Moab was the nation which grew from Lot's elder daughter. The strange story of how his daughters seduced him in the cave near Zoar was included merely to explain the complicated relationship between Moab and Israel. While Moad had by the Exodus sunk into the most degrading pagan idolatry, they were still cousins to the nation. Thus, at times they were bitter enemies, and at other times good allies.
As Isaiah prophesies of their coming doom, his tone is somewhat sympathetic. There is some debate in translating portions of this chapter, but we can make intelligent guesses. For example, Isaiah refers to "the waters of Dimon". While some manuscripts make this out to be "Rimon" -- a place not know to us -- this appears somewhat a pun on the name of the town Dibon, modified with the Hebrew word for blood (dam). There are examples in other parts of the Old Testament where such puns might be entirely humorless.
We are given a picture of wistfulness. We don't know exactly when the fulfillment takes place, but Isaiah sees the major cities and towns of Moab destroyed. It would appear to have happened more than once, but the first time would be soon, probably under the Assyrians. The destruction is clearly vindictive, not simply an act of war. Thus, the Moabites are described as going to their temples and high places to perform various rituals of sorrow. One includes a sacrificial act of shaving the entire head. They also wear sackcloth and ashes, weeping outside their homes. The cacophony from the twin cities of Heshbon and Elealeh can be heard some 7 or 8 miles (11-13km) away in Jahaz. The sense of depression echoes what we read in Job.
The primary route for refugees seems to be south into Edom. Most of the cities of Moab are congregated in the north of their ancestral lands. The landmarks mentioned by Isaiah, when they can be identified, are all toward the south. Zoar appears to be in the foothills of the eastern slope on the Dead Sea, down at the southern end. While we aren't sure about the Ascent of Luhith, it is probably another name for the road running down the wadi which empties near Horonaim. That city is on the peninsula jutting into the Dead Sea from the east side. That region should have been seasonal grassy plains, but during this disaster, it was barren. Worst of all, those who escape would face the lions which once roamed that area.
The next chapter continues this lament.
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By Ed Hurst
04 September 2008
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