The Burden against Moab 1 An oracle of Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab was devastated, silenced; for in a night Kir of Moab was devastated, silenced.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 1) Because at night Ar was devastated, Moab was silent; because at night the wall was devastated, Moab was silent. LXX: Moab perished at night, for the wall of Moab.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 432. The burden of Moab. In this part, he threatens against the Moabites—who were descended from Moab, the firstborn of Lot (Gen 19:37)—because they rejoiced in the destruction of the sons of Israel by the Assyrians and Chaldeans, by whom nevertheless they themselves were destroyed, although afterwards.
2 He has gone up to the house, and Dibon to the high places, to weep. Over Nebo and over Medeba Moab wails; on all its heads is baldness, every beard is shorn.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 2.) The house ascends, and Dibon ascends to the heights in lamentation over Nabo, and over Medaba Moab will howl. Do not be troubled that I am proceeding along the path of history, for you yourself desired that I do so.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 434. The house is gone up. Here he shows the magnitude of their punishment from the magnitude of their weeping, and he sets out three things.
3 In its streets they have girded on sackcloth; on its roofs and in its squares all of it wails, going down in weeping.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 3) In their crossroads, that is, the byways of errors, while each one fabricates according to his own will, he is equipped with the sack of penance, and over the roofs and tamed places, in which they first believed themselves to be lofty; and in the streets (because they do not enter by the narrow way, which leads to life, but by the broad way, which leads to death) ther…
Verecundus of Junca · AD 552 Indeed, it is not inappropriate that the author of the abyss, the devil, should be identified with the abyss, as he is also called death, being the head of death: "Where, O death, is your sting?" And the voice of death or the abyss groans with pain, since he sees that the power to prey upon the people he possessed from the beginning is being taken away.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 436. Third, he excludes any limit to their weeping, both as to diversity of place: for every, that is, in every manner, howling, shall be, on the tops of their houses, which had level places for sitting, and in their streets shall come down weeping, from the high places to which they had ascended weeping, so that there was weeping in the mountains and in the valleys.
4 And Heshbon cries out, and Elealeh; as far as Jahaz their voice is heard. Therefore the armed men of Moab shout; his soul trembles within him.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 4.) Esbon and Eleale will cry out. These are the names of cities in the province of Moab, of which Esbon was once the city of the Amorite king.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Hesebon shall cry, weeping, and Eleale, which were cities that were, indeed, in the land of the kingdom of Moab; their voice is heard even to Jasa, which is another city of Moab.
5 My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, Eglath-shelishiyah. For the ascent of Luhith — in weeping one goes up it; for on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of breaking.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 5) Where the Prophet speaks with compassionate affection to those whose souls cried out to him, and says: My heart will cry out to Moab, that I may provoke them to repentance.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 440. My heart. Here he shows the magnitude of their punishment from the compassion of their enemies, for the prophet himself suffers with them; to Moab, that is, for the affliction of Moab: I will watch over you (Jer 48:31). The bars. Here he describes the manner and order of their punishment, and he sets out three things.
6 For the waters of Nimrim will be desolations; for the grass has dried up, the new growth has come to an end, there is nothing green.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 6) For the waters of Nemrim will be deserted. This town is on the Dead Sea, with salty waters, and even this itself is barren. Whether it alludes to the name, or whether it happened after the devastation, that even the waters turned bitter. Because the grass has withered, the bud has failed, all the greenness has perished.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, the barrenness of their fields, for the waters, that is, the land of Moab will be so barren it will be like the territory around the town of Nemrim, which is by the sea, because its waters are salty and bitter; not indeed because of the waters, but by the judgment of God, the grass, already arisen, is withered away; the spring, as to what was sprouting; the greenness, of…
7 Therefore what abundance they have made, and what they have stored up, they carry over the Wadi of the Poplars.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 7) Finally, they will be led to the valley or torrent of willows, so that no fruit remains in them. For they say that this is the nature of the seeds of these trees, that whoever drinks it in a cup will be barren. Hence the holy ones who, because of their sins, began to be in the confusion of this world, hang their organs in the willows of the Babylonian rivers (Ps.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 442. According to the greatness. Here the reckoning of the magnitude of their punishment is set out: their work, of sin; their visitation, vengeance: according to the measure of the sin shall the measure also of the stripes be (Deut 25:2). 443. They shall lead them to the torrent.
8 For the outcry has gone round the border of Moab; as far as Eglaim is her wailing, and to Beer-elim her wailing.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 8) Because the cry has gone around the territory of Moab, even to Eglaim its wailing, and even to Beer Elim its outcry. The same things are described by Jeremiah. And there are cities and places of the Moabites, where the cry and lamentation of the captive people are described.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Some of them were killed, and as to this he says: for the cry is gone round about, of those who weep, or of the Chaldean warriors.
9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will set upon Dimon still more — a lion for the escaped of Moab, and for the remnant of the ground.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 9) But the waters of Dimon, which is interpreted as sufficient pain or sorrow, which had polluted many with its sprinkling, will be accused by deceived peoples of not being for their salvation, but for their bloodshed.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 For the waters of Dibon, the name of a city, in which they practiced their lusts because of the pleasantness of the place: the Moabites ran into the waters of Dibon (2 Kngs 3).