Isaiah Chapter 15 · Verse 4
And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.
Original Language Analysis
וַתִּזְעַ֤ק
shall cry
H2199
וַתִּזְעַ֤ק
shall cry
Strong's:
H2199
Word #:
1 of 15
to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly
עַד
H5704
עַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
4 of 15
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
יַ֖הַץ
even unto Jahaz
H3096
יַ֖הַץ
even unto Jahaz
Strong's:
H3096
Word #:
5 of 15
jahats or jahtsah, a place east of the jordan
נִשְׁמַ֣ע
shall be heard
H8085
נִשְׁמַ֣ע
shall be heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
6 of 15
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
כֵּ֗ן
H3651
כֵּ֗ן
Strong's:
H3651
Word #:
9 of 15
properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner
חֲלֻצֵ֤י
therefore the armed soldiers
H2502
חֲלֻצֵ֤י
therefore the armed soldiers
Strong's:
H2502
Word #:
10 of 15
to pull off; hence (intensively) to strip, (reflexive) to depart; by implication, to deliver, equip (for fight); present, strengthen
מוֹאָב֙
of Moab
H4124
מוֹאָב֙
of Moab
Strong's:
H4124
Word #:
11 of 15
moab, an incestuous son of lot; also his territory and descendants
יָרִ֔יעוּ
shall cry out
H7321
יָרִ֔יעוּ
shall cry out
Strong's:
H7321
Word #:
12 of 15
to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e., shout (for alarm or joy)
נַפְשׁ֖וֹ
his life
H5315
נַפְשׁ֖וֹ
his life
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
13 of 15
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
Historical Context
Heshbon, originally an Amorite capital conquered by Israel (Numbers 21:25-26), became a border city between Israel and Moab. Elealeh and Jahaz were sites of Israel-Moab conflicts. The cities' agricultural wealth (vineyards and summer fruits mentioned in verses 8-9) made them strategic targets. Assyrian military campaigns typically combined psychological warfare (terror) with systematic destruction of economic infrastructure. The reduction of soldiers to tears would have been particularly shameful in ancient warrior cultures that prized stoic courage.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the weeping of armed soldiers reveal about the inadequacy of military power as ultimate security?
- How do God's judgments often expose the futility of what nations trust instead of Him?
- In what ways should Christ's followers distinguish between earthly security and eternal refuge?
Analysis & Commentary
Heshbon and Elealeh's cry reaching to Jahaz (about 20 miles) indicates either extraordinarily loud lamentation or the spread of calamity across the region. The armed soldiers crying aloud reverses expected military bravado—warriors reduced to weeping reveals total devastation. The phrase "his life shall be grievous unto him" (literally "his soul trembles within him") describes existential anguish, not mere physical suffering. This depicts the psychological trauma of military defeat and national collapse. The breakdown of military strength demonstrates that earthly power provides no ultimate security. Reformed theology emphasizes that only covenant relationship with the sovereign God provides true refuge; all other securities are illusions destined to fail under divine judgment.