Isaiah 15:4
New International Version
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out, and their hearts are faint.

New Living Translation
The people of Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out; their voices will be heard as far away as Jahaz! The bravest warriors of Moab will cry out in utter terror. They will be helpless with fear.

English Standard Version
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembles.

Berean Standard Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, Their voice shall be heard as far as Jahaz; Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab will cry out; His life will be burdensome to him.

New American Standard Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him.

NASB 1995
Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him.

NASB 1977
Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul trembles within him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out, Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab make a loud shout; His soul trembles within him.

Amplified Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh [cities claimed by Moab] cry out; Their voice is heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out; Moab’s soul trembles within him.

Christian Standard Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out, and they tremble.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out, and they tremble.

American Standard Version
And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him.

Contemporary English Version
From Heshbon and Elealeh, weeping is heard in Jahaz; Moab's warriors scream while trembling with fear.

English Revised Version
And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out. Their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz. Moab's armed men cry out. Their courage is gone.

Good News Translation
The people of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, and their cry can be heard as far away as Jahaz. Even the soldiers tremble; their courage is gone.

International Standard Version
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the loins of Moab cry aloud; its heart quakes for itself.

Majority Standard Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.

NET Bible
The people of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz. For this reason Moab's soldiers shout in distress; their courage wavers.

New Heart English Bible
Heshbon cries out with Elealeh. Their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud. Their souls tremble within them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even to Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous to him.

World English Bible
Heshbon cries out with Elealeh. Their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud. Their souls tremble within them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Heshbon and Elealeh cry, "" Their voice has been heard to Jahaz, "" Therefore the armed ones of Moab shout, "" His life has been grievous to him.

Young's Literal Translation
And cry doth Heshbon and Elealeh, Unto Jahaz heard hath been their voice, Therefore the armed ones of Moab do shout, His life hath been grievous to him.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Heshbon shall cry and Elealah; even to Jahaz their voice was heard: for this the loins of Moab shall make a loud noise his soul shall be evil to him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Hesebon shall cry, and Eleale, their voice is heard even to Jasa. For this shall the well appointed men of Moab howl, his soul shall howl to itself.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Heshbon will cry out with Elealeh. Their voice has been heard as far as Jahaz. Over this, the well-equipped men of Moab wail; each soul will wail to itself.

New American Bible
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, they are heard as far as Jahaz. At this the loins of Moab tremble, his soul quivers within him;

New Revised Standard Version
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the loins of Moab quiver; his soul trembles.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh; their voice shall be heard as far as Jazoth; therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his soul shall howl for him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall howl, Kheshbon and Alala, and unto Yatsoth their voice shall be heard; because of this, the mighty men of Moab shall cry out, and one’s soul shall cry out to him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; Their voice is heard even unto Jahaz; Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; His soul is faint within him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For Esebon and Eleale have cried: their voice was heard to Jassa: therefore the loins of the region of Moab cry aloud; her soul shall know.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Oracle Concerning Moab
3In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping. 4Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within. 5My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 48:31-36
Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres. / I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, more than I weep for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they reach even to Jazer. The destroyer has descended on your summer fruit and grape harvest. / Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and from the fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; their shouts are not for joy. ...

Zephaniah 2:8-10
“I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders. / Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.” / This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts.

Jeremiah 4:19-21
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle. / Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment. / How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?

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 48:5
For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction:

Jeremiah 48:34
There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they raise their voices to Jahaz, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim have dried up.

Jeremiah 48:39
“How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.”

Ezekiel 25:9-11
therefore I will indeed expose the flank of Moab beginning with its frontier cities—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the glory of the land. / I will give it along with the Ammonites as a possession to the people of the East, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. / So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.’

Amos 1:13-15
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory. / So I will kindle a fire in the walls of Rabbah to consume its citadels amid war cries on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of tempest. / Their king will go into exile—he and his princes together,” says the LORD.

2 Kings 3:21-23
Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border. / When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way. / “This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

Numbers 21:28-30
For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon’s heights. / Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He gave up his sons as refugees, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites. / But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We demolished them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”

Isaiah 16:7-9
Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken. / For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea. / So I weep with Jazer for the vines of Sibmah; I drench Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Triumphant shouts have fallen silent over your summer fruit and your harvest.

Isaiah 16:11-12
Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir-heres. / When Moab appears on the high place, when he wearies himself and enters his sanctuary to pray, it will do him no good.

Isaiah 25:10-12
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trodden into the dung pile. / He will spread out his hands within it, as a swimmer spreads his arms to swim. His pride will be brought low, despite the skill of his hands. / The high-walled fortress will be brought down, cast to the ground, into the dust.

Isaiah 24:8-11
The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent. / They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it. / The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even to Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous to him.

Heshbon

Isaiah 16:8,9
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…

Numbers 32:3,4
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, …

Jeremiah 48:34
From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

Jahaz

Numbers 21:23
And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Deuteronomy 2:32
Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

Joshua 13:18
And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,

his

Genesis 27:46
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Numbers 11:15
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

1 Kings 19:4
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Jump to Previous
Aloud Armed Cause Cries Crieth Cry Crying Elealeh Ele-A'leh Faint Fear Grievous Heard Heart Heshbon Jahaz Life Moab Ones Shaking Soldiers Soul Souls Sounding Tremble Trembles Voice Voices Way Within
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Aloud Armed Cause Cries Crieth Cry Crying Elealeh Ele-A'leh Faint Fear Grievous Heard Heart Heshbon Jahaz Life Moab Ones Shaking Soldiers Soul Souls Sounding Tremble Trembles Voice Voices Way Within
Isaiah 15
1. The lamentable state of Moab














Heshbon and Elealeh cry out
Heshbon and Elealeh were significant cities in ancient Moab, known for their strategic and economic importance. The Hebrew root for "cry out" is "זָעַק" (za'aq), which conveys a sense of loud lamentation or a desperate plea for help. This phrase indicates the depth of distress and calamity that has befallen these cities. Historically, Heshbon was a major city of the Amorites before being conquered by the Israelites and later becoming part of Moab. The crying out of these cities symbolizes the widespread devastation and the emotional turmoil experienced by the inhabitants.

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz
Jahaz was a location of significant historical battles, notably where the Israelites defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:23). The mention of Jahaz here underscores the extent of the calamity, as the cries of Heshbon and Elealeh reach far beyond their borders. The Hebrew word for "heard" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which implies not just hearing but understanding and acknowledging the gravity of the situation. This phrase suggests that the impact of Moab's distress is widespread, affecting even distant regions.

Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out
The "armed men" or warriors of Moab, expected to be symbols of strength and protection, are themselves crying out. The Hebrew word for "armed men" is "חָלוּץ" (chalutz), which refers to those prepared for battle. Their cry signifies a reversal of roles, where the protectors are now in need of protection. This highlights the severity of the judgment upon Moab, as even the mightiest are rendered powerless. The repetition of "cry out" emphasizes the pervasive despair and helplessness.

and their souls tremble within them
The Hebrew word for "souls" is "נֶפֶשׁ" (nephesh), often translated as "life" or "being," indicating the very essence of a person. "Tremble" comes from the Hebrew "רָגַז" (ragaz), meaning to quake or be agitated. This phrase paints a vivid picture of internal turmoil and fear, suggesting that the crisis has penetrated to the core of their being. The trembling of their souls reflects a profound existential dread, a recognition of their vulnerability in the face of divine judgment.

(4) And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh . . .--Of the places thus named (1) Heshbon (now Heshan) was twenty miles east of the Jordan, on a line from the northern extremity of the Dead Sea. It is first mentioned as in the power of Sihon king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:26). On his overthrow it was assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Numbers 32:37), and became a city of the Levites (Joshua 21:39). It had probably fallen into the hands of the Moabites, to whom it had originally belonged (Numbers 21:26). Its ruins exhibit architecture of various periods, Jewish, Roman, and Saracenic; (2) Elealeh, obviously near Heshbon, had shared its fate (Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:37). The ancient name still attaches to its ruins in the form El-A'al; (3) Jahaz was the scene of the battle between Sihon and the Israelites (Numbers 21:23; Deuteronomy 2:32; Judges 11:20), and was also within the region assigned to Reuben (Joshua 13:10) north of the Arnon. The language of Isaiah implies that it was at some distance from the other two cities. Their cry was to be heard even there. In the Moabite inscription it appears as annexed to Dibon (Records of the Past, xi. 167). Eusebius (Onomast.) names it as between Medeba and Debus, the latter name being probably identical with Dibon. The panic is intensified by the fact that even the "armed soldiers" of Moab are powerless to help, and can only join in the ineffectual wailing. . . . Verse 4. - Heshbon shall cry. Heshbon, now Hesban, lay about twenty miles east of the Jordan, nearly on the parallel of its embouchure into the Dead Sea. It was the capital city of Sihon (Numbers 21:21), who took it from the Moabites. On the partition of Palestine among the tribes of Israel, it was assigned to Reuben (Numbers 32:37; Joshua 13:17); but at a later time we find it reckoned to Gad (1 Chronicles 6:81). We do not know at what time Moab recovered Heshbon, but may conjecture that it was one of the conquests of Mesha, though it is not mentioned on the Moabite Stone. And Elealeh. Elealch is commonly united with Heshbon (Numbers 32:3, 37; Isaiah 16:9; Jeremiah 48:34). It is probably identical with the modern El-A'al, a ruined town on the top of a rounded hill, little more than a mile north of Hesban. Even unto Jahaz. Jahaz lay considerably to the south of Hesh-ben, probably not very far north of the Arnon. It must have been in the vicinity of Dibon, since Mesha, on taking it from the Israelites, annexed it to the territory of that city (Moabite Stone, II. 19-21). It was the scene of the great battle between Sihon and the Israelites under Moses (Numbers 21:23). His life shall be grievous unto him; rather, his soul shall be grieved within him. The Moabite people is personified (Cheyne).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Heshbon
חֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ (ḥeš·bō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2809: Heshbon -- a place East of the Jordan

and Elealeh
וְאֶלְעָלֵ֔ה (wə·’el·‘ā·lêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 500: Elealeh -- 'God ascends', four Israelites

cry out;
וַתִּזְעַ֤ק (wat·tiz·‘aq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2199: To shriek, to announce, convene publicly

their voices
קוֹלָ֑ם (qō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

are heard
נִשְׁמַ֣ע (niš·ma‘)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

as far as
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

Jahaz.
יַ֖הַץ (ya·haṣ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3096: Jahaz -- a place in Moab

Therefore
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the soldiers
חֲלֻצֵ֤י (ḥă·lu·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2502: To pull off, to strip, to depart, to deliver, equip, present, strengthen

of Moab
מוֹאָב֙ (mō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled

cry out;
יָרִ֔יעוּ (yā·rî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7321: To mar, to split the ears, shout

their souls
נַפְשׁ֖וֹ (nap̄·šōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

tremble
יָ֥רְעָה (yā·rə·‘āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3415: To be broken up, to fear

within.
לּֽוֹ׃ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 15:4 Heshbon cries out with Elealeh (Isa Isi Is)
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