48:1 Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel; Woe to a Nebo! for it is laid waste: Kiriathaim
is confounded [and] taken: Misgab is confounded and
dismayed.
(a) These were cities of the Moabites, which Nebuchadnezzar
took before he went to fight against Nebo King of
Egypt.
48:2 [There shall be] no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they
have devised evil against it; b come, and let us cut it
off from [being] a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, c
O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.
(b) Thus shall the Babylonians encourage one another.
(c) Read (Isa 25:10).
48:5 For in the ascent of d Luhith continual weeping shall go
up; for in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a
cry of destruction.
(d) Horonaim and Luhith were two places by which the
Moabites would flee, (Isa 15:5).
48:6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the e bush in the
wilderness.
(e) Hide yourselves in barren places, where the enemy will
not pursue after you, (Jer 17:6).
48:7 For because thou hast trusted in thy f works and in thy
treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and g Chemosh shall
go forth into captivity [with] his priests and his princes
together.
(f) That is, the idols which are the works your hands. Some
read, in your possessions, for so the word may signify
as in (1Sa 25:2).
(g) Both your great idol and his maintainers will be led
away captives so that they will then know that it is in
vain to look for help at idols, (Isa 15:2).
48:10h Cursed [be] he that doeth the work of the LORD
deceitfully, and cursed [be] he that keepeth back his
sword from blood.
(h) He shows that God would punish the Chaldeans if they
did not destroy the Egyptians, and that with a
courage, and calls this executing of his vengeance
against his enemies, his work though the Chaldeans
sought another end, (Isa 10:11).
48:11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled
on his lees, and hath not been i emptied from vessel to
vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his
taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
(i) Has not been removed as the Jews have, but have lived
at ease, and as a wine that feeds itself on his lees.
48:13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of
Israel was ashamed of k Bethel their confidence.
(k) As the calf of Bethel was not able to deliver the
Israelites no more will Chemosh deliver the Moabites.
48:17 All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that
know his name, say, l How is the strong staff broken,
[and] the beautiful rod!
(l) How are they destroyed that put their trust in their
strength and riches?
48:20m Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: wail and
cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is laid waste,
(m) Thus they who flee will answer.
48:25 The n horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,
saith the LORD.
(n) That is, his power and strength.
48:26 Make ye him o drunk: for he magnified [himself] against
the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also
shall be in derision.
(o) He willed the Chaldeans to lay afflictions enough on
them till they are like drunken men that fall down to
their shame and are derided by all.
48:27 For was not Israel a derision to thee? was he found among
thieves? for since thou hast spoken of him, thou didst
p leap for joy.
(p) You rejoiced to hear of his misery, (Isa 16:6).
48:30 I know his wrath, saith the LORD; q but [it shall] not
[be] so; his lies shall not so effect [it].
(q) He will not execute his malice against his neighbours.
48:31r Therefore will I wail for Moab, and I will cry out for
all Moab; [my heart] shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.
48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of
Jazer: thy plants have gone over the sea, they reach
[even] to the sea s of Jazer: the spoiler hath fallen
upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.
(s) Which city was in the utmost border of Moab: and by
this he signifies that the whole land would be
destroyed and the people carried away.
48:34 From the cry of Heshbon [even] to Elealeh, [and even] to
Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar [even] to
Horonaim, [as] an t heifer of three years old: for the
waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.
(t) )Read Geneva "Isa 15:5")
48:36 Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like u pipes,
and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of
Kirheres: because the riches [that] he hath gotten have
perished.
(u) Their custom was to play on flutes or instruments,
heavy and grave tunes at burials and in the time of
mourning, as in (Mt 9:23).
48:40 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, x he shall fly as an
eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
48:43y Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [shall be] upon
thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.
(y) He that escapes one danger will be taken by another,
(Isa 24:17).
48:45 They that fled stood under the shadow z of Heshbon
because of the force: but a a fire shall come out of
Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall
devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of
the tumultuous ones.
(z) They fled there thinking to have comfort from the
Amorites.
(a) The Amorites had destroyed the Moabites in times past,
and now because of their power the Moabites will seek
them for help.
48:46 Woe be to thee, O Moab! the people of b Chemosh
perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy
daughters captives.
(b) Who vaunted themselves of their idol as though he
could have defended them.
48:47 Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the c
latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far [is] the judgment of
Moab.
(c) That is, they will be restored by the Messiah.
