Commentary on Isaiah (Super Isaiam)

The burden of Moab. In this part he threatens against the Moabites, who descended from Moab, the firstborn of Lot, Gen. 19, because they rejoiced over the destruction of the children of Israel by the Assyrians and Chaldeans, by whom they themselves were nevertheless destroyed, although afterward.

And it is divided into two parts. In the first he threatens destruction; in the second, the condition of the destruction, "send forth," chapter 16. The first is divided into two. In the first he threatens destruction through the Assyrians; in the second, through the Babylonians, "to the torrent." The first is divided into three. In the first he designates, from the grief, the greatness of the punishment; in the second, the manner and order of the punishment, "bars"; in the third, the reason for the greatness, "according to the greatness."

Now he shows the greatness of the grief with respect to three things: namely, through the silence of stupor; through the weeping of grief, "he goes up"; through the compassion of enemies, "my heart." Now stupor arises from the loss of those things in which someone trusts. Now they trusted in the royal city from which they hoped for help, and in the fortifications; and therefore he says: the burden of Moab; that is, this is the vision concerning the burden of Moab, that is, the province of the Moabites. "It has grown silent," out of stupor, because Ar, the royal city, was laid waste by night. Literally, on account of the grave tribulation. And because the wall of the fortifications was laid waste by night, Moab grew silent; Obad. 5: "if thieves had entered."

"He goes up." Here he shows the greatness of the punishment from the greatness of the weeping, and he sets down three things. First he foretells the weeping: and as to those who weep, "the house," namely the royal house, and Dibon, a certain noble city. And as to the place: "it goes up to lamentation," that is, to weep, to the high places in which they used to sacrifice to idols, so that by lamenting they might seek help. And as to the matter: Moab, the whole province, "will wail over Nebo and over Medeba," certain cities which had been destroyed. Joel 2: (wail on my holy mountain).

Second, he describes the manner of lamenting, according to the custom of the ancients, who, nourishing their beard and hair in time of gladness, would put them off in time of sadness, as is found in Job 1: "with head shorn he fell upon the ground." "On every head." Above, 3: "and instead of curled hair there shall be baldness."

Third, he excludes any limit to the weeping. And as to the diversity of places: because "every" — that is, in every way — "wailing" will be, "upon its roofs," which they had flat for sitting, "and in its streets it will come down in weeping," from the heights to which, weeping, it had gone up, so that there is weeping on mountains and in valleys. "Heshbon cried out," weeping, "and Elealeh," which are cities, or rather lands of the kingdom of Moab. "Their voice was heard as far as Jahaz," which is another city of it. And as to the diversity of those weeping: "over this" — evil; "the equipped," namely for fighting; not only old men, and also together with others, but even for itself, when it stands alone, "the soul," because lamentation proceeds from the inmost parts of the heart. Jer. 48: "upon every roof of Moab, and in its streets, all is lamentation."

Note on that word, "the wall was laid waste by night," that night has obscurity: and first, of the original stain. Job 3: "let the day perish in which I was born, and the night in which it was said, a man is conceived." Second, of actual fault. 1 Thess. 5: "those who sleep, sleep by night." Third, of unfaithful ignorance. Rom. 13: "the night has passed, but the day has drawn near."

Second, night has horror. First, of oppressing despair. Job 27: "by night a tempest shall oppress him." Second, of present affliction. Prov., last: "her lamp shall not be put out by night." Third, of eternal damnation. Wis. 17: "bound with the chains of darkness, and fettered by a long night, they were pleasing to perpetual providence."

Third, night has the quiet of contemplation; in which, first, there is the desire of fervent love: below, 26: "my soul has desired you in the night"; second, the sacrifice of due confession. Ps. 118: "at midnight I arose to confess to you"; third, the silence of divine consolation: Wis. 18: "for while a quiet silence contained all things, and night in its course had reached the midpoint of its path, your all-powerful word, O Lord, leaping down from heaven, from the royal throne, came."

"My heart." Here he shows the greatness of the punishment from the compassion of enemies, because the prophet himself grieved along with Moab, that is, for the affliction of Moab. Jer. 48: "over you I will keep watch."

"Bars." Here he describes the manner and order of the punishment, and he sets down three things. First, the devastation of the land: "bars," that is, the strength or the boundaries, "of it" — Moab — "are laid waste, even to Zoar," one of the five cities destroyed, Gen. 19, which was in the lands of Moab. "A heifer" — on account of luxury — "conternantem," that is, of three years, when animals are in their strength and vigor. Or "conternantem," because it fell at the third shaking of the earthquake, when Lot withdrew. Jer. 46: "Egypt is a fair and famous heifer."

Second, the captivity of the men: for "by the ascent of Luhith," a certain slope, or a certain hamlet, from which the captives were led, "he will go up, Moab led captive." And "on the way of Horonaim," a certain city of Moab, through which they were passing, "they will raise up a cry of destruction." Nahum 2: "the soldier has been led captive."

Third, the barrenness of the fields: for "the waters" — that is, the land of Moab will be as barren as the place near the town of Nimrim, which is near the sea, on account of the salty and bitter waters. Not indeed on account of the waters, but by the judgment of God, "the grass," already sprung up, "has dried up"; "the shoot," as to those things which were budding; "the greenness," of trees already grown. Ps. 106: "he turned rivers into a desert."

"According to the greatness." Here is set down the reason for the greatness of the punishment: "of the work," of sin; "the visitation," the vengeance. Deut. 25: "according to the measure of the sin shall also be the measure of the stripes."

"To the torrent." Here he threatens destruction through the Babylonians, in which some were taken captive. And as to this he says: the Chaldeans will lead them to the torrent, the Euphrates, near Babylonia, "of the willows," which grow near the river. Ps. 136: "by the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and wept."

Some were slain; and as to this he says: "for the cry goes round about," of those weeping, or of the Chaldeans fighting: "because the waters of Dibon" — the name of a city — in which, because of the pleasantness of the places, they used to practice their luxuries. 4 Kings 3: "the Moabites ran to the waters of Dibon."

Some who remained were afflicted by various persecutions: "I will bring upon Dibon," to which the Jews had fled, "these additions," of punishments, "upon those who shall have fled from Moab," from the Assyrians, "and upon the remnants of the land," whom the Assyrians left behind. "A lion": literally, beasts killing them; or a raging enemy, namely the Chaldean. Above, 9: "in all these things my fury is not turned away."