The Divine judgments about to come upon the Moabites. - This prophecy coming to pass within three years, would confirm the prophet's mission, and the belief in all his other prophecies. Concerning Moab it is foretold, 1. That their chief cities should be surprised by the enemy. Great changes, and very dismal ones, may be made in a very little time. 2. The Moabites would have recourse to their idols for relief. Ungodly men, when in trouble, have no comforter. But they are seldom brought by their terrors to approach our forgiving God with true sorrow and believing prayer. 3. There should be the cries of grief through the land. It is poor relief to have many fellow-sufferers, fellow-mourners. 4. The courage of their soldiers should fail. God can easily deprive a nation of that on which it most depended for strength and defence. 5. These calamities should cause grief in the neighbouring parts. Though enemies to Israel, yet as our fellow-creatures, it should be grievous to see them in such distress. In ver. 6-9, the prophet describes the woful lamentations heard through the country of Moab, when it became a prey to the Assyrian army. The country should be plundered. And famine is usually the sad effect of war. Those who are eager to get abundance of this world, and to lay up what they have gotten, little consider how soon it may be all taken from them. While we warn our enemies to escape from ruin, let us pray for them, that they may seek and find forgiveness of their sins.

Isaiah 15:4 . And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh — Two other Moabitish cities; of which see Numbers 21:25-26 ; Numbers 32:3 ; Numbers 32:37 . Their voice shall be heard unto Jahaz — Another city in the utmost borders of Moab. The armed soldiers shall cry out — Even the warriors themselves, who should defend the state, shall lose all their spirit and courage, and join in the general lamentation and dismay: see Jeremiah 48:34 ; Jeremiah 48:41 . His life shall be grievous unto him — The Moabites shall generally long for death, to free them from those dreadful calamities which they perceive unavoidably coming upon them.

Heshbon and Elealeh; two other Moabitish cities; of which see Numbers 21:25,26 32:3,37 . Jahaz another city in the utmost borders of Moab, Numbers 21:23 , called also Jahazah , Joshua 21:36 . The armed soldiers, who should be, and use to be, the most courageous. His life shall be grievous unto him; the Moabites shall generally long for death, to free themselves from those dreadful calamities which they perceive unavoidably coming upon them.

4. 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" (1Sa 1:8) [Maurer].

4 . (Cf. Jeremiah 48:34 .) Heshbon and Elealeh (often mentioned together) are respectively about 4 and 6 miles N.E. of Nebo. Heshbon, once the capital of the Amorites ( Numbers 21:26 ) and afterwards an Israelitish city ( Numbers 32:37 ; Joshua 13:17 ; Joshua 21:39 ), is at the time of the prophecy in the possession of Moab. The site of Jahaz , where Sihon gave battle to the Israelites ( Numbers 21:23 ), has not been discovered; probably it was some distance south from Heshbon. the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out ] omit “shall” with R.V. Cf. ch. Isaiah 33:7 . The “heroes of Moab” are mentioned in a similar plight in Jeremiah 48:41 . his life shall be grievous unto him ] Rather, as in R.V., his soul trembleth within him (ethical dative).

Verse 4. - Heshbon shall cry . Heshbon, now Hesban , lay about twenty miles east of the Jordan, nearly on the parallel of its embouchure into the Dead Sea. It was the capital city of Sihon ( Numbers 21:21 ), who took it from the Moabites. On the partition of Palestine among the tribes of Israel, it was assigned to Reuben ( Numbers 32:37 ; Joshua 13:17 ); but at a later time we find it reckoned to Gad ( 1 Chronicles 6:81 ). We do not know at what time Moab recovered Heshbon, but may conjecture that it was one of the conquests of Mesha, though it is not mentioned on the Moabite Stone. And Elealeh . Elealch is commonly united with Heshbon ( Numbers 32:3, 37 ; Isaiah 16:9 ; Jeremiah 48:34 ). It is probably identical with the modern El-A'al , a ruined town on the top of a rounded hill, little more than a mile north of Hesban . Even unto Jahaz . Jahaz lay considerably to the south of Hesh-ben, probably not very far north of the Arnon. It must have been in the vicinity of Dibon, since Mesha, on taking it from the Israelites, annexed it to the territory of that city (Moabite Stone, II. 19-21). It was the scene of the great battle between Sihon and the Israelites under Moses ( Numbers 21:23 ). His life shall be grievous unto him ; rather, his soul shall be grieved within him . The Moabite people is personified (Cheyne). Isaiah 15:4

(4) And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh . . . —Of the places thus named (1) Heshbon (now Heshan ) was twenty miles east of the Jordan, on a line from the northern extremity of the Dead Sea. It is first mentioned as in the power of Sihon king of the Amorites ( Numbers 21:26 ). On his overthrow it was assigned to the tribe of Reuben ( Numbers 32:37 ), and became a city of the Levites ( Joshua 21:39 ). It had probably fallen into the hands of the Moabites, to whom it had originally belonged ( Numbers 21:26 ). Its ruins exhibit architecture of various periods, Jewish, Roman, and Saracenic; (2) Elealeh, obviously near Heshbon, had shared its fate ( Numbers 32:3 ; Numbers 32:37 ). The ancient name still attaches to its ruins in the form El-A’al; (3) Jahaz was the scene of the battle between Sihon and the Israelites ( Numbers 21:23 ; Deuteronomy 2:32 ; Judges 11:20 ), and was also within the region assigned to Reuben ( Joshua 13:10 ) north of the Arnon. The language of Isaiah implies that it was at some distance from the other two cities. Their cry was to be heard even there. In the Moabite inscription it appears as annexed to Dibon ( Records of the Past, xi. 167). Eusebius ( Onomast. ) names it as between Medeba and Debus, the latter name being probably identical with Dibon. The panic is intensified by the fact that even the “armed soldiers” of Moab are powerless to help, and can only join in the ineffectual wailing. Benson CommentaryIsaiah 15:4.

And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh — Two other Moabitish cities; of which see Numbers 21:25-26; Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:37. Their voice shall be heard unto Jahaz — Another city in the utmost borders of Moab. The armed soldiers shall cry out — Even the warriors themselves, who should defend the state, shall lose all their spirit and courage, and join in the general lamentation and dismay: see Jeremiah 48:34; Jeremiah 48:41. His life shall be grievous unto him — The Moabites shall generally long for death, to free them from those dreadful calamities which they perceive unavoidably coming upon them.Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary15:1-9 The Divine judgments about to come upon the Moabites. - This prophecy coming to pass within three years, would confirm the prophet's mission, and the belief in all his other prophecies. Concerning Moab it is foretold, 1. That their chief cities should be surprised by the enemy. Great changes, and very dismal ones, may be made in a very little time. 2. The Moabites would have recourse to their idols for relief. Ungodly men, when in trouble, have no comforter. But they are seldom brought by their terrors to approach our forgiving God with true sorrow and believing prayer. 3. There should be the cries of grief through the land. It is poor relief to have many fellow-sufferers, fellow-mourners. 4. The courage of their soldiers should fail. God can easily deprive a nation of that on which it most depended for strength and defence. 5.