Isaiah 15: A Lament Over Moab
In a single night Moab's cities are laid waste, and even the prophet's heart cries out over a proud neighbor reduced to weeping and ruin.
Isaiah 15 (WEB)
1 The burden of Moab: for in a night, Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing.
2 They have gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba. Baldness is on all of their heads. Every beard is cut off.
3 In their streets, they clothe themselves in sackcloth. In their streets and on their housetops, everyone wails, weeping abundantly.
4 Heshbon cries out with Elealeh. Their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud. Their souls tremble within them.
5 My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for on the way to Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction.
6 For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate; for the grass has withered away, the tender grass fails, there is no green thing.
7 Therefore they will carry away the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have stored up, over the brook of the willows.
8 For the cry has gone around the borders of Moab; its wailing to Eglaim, and its wailing to Beer Elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more on Dimon, a lion on those of Moab who escape, and on the remnant of the land.
Isaiah 15 (KJV)
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 Beer–elim.
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.
Isaiah 15 (ASV)
1 The burden of Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought.
2 They are gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth over Nebo, and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.
3 In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.
4 And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him.
5 My heart crieth out for Moab; her nobles flee unto Zoar, to Eglath-shelishi-yah: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.
6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate; for the grass is withered away, the tender 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 over the brook of the willows.
8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the wailing thereof unto Eglaim, and the wailing thereof unto Beer-elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land.
Summary
The burden of Moab falls suddenly and completely: in a single night Ar and Kir are laid waste and brought to nothing. The whole nation goes up to its high places to weep, with shaved heads and cut-off beards, the ancient signs of grief. In the streets and on the housetops the people clothe themselves in sackcloth and wail, weeping abundantly. The cities of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out until even the soldiers of Moab tremble, and the fugitives flee toward Zoar along the ascent of Luhith, raising a cry of destruction on the road to Horonaim. The waters of Nimrim dry up, the grass withers, and the people carry away whatever they can salvage over the brook of the willows. Strikingly, the prophet says, “My heart cries out for Moab.” This is no gloating oracle; it is a lament. The waters of Dimon run with blood, and yet more judgment is promised on those who escape and on the remnant of the land. God's word against a proud neighbor is delivered with tears, not triumph.
Key Figures
- Moab — Israel's proud neighbor to the east, whose cities fall in a night and whose people wail in sackcloth, fleeing in grief and dread before the coming destruction.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who pronounces the burden of Moab and brings yet more judgment on the land, even while moving his prophet to genuine sorrow.
- The prophet Isaiah — The messenger whose own heart cries out for Moab, showing that God's word of judgment is spoken with compassion, not callous delight.
Key Verse
Isaiah 15:5 (WEB)
My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for on the way to Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction.
Lessons Learned
- Earthly security can collapse in a single night, however long it took to build.
- When judgment falls, idols and high places offer no comfort, only a place to weep.
- God's word against the proud is real, yet it is never spoken with cruelty.
- A heart shaped by God grieves even over those under judgment.
- Ruin can come suddenly. “In a night, Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing” (Isaiah 15:1, WEB). What seems settled and strong can vanish overnight.
- Grief drives people to seek help. Moab goes up “to the high places, to weep” (Isaiah 15:2, WEB), but its altars cannot save; sorrow shows the emptiness of false refuge.
- God's messengers feel his compassion. “My heart cries out for Moab!” (Isaiah 15:5, WEB). The prophet's tears reflect a God who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
- Judgment is thorough yet just. Even on those who escape, God promises “yet more on Dimon” (Isaiah 15:9, WEB). His verdict against persistent pride is complete and righteous.
- What signs of mourning does Moab display, and what do they reveal about the depth of the disaster?
- Where do the Moabites go in their grief, and why can those places not help them?
- Why is it significant that the prophet says, “My heart cries out for Moab”?
- How does this lament guard us against gloating over the downfall of those we consider enemies?
- What “high places” do you run to in trouble, and how might God be calling you to run to him instead?
- The whole nation weeps with shaved heads, cut beards, sackcloth, and wailing on streets and rooftops (15:2-3). The piled-up images of mourning show a catastrophe so total that the entire people is undone in a single night.
- They climb to Nebo, Medeba, and the high places to weep before their gods (15:2), yet those altars are powerless. Their grief exposes the bankruptcy of idols, which can witness sorrow but never relieve it.
- Isaiah does not crow over Moab's fall; he mourns it (15:5). This reveals the heart of God, who declares judgment yet takes no delight in destruction, and it sets a pattern for how God's people should regard the lost.
- Because the prophet weeps, we cannot read these oracles with a sneer. Encourage the group to examine any secret satisfaction at an enemy's downfall, and to ask for God's compassion toward those still far from him.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name, even silently, the comforts or escapes they reach for in crisis, and to consider turning first to the Lord. Keep the reflection gentle and unhurried.