Introduction: The Burden of Moab
Chapter 15 of Yeshayahu opens with "the burden of Moab" - the vision and prophecy that the prophet bears concerning Moab. This prophecy expresses the downfall and crisis that Moab will undergo: the immense devastation, the paralysis of spirit, and the collapse that will befall them when Assyria marches up and conquers them. This retribution came upon them for how they distressed the people of Israel, as we will see later in the chapter.
The progression of the prophecy unfolds in stages, and it is worthwhile to view it in advance as a unified whole: initially, two major cities were plundered from Moab, Ar and Kir, and they did not sense it at all. Afterward, Nebo and Medeba were conquered from them, which stand in the heart of the country and are not border towns. That development could no longer be ignored - yet do not imagine that they went out to fight; rather, they went out to weep. Only after a large part of the land was conquered, and Heshbon and Elealeh - Moab's finest cities - were destroyed, did they awaken to wage war, and by then it was already too late. This is the overarching theme running through all the verses before us.
Pasuk 1: The Conquest Begins - And Moab Remains Silent
מַשָּׂא מוֹאָב, כִּי בְּלֵיל שֻׁדַּד עָר מוֹאָב נִדְמָה, כִּי בְּלֵיל שֻׁדַּד קִיר־מוֹאָב נִדְמָה׃ - The burden of Moab: For in a night Ar of Moab was plundered, silenced; for in a night Kir of Moab was plundered, silenced.
"For in a night Ar was plundered" - in the night that Ar was plundered, the first city conquered from Moab, an open, unfortified city on the border, on the frontier of the land. And what did Moab do? "Moab was silenced" (nidmah) - it remained dumbstruck, silent, doing nothing at all. Likewise, "for in a night Kir was plundered": even after another city was taken from them, a fortified, walled city on the border of Moab, even then Moab paid no heed, staying silent and still without reacting whatsoever. Radak explains nidmah as related to being cut off and destroyed, as in the phrase "so they were cut off" (ken nidmu), which appears in other places.
Pasuk 2: Ascending the High Places - Not to Fight, but to Weep
עָלָה הַבַּיִת וְדִיבֹן הַבָּמוֹת לְבֶכִי, עַל־נְבוֹ וְעַל מֵידְבָא מוֹאָב יְיֵלִיל, בְּכָל־רֹאשָׁיו קָרְחָה, כָּל־זָקָן גְּרוּעָה׃ - He has gone up to the temple, and Dibon to the high places to weep; over Nebo and over Medeba Moab wails; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is shaven.
Moab went up onto the roofs of the houses, and Dibon, a city in Moab, went up to the high places, the elevated sites. Do not think they ascended there to aim their arrows better and fight - not at all. Why did they go up? "To weep"! Over Nebo and Medeba, which had been conquered. They realized what dire straits they were in, yet instead of marching out to fight as warriors would, they went up to weep like broken and despairing people.
And it was not enough that they wept in private; rather, "on all their heads is baldness" - like a person in mourning. And for whom does one mourn? For that which cannot be brought back, for the dead. That is to say, they had already completely despaired of any success, regarding it as an incurable calamity. Out of the depth of their distress, they shaved their heads bald to show that there was no deliverance for them from the Assyrian conquest. Not only that, but "every beard is shaven" (geru'ah): the beard was held in higher esteem among them, and they would not pluck its hairs except in utter despair. This is another stage in their breakdown - plucking and cutting off the hair of their beards to express the depth of their despair. Some read "every beard is cut down" (gedu'ah), but it amounts to the same thing: whether from the root meaning to diminish or to sever, the principle is identical.
Pasuk 3: Weeping Spills into the Courtyards and Streets
בְּחוּצֹתָיו חָגְרוּ שָׂק, עַל גַּגּוֹתֶיהָ וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ כֻּלֹּה יְיֵלִיל יֹרֵד בַּבֶּכִי׃ - In its streets they have girded sackcloth; on its rooftops and in its squares everyone wails, descending in weeping.
Do not imagine that the weeping was confined to the inner chambers alone. People went out to weep in the outer courtyards as well, and passersby girded themselves with sackcloth; on the rooftops too, an open and elevated place; and in the broad streets, the marketplace where crowds gather - there too, "everyone shall wail." When times are difficult, people weep, but where? In their private chambers. But when the crisis is absolute, people are no longer embarrassed to weep openly in the streets, for everyone understands the magnitude of the disaster. Everyone pouring out into the streets girded in sackcloth, without attempting to conceal their mourning, signifies a further descent and a horrific crisis.
And the wailing was so intense that "everyone shall wail, descending into weeping" - everyone, without exception, descends and breaks down under the weight of tears. "Descending" (*yored*), the Malbim explains, is like "I will bring down (*arid*) my complaint" (Tehillim 55:3), and like "and I will go down (*veyaradeti*) upon the mountains" (Shoftim 11:37), which Yiftach's daughter asked of her father: let me go and cast myself down in depression and sorrow to weep over my youth. Here too, "descending" is not merely walking downward, but a descent expressing humiliation and deep dejection. Yet none of this aroused in them the impulse to wage war, to defend themselves, or to strike the enemy - their only weapon was tears.
The Distinction Between "Chutzot" and "Rechovot"
The Malbim notes the distinction between "in its *chutzot*" and "in its *rechovot*." In Lashon HaKodesh, *chutz* refers to the area behind the houses, the courtyard that once belonged to every home; whereas *rechov* is the space in front of the house, the public domain, the marketplace, the broad open square where people assemble. As proof: "May our sheep increase by thousands in our *chutzot*" (Tehillim 144:13) - where are the sheep kept? Behind the house, in the outer courtyards. "There is no breach and no going out, and no outcry in our *rechovot*" (ibid., 144:14) - an outcry typically erupts in the broad public squares. Similarly, "to cut off the infant from the *chutz*, the young men from the *rechovot*" (Yirmeyahu 9:20): a one-year-old child is not sent out into the public street, but to the courtyard behind the house, whereas young men go out into the street.
Verse 4: The Belated Awakening
וַתִּזְעַק חֶשְׁבּוֹן וְאֶלְעָלֵה, עַד־יַהַץ נִשְׁמַע קוֹלָם, עַל־כֵּן חֲלֻצֵי מוֹאָב יָרִיעוּ, נַפְשׁוֹ יָרְעָה לּוֹ׃ - And Cheshbon and El'aleh cried out, their voice was heard as far as Yahatz; therefore the armed men of Moav shout, his soul grieves for him.
Once both Cheshbon and El'aleh began to cry out because the enemy had reached them as well - and these were the proud glory and splendor of Moav, the central cities in which Moav took pride - their outcry was so great that "their voice was heard as far as Yahatz," indicating that the destruction reached Yahatz and it too was conquered. Only then do "the armed men of Moav shout": those mobilizing for war sound a battle trumpet to call the masses to fight. But it is already too little, too late. "His soul grieves for him" (*nafsho yar'ah lo*) - this was a cry of ruin over their very souls, as if their soul prophesied that they were headed for shattering and doom. "They shout" (*yari'u*) here is related to "You shall shatter them (*tero'em*) with an iron rod" (Tehillim 2:9), meaning they will suffer a downfall, and it is no longer a stage at which battle can be waged.
Verse 5: The Prophet's Heart Advises Moav Not to Enter Battle
לִבִּי לְמוֹאָב יִזְעָק, בְּרִיחֶהָ עַד־צֹעַר עֶגְלַת שְׁלִשִׁיָּה, כִּי מַעֲלֵה הַלּוּחִית בִּבְכִי יַעֲלֶה־בּוֹ, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ חוֹרֹנַיִם זַעֲקַת־שֶׁבֶר יְעֹעֵרוּ׃ - My heart cries out for Moav, her fugitives flee as far as Tzo'ar, the circle of warriors; for up the ascent of Luchith one ascends with weeping, for along the road of Choronayim they raise an outcry of ruin.
The Malbim explains that it is the way of the prophet to speak metaphorically and poetically, and here he is effectively saying: My heart foresees the final outcome and comes forth with counsel for Moav. And what does the heart say? I warn you, do not go out to fight! I see the armed men of Moav preparing for battle, but "my heart cries out for Moav" - from deep within me, I have a message: Do not go into battle; you will not succeed in this fight.
And what is the counsel? "Her fugitives flee as far as Tzo'ar, the circle of warriors." *Egla* is from the language of *ma'agal* (circle), and *shelishiyah* refers to elite officers and warriors, as in "and officers (*shalishim*) over all of them" (Shemot 14:7) and "the officer (*hashalish*) upon whose hand the king leaned" (Melachim II 7:2). The circle refers to the battle formation - just as Shaul lay within the defensive circle (*bama'gal*) when David came and took the jug of water while the spear was stuck in the ground near his head. What was that circle? When they went out to battle, they would form a circle where everyone stood facing outward, to ensure no enemy could breach their perimeter. Thus, *eglat shelishiyah* refers to this circle of officers and mighty warriors. And what will become of them? Not only will they not fight, but "her fugitives flee as far as Tzo'ar" - they themselves will flee and escape all the way to Tzo'ar.
And why? "For up the ascent of Luchith one ascends with weeping" - Ma'aleh HaLuchith is the name of a mountain; the warrior who flees from the battle and escapes, as he ascends the mountainside, will climb weeping continuously. Defeat and collapse are imminent. And why? "For along the road of Choronayim they raise an outcry of ruin": the road of Choronayim is the valley before the mountain, which was the battleground, and there they will raise a shattering cry and fall before their enemies. The only "might" of these warriors will be to flee in tears. Therefore, my heart foresees such a downfall for them, and so I say: It is utterly futile for you, Moav, to go out to battle at all. This is a battle you are doomed to lose, and there is no point in giving your lives for something that will come to naught.
Verse 6: Economic Destruction and Drought
כִּי־מֵי נִמְרִים מְשַׁמּוֹת יִהְיוּ, כִּי־יָבֵשׁ חָצִיר כָּלָה דֶשֶׁא, יֶרֶק לֹא הָיָה׃ - For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolations; for the grass is withered away, the herbage fails, there is no green thing.
The Malbim explains that Moab's wealth and property were accumulated through commerce, as Moab had a harbor on the Waters of Nimrim, which is the name of a place. On this river, ships brought merchandise into the country, facilitating both import and export. Trade operates in two ways, even to this day: first, selling surplus - crops were harvested, and since they lacked advanced preservation methods, whatever remained as surplus was exported. Second, importing goods that do not grow domestically, agricultural products not found locally. Now the prophet says: the Waters of Nimrim, the river that served for export and import, "shall be desolations" - there will be ruin and dryness, from the language of desolation (shemamah). Intense heat will set in and rains will be withheld, until "the grass is withered away," until "the herbage fails," until "there is no green thing."
And what is the distinction between chatzir (grass), deshe (herbage), and yerek (greenery)? The Malbim explains: Chatzir encompasses all wild vegetation that grows on its own, mostly used as animal fodder; it typically grows without much water in arid terrain, yet despite this, it dries out before all other grasses. Deshe refers to the earth being clothed in various grasses, as Rashi explains in Bereishit on "deshe, esev mazria zera" - it endures longer and comprises the broad greenery across the land. And yerek refers to all kinds of succulent greens that retain moisture for a prolonged period, being filled with water. Therefore, the verse follows a precise progression: first, "the grass is withered away," being the earliest to dry out; then "the herbage fails," the varieties of grasses that endure longer; and finally "there is no green thing," meaning that even moisture-rich vegetation, which normally lasts the longest, is completely gone.
Verse 7: The Brook of Commerce Becomes the Path of Exile
עַל־כֵּן יִתְרָה עָשָׂה וּפְקֻדָּתָם, עַל נַחַל הָעֲרָבִים יִשָּׂאוּם׃ - Therefore the abundance they have acquired, and their stored goods, shall they carry away over the Brook of the Willows.
"Therefore" - because the river has dried up and ships can no longer arrive to trade with Moab. "The abundance they have acquired" (yitrah asah): the surplus goods produced in the land, the excess that could not be consumed locally and was loaded onto ships for export. "And their stored goods" (pekudatam), related to nifkad, meaning lacking or deposited, which refers to imports - items lacking locally that must be imported from elsewhere. Thus, both the surplus destined for export and the imported goods were transported via the Waters of Nimrim, the waterway that has now dried up.
And now, "over the Brook of the Willows shall they carry them away" - they will carry them out via the brook, for the king of Assyria conquered them and led them along this route, which led from Moab to Assyria. It is as if the prophet tells them: you were a nation of merchants, thriving on imports and exports, and now your commerce will cease. Not only that, but all your property will be carried off in captivity via the Brook of the Willows into enemy territory. Instead of conducting trade through your river, the waterway will serve the enemy in exiling you and stripping you of all your wealth.
Rashi: Why Such Calamity Was Decreed Upon Moab
Rashi interprets "Therefore the abundance they have acquired" (al ken yitrah asah) differently: on account of the excess they committed, this retribution comes upon them. Through this, Rashi sheds light on the root cause of this harsh prophecy against Moab: their profound ingratitude. For in several instances, Avraham stood by Lot: when leaving Charan, when going down to Egypt, through Avraham's merit Lot was rescued from the overthrow of Sodom, and Avraham went to battle on his behalf against Amraphel. Who saved Lot from Sodom? Who pursued the kings when his nephew was captured? Avraham left Charan without Hashem commanding him to take Lot, yet he took him along and helped him every step of the way. Moab was Lot's grandson, and they should have repaid kindness to Avraham's descendants. Instead, they would taunt and afflict them, as in the expression "the nations taunt Israel" by questioning, "What is this mitzvah and what purpose does it serve?"
And how did they afflict them? When Sancheriv exiled the tribes of Reuven and Gad, and the people of Israel were weeping and lamenting, the Moabites would mock them: "Why are you lamenting? You are merely returning to your ancestral home!" Notice the cruelty: the people of Israel are being driven into exile, Sancheriv is banishing Reuven and Gad, they are weeping, and the Moabites cynically scoff: "Why cry? You are just going back to Charan, a trip back to your roots, heading to your father's home - after all, your father Avraham came from beyond the river!" This is what is meant by the verse, "I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon" - for mocking and taunting people in exile constitutes reproach and blasphemy.
Not only that, but they assisted Sancheriv during the three-year siege of Shomron, as it is written: "Within three years, as the years of a hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt." And what will be their punishment? Their decree (pekudatam) shall be: "over the Brook of the Willows shall they carry them away," meaning that enemies will exile them to the land of Babylonia, which is the Brook of the Willows. And what is the meaning of aravim? As in, "Upon the willows in its midst we hung our harps" - willows, trees. You will be exiled to the Brook of the Willows, to the place of the willows, to Babylonia, and there you will pay the price: just as you mocked Israel, so will be done to you.
Pasuk 8: The Cry Encircles the Entire Border
כִּי־הִקִּיפָה הַזְּעָקָה אֶת־גְּבוּל מוֹאָב, עַד־אֶגְלַיִם יִלְלָתָהּ, וּבְאֵר אֵילִים יִלְלָתָהּ׃ - For the cry has encircled the border of Moav; its wailing reaches Eglaim, and its wailing reaches Be'er-eilim.
After describing the desolation within the country, the prophet says: know that this will encompass everything, even the borders of Moav. When they flee their land, the enemy's sword will overtake them as he pursues them. "Its wailing reaches Eglaim" - Eglaim is beyond the border of Moav; "and its wailing reaches Be'er-eilim" - which is even further from Moav, and their wailing has encircled even there. That is, even as they distance themselves from their homeland, they will find no rest from their enemies. The way of the world is that when a person suffers a downfall and ruin, people do not chase after the fallen to cast another stone, yet here there is downfall upon downfall: not only will they be exiled from their land, but the weeping and the pursuit that causes it will continue even past the borders of Moav.
The Malbim explains that the cry is described here as an abstract concept given a physical form - what is known today as personification. For it says that the cry goes and moves from city to city; does a cry have feet? Rather, the abstract concept, which is the sound of the cry, is personified and characterized as someone who walks, cries out, and travels from place to place. So too here: the cry goes and encircles the border of Moav, continues to wail, and reaches all the way to Be'er-eilim, where it wails as well.
Pasuk 9: Additional Plagues - and No Survivor
כִּי מֵי דִימוֹן מָלְאוּ דָם, כִּי־אָשִׁית עַל־דִּימוֹן נוֹסָפוֹת, לִפְלֵיטַת מוֹאָב אַרְיֵה וְלִשְׁאֵרִית אֲדָמָה׃ - For the waters of Dimon are full of blood, for I will bring additions upon Dimon: a lion for the survivors of Moav, and for the remnant of the land.
"The waters of Dimon" refers to a river further away from Moav, and there they are full of blood - the entire river will fill with blood from Moav's slain. We find in Tikkunei HaZohar that in the war of Gog u'Magog the sea will turn red - not the Red Sea, but our sea (the Mediterranean) will turn red from the blood of the corpses of Gog u'Magog. "For I will bring additions upon Dimon" - I will bring upon Dimon additional armies and additional oppressors who will come to fight against those who fled; and as for those fugitives who thought they had escaped with their lives, additional troops will come and strike them down as well.
"A lion for the survivors of Moav" - even those who escape the additional armies and succeed in saving themselves by hiding in the forests, I will bring against them lions and wild beasts of the forest to consume them. "And for the remnant of the land" - and for the few who remained and hid within the country, harmed neither by the additional armies nor by the lion, I will set against them the land itself: the soil of Moav, which will be desolate, its vegetation and plants utterly withered, will kill its inhabitants through famine and pestilence, leaving nothing behind. All this is from Hashem's prophecy; all this is the word of Hashem.
Survivors and Remnant
What is the difference between "the survivors (pleitah) of Moav" and "the remnant (she'erit)"? The Malbim explains: pleitah refers to escape by fleeing, one who escapes from the camp, as in "and the fugitive (hapalit) came," having fled the battlefield. She'erit, on the other hand, refers to those who remained in their place - most were exiled, and those who were left behind and not exiled are called the remnant. Usually, she'erit denotes a low status, being in the category of leftovers (shirayim); Chazal expound in several places that she'erit refers to the insignificant and worthless, like mere scraps. Therefore, the verse says: even those who remain as a remnant, the leftovers of the leftovers still left in Moav, the land itself and the coming drought will kill them.
In Summary:
Chapter 15 describes the collapse of Moav in stages: first, Ar and Kir are plundered and silenced; next, Nevo and Meidva fall, and they ascend the high places not to fight but to weep; followed by Cheshbon and El'aleh, and only then do Moav's armed forces sound the alarm - far too late. The prophet depicts a mourning of despair: baldness on every head, beards shaved off, sackcloth girded in the marketplaces, on the rooftops, and in the streets, and the prophet's own heart cries out for Moav not to march out into a battle in which they will be crushed. The country's economy is ruined as the waters of Nimrim dry up, and the brook that once served as a trade route becomes a route of exile and captivity. Rashi reveals the root cause: Moav's ingratitude toward the descendants of Avraham, who had shown kindness to Lot, their mocking of Israel during their exile, and their assistance to Sancheriv against Shomron. And the prophecy concludes with the realization that there is no escape: additional armies pursue the fugitives, lions consume those fleeing to the forests, and the desolate land destroys the remnant - all according to the prophecy of Hashem.