Ch. 48. 11.

The ARGUMENT of Chapter XV.

This Chapter contains a Prophecy against the Moabites, who
inhabited a delicious Spot of Ground about the Dead Sea,
by which it was bounded on the Weft, by Euphrates on the
Eaft, on the North by the River Arnon, and on the South
by the Defart of Cades Barnea and Idumea; the Metropo-
lis was Ar, other famous Cities in thofe Times, Dibon,Na-
bo, Medeba, Hefhbon and Eleale, of whofe Situation no
exact Account can be given, which is partly the Occafion of
the Difficulties to be met with in this Chapter; the Time of
the Accomplishment of it is no lefs uncertain, St. Jerom thinks
it is to be understood of the Devaftation of this Country by
Sennacherib and Nebuchodonofor both, because the laying.
waste of Moab is twice mention'd in the firft Verfe; but at
the latter end of the 16th Chapter he plainly gives it for the
Time of Sennacherib, because the Time of this Defolation
is determin'd within Three Years; the only Objection against
this is taken from the Prophet Jeremiah, who, defcribing the
Defolation of Moab, tells us, that he was never carry'd into
Captivity before, which he must have been according to thofe
who refer this to the Times of Sennacherib; but I fee no
Neceffity from any thing in this or the following Chapter to
own that the Prophet fpeaks here of their Captivity, he anly
prophefies that their Land fhall be laid wafte, over-run and
ruin'd by a plundering Army, the Inhabitants driven about
from City to City, and fo many of them deftroy'd, that they
fhould be left in a poor weak Condition; but the next Chapter,
which should not have been feparated from this, being a Con-
tinuation of the fame Threatning against Moab, puss it out of
Difpute that the Prophet must be understood of fome Defolati
an before the Time of Nebuchodonofor, very probably by
the Arms of Sennacherib, who was a Plague to all the Na-
#ions round about.

CHAP

CHAP. XV..

Chapter

XV.

Verse 1.HE burthen of Moab. Becaufe.in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to filence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to filence.] Some think the Sentence is not compleat, and fhould be fupply'd with howl or lament ye Moabite, becaufe in the Night Ar, the chief City of Moab, is laid waste; but the Words may be render'd, Surely in the Night that Ar was taken Moab was cut off, furely in the Night that Kir was taken Moab was deftroy'd; that is, Moab was quite undone when thofe Two Capital Cities were taken by the Enemy, after that they might ravage the open Country at Pleasure, and the weaker Towns not dare to make Oppofition against them; and this Destruction wherewith Moab is here threaten'd was brought upon them by Salmanafar, as (a) some think, or by Sennacherib, according to (4) Zach. UrSt. Ferom.

fin, Grotius.

Ver. 2. He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab fhall bowl over Nebo, and over Medeba, on all their heads fhall be baldness, and every beard cut off.] St. Jerom understands by Bajith the Royal Family, and fo Maitre de Sacy has render'd it, La maison Royale & !a ville de Dibon font montées a leur hauts-lieux pour pleurer la perte de Nabo & de Medeba. (b) Others take it in the Accufative, (6) Munster, be, that is, the Moabite, (fpeaking of the Body of the Peo- Vatabla. ple as of a fingle Perfon) are gone up to the Temple to implore the Affiftance of their Gods in this Time of their Diftrefs; but it's probable Bajith might be the Name of a City, fo call'd from the Temple of Chemoth, or Baal-peor, which in other Places of Scripture goes under the Name of Beth-baal-meon, and fometimes compendioufly Beth-meon. Fof. 13. 17. Numb.32. 38. Hither in Times of Diftrefs the trembling Inhabitants reforted to fupplicate the Protection of their Idols; fo that this Verfe may be render'd, The Moabites fhall run in Confufion to (e) Bajith, the Inhabitant of Dibon to their high Pla (c) Forerim, ces, to weep before their Idols, and endeavour to move them to Sandius: Compaffion; the Moabites fhall howl for the Lefs of Nebo aud Medeba, on all their heads fhall be baldness, and every beard

Chapter cut off, which in Times of public Calamity was the Coftom of the Eastern Nations.

XV.

Numb. 21. 23.

Ver. 3. In their streets they shall gird themselves with fackcloth on the tops of their houfes and in their streets every one fhall bowl, weeping abundantly.] In public they fhall be clad in the courfe Garments of Affliction, and in private they fhall apply themselves to their Gods, on the Top of their Houfes, which, contrary to our modern way of Archite&ture, were built flat at Top; hither they retir'd at the Hours of Prayer, to be out of the reach of any Noife which might divert their Thoughts, and perhaps out of a fond Opinion that their Prayers would reach Heaven the fooner for being made on high

Ver. 4. And Hefhbon fhall cry, and Elealeh: their voice fhall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed foldiers of Moab fhall cry out, his life fhall be grievous unto him.] These Places were given to the Children of Ifrael by God's Appointment; but Grotius obferves that many Places were allotted them which were never in their Poffeffion, they being fometimes fo lazy as not to give themselves the Trouble of fubduing them, but often fo weaken'd by their Divifions as not able to drive out the Inhabitants. Their voice fhall be heard to Jahaz, that is, to the remotest Corners of their Territories, for Jahaz was a Frontier Town. Yea, even the Soldiers themselves fhall cry out; tho' Dangers are wont to make the flightest Impreffion on their Hearts, yet fuch fhall their Afflictions be as to bear down their Courage, and make them defcend to effeminate Lamentations.

Ver. 5. My heart shall cry out for Moab, his fugitives fhall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Lubith with weeping fhall they go it up for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.] The Prophet fpeaks in his own Perfon, and feems concern'd at the fevere Difpenfation of Providence against the Enemies of their Nation; as if he had faid, The very Thoughts of their Calamities make me pity them; even to us, whom they have fo often invaded, fhall they be forc'd to feek for Refuge, and truft to the good Nature of a People whofe Refentment they have reason to dread; but others underftand the Words not of the Prophet, but of the Moabites

XV..

in general profeffing their inward Grief of Heart for the Chapter Defolation of their Country, which Gataker thinks beft agrees with the Context, his fugitives fhall flee to Zoar, which belonging to the Jews, whom by repeated Incurfions they had highly provok'd, they might expect fevere Reprifals. An heifer of three years old, that is, like a young Heifer, whofe natural Timeroufnefs prompts him to Flight, and Youth enables to quicken it. The latter part of this Verfe is obfcure in our Translation, which in the Port-Royal is render'd very clearly, Ils montent en pleurant par la colline de Luith, they fhall climb up the Hill of Luith with Tears in their Eyes, and in the Road of Heronaim they shall raife up a cry of destruction, part of the Moabites fhall make the best of their way to Luith, and part to Oronaim, both in the utmoft Confternation, with all the Signs of Sorrow and Confufion the Dread of a prevailing Enemy is apt to raife; these Places were probably either fortify'd Towns, or elfe fuch as Bajith and Dibon, high Places they fled to for the Protection of their Gods..

t

Ver. 6. For the waters of Nimrim fhall be defolate for the bay is withered away, the grafs faileth, there is no green thing.] The Meadows of Nimrim fhall be defolate, not ftor'd with Cattel as in Times of Peace and Security, the Grafs fhall be devour'd or trod down by the Multitude of their Ene mies Squadrons, all their fertile Meads depriv'd of their Verdure, as if the fcorching Sun had burnt up the Grafs to the Roots. We read in Scripture of Nimrah and Bath- Numb, 32. 3. nimrah, a City of the Gadites, at this time in all likelihood belonging to the Moabites, famous for its commodious Situation among running Brooks.

Ver. 7. Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, fhall they carry away to the brook of the willows.] Therefore because Forage fhall be wanting, their Enemies foon remove to other Quarters, and carry along with them all the rich Plunder they have got; this fome understand of the Moabites themselves, who, because the Waters of Nimrim were dry'd up, or else for fear of their Enemies, fhould carry away the beft of their Substance, to hide it in fome by-place, to the brook of the willows, in the Valley of the Arabians, the direct Road, as St. Jerom fays, from Moab to Affyria; fo that the Prophet here describes

the

XV.

Chapter the Incurfion of their Enemies, like the Invasions of the Tartars, they fhould plunder as long as they could find any Subfiftence for themselves and their Horfes, but that failing, retire immediately to their own Country, and divide the Spoil.

Grotius.

Ver. 8. For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab, the howling thereof unto Eglaim: and the bowling thereof unto Beer-elim.] Eglaim and Beer-elim were Towns fituated in the oppofite Borders of Moab, and by their howling reaching to both, we are to underftand that the Calamity fhould be univerfal, every Town and Village fhould be fill'd with Lamentation and Mourning, and the whole Country, as it were, eccho with the fhrieks of the Inhabitants. See the reafon of the Name Beer-elim, Numb. 21. 18. Elim in the Syrian Language being the fame with Sarim in the Hebrew, that is, Princes.

Ver. 9. For the waters of Dimon fhall be full of Blood, for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that efcapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.] The Prophet alludes to the Etymology of the word Dimon, that is, Blood; and fome think the Place had its Name from that terrible Slaughter of the Moabites, when the Confederate Army of Ifrael, Judah, and Edom, engaged and 2 Kings 3.21. overthrew them on the Banks of this River; as if he had faid, Juftly art thou called Dimon, but I will give thee greater reafon to be call'd fo, for I will bring more Blood upon Dimen, I will bring Lions on him that escapeth,. and upon the Remnant of the Land. Nofaphath, which we render More, fignifies any Additions, additamenta plagarum, I will fend Plague upon Plague upon thofe Moabites that escape to Dimon; a Lion, that is, Sennacherib raging like a Lion enrag'd at the obstinate resistance they might make for their Lives.

Tirinus.

The