1The Moabite is exhorted to yield obedience to the throne of David. 6He is threatened for his pride with lamentable judgments, and that within three years.
1SEND 1ye 2the lamb 3to the ruler of the land from 4Sela 5to the wilderness, 6unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
1 O ye Moabites.
2 Hebr. the lamb, that is, as many lambs as ye are bound to give or pay for tribute. The Moabites paid to the king of Judah yearly an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams with the wool, as may be gathered from 2 Sam. 8:2, compared with 2 Kings 3:4.
3 Namely, of the king of Judah, who is become a lord or ruler over your land since the time that David conquered you, 2 Sam. 8:2. Other, of the ruler of the earth, understanding thereby God the Lord in this sense, as if he exhorted the Moabites to receive and embrace the true God, making it appear by offering of lambs in sacrifice unto Him.
4 That is, from your country, which is beset partly with cliffs and rocks and partly with the wilderness. Sela was the capital city situated upon a rock.
5 Here may be understood the wilderness of Judah which reaches from there unto the Jordan, where that river falls into the Dead Sea.
6 That is, unto Jerusalem, which is situated on Mount Zion.
27For it shall be, that, 8as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so 9the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of 10Arnon.
7 The sense is: If ye do it not, namely: If the Moabites do not obey the house of David, then it shall come to pass, etc. Other, For it shall come to pass.
8 That is, as a bird that flies to and fro. As such shall the daughters of the Moabites be driven out of their nest, that is, out of their country and out of their houses and prosperity.
9 That is, the women folk of the Moabites, married and unmarried, Luke 23:28. It is said there: Daughters of Jerusalem, under which are to be understood as well those who were not married as those who were married. Others understand here by daughters the small towns or cities of the land of Moab.
10 Arnon was the uttermost border of the land of the Moabites. So that when the prophet here threatens that the daughters of Moab would be brought to the ferries of Arnon and be carried over, He intimates thereby that they would be chased or carried away captive out of their own land.
311Take counsel, 12execute judgment; 13make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; 14hide 15the outcasts; 16bewray not him 17that wandereth.
11 Namely, how ye may escape the approaching misery.
12 Here the prophet advises the Moabites to deal uprightly, especially with the poor banished Jews, not using them cruelly, as their ancestors had done in former times, Deuteronomy 23; Jeremiah 48.
13 That is, make that your shadow, that is, the comfort and refreshing, which they desire and look for at your hand, may so comfort and refresh them in their greatest persecution, as the shadow or darkness of the night does comfort and refresh men in the hottest time of Summer.
14 Here the prophet expresses clearly what he has uttered later in figurative words.
15 Namely, the Jews, who were driven out of their land.
16 That is, betray them not, deliver them not into the hands of their enemies, as you are truly want to do.
17 That is, the Jews who take their refuge unto thee.
418Let 19mine outcasts dwell 20with thee, Moab; 21be thou a covert to them from the face 22of the spoiler: for the extortioner 23is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, 24the oppressors 25are consumed out of the land.
18 This God the Lord speaks.
19 That is, those who belong unto Me, although for a long time I have sorely chastised and punished them for their sins. Concerning the phrase, see Psalm 37 on verse 22.
20 Hebr. in thee, that is, by thee, in the land of the Moabites.
21 That is, exercise pity and compassion towards the Israelites; let them find shelter among you.
22 That is, of the Assyrians, who sorely persecuted and grievously plagued the Jews and other nations
23 Or, shall soon have an end, and so in the following words. As if the Lord had said: Ye Moabites ought to deal kindly and courteously with My people, for, they shall not always be oppressed and wronged by their enemies; I will at length deliver them, and so restore the kingdom of Judah, that they shall have opportunity and power to recompense unto you the favors which they shall have received at your hands; as likewise on the contrary, they shall be able to recompense unto you the mischief and unmercifulness which ye shall show unto them.
24 Hebr. the treader under foot, that is, all and every one of them who tread, that is, oppressor of My people.
25 That is, shall be, etc.
5And 26in mercy shall 27the throne 28be established: and he shall sit upon it 29in truth 30ina the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and 31hasting righteousness.
26 Namely, by the mercy of God. Other, in grace.
27 That is, a kingdom or royal dignity.
28 Or, be prepared.
29 Hebr. in truth, that is, firm and sure.
30 That is, One of the family of David, namely, Christ. He alone possesses steadfastly the throne of David, for He has an everlasting Kingdom.
a Isa. 9:7; Dan. 7:14, 27. Micah 4:7; Luke 1:33.
31 That is, speedily rendering what is just and right, whether to good or evil person. Other, well expert in the law, as Ezra 7:6. So that the prophet exhorts the Moabites to show mercy and compassion to the expelled Jews, because their decayed kingdom would be restored again, and would continue steadfastly forever.
6 ¶ 32We haveb heard of the pride 33of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: 34but his lies shall not be so.
32 Namely, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Some understand by the word we the prophet and the Jews, and other nations round about. Some do add hereto the word but, thus: But we have heard, etc., as if he said: The Lord indeed requires this, which was related before, at the hand of the Moabites, and they were bound to do it, yea, it would have also benefited them to have done it, but they are so proud and stout, that they will not follow any good counsel which is given them by others.
b Jer. 48:29, 30.
33 That is, of the Moabites.
34 Other, but his lies do not do it so. That is, in vain, yet does he rely upon them, as upon bars or hand beams.
735Therefore shall 36Moab howlc for Moab, every one shall howl: for the 37foundations of Kir-hareseth shall ye 38mourn; surely 39they are stricken.
35 Namely, by reason of the horrible invasion of the Assyrians, as may be gathered from verse 14.
36 That is, one Moabite over the other; namely, the living shall howl both over the dead and over the living.
c Jer. 48:20.
37 Other, bottles. See of this place Isa. 15:1.
38 Other, sigh. Other, mutter, speak under one’s breath.
39 Or, they shall be stricken, or, being stricken. Some apply this to the foundations, others to the mourning persons.
840For 41the fields of 42Heshbon 43languish, and the vine of 44Sibmah: 45the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, 46they 47are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through 48the wilderness: herd49branches are stretched out, they are gone 50over the sea.
40 Here the prophet now shows broader the cause of the weeping of the Moabites, and he speaks here, as elsewhere besides, as if it were already done which was to be done hereafter.
41 As 2 Kings 23:4. Other, vines.
42 See Joshua 13:17.
43 Other, shall languish or weaken, that is, wither.
44 Of Sibmah is likewise mention made in Num. 32:38; Joshua 13:19.
45 That is, the princes of the Assyrians.
46 Namely, those vines.
47 See Jer. 48 on verse 32.
48 Understand here the wilderness by the Jordan, as verse 1.
d Jer. 48:32, 33.
49 Or, sprouts, or, shoots.
50 Understand the sea by Jazer, as appears Jer. 48:32.
9 ¶ 51Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: 52I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest 53is fallen.
51 Other, Therefore I do weep the weeping of Jazer (that is, the misery that shall cause that city to weep), the vine of Sibmah. As if he had said: I am so affrighted at the destruction of Sibmah, that when I think upon it, it makes me weep, as well as I do weep for Jazer, Heshbon and Elealeh. See Isa. 15:5; 21:3.
52 Or, I bedew, water, sprinkle thee.
53 That is, has an end. In the time of harvest they were wont to sing joyful songs, but they are not heard any more, the prophet wants to say. See Jer. 25:30.
10And gladness is 54taken away, and joy 55out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: 56the treaders shall tread out 57no wine 58in their presses; 59I have made their vintage 60shouting to cease.
54 Hebr. is gathered. See Psalm 26:9.
55 Other, of Carmel, which is the name of a fruitful mountain and region. See 2 Kings 19 on verse 23, and further 1 Sam. 25 on verse 2.
56 See the 64th annotation at Jer. 25 on verse 30.
57 That is, he treads no grapes, out of which wine is pressed.
58 Or, in the wine-vats.
59 The Lord God speaks this.
60 Or, songs of praise, as Judges 9:27.
1161Wherefore my bowels 62shall sound 63like an harp 64for Moab, and 65mine inward parts 66for 67Kir-haresh.
61 The prophet speaks this.
62 Namely, for grief and sorrow.
63 Namely, when the strings of it are touched with the finger.
64 That is, because of the misery which comes upon Moab. See the annotation Isa. 15 on verse 5.
65 That is, my heart.
66 Namely, because that fair city is so miserably ruined and destroyed.
67 Is otherwise also called: Kir and Kir-hareseth. See verse 7; Isa. 15 on verse 1.
12¶And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is 68weary 69on the high place, that 70he shall come 71to his sanctuary to pray; but 72he shall note prevail.
68 Namely, of calling upon the gods, and of offering sacrifices unto them, requiring help and succor of them against his enemies.
69 The Moabites and other idolaters had their altars upon the high places.
70 Namely, Moab, that is, the Moabites.
71 Namely, into the temple of his idol Chemosh, Num. 21:29; 1 Kings 11:7; hoping that, although the other gods did not help him, yet Chemosh would surely hear him, and help him out of trouble.
72 Namely, Chemosh shall not be able to help him; or, he (namely, Moab) shall not prevail, or, shall not able to effect anything, as little as he had effected or deprecated, or obtained on the high places.
e Deut. 32:37, 38, 39.
13This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab 73since that time.
73 Namely, since that time that they had been subject to the king of Judah. See 2 Sam. 8:2, or, since the time of the revelation of this prophecy.
14But 74now the LORD hath spoken, saying, 75Within three years, 76as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, 77with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.
74 Namely, while they despise all admonitions and threatenings of the prophets.
75 Or, three years hence, or, after the expiration of three years, namely, in the fourth year of king Hezekiah; for, the prophet spoke this in the first year of this king’s reign, as appears Isa. 14:28, where this sermon begins. The fulfillment of this prophecy, see 2 Kings 18:9, where it is written that Shalmaneser marched up against Samaria in the fourth year of Hezekiah, from which may be gathered that in passing along, he subdues the Moabites, whereof mention is made here in this text. But this was but a beginning of their misery and destruction, which was more fully effected a long while after, as a long time after the prophet Isaiah the prophet Jeremiah did foretell the same unto them, Jeremiah 48.
76 That is, well accounted, and closely reckoned. Concerning a hired servant, his wages agreed upon is paid him when his time is expired, neither sooner nor later. Compare Isa. 21:16.
77 Other, with all that great wealth or abundance. See Psalm 37:16; Eccl. 5:9.