Isaiah 15:8

Isa 15:8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.

Ver. 8. For the cry is gone round about, &c.] When the prophet thus describeth the mourning of the Moabites as excessive, and as a fruit of their unbelief, we must learn to moderate our mourning for outward losses and crosses, and that out of hope of God’s mercy promised to his penitent suppliants.

The howling thereof unto Eglaim.] See on Isa 15:2.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eglaim-- (Eze 47:10), En-eglaim. Not the Agalum of EUSEBIUS, eight miles from Areopolis towards the south; the context requires a town on the very borders of Moab or beyond them.

Beer-elim--literally, "the well of the Princes"--(so Num 21:16-18). Beyond the east borders of Moab.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(8) The cry is gone round about . . .—The extent of the lamentation is emphasised by naming its farthest points. It reaches (1) Eglaim (“two pools”), probably the same as the En-Eglaim of Eze_47:10, as near the Dead Sea. Eusebius (Onomast.) names it as eight miles south of Areopolis or Rabbath Moab. Josephus mentions a town Agalla as near Zoar (Ant. xii. 1, 4); (2) Beer-Elim (“the well of the terebinths”), perhaps the same as the “well” on the borders of Moab of Num_21:16.

(8) The waters of Dimon.—Probably the same as Dibon, the name being slightly altered (m and b, as labial letters, are closely connected in all languages) so as to resemble the Hebrew word for “blood” (dam), or dum (“silent”). Men should call the stream no more by the name of Dimon, but by that of the blood, or the silent river. (See Note on Isa_21:11.)

I will bring more . . .—i.e., sorrow upon sorrow. The “lions” are either literally such, as in 2Ki_17:25, prowling through the streets of the deserted city (see Notes on Isa_13:21), or symbols of Assyrian or other invaders (Jer_4:7; Jer_5:6).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. Summing up the effect of the previous description and explaining the forsaking of the land.

the cry (of destruction, Isa_15:5) is gone round …] We should expect the two places in the second half of the verse to mark the extreme limits of the country—the “Dan and Beersheba” of Moab. Eglaim is probably the village Αἰγαλείμ mentioned by Eusebius as lying 8 Roman miles S. of Rabba. Beer-elim (“well of the mighty ones”?) is unknown, but has been plausibly identified with the “well” (Bì’çr) of Num_21:16-18, in northern Moab.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the cry is gone found about the borders of Moab,.... The cry of destruction and howling because of it; the places mentioned, as is observed by some, being upon the borders of the land. Heshbon was on the north east, Elealeh on the north west, Jahaz on the south west, Horonaim further west, Zoar the utmost west, and the places following seem to be upon the borders likewise:

the howling thereof unto Eglaim; which word signifies a border, and so the Arabic word Agalon; some take it to be the same with the brooks of Arnon, Num 21:13 said so be the border of Moab:

and the howling thereof unto Beerelim; the same with Beer, Num 21:16 called Beerelim, or "the well of the mighty ones", being dug by the princes of Israel, Num 21:18.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For the cry is gone round about ... - The cry of distress and calamity has encompassed the whole land of Moab. There is no part of the land which is not filled with lamentation and distress.

The howling - The voice of wailing on account of the distress.

Unto Eglaim - This was a city of Moab east of the Dead Sea, which, Eusebius says, was eight miles south of Ar, and hence, says Rosenmuller, it was not far from the south border of Moab. It is mentioned by Josephus (“Ant.” xiv. 1), as one of the twelve cities in that region which was overthrown by Alexander the Great.

Unto Beer-elim - literally, “the well of the princes.” Perhaps the same as that mentioned in Num 21:14-18, as being in the land of Moab, and near to Ar:

The princes digged the well,

The nobles of the people digged it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Cry. Of iniquity, or rather of grief.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Their cry fills all the parts of the country.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8, 9. The cry is gone round about — Moab becomes in this picture the prey of the enemy throughout. The wail extends from one extreme of the land to the other.

Eglaim — A double fountain. Eusebius says it was eight Roman miles south of Ar. The place was probably a town site.

Beer-elim — Was to the northeast, if Num_21:16-17, be an indication to judge from.

Waters of Dimon — By easy change of labials, בfor מ, this was Dibon, already noticed. So Gesenius. But this is scarcely better than the theory which makes Dimon come from דמ, blood, the same word, less the final letter, appended, perhaps, to mean place of blood, and so named, it may be, from the facts in the scene described in third chapter of 2 Kings. There it is shown what part blood played in the defeat of Moab by the allied kings of Judah, Israel, and Edom, who swept around the south end of the Dead Sea to attack Moab, and how appropriately the place of attack was called Dimon. The waters of

Dimon shall be full of blood — The morning sun-glare upon newly-opened waters on the plain below, led the Moabites to suppose the confederate enemy had broken with and fallen upon each other, with pools of blood as the consequence. This gave courage to Moab to dash after booty into a supposed abandoned camp rather than an ambush, which it was. Thus Moab met the lions (allied kings, or at least Judah and its government; see 2Ki_3:21-26) and was driven back to his stronghold, on the walls of which he desperately sacrificed to his god Chemosh his son and heir. Such a horror was too much for the invaders, and they retired from the contest.

Does not the celebrated Moabite inscription found in Dibon, in 1870, refer to this scene? Tristram believes the Moab stone, or the monolith of Mesha, to have been brought from the south and walled into the latter structure at Dibon, and thus the ancient Phoenician record was so long preserved from being effaced. (See Land of Moab, page 149.)

It is worthy of note, that the description in these latter verses is apparently of scenes about to occur, if not of some, also, already past, and quoted from the ancient prophecy before assumed as the basis for this prophecy, and of that in Jeremiah, chap. 48.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eglaim... Beer-Elim. Unknown sites on the borders of Moab, both probably towards the south. The enemy has come in from the north, and has driven the population southwards. A hope has been entertained of the pursuit slackening; but it is disappointed. The enemy causes grief and howling" in every part of the territory.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The cry - Their cry fills all the parts of the country.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The lamentation is not confined to any one part of the country. “For the cry goes round the border of Moab (i.e., entirely surrounds it); even to Eglaim (is) its howling (heard), and to Beer Elim its howling.” The meaning is not that the land is externally surrounded by lamentation, but that lamentation fills it.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

This continues the prophecy about the people of Moab. God describes events that will happen in the future as if it is happening in the present. (See: Isaiah 15:1-2)

The cry has gone around the territory of Moab

People's crying out and others hearing it is spoken of as if the cry had gone out. AT: "People all over the territory of Moab cry out" (See: Metaphor)

the wailing as far as Eglaim and Beer Elim

The words "has gone" are understood. People's wailing and others hearing it is spoken of as if the wailing had gone as far away as these two places. AT: "the wailing has gone as far as Egalim and Beer Elim" or "people even as far away as Elaim and Beer Elim wail"

Eglaim ... Beer Elim ... Dimon

These are names of cities and towns. Dimon was the principal city of the country of Moab. Several modern versions have "Dibon" instead of "Dimon." (See: How to Translate Names)

but I will bring even more upon Dimon

Here "I" refers to Yahweh. Also, "Dimon" refers to the people who live there. AT: "but I will cause even more trouble for the people of Dimon" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

water

blood

lions

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

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

her wail the wail of Moab.

and Beer- elim And to Beer elim.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

עד Unto. To be repeated before באר אלים unto Beer Elim.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.