“Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. Sela: or, Petra: Heb. A rock”
Petra. Hebrew selah, “the rock.” (Haydock) — Our Saviour sprung from Ruth, the Moabitess. (Menochius) — The original may insinuate, that the king of the country had neglected to pay the usual tribute to Juda, 4 Kings iii. 4. (Calmet) — “Send the lamb to the ruler,” &c. (Tournemine.) Amid scenes of distress, the prophet perceives that the Saviour will proceed from one of this nation. (Worthington)
“For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. cast: or, a nest forsaken”
Arnon. They shall not be able to fly over, or to escape the conqueror.
“Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. Take: Heb. Bring”
Night. Seek a retreat in the darkest places; or protect Israel when they shall flee before the Assyrians. Their cruelty is thus insinuated, Amos i.
“Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. extortioner: Heb. wringer the oppressors: Heb. the treaders down”
Dust. Theglathphalassar. I need not exhort you to receive my people, as I know your dispositions, and they are out of danger. (Calmet)
“And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness. established: or, prepared”
Just. This regards Christ, (St. Jerome) prefigured by (Haydock) Ezechias. (Calmet)
“Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken. mourn: or, mutter”
Walls. Hebrew, “Kir-hareseth,” chap. xv. 1. (Haydock)
“For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea. stretched: or, plucked up”
Lords. Princes of Jerusalem, (Lamentations i. 1.) or of Assyria. (Calmet) — Sea. Of Sodom, even as far as Jazer, (Haydock) in the tribe of Ruben. (Calmet)
“Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen. the shouting: or, the alarm is fallen upon, etc”
My tears. Chap. xv. 5. (Haydock) — I announce a different sort of music from that which is customary in times of harvest, and of vintage. The liquor shall be tears, chap. lxiii. 2., and Jeremias xlviii. 32, 33. (Calmet)
“And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.”
Carmel. This name is often taken to signify a fair and fruitful hill or field, such as Mount Carmel is. (Challoner) — It means, “the vine of God.” (Calmet)
“Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.”
Wall. Kir-hareseth, ver. 7. I am grieved at your misfortunes. (Calmet)
“And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.”
Prevail. Chamos shall not be able to help them.
“This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.”
That time. A long while ago, Psalm xcii. 2.
“But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble . feeble: or, not many”
Not many. It was laid waste in the third year of Ezechias. But its final destruction took place only five years after that of Jerusalem. (Calmet) — The wars against Moab continued three years, after which it was reduced to servitude. (Worthington)