What is the meaning of Isaiah 15:4? Heshbon and Elealeh cry out “Heshbon and Elealeh cry out…” (Isaiah 15:4a) • Both cities were once strongholds of Moab’s pride (Numbers 21:25-30; Jeremiah 48:2). • Their “cry” signals sudden calamity, not mere disappointment. It is the wail of a people discovering that their idols and alliances cannot save them (Isaiah 16:12; Psalm 115:4-8). • The lament had been foretold: “Ar in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night” (Isaiah 15:1). God’s warnings always come to pass in time (2 Peter 3:9). Their voices are heard as far as Jahaz “…their voices are heard as far as Jahaz.” (Isaiah 15:4b) • Jahaz lay some 20 miles south, once the site where Israel defeated Sihon (Numbers 21:23). The far-reaching echo underscores how total the judgment is—suffering radiates outward, touching places even beyond Moab’s heartland (Jeremiah 48:34). • No city wall or distance can mute the sound of divine judgment (Amos 3:6; Revelation 6:15-17). • The Lord intends these audible alarms to awaken other nations—and us—to heed His voice before the final day comes (Isaiah 34:1-2). Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out “Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out…” (Isaiah 15:4c) • “Soldiers” (the armed men) were Moab’s last hope. When they cry, the nation knows there is no defense left (Jeremiah 48:41; Isaiah 13:7-8). • God often topples what people trust most—military strength, wealth, wisdom—so that He alone is exalted (Isaiah 2:11; Psalm 20:7). • The progression from civilian lament to warrior lament highlights how judgment is thorough and impartial (Romans 2:11). Their souls tremble within “…their souls tremble within.” (Isaiah 15:4d) • The outward cry becomes an inward quake. The Hebrew idea is a heart melting like wax (Psalm 22:14; Nahum 2:10). • Terror reaches the deepest place—“within”—showing that sin’s consequences invade both body and spirit (Isaiah 19:1; Luke 21:26). • Yet even this dread can serve mercy’s purpose: driving people to seek the only Refuge who never shakes (Psalm 46:1-3; Hebrews 12:28). summary Isaiah 15:4 pictures Moab’s downfall cascading from proud cities to distant towns, from civilians to soldiers, from outward wailing to inward trembling. God’s word proves exact: what He foretells, He fulfills. The passage warns that any security apart from the Lord will fail, while also inviting us to take shelter in the unshakable King who lovingly forewarns before He acts. |
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