This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of the Moabites; two of their principal cities are mentioned as made desolate, Isa 15:1 the inhabitants in divers places are represented as weeping and mourning, and showing various signs of it, Isa 15:2 yea, not only the common people, but the armed soldiers also, Isa 15:4 nay, even the prophet himself, Isa 15:5 the reasons of which were the great drought, so that there were no grass, nor green thing, Isa 15:6 the carrying away of their good things, either by themselves or others, Isa 15:7 the flight and cry of the people to the very borders of the land, Isa 15:8 and the great effusion of blood, Isa 15:9.
Ver. 1. The burden of Moab,.... A heavy, grievous prophecy, concerning the destruction of Moab. The Targum is,"the burden of the cup of cursing, to give Moab to drink.''This seems to respect the destruction of it by Nebuchadnezzar, which is prophesied of in Jer 48:1 for that which was to be within three years, Isa 16:14 looks like another and distinct prophecy from this; though some think this was accomplished before the times of Nebuchadnezzar, either by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, some time before the captivity of the ten tribes, as Vitringa and others; or by Sennacherib, after the invasion of Judea, so Jarchi.
Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to silence; this was a chief city in Moab, perhaps the metropolis of it; see Nu 21:28. Kimchi conjectures it to be the same with Aroer, which was by the brink of the river Arnon, De 2:36 De 3:12 and is mentioned with Dibon, as this, in Nu 32:34 of which notice is taken, and not of Ar, in Jer 48:19.
Some versions take Ar to signify a "city", and render it, "the city of Moab", without naming what city it was; and the Targum calls it by another name, Lahajath; but, be it what city it will, it was destroyed in the night; in such a night, as Kimchi interprets it; in the space of a night, very suddenly, when the inhabitants of it were asleep and secure, and had no notice of danger; and so the Targum adds,"and they were asleep.'
'Some have thought this circumstance is mentioned with a view to the night work, that work of darkness of Lot and his daughter, which gave rise to Moab; however, in a night this city became desolate, being taken and plundered, and its inhabitants put to the sword, and so reduced to silence; though the last word may as well be rendered "cut off" , utterly destroyed, being burnt or pulled down; two words are made use of, to denote the utter destruction of it:because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to silence; either in the same night, or rather in another.
Kir, another city of Moab, met with the same fate as Ar. This is called Kirhareseth, and Kirharesh, in Isa 16:7 and so Kirheres in Jer 48:31 called Kir of Moab, to distinguish it from Kir in Assyria, Am 1:5 and Kir in Media, Isa 22:6.
hmdn "succisus", Pagninus, Montanus; "excisa", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.