Lexical Summary Eglayim: Eglayim Original Word: אֶגְלַיִם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Eglaim Dual of 'egel.; a double pond; Eglajim, a place in Moab -- Eglaim. see HEBREW 'egel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as egel Definition a city in Moab NASB Translation Eglaim (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֶגְלַ֫יִם proper name, of a location town in Moab Isaiah 15:8; (meaning ?); ? compare Αἰγαλειμ (Euseb.) 9 miles south of Areopolis; see LagOnom. 228, 98; ed. 2, p. 224. אגם (troubled, sad, Assyrian agâmu DlW compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Eglaim was a settlement on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, within the ancient territory of Moab. Most proposals place it in the southern reaches of the Arnon River plain, perhaps near modern Khirbet el-’Aqareb or close to the salt flats that taper toward the Gulf of Aqaba. Its pairing with Beer Elim in Isaiah suggests a location near water sources or springs, fitting the arid but well-irrigated pockets that once supported Moabite towns. Scriptural Setting Isaiah 15 records a lament over Moab. In verse 8 the prophet declares, “For the cry has gone around the land of Moab, its wailing reaches Eglaim; it echoes as far as Beer Elim” (Isaiah 15:8). Eglaim marks the southern sweep of Moab’s anguish; Beer Elim defines the northern edge. Together they frame a nation engulfed in sorrow under divine judgment. Historical Background Isaiah delivered this oracle during the eighth century BC, when Assyrian expansion threatened every kingdom east of the Jordan. The Moabites, kinsmen of Israel through Lot, had long oscillated between hostility and uneasy alliance with Judah (Numbers 22–24; 2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Kings 3:4-27). By naming their towns—Dibon, Medeba, Heshbon, Elealeh, Horonaim, Luhith, Nimrim, Eglaim—Isaiah memorializes a once-prosperous people whose pride could not shelter them from the sovereign purposes of God. Prophetic Significance 1. Totality of Judgment: The cry that “reaches Eglaim” signals that no corner of Moab would escape. Theological Themes • God’s Sovereignty over All Nations Lessons for Ministry 1. Geographic distance does not diminish the reach of sin’s consequences; neither does it limit the reach of the gospel. Related Sites and Cross-References • Beer Elim (Isaiah 15:8) – the northern counterpart to Eglaim’s southern location. Archaeological Considerations No excavation has conclusively identified Eglaim, yet survey data show several Iron Age ruins along wadis draining into the southeastern Dead Sea. Pottery and fortification remnants attest to Moab’s population density in Isaiah’s day, supporting the prophet’s picture of bustling towns suddenly silenced. Christological and Redemptive Insights Eglaim’s brief mention reinforces a larger biblical trajectory: judgment paves the way for restoration. The Moabite widow Ruth became an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5), demonstrating that the nations Isaiah saw falling under wrath would one day share in blessing through the Messiah. In Him, a place once associated with wailing can anticipate everlasting praise. Modern Relevance Eglaim reminds contemporary readers that even forgotten towns are remembered by God. Global upheavals, refugee cries, and national anxieties echo Isaiah 15:8. The Church is called to stand in the gap—announcing both the seriousness of judgment and the sure hope of salvation available in Jesus Christ. Key Reference Forms and Transliterations אֶגְלַ֙יִם֙ אגלים ’eḡ·la·yim ’eḡlayim egLayimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 15:8 HEB: מוֹאָ֑ב עַד־ אֶגְלַ֙יִם֙ יִלְלָתָ֔הּ וּבְאֵ֥ר NAS: [goes] as far as Eglaim and its wailing KJV: the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling INT: of Moab far Eglaim wail to Beer-elim 1 Occurrence |
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loathe; also 
marshy jungle; see עגם). **Arabic 
also = spoil (of water); compare 
(
) = pool, reed-bed (also tangled thicket, etc.) Lane, and marsh Dozyi. 11.