Commentary on Isaiah Volume 1 John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
between them.
If you extend it to the whole nation, the meaning will be, "The Moabites have enjoyed the highest luxury, and every kind of abundance, and hitherto have suffered no distress. Hence has arisen their stubbornness, and, in order to subdue them, they must be banished and driven even to Zoar." Now Zoar was a town very far removed from the Moabites; and, therefore, he means that they cannot provide for their safety but by fleeing to a distance. Here all with whom the Lord deals tenderly are taught not to exalt themselves, or to provoke God by their wantonness, but to be modest even amidst the highest prosperity, and likewise to be prepared for every change, when the Lord shall be pleased to throw them down from their prosperity.
By the going up of Luhith. He describes other parts of the country of Moab, and delineates the flight and mourning of that nature which should spread throughout the whole land.
By the way of Horonaim they shall raise the cry of sorrow. The words which we have translated, they shall raise up a cry, some render, they shall bruise or break themselves by crying, and think there is a transposition of the letters, and that( עain) is doubled; and thus the root of the verb would be
( ,רעהragnah.) But as it made little difference in the meaning of the passage, I have adhered to the commonly received opinion, that( יעערוyegnogneru) is derived from the verb( ,עורgnur.) If it be thought better to make the verb signify break, the meaning will be, "There shall be a shaking, and, as it were, a breaking of the members of the body, when arm is dashed against arm."
6. The waters of Nimrim. By an exaggerated form of expression he gives a more enlarged view of this desolation. He says that the grass is withered, which takes place when God leaves any soil destitute of all nourishment. The waters will be taken away, which probably were highly necessary for that dry and parched country; for soils of that kind produce nothing without irrigation. Though the style is exaggerated, yet nothing is stated but what is strictly true; for the Prophet did not go beyond proper bounds, but found it necessary to use bold expressions to suit the ignorance of the people, in order to inform them that a land which is deprived of the blessing of God will be like a desert without any beauty.
7. Therefore what every one hath left. 247 This corresponds to the ordinary expression, (Ce qu'il aura espargne,) Whatever he shall have spared. He means the riches that are laid up, and describes what usually happens in countries which are invaded by an enemy. All the inhabitants are wont to convey their riches elsewhere, and to lay them up in some safe place, that they may afterwards bring them back when peace has been restored.
To the brook of the willows. He means that they will have no storehouse, no fortress in which they can lay them up with safety; so that they will be compelled to hide them among the willows. This certainly is the lowest wretchedness, when the enemy is attacking us, and we can find no storehouse
247For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab. — Eng. Ver.