97. Eglayim
Lexical Summary
Eglayim: Eglayim

Original Word: אֶגְלַיִם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Eglayim
Pronunciation: eg-lah'-yim
Phonetic Spelling: (eg-lah'-yim)
KJV: Eglaim
NASB: Eglaim
Word Origin: [dual of H96 (אֶגֶל - drops)]

1. a double pond
2. Eglajim, a place in Moab

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Eglaim

Dual of 'egel.; a double pond; Eglajim, a place in Moab -- Eglaim.

see HEBREW 'egel

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from 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 loathe; also marshy jungle; see עגם). **Arabic also = spoil (of water); compare () = pool, reed-bed (also tangled thicket, etc.) Lane, and marsh Dozyi. 11.

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.
2. Certainty of Fulfillment: Subsequent invasions by Assyria, Babylon, and later Nabatean encroachment erased Moabite autonomy, vindicating Isaiah’s words.
3. Divine Compassion within Judgment: Isaiah 15:5 reveals the prophet’s own heart—“My heart cries out for Moab”—prefiguring the compassion of Christ, who wept over Jerusalem while announcing its desolation (Luke 19:41-44).

Theological Themes

• God’s Sovereignty over All Nations
• Accountability for Covenant Outsiders (Romans 2:12)
• The Tragedy of Misplaced Security (Psalm 20:7)
• Compassionate Lament as Prophetic Ministry

Lessons for Ministry

1. Geographic distance does not diminish the reach of sin’s consequences; neither does it limit the reach of the gospel.
2. Specificity in prayer and proclamation matters. Isaiah called Moab’s towns by name; effective ministry likewise names real people and places before the throne of grace.
3. Prophetic lament models pastoral empathy. Mourning over judgment does not weaken the message; it authenticates it.

Related Sites and Cross-References

• Beer Elim (Isaiah 15:8) – the northern counterpart to Eglaim’s southern location.
• En-eglaim (Ezekiel 47:10) – a future Dead Sea fishing station, possibly near the site of ancient Eglaim, illustrating restoration where Isaiah foresaw ruin.
Ruth 1–4 – Moab’s later inclusion in redemptive history through Ruth highlights mercy beyond judgment.
Jeremiah 48 – another extensive oracle against Moab confirming the same themes.

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

Isaiah 15:8

Forms and Transliterations
אֶגְלַ֙יִם֙ אגלים ’eḡ·la·yim ’eḡlayim egLayim
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman'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

Strong's Hebrew 97
1 Occurrence


’eḡ·la·yim — 1 Occ.

96
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