Isaiah 15:8 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 15:8 mean?

Isaiah 15:8 describes grief spreading throughout Moab, a land east of the Dead Sea. The cries reach places at the edges of the land, giving a picture of distress that is not confined to one town.

The verse pictures the sound of mourning traveling across the landscape. After the people flee in verse 7, Isaiah names Eglaim and Beerelim as places reached by the howling. Their exact locations are uncertain.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 15:8

• “cry” — זְעָקָה (zeʿaqah): A loud cry or outcry. The word can describe a cry made in distress, fitting the sounds of grief heard across Moab.
• “howling” — יְלָלָה (yelalah): A loud wail of grief. Its repetition gives emphasis to the sound reaching both named places.

Why Isaiah 15:8 matters

• Isaiah presents Moab’s suffering as widespread. The phrase “round about the borders of Moab” gives the scene a reach beyond the individual places named earlier in the passage.
• The named places give the reader a sense of distance. “Unto Eglaim” and “unto Beerelim” mark how far the sound carries, even though their exact sites are now uncertain.
• The verse is part of Isaiah’s message about Moab’s downfall, not a report of celebration. The repeated “howling” fits the mourning described throughout the passage.