9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both the shoots and stalk 1 in one day.
In earlier times he 4 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 5
but now he brings honor 6
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 7
15:1 Here is a message about Moab:
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Ar of Moab is destroyed!
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Kir of Moab is destroyed!
15:2 They went up to the temple, 8
the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. 9
Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, 10 Moab wails.
Every head is shaved bare,
every beard is trimmed off. 11
15:3 In their streets they wear sackcloth;
on their roofs and in their town squares
all of them wail,
they fall down weeping.
15:4 The people of 12 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;
their courage wavers. 13
15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, 14
and for the fugitives 15 stretched out 16 as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.
For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;
they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. 17
15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are gone; 18
the grass is dried up,
the vegetation has disappeared,
and there are no plants.
15:7 For this reason what they have made and stored up,
they carry over the Stream of the Poplars.
15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;
their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. 19
15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon 20 are full of blood!
Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. 21
A lion will attack 22 the Moabite fugitives
and the people left in the land.
1 sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed being cut down.
2 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
3 tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
4 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
5 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
6 tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
7 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
3 tn Heb “house.”
4 tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.
5 tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”
6 sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.
4 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
5 tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).
5 tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
6 tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ, and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ.
7 tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”
6 tn Heb “are waste places”; cf. NRSV “are a desolation.”
7 tn Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”
8 tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.
9 tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.
10 tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.