Moab Wails under Sudden Devastation
Prideful security dissolves overnight, leaving only grief under divine judgment.
Isaiah 15:1-9 (BSB)
1 This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night!
2 Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.
3 In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping.
4 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.
5 My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.
6 The waters of Nimrim are dried up, and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone, and the greenery is no more.
7 So they carry their wealth and belongings over the Brook of the Willows.
8 For their outcry echoes to the border of Moab. Their wailing reaches Eglaim; it is heard in Beer-elim.
9 The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring more upon Dimon—a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land.
What is the big idea of Isaiah 15:1-9?
Prideful security dissolves overnight, leaving only grief under divine judgment.
How does Isaiah 15:1-9 point to Christ?
Isaiah 15:1-9 shows that sudden collapse comes to those who trust in false security. The gospel calls nations and individuals alike to seek refuge not in idols but in the saving mercy of God revealed in Christ.
Authorial Intent
To announce devastating judgment upon Moab and portray the widespread grief that follows its sudden collapse.
Historical Context
Moab occupied territory east of the Dead Sea and had a long history of conflict and tension with Israel.
Chapter: Isaiah 15
The Oracle Against Moab and the Night of Devastating Lament
Isaiah 15 laments the sudden devastation of Moab, showing that the LORD’s judgment on the nations brings public grief, refugee flight, ruined land, and cries that reach from city centers to the borders.