1 The burden of Moab: because in the night Ar of Moab is laide waste and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laide waste, and brought to silence:
2 Hee is gone vp to Baijth, and to Dibon, the high places, to weepe: Moab shall howle ouer Nebo, and ouer Medeba, on all their heads shalbe baldnesse, and euery beard cut off.
3 In their streetes they shall girde themselues with sackecloth: on the toppes of their houses, and in their streetes euery one shall howle, weeping abundantly.
4 And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shalbe heard euen vnto Iahaz: therefore the armed souldiers of Moab shall crie out, his life shall be grieuous vnto him.
5 My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitiues shall flee vnto Zoar, an heifer of three yeeres olde: for by the mounting vp of Luhith with weeping shall they goe it vp: for in the way of Horonaim, they shall raise vp a crie of destruction.
6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grasse faileth, there is no greene thing.
7 Therefore the abundance they haue gotten, and that which they haue laide vp, shall they cary away to the brooke of the willowes.
8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab: the howling thereof vnto Eglaim, and the howling thereof vnto Beer-Elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon shalbe full of blood: for I will bring more vpon Dimon, lyons vpon him that escapeth of Moab, and vpon the remnant of the land.
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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.