ישעיהו, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ב׳

The impending destruction of Moab triggers a desperate and chaotic mass exodus. The people are violently uprooted from their homes and scattered toward the borders, much like birds chased from their natural habitat. This disaster serves as a direct punishment for their past cruelty toward the Israelites. When the Israelites sought refuge in Moab during the Assyrian exile, the Moabites betrayed them and handed them over to the enemy [אברבנאל, מצודת דוד].

To capture this panic, the tragedy is compared to a wandering bird forced to flee. The primary approach among commentators views this as a picture of chicks and fledglings driven from their nest. They are left entirely abandoned, wandering without a resting place. It is a tragic scene of separation, where the mother bird flies in one direction while her young scatter in another [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. In this context, the idea of the nest refers to the living birds inside it rather than the physical structure itself [שד״ל, מצודת ציון]. Offering a different perspective, [מלבי״ם] suggests that the natural order of destruction is reversed. Usually, an enemy destroys a nest, forcing the bird to flee. Here, the Moabites realize the enemy is rapidly approaching and choose to run before the invasion even begins. The bird flees first, leaving the nest completely abandoned.

As the panic spreads, the fleeing daughters of Moab are understood in two ways. Some take the description literally, viewing them as the women of the nation running in terror in every direction [שד״ל]. Others explain it as a geographical reference to the unwalled villages and small towns surrounding Moab’s major cities [אבן עזרא, רד״ק].

The ultimate destination for this frantic movement is the water crossings of the Arnon river, which serves as the border of Moab [שד״ל, רד״ק, שטיינזלץ]. The nature of this journey to the border is understood in two contrasting ways. The main view suggests a forced march where captors drive the Moabites from place to place. They are brought to the Arnon border to be divided as spoils of war among the soldiers before being sent into exile [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, רד״ק]. Conversely, [מלבי״ם] argues that the Moabites will flee on their own initiative through the Arnon crossings toward the Land of Israel. Rushing in desperation, they will not even wait for diplomatic messengers to return from Zion, feeling confident that the people of Judah will offer them a safe haven from the invading army.