1 The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to silence;
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 is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads [shall be] baldness, [and] every beard shorn.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 2) Therefore, since every teaching contrary to the truth, which is born without the inspiration of God from human understanding in the darkness of error, has been laid waste by the night, and its arguments, which are understood as walls, have been destroyed by the words of Ecclesiastes; so that they fall into eternal silence, to such an extent that their entire faction t…
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 their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.
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 shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard [even] to Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous to 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 shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives [shall flee] to Zoar, a heifer of three years old: for they shall go up the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise a cry of destruction.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 5) My heart will cry out to Moab. The prophet speaks with a lamenting affection, either because even the enemies are creatures of God, on whom so many evils come upon, or because they are to be overwhelmed with such calamities that even their enemies will become pitiable. Jeremiah also says the same: Therefore my heart will resound like a flute to Moab.
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 shall be desolate: for the herb is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 6) And this will happen because the waters of Nemrim, that is, the teachings of heretics, which are compared to leopards and transgressors, will be deserted and brought to nothing.
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 the abundance they have gained, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows.
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 cry hath gone round the borders of Moab, her howling to Eglaim, and her howling to Beer-elim.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 8) The cry of the Moabites goes around all the borders, either calling for repentance or mourning for the error, so that they can offer through their wailing the calves of their lips and reach the spring of the Lord's rams, or the mighty ones, because Elim signifies both.
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 shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.
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).