Isaiah 15:8

For their outcry echoes to the border of Moab. Their wailing reaches Eglaim; it is heard in Beer-elim.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The prophet pronounces a judgment oracle against Moab, describing the immediate aftermath of a military catastrophe. The narrative places the scene after the refugees cross the Brook of the Willows and directly before Yahweh declares that the waters of Dimon will be filled with blood.

The words — The verb הִקִּיפָה (hi.Ki.fah) translates literally as "it has gone around," and the noun גְּבוּל (ge.Vul) denotes "territory" or "border." These terms function to map the physical reach of the recorded mourning across the land.

The thread — The motif of inescapable grief appears in Isaiah 15:2 with weeping at high places and recurs in Jeremiah 48:20 and Jeremiah 48:31 where wailing and cries of destruction are commanded for Moab.

Why it lands — The text reports that mourning physically spans from the border of Moab to Eglaim and Beer-elim, establishing the geographic totality of the disaster. It requires the reader to acknowledge the concrete, unmediated reality of the reported devastation before moving to any theological application.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּֽי־ki-for הִקִּ֥יפָהhi.Ki.fahit has gone around הַזְּעָקָ֖הha./ze.'a.Kahthe/ cry אֶת־'et-<obj.>גְּב֣וּלge.Vul[the] territory of מוֹאָ֑בmo.'AvMoab עַד־'ad-to אֶגְלַ֙יִם֙'eg.La.yimEglaim יִלְלָתָ֔הּyi.la.Ta/hwailing/ its וּבְאֵ֥רu./ve.'Erand/ Beer אֵילִ֖ים'ei.LimElim יִלְלָתָֽהּ׃yi.la.Ta/hwailing/ its

King James Version

For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beer–elim.

Cross-references

Isaiah 15:2 Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.
Jeremiah 48:20 Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
Jeremiah 48:31 Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
Ezekiel 47:10 Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.