The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 275

some e.noient reme.ins, thongh they are not Ver. 8,-In their lltreetl; literally, '" Ai• very extensive (BurokhRrdt, 'Travels,' p. tJtreet. ; i.e. the streets of Moab. 'l'hey ■hall Sii). Ill la.id waste, and bronght to lilenoe; gird themaelve■ with saekoloth. Another mther, ill el.onned, is ruined. Kir of lloab. widely spread custom, known to the As- " Kir of M oab" is reasonably identified syrians (J one.h iii. 5), the Syrians (1 Kings with Kerak. a place very strongly situated xx. 81 ), the Persians (Esth. i1', I, 2), the on a mountain peak, about ten miles from Israelites (N eh, ix. 1), and, as we see here, the south-eastern corner of the Dead Sea. to the Moabites. The modern weoring of Ver. 2.-:e:e is gone to Bajith; rather, he black garments, especially crape, is repre- is gone UJ the t,emp/,e. Probably the temple sentative of the old practice. Every one of Baal at Beth-banl-meon is intended. shall howl. "}fowling" remains one of the Beth-baal-meon is mentioned in close con- chief tokens of mourning in the East. It nection with Dibon in Josh. xiii. 17. And to wns a practice of the Egyptians (Herod., ii. Dibo11.. Dibon is mentioned in Numb. xxi. 79), of the Persians (ibid., viii. 99 ; ix. 24), 80; xxidi. 8, 84; Josh. xiii. 9, 17; Jer. of the Be.bylonians(Jer. Ii. 8), and probably xhiii. 18, 22. It was an a.ncieut Moe.bite of the Orientals generally. Weeping abun- town of considerable importauce, and has dantly i or, running doton with tears (comp. recently been identified with the site r.a.lled Jer. ix. 18; xiii. 17; Herod., viii. 99). Dibdn, where the Moabite Stone W&! Ver. 4.-Heshbon shall ory, Heshbon, found. This place is situated in the country now Hesban, lay about twenty miles east east of the Dead Sea, about three miles of the Jordan, nearly on the parallel of its north of the river Arnon. on the old Roman embouch1ll'8 iuto tbe Dead Sea. It was the road oonnecting Rabbath-Moab with Hesh- capital oity of Sihon (Numb. ui. 21), who bon. The town seems to have gained in took it from the Moe.bites. On the partition importance from the fact that it was the of Pe.Iestine among the tribes of Israel, it birthplace of Cheruosh-Gad, Mesha's father was assigned to Reuben (Numb. xx.xii, 37; (Moe.bite Stone, 1. 2). Mesha added to its Josh. xiii 17); but at a later time we find territory (ibid., I. 21). It is extremely prob- it reckoned to Gad (1 Chron. vi. 81). We able th11t it was the site of one of the do not know at what time Moe.b recovered Moe.bite " high places," and was therefore Heshbon, but may conjecture that it was naturally one of the places whereto the one of the conquests of Meshe., though it is Moe.bites, when afflicted, went up" to weep." not mentioned on the Moe.bite Stone. And Over Jliebo, and over Medeb&. Nebo e.nd Elee.Ieh. Elea.leh is commonly united with Medebe. were also e.ncient Moe.bite towns. Heshbon (Numb, x.xxii. 3, 37; eh. xvi. 9; Nebo is mentioned in Numb. mii. 3, 38; Jer. xlviii. 34). It is probably identical miii 47; 1 Chron. v. 8; Jer. xlviii. 1, 22. with the modem El-.A'al, a. ruined town on It seems to have l&in a.I.most midway between the top of a rounded hill, little more than a Beth-ba.,,.1-rueon (Main) and Medeba, e.bont mile north of Hesban, Even unto J'e.haz, three or foUl' miles south-east of Heshbon. J e.haz lay considerably to the south of Hesh- . Medeba obtains notice in Numb. xxi. 30; bon. probably not very far north of the Josh. xiii. 9, 16; 1 Chron. llix. 7. Meshe. Amon. It must have been in the vicinity uys that it we.a ta.ken from the Moe.bites by of Dibon, since Mesho, on ta.king it from the Omri, King of Israel, but recovered by him- Israelites, annexed it to the territory of that self e.t tile end of forty yea.rs (Moe.bite city (Moe.bite Stone, 11. 19-21). It was Stone, lL 7-9). It lay aonth-east of Hesh- the scene of the great battle between Billon bon, at the spot which still retains the old and the Israelites under Moses (Numb. xxi. name-Miideba. It has been snggested that 23). B1I life shall be grievous unto him j there was at Nebo e. shrine of the Baby- rather, his soul shall be grieved within him. lonian god so named ; but this is to assume The Moe.bit.a people is personified (Cheyne). a resemblance which the facts e.t prPeent Ver. 5.-lllly heart shall ory out for lloab known <lo not indicate, between the Moe.b- (comp. eh. xvi. 9, 11). The prophet sympa- ite e.ud Be.uv Ionian religions. On all their thizes with the sufferings of M oob, as a heads shall ·be baldne111. Tb.e practice of kindred people (Gen. xix. 37), and perhaps cutting off the hair in mourning was com- os having, in the person of Ruth, furnished mon to the Jews (eh. xxii. 12; Micah i. 16) an anceatress to the Messiah (Matt. i. 5). with variona other nations; e.g. the Persians B1I fugitives; literally, her fugitives. The (Herod., iL 24), the Greeks, the Mace- CQV,ntry is here; personified, insteod of the donians (Plot.,' Vit. Pelop.,' § 34), the primi- people, the former being feminine, the latter tive Arabs (Krehl, 'Religion der voris- masculine. Shall flee unto Zoar, Zoe.r, the lamit. Are.her,' p. 33, note I), e.nd the North "little " town, spared for Lot's eoke (Gen. Am<'rican Indians (Bancroft. 'Native Races xiL 20-22), is placed by some at the nor- of .A merice. '). It was probably intended, thern, by others at the eouthem, extremity like lacerations, and BBhes on the head, as of the Dead Seu. The present passage a mere dimgnrement. makes in favo1ll' of the more southern site. OH, ll'.V; 1-9.] TilE BOOK 011' THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 269