Isaiah 15

Isaiah 15 pronounces a "burden" upon Moab, detailing its swift and utter destruction. Cities like Ar and Kir are laid waste in the night, leading to widespread public mourning characterized by baldness, sackcloth, and incessant wailing. The land experiences desolation, forcing its inhabitants to flee and carry away their possessions. Further judgment, including bloodshed and predatory lions, is foretold for the remnant.

The prophecy of Isaiah 15 describes the sudden and complete devastation of Moab. Key cities such as Ar and Kir are destroyed during the night, prompting the people to ascend to high places like Bajith and Dibon for lamentation. The inhabitants express their profound grief through traditional rituals, including shaving their heads, cutting their beards, and girding themselves with sackcloth in the streets, accompanied by widespread howling and weeping. The land's resources, particularly the waters of Nimrim, become desolate, signifying economic ruin. Refugees are forced to flee towards Zoar and carry their remaining wealth away. The cries of distress spread across the entire region, reaching from Heshbon to Beerelim. The chapter concludes with a dire pronouncement of further judgment, where the waters of Dimon will be filled with blood, and lions will consume those who escape the initial destruction.

Isaiah 15 opens with a solemn "burden" against Moab, foretelling its imminent and catastrophic downfall. The prophet declares that in a single night, the cities of Ar and Kir of Moab are utterly laid waste and brought to silence, signifying a swift and decisive defeat. This sudden destruction drives the populace to ascend to their high places, such as Bajith and Dibon, to engage in public lamentation, howling over cities like Nebo and Medeba. The signs of their profound grief are vividly described: widespread baldness, shaven beards, and the donning of sackcloth in the streets and on housetops, accompanied by abundant weeping and wailing. The cries of distress extend from Heshbon and Elealeh even unto Jahaz, indicating the pervasive nature of the suffering, which causes even the armed soldiers of Moab to cry out in despair. The prophet expresses personal sorrow for Moab, noting the flight of its fugitives towards Zoar, ascending the path of Luhith with weeping, and raising a cry of destruction along the way to Horonaim. The land itself is afflicted, with the waters of Nimrim becoming desolate, the hay withered, and no green thing remaining, signifying widespread agricultural and environmental ruin. This forces the people to carry their accumulated wealth to the brook of the willows, highlighting their economic loss. The lamentation and howling spread across Moab's borders, reaching Eglaim and Beerelim, underscoring the universal nature of the calamity. The chapter culminates with a grim prophecy that the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood, and further judgment will be brought upon the land, with lions preying upon those who manage to escape the initial devastation and the remaining inhabitants.