The harsh prophecy concerning Moab Isaiah prophesied that Sennacherib would come upon Moab and exile them, as it is said (infra 16:14): “In three years, like the years of a hireling, shall the glory of Moab be debased.”

for on the night that Ar of Moab was pillaged, it was as though they were sleeping silently Moab was silent as though they were sleeping silently and were unable to wage war, and on another night when Kir of Moab was pillaged, it was as though they were sleeping silently. Jonathan renders: And they were sleeping. Ar and Kir were two provinces of Moab.

They went up to the temple, and Dibon Moab went up to the temple, and the people of Dibon to the high places.

to weep These would weep in the temple, and these would weep atop their high places.

sighing Heb. יֹרֵד, sighing and roaring with weeping. Comp. (Judges 11:37) “And I will cry, (וְיָרַדְתִּי) on the mountains,” and (Lam. 3:19) “Remember my affliction and my cry (וּמְרוּדִי).”

because the armed men of Moab shall cry in alarm Since the armed men of Moab shall cry out towards the battle, and the soul of Moab shall cry out for itself, like one mourning for himself.

My heart shall cry out for Moab The Jewish prophets are not like the gentile prophets. Balaam sought to uproot Israel for no reason, whereas the prophets of Israel bewail the calamity that befalls the nations.

its bars as far as Zoar Heb. בְּרִיחֶיהָ, bars. For the entire strength of Moab shall my heart cry, as far as Zoar, which is a third born heifer; it is their main strength, like a heifer born third to its mother. Alternatively, שְׁלִשִׁיָּה means a strong heifer. Jonathan, however, renders בְּרִיחֶיהָ like בּוֹרְחֶיהָ, those of her who flee. Those who flee shall flee from them to escape to Zoar, as Lot, their forebear, fled to Zoar.

the ascent of Haluhith A place on the ascents of the mountain, named “the ascent of Haluhith,” and similarly (Jer. 48:5), “The descent of Horonaim.” Those who flee through them shall weep. All these locations are from Moab.

they shall raise Heb. יְעֹעֵרוּ, they shall cry, and this is an Aramaic expression, for Jonathan renders (infra 16:10): “The treader shall not tread; I have abolished the cry,” as: “They shall not cry (יְעוֹעֲרוּן) with their voice.”

the waters of Nimrim The river of that place.

shall be a waste from the blood of the fallen that was mixed and fell into it.

for the grass has dried up meaning their heroes and their kings and their rulers, and since the land of Moab is noted for its good pastureland, as we learned (Menachoth 87a): “Rams from Moab,” he therefore compared its retribution to the destruction of its pastureland.

Because of the many things they did Because they did many things, this retribution shall come upon them, for they were unappreciative, for in many places Abraham stood up for Lot: when he left Haran, and when he went to Egypt, and in his merit he was sent out of the overturning of Sodom, and he fought for him with Amraphel and his allies. For this, they should have repaid his descendants with favors. Yet they taunted them when Sennacherib exiled the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the Israelites were weeping and lamenting, and they would say to them, ‘Why are you lamenting? Aren’t you going to your father’s house? Didn’t your father Abraham come from the other side of the river?’ And this is what is stated (Zephaniah 2:8): “I heard the insults of Moab and the jeers of the children of Ammon.” Moreover, they aided Sennacherib for three years when he besieged Samaria. This is what is stated (infra 16:14): “In three years, like the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be debased.”

and their appointed territory Heb. וּפְקֻדָּתָם. Jonathan renders: and their boundaries that are on the western sea, shall be taken. This is an expression of appointment. Comp. (Num. 4:16) “And the appointment of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest.” The land over which they were appointed, shall be taken from them.

by the western sea, they shall take them The enemies shall take them, namely the boundaries. Alternatively, it may be interpreted as: and their visitation; i.e., their visitation that I will bring upon them will be, that to the valley of the willows they shall carry them off. The enemies shall exile them to the land of Babylon, which is the valley of the willows, as it is said (Ps. 137:2): “On willows in its midst we hung our harps.”

Eglaim...Beer-elim They are places on the border of Moab.

her wail the wail of Moab.

and Beer- elim And to Beer elim.

The waters of Dimon The name of the river.

have been filled with blood Like the name of the river. [The name דִּימוֹן resembles דַּם, blood.]

for I will place upon Dimon additions Its name is blood, and I will add the blood of the fallen, to fill it. Jonathan renders, however: כְּנִישַׁת מַשַׁירְיָן, the gathering of the camps, the camps joined together. This is an expression of (infra 21:1) “Join (סְפוּ) year to year”; (Deut. 29:18) “to add (סְפוֹת) the inadvertent sins.”

for the survivors of Moab is the lion The survivors which Sennacherib will leave over, Nebuchadnezzar will carry away in his time, and he will destroy them. And he is called “the lion,” as the matter is stated (Jer. 4:7): “The lion has come up out of his thicket.”

and for the remnant of Israel.

is the land [i.e,] your land.