PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. WE have now before us, in this and the follow ing chapter, the third difcourfe contained in the fecond part of thefe prophecies, which relates to the future fortunes of the Moabites. It confifts of two parts; the first of which is comprehended in this chapter, and the other in the next, the fixteenth chapter. It bears the title, or infcription, of The burden of Moab.' The prophet begins by reprefenting the direful, impending calamities that were every where to diftrefs the Moabites, the caufes from whence they originated, and the mournful confequences with which they fhould be attended. Thefe fruitful topics he difcuffes with brevity and treats them in such a manner as to present to the view of God's people, the righteous vengeance which the Almighty was to execute upon their proud and infolent enemies, who, in the feafon of public calamity, had treated them with rigour and harshness; and who, in contempt of the God of Ifrael, attributed their profperity to an idol. He endeavours, through the whole prophecy, to confirm the faith and hope of the righteous in the stability of the kingdom of the houfe of David; and teaches them, that the God whom they ferved, would not fuffer the injuries which they fuftained to pafs unpunifhed. He alfo aims to convince the Moabites, who were acquainted with these predictions, of their bad treatment of the men of Judah; and to call them to repentance, by the falutary advices which are fubjoined in the following chapter. CHAP. XV. THE burden of Moab. Becaufe in the night THE Ar of Moab is laid wafte, and brought to filence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid wafte, and brought to filence. Moab Moab was the name given by Lot's eldest daughter to the fon fhe had to her father. His pofterity were called by his name in fucceeding generations, after they had multiplied, and become a powerful nation. They foon role to confiderable rank and importance among the neighbouring kingdoms, who proved the inveterate enemies of Ifrael. The wars in which the Ifraelites were frequently embroiled with the Moabites, terminated with various fuccefs, in fubferviency to the purposes of divine providence. After the death of Othniel, the fon of Kenaz, the children of Ifrael ferved the king of Moab eighteen years; and then Moab was fubdued, under the hand of Ifrael, and the land had reft fourfcore years. When Saul, the fon of Kish, had afcended the throne of Ifrael, he fought against all his enemies on every fide, among whom were the Moabitest. Under the reign of David, the fon of Jeffe, that renowned prince fmote the Moabites, who became his fervants, and brought him gifts . In the days of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Ifrael, who, calling Jehoshaphat to his affiftance, fought against the Moabites, and fmote them even in their own country. They beat down their cities; they marred the land with ftones; they flopped the wells of water, and felled the good trees. From that period, nothing remarkable is related concerning them that I recollect, until the time in which this prophecy was delivered. The predictions of which it is compofed, leave no room to doubt, that the Moabites had treated with great inhumanity and cruelty the Jews and Ephraimites, who, in time of national danger and distress, had fled to their places of ftrength for fafety. Relinquihing the worthip of the true God, they early fell into idolatry, and ferved Chemoth, their abomination. The country poffeffed by the Moabites was bounded by Arabia on the east, by Jordan and the Dead * Judges iii. 14.-30. † 1 Sam. xiv. 47. 2 Sam. viii. 2. Sea Sea on the west, by the brook Zered on the south, and by the river Jabbok on the north. In procefs of time, their territories became more limited. The Amorites, coming down from the hill-country which they inhabited, expelled them from their poffeffions, which were fituated between Jordan and Jabbok. The children of Ifrael, in their journeys toward the land of Canaan, paffed through the coaft of Moab, having received this exprefs command from God, Diftrefs not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle *.' In this country, Mofes, the celebrated legislator of Ifrael, departed this life, as it is written, Deut. xxxiv. 5. So Mofes, the fervant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.'This prophecy is infcribed, The burden of Moab, because it contains heavy tidings, which were no doubt afflicting to our prophet to deliver, diftreffing to thofe who heard them, and especially grievous to them who were to feel the crufhing weight of the calamities here fore told. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to filence. The Hebrew word rendered becaufe, feems to intimate, that the defolation of the chief cities of Moab was to be the reafon of the lamentation and weeping defcribed in the next verses; or if translated, as it might be, indeed, or truly, it denotes the certainty of the predicted event.-Ar is the first mentioned city of Moab. It was probably a very ancient, large, well-fortified, and populous city, the metropolis of the kingdom, and the feat of government. In the night-time, when its inhabitants were fecure and afleep, having got no intimation of approaching danger, this flourishing city was to be fuddenly and unexpectedly laid wafte. It was to be taken, plundered of its riches, and divested, in the night-season, of its inhabitants, who were either to be * Deut. ii. 9. put put to the fword, or taken prifoners. Thus it fhould be reduced to filence, and cut off, expreffions which intimate its utter deftruction.--Kir was another confiderable city of Moab: it was probably the fame which is called, chap. xvi. 7. Kir-harefeth; and, in ver. 11. of that chapter, Kir-haresh. It is called. Kir of Moab, to distinguish it from Kir of Affyria, mentioned by the prophet Amos *, and from Kir in Media, fpoken of, chap. xxii. 6. of this prophecy. This city of the Moabites was to fhare the fame fate with Ar, and fhould likewise be laid wafte, and brought to filence, in the night-time. This mournful event would greatly increase the forrow and lamentation of the people of Moab. 2 He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab fhall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off. The affecting confequences of the predicted deftruction of the cities above mentioned, are here represented in a very moving manner. The perfon fpoken of, feems to have been the king of Moab, attended with the inhabitants of Ar and Kir, who had efcaped the general devastation. He and they went up to Bajith and Dibon, where there were probably temples, or altars, erected to the god Chemofh, in which idolatrous worship was performed to that idol. There they would bemoan their deplorable condition, and the heavy loffes which they had fuftained, by the fudden defolation of their chief cities: they would afk advice and affistance from their god, and offer facrifices unto him.Moab fhall bowl over Nebo, and over Medeba, other two cities in the land, which were taken, plúndered, and defolated. The former might derive its name from a Hebrew word, which fignifies Amos i. 5. to prophefy; or from an Arabic word, that denotes eminence. If this conjecture be juft, Nebo imported the elevated fituation of the place; or that there the pretended oracles were delivered, by the priefts of the deities whom they ferved. Not far from this city ftood a mountain of the fame name, from whence Mofes, the fervant of the Lord, was favoured with a view of the land of Canaan before he died. The latter city, Medeba, was fituated by a large plain of the fame name, mentioned Joshua xiii. 16. Jofephus fpeaks of it as a city of Moab, in the time of Alexandert. Though destroyed at the period to which this prophecy looked forward, it might afterward have been rebuilt. On all their heads fhall be baldness, and every beard cut off. The Moabites, who furvived the deftruction of their cities, to teftify the greatness of their diftrefs and forrow, according to the custom of the times, were to tear off the hair from their heads, fo as to make themselves bald, and to cut off, or fhave their beards. Hair was anciently esteemed an ornament; and therefore when perfons bewailed the lofs of friends, or other calamities with which they were vifited, they cut it off, as a token of forrow and affliction. In reference to this practice, our prophet foretels, that, in the fignificant manner here defcribed, the diftreffed Moabites were to exprefs their grief and anguish. -- 3 In their streets they fhall gird themselves with fackcloth on the tops of their houfes, and in their streets, every one fhall howl, weeping abundantly. How pungent must have been the grief of the Moabites in the day of their calamity! how affecting the demonftrations of their forrow, which are here specified! Moab was a proud and haughty people; *Deut. xxxii. 49, 50. Antiq. lib. xiii. cap. 15. and |