1 The burden of Moab. Because in a night destroyed was Ar of Moab--It hath been cut off, Because in a night destroyed was Kir of Moab--It hath been cut off.
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 hath gone up to Bajith and Dibon, The high places--to weep, On Nebo and on Medeba Moab howleth, On all its heads is baldness, every beard cut off.
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 its out-places they girded on sackcloth, On its pinnacles, and in its broad places, Every one howleth--going down with 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 cry doth Heshbon and Elealeh, Unto Jahaz heard hath been their voice, Therefore the armed ones of Moab do shout, His life hath been 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 is toward Moab, Cry do her fugitives unto Zoar, a heifer of the third year, For--the ascent of Luhith--With weeping he goeth up in it, For, in the way of Horonaim, A cry of destruction they wake up.
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 are desolations, For, withered hath been the hay, Finished hath been the tender grass, A green thing there hath not been.
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 he made, and their store, Unto the brook of the willows they carry.
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 gone round hath the cry the border of Moab, Unto Eglaim is its howling, And to Beer-Elim is its howling.
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 have been full of blood, For I set on Dimon additions, For the escaped of Moab a lion, And for the remnant of Adamah!
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).