Isaías 15
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Isaías 15
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS (locations mentioned in the literary unit of Isaiah 15-16) Isaiah was very familiar with the geographical area of the Trans-Jordan (east of Jordan). Cities Ar, Isa. 15:1 Kir, Isa. 15:1 (Kir-hareseth, 16:7,11) Dibon, Isa. 15:2,9 Nebo, Isa. 15:2 Medeba, Isa. 15:2 Heshbon, Isa. 15:4; 16:9 Elealeh, Isa. 15:4; 16:9 Jahaz, Isa. 15:4 Zoar, Isa. 15:5 Eglath-shelishiyah, Isa. 15:5 (lit. "the Third Eglath," cf. Jer. 48:34) Luhith, Isa. 15:5 Horonaim, Isa. 15:5 Eglaim, Isa. 15:8 Beer-elim, Isa. 15:8 Dimon (DSS, "Dibon"), Isa. 15:9 Sela, Isa. 16:1 Kir-hareseth, Isa. 16:7,11 Sibmah, Isa. 16:8,9 Jazer, Isa. 16:8,9 Admah (Isa. 15:9 REB)? Water Courses water of Nimrim, Isa. 15:6 brook of Arabim (possibly a "wadi of poplars"), Isa. 15:7 waters of Dimon, Isa. 15:9 fords of Arnon, 16:2 The listing of these numerous cities and water courses are to emphasize a total destruction (the invader is unnamed and uncertain). There is a movement of refugees southward or to Judah (cf. Isa. 16:1-4). Isaiah 15-16 forms a literary unit related to YHWH's dealing with Moab, also note Jer. 48 and Ezek. 25:9-11. SPECIAL TOPIC: MOAB
Isaías 15:1-9
15:1 Notice how Isaiah's contextual marker of a new message or vision "oracle" (BDB 672 III) appears in Isa. 15:1. See note at Isa. 13:1 (cf. Isa. 14:28; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1,11,13; 22:1; 23:1; 30:6). This term denotes a divine revelation. SPECIAL TOPIC: WAYS OF REVELATION SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION ▣ "Moab" This is one of Israel's relatives from Lot and one of his two daughters after their flight from Sodom (cf. Genesis 19). Moab, Ammon, and Edom (i.e. the trans-Jordan nations) are first mentioned as receiving domination by Judah in Isa. 11:14. Chapters 15-16 form a literary unit dealing with Moab's judgment (cf. Jeremiah 48; Ezek. 25:8-11; Amos 2:1-3; Zeph. 2:8-11). Moab is mentioned often in the book of Numbers because Israel had to travel through their land to get to Canaan. Moses was buried there (cf. Deuteronomy 34). ▣ "Surely in a night" This phrase is repeated twice and emphasizes the suddenness and completeness of the coming judgment of Moabite cities. The two VERBS "devastated" (BDB 994, KB 1418) and "ruined" (lit. "cut off," BDB 198, KB 225) are both PERFECTS (there is a series of four PERFECT VERBS in v. 1), also denoting a complete destruction. Isaiah used the VERB "ruined" to describe himself in Isa. 6:5. The Assyrian armies invaded Canaan/Palestine several times. Sargon II in 715 B.C. Sargon II in 711 B.C. Sennacherib in 701 B.C. ▣ "Ar" The term (BDB 786 I) can refer to a city (it is the general name for city in the Moabite language) or a region (i.e. Deut. 2:9,29). Since Kir (BDB 885 II) also means "wall" (cf. LXX, i.e. walled city) in Hebrew, it is possible that Ar and Kir refer to the capital of Moab in parallel poetic lines. 15:2 "to the temple. . .even to the high places" This is a reference to Moabite places of worship of Chemosh (cf. Num. 21:29; Jer. 48:46). The temple of this Canaanite deity was possibly located near Dibon, Moab's capital. The worship of this god involved human sacrifice. Verse 9a (DSS has "Dybon," but the MT has "Dimon") mentions "blood," which may refer to human sacrifice military invasion SPECIAL TOPIC: CHEMOSH ▣ "Dibon. . .Nebo. . .Medeba" There are also cities of Moab listed in the book of Numbers in relation to the Wilderness Wandering Period as Israel finally approached Canaan from the eastern side of the Jordan Rift Valley. 15:2-3 wails. . .bald. . .beard cut off. . .mourning. . .girded with sackcloth. . .wailing" These all refer to mourning rites of the ANE (cf. Isa. 22:12; Ezra 9:3; Job 1:20; Jer. 7:29; 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 48:37; Ezek. 7:18; 27:31; Micah 1:16). The population tries to turn to their gods (cf. Isa. 15:2); they try to repent and seek help, but there is no help from lifeless idols! SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES 15:4 "Heshbon. . .Elealeh. . .Jahaz" These are also cities on the eastern side of Jordan, close to and often identified with Moab (or Ammon, i.e. Mesha Stone, 9 th century B.C.). ▣ "cry out" This is the VERB (BDB 277, KB 277, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) that was used in its Qal IMPERATIVE form in Isa. 14:31 (Philistia). Here it denotes Moab and in Isa. 15:5 it denotes YHWH or Isaiah. Note its use in Jer. 48:20,31. ▣ "the armed men" NKJV, Peshitta "the armed soldiers" NRSV, LXX, JB "the lions" "warriors" "stoutest warriors" "the shock troops" The difference between "soldiers" (BDB 323 II) and "loins" (BDB 323) in Hebrew is vocalization, not a consonantal change. ▣ "His soul trembles within him" This VERB (BDB 438, KB 440, Qal PERFECT) appears only here. There are several Hebrew words translated "tremble." They denote fear and lack of action in the face of God's judgment. They characterize "holy war." This one may have been chosen for poetic reasons to sound like the VERB "cry out." The term "soul" is nephesh and denotes air-breathing life on this planet. It is used as imagery for a human person. SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH 15:5-9 The Jewish Study Bible sees these verses as referring to Moabites fleeing to Edom (p. 815). This is possible because the exact location of these cities mentioned is uncertain, though all are east or southeast of the Jordan River. 15:5 "My heart cries out for Moab" The "my" in context must refer to YHWH Himself (cf. Isa. 15:9). Although it could be the prophet himself, cf. Isa. 16:9,11. YHWH hears the cries of Moab's people and is moved. They still receive judgment, but not from a thoughtless, uncaring God! They are even offered help/refuge in Isa. 16:1-4. What an amazing text! The Septuagint changes the referent to "the heart of the region of Moab cries within her" (cf. NJB). ▣ NASB, NRSV, TEV, REB, JPSOA "Eglath-shelishiyah" NKJV, LXX, Peshitta "like a three-year-old heifer" (from same root; KB 784) This (BDB 722) seems to be a city (i.e. "third Eglath," cf. Jer. 48:34). ▣ "His fugitives" The MT has "her bars" (BDB 138, בריחה from בריה), but most translations change the vocalization to "his fugitives" from מברה (BDB 138). 15:6 In the OT God controls the weather (cf. Deuteronomy 27-29). He brings abundance for covenant obedience, but withholds agricultural production in the face of evil, wickedness, and rebellion (i.e. the two ways, Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 30:15,19; Psalm 1). Moab faces both invasion (cf. Isa. 15:9a) and lack of food. 15:7 Moab was located on a major trade route from Egypt to Syria. She taxed all the caravans and became wealthy. 15:9 NASB, NRSV, NJB, REB "A lion" (אריה, BDB 71, MT) "Lions" "I drench it" "I will remove the offspring" "I will plot" "a vision" (אראה) "I give a drink" (ארוה) the MT has "a lion for the remnant of the land." The UBS Text Project, p. 36, gave this a "C" rating (considerable doubt), but suggested it was an allusion to 2 Kgs. 17:25 (i.e. "YHWH sent lions"). This could be literal, God uses wild animals to judge (i.e. 1 Kgs. 13:24-28; 2 Kgs. 17:25) a symbol of the Assyrian army (cf. Isa. 5:29; Jer. 50:17) figurative of invasion from Judah (cf. Isa. 11:14, the lion [ruler] of Judah). There are two ways to view this strophe. The JPSOA significantly changes the translation of this verse (esp. lines 2-4) to make it positive (cf. Isa. 15:5, "my"). "For I pour added (water) on Dimon I drench it ‒ for Moab's refugees ‒ with soil (footnote, 'tears') for its remnant" (DSS) The LXX of Isa. 15:9, lines 2-4, are also very different, but decidedly negative. "For I will bring Arabs upon Remnon, and I will remove the offspring of Moab and Ariel and the remnant of Adama."