Faced with the impending collapse of Moab, a remarkable picture of deep prophetic empathy emerges. The primary approach among commentators is that the prophet expresses his personal sorrow over the approaching disaster, which he foresees through the Holy Spirit [שד״ל]. Unlike the prophets of other nations, such as Balaam, who sought to destroy nations without cause, the prophets of Israel mourn and grieve even when calamity strikes foreign lands [רש״י, חומת אנך]. Alternatively, the prophet is not speaking for himself but is giving voice to the Moabite people, capturing the bitter cry of every individual in the nation [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Another perspective personifies the prophet's heart as a living entity, calling out a warning to the Moabite army and begging them to flee rather than fight a doomed war [מלבי״ם].
As the disaster unfolds, the focus shifts to those escaping. Most commentators agree that the narrative describes fugitives fleeing the ravages of war [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others take the description more literally, suggesting that the physical bars of the city gates have been broken, or indicating that Moab's borders once extended all the way to the city of Zoar [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. To capture the tragic fall of the nation, Moab is likened to a prime three-year-old heifer. This metaphor symbolizes a country that was strong, prominent, and overflowing with prosperity before tragedy struck [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שד״ל]. Some believe this description applies not to Moab, but to the city of Zoar, the destination of the refugees [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A distinct military interpretation views these terms as references to the retreating elite forces and military camps of the Moabite army [מלבי״ם].
The escape route takes the survivors through high, mountainous regions in Moab [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The fleeing people climb the steep paths, weeping bitterly over the sudden ruin that has overtaken them. Because these mountain roads were exceptionally dangerous, the path toward Zoar remained the only secure route [חומת אנך]. The geography of this defeat is further detailed by viewing the valley as the battlefield where the heroes fell, while the mountain ascent served as the desperate escape route for the few survivors [מלבי״ם]. As they flee, the survivors awaken a massive, echoing cry of disaster [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others explain that the fugitives are entirely broken by their grief, physically striking their hands and thighs together in despair [רד״ק, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, a simpler understanding suggests that the people are simply crying out in pure anguish [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].