ישעיהו, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ג׳

A prophecy of wrath and rebuke is directed at Moab, utilizing poetic imagery of frantic flight, exposure to the blazing sun, and a desperate search for shelter. The primary approach among commentators is that the prophet is rebuking Moab for their historical cruelty toward the Israelites. When the Israelites fled their enemies, such as the Assyrian army, the exile of Reuben and Gad, or the forces of Nebuchadnezzar, Moab refused to grant them asylum. In doing so, they ignored the ancient kindness that Abraham had shown to their ancestor Lot [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, שד״ל, אברבנאל]. Conversely, other commentators view the narrative as the desperate plea of Moabite refugees themselves, sending messengers to Mount Zion to beg the Kingdom of Judah for protection [מלבי״ם]. Another perspective suggests that these are the voices of the Moabites crying out to their own land, begging it to provide them with a hiding place [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, this idea of Moab begging Judah is strongly rejected by [שד״ל], who argues that it disrupts the conceptual flow of the prophecy. Furthermore, the Israelites are known as a compassionate people, and the prophet would not portray them as cruelly mocking refugees who are seeking help.

The narrative opens with a demand to bring counsel and execute justice, representing a call for deep deliberation to choose the right and just path [רש״י, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. Through the lens of rebuke, Moab is criticized for failing to use foresight; they should have acted preemptively and judged justly to save the Israelites before disaster struck [שד״ל, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, if this is understood as Moab's plea to Judah, the request is tiered. The refugees first ask for military advice and tactics to defeat their adversaries. If their strength fails them, they escalate their request, begging Judah to actively execute justice by sending an army to punish the enemy [מלבי״ם].

The imagery then shifts to a striking visual: casting a shadow as dark as night in the middle of noon. The blazing midday sun serves as a metaphor for a time of severe distress and persecution, where refugees are scorched by the enemy's wrath and the grueling journey. The request is to spread a massive, thick, and dark canopy over them, hiding them completely in pitch blackness during the brightest part of the day. This reflects the natural, desperate desire of anyone who feels entirely exposed and vulnerable [רד״ק, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The message concludes with an emphatic, repeated demand to hide the outcasts and not betray the wanderer [רד״ק]. The core requirement is to provide a safe haven and, most importantly, to refuse to hand the refugees over to their pursuers [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Within the framework of Moab pleading with Judah, this represents the lowest tier of their desperate request. They ask that if Judah cannot fight for them, they should at least provide a hidden area within their borders. If even that is impossible, they beg them not to surrender a lone, wandering refugee [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, offering such concealment was physically difficult within the land of Moab itself, as the region lacked the high mountains necessary to provide natural hiding places [ביאור שטיינזלץ].