The Meaning of Isaiah 15:1 Explained

Isaiah 15:1

KJV: 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;

YLT: 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.

Darby: The burden of Moab: For in the night of being laid waste, Ar of Moab is destroyed; for in the night of being laid waste, Kir of Moab is destroyed!

ASV: The burden of Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Isaiah 15:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Moab
This "burden" had a precursive fulfilment in Sennacherib's invasion, B.C. 704, three years after the prediction Isaiah 16:14 but the words have a breadth of meaning which includes also the final world-battle. , Isaiah 16:1-5 which is a continuation of this "burden," shows the "tabernacle of David" set up, the next event in order after the destruction of the Beast and his armies. Cf. the order in; Isaiah 10:28-34 ; Isaiah 11:1-10 ; Acts 15:14-17 ; Revelation 19:17-21 ; Revelation 20:1-4 .
burden See note 1; .
Come
Armageddon (the ancient hill and valley of Megiddo, west of Jordan in the plain of Jezreel) is the appointed place for the beginning of the great battle in which the Lord, at His coming in glory, will deliver the Jewish remnant besieged by the Gentile world- powers under the Beast and False Prophet Revelation 16:13-16 ; Zechariah 12:1-9 . Apparently the besieging hosts, whose approach to Jerusalem is described in Isaiah 10:28-32 alarmed by the signs which precede the Lord's coming Matthew 24:29 ; Matthew 24:30 have fallen back to Megiddo, after the events of Zechariah 14:2 where their destruction begins; a destruction consummated in Moab and the plains of Idumea Isaiah 63:1-6 . This battle is the first event in "the day of Jehovah" Isaiah 2:12 and is the fulfilment of the smiting-stone prophecy of Daniel 2:35 .
Babylon
The city, Babylon is not in view here, as the immediate context shows. It is important to note the significance of the name when used symbolically. "Babylon" is the Greek form: invariably in the O.T. Hebrew the word is simply Babel, the meaning of which is confusion, and in this sense the word is used symbolically.
(1) In the prophets, when the actual city is not meant, the reference is to the "confusion" into which the whole social order of the world has fallen under Gentile world-domination. (See "Times of the Gentiles," Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:14 ; Isaiah 13:4 gives the divine view of the welter of warring Gentile powers. The divine order is given in Isaiah 11. Israel in her own land, the centre of the divine government of the world and channel of the divine blessing; and the Gentiles blessed in association with Israel. Anything else is, politically, mere "babel."
(2) In Revelation 14:8-11 ; Revelation 16:19 the Gentile world-system is in view in connection with Armageddon; Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 19:21 while in Revelation 17. the reference is to apostate Christianity, destroyed by the nations Revelation 17:16 headed up under the Beast; Daniel 7:8 ; Revelation 19:20 and false prophet. In Isaiah the political Babylon is in view, literally as to the then existing city, and symbolically as to the times of the Gentiles. In the Revelation both the symbolical- political and symbolical-religious Babylon are in view, for there both are alike under the tyranny of the Beast. Religious Babylon is destroyed by political Babylon Revelation 17:16 political Babylon by the appearing of the Lord Revelation 19:19-21 . That Babylon the city is not to be rebuilt is clear from; Isaiah 13:19-22 ; Jeremiah 51:24-26 ; Jeremiah 51:62-64 . By political Babylon is meant the Gentile world-system. (See "World,"; John 7:7 ; Revelation 13:8 ) It may be added that, in Scripture symbolism, Egypt stands for the world as such; Babylon for the world of corrupt power and corrupted religion; Nineveh for the pride, the haughty glory of the world.
burden
A "burden," Heb. massa= a heavy, weighty thing, is a message, or oracle concerning Babylon, Assyria, Jerusalem, etc. It is "heavy" because the wrath of God is in it, and grievous for the prophet to declare.
Babylon
The city, Babylon is not in view here, as the immediate context shows. It is important to note the significance of the name when used symbolically. "Babylon" is the Greek form: invariably in the O.T. Hebrew the word is simply Babel, the meaning of which is confusion, and in this sense the word is used symbolically.
(1) In the prophets, when the actual city is not meant, the reference is to the "confusion" into which the whole social order of the world has fallen under Gentile world-domination. (See "Times of the Gentiles," Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:14 ; Isaiah 13:4 gives the divine view of the welter of warring Gentile powers. The divine order is given in Isaiah 11. Israel in her own land, the centre of the divine government of the world and channel of the divine blessing; and the Gentiles blessed in association with Israel. Anything else is, politically, mere "babel."
(2) In Revelation 14:8-11 ; Revelation 16:19 the Gentile world-system is in view in connection with Armageddon; Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 19:21 while in Revelation 17. the reference is to apostate Christianity, destroyed by the nations Revelation 17:16 headed up under the Beast; Daniel 7:8 ; Revelation 19:20 and false prophet. In Isaiah the political Babylon is in view, literally as to the then existing city, and symbolically as to the times of the Gentiles. In the Revelation both the symbolical- political and symbolical-religious Babylon are in view, for there both are alike under the tyranny of the Beast. Religious Babylon is destroyed by political Babylon Revelation 17:16 political Babylon by the appearing of the Lord Revelation 19:19-21 . That Babylon the city is not to be rebuilt is clear from; Isaiah 13:19-22 ; Jeremiah 51:24-26 ; Jeremiah 51:62-64 . By political Babylon is meant the Gentile world-system. (See "World,"; John 7:7 ; Revelation 13:8 ) It may be added that, in Scripture symbolism, Egypt stands for the world as such; Babylon for the world of corrupt power and corrupted religion; Nineveh for the pride, the haughty glory of the world.

Verse Meaning

Isaiah began by announcing Moab"s certain ruin. The two main cities, Ar on the Arnon and Kir in central Moab, would fall quickly.

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 15

1  The lamentable state of Moab

What do the individual words in Isaiah 15:1 mean?

The burden against Moab Because in the night is laid waste Ar of Moab [And] destroyed because Kir Kir of Moab [And] destroyed
מַשָּׂ֖א מוֹאָ֑ב כִּ֠י בְּלֵ֞יל שֻׁדַּ֨ד עָ֤ר מוֹאָב֙ נִדְמָ֔ה כִּ֗י קִיר־ מוֹאָ֖ב נִדְמָֽה

מַשָּׂ֖א  The  burden  against 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
מוֹאָ֑ב  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
כִּ֠י  Because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בְּלֵ֞יל  in  the  night 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
שֻׁדַּ֨ד  is  laid  waste 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
עָ֤ר  Ar 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עָר  
Sense: a city of Moab located south of the Arnon river; perhaps the capital.
מוֹאָב֙  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
נִדְמָ֔ה  [And]  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּמָה 
Sense: to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy, perish.
כִּ֗י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
קִיר־  Kir 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִיר 
Sense: a place in Mesopotamia.
מוֹאָ֖ב  Kir  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
נִדְמָֽה  [And]  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּמָה 
Sense: to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy, perish.