Numbers 21:30

21:30 We have overpowered them; ¹ 

Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.

We have shattered them as far as Nophah,

which ²  reaches to Medeba.”

Isaiah 15:2

15:2 They went up to the temple, ³ 

the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. ⁴ 

Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, ⁵  Moab wails.

Every head is shaved bare,

every beard is trimmed off. ⁶ 

Jeremiah 48:18

48:18 Come down from your place of honor;

sit on the dry ground, ⁷  you who live in Dibon. ⁸ 

For the one who will destroy Moab will attack you;

he will destroy your fortifications.

Jeremiah 48:22

48:22 on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim,

[21:30]  ¹ tc The first verb is difficult. MT has “we shot at them.” The Greek has “their posterity perished” (see GKC 218 §76.f).

[21:30]  ² tc The relative pronoun “which” (אֲשֶׁר, ’asher) posed a problem for the ancient scribes here, as indicated by the so-called extraordinary point (punta extraordinaria) over the letter ר (resh) of אֲשֶׁר. Smr and the LXX have “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) here (cf. NAB, NJB, RSV, NRSV). Some modern scholars emend the word to שֹׁאָה (sho’ah, “devastation”).

[15:2]  ³ tn Heb “house.”

[15:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.

[15:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”

[15:2]  ⁶ sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.

[48:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “sit in thirst.” The abstract “thirst” is put for the concrete, i.e., thirsty or parched ground (cf. Deut 8:19; Isa 35:7; Ps 107:33) for the concrete. There is no need to emend to “filth” (צֹאָה [tso’ah] for צָמָא [tsama’]) as is sometimes suggested.

[48:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “inhabitant of Daughter Dibon.” “Daughter” is used here as often in Jeremiah for the personification of a city, a country, or its inhabitants. The word “inhabitant” is to be understood as a collective as also in v. 19.