Heshbon and Ele-aleh cry out, their voice is heard as far as Jahaz: Three more Moabite towns are mentioned here. Heshbon and Ele-aleh were probably the most northern towns in the country. Jahaz was south of these towns near Medeba. The people in Jahaz could hear their fellow citizens crying in Heshbon and Elealeh. This is poetic hyperbole expressing the strength of their cry. The Hebrew verb rendered cry out can have various meanings. Here it suggests a plea for help in this context of weeping. This verb and its noun form reappear in the following verse. Their voice refers to the sound of their weeping. The passive verb is heard will require an active form in many languages. If so, the second line may be rendered “the sound of their weeping reaches Jahaz” or “the people of Jahaz can hear the sound of their weeping.”
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud: The connector therefore links the situation just described to what follows. Because of the people’s suffering and crying, even the Moabite army is affected. They also cry out. Moab’s armed men are those who were prepared for battle. They are the warriors or, as New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has it, “shock troops.” The Hebrew verb rendered cry aloud normally refers to a battle cry, but in this context of lament commentators have suggested it means “tremble.” Revised English Bible has “become alarmed,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “are shivering.”
Instead of the armed men of Moab cry aloud, New Revised Standard Version and New American Bible say “the loins of Moab quiver” (similarly Bible en français courant, NJPSV footnote|prj:NJPS.Isa 15.4). This rendering is based on small changes made to Masoretic Text, following the Septuagint. The changes certainly result in a good parallel to the following line, especially if the Hebrew verb for cry aloud is understood to mean “tremble.” However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project does not mention any variants for verse 4, so we do not recommend this rendering.
His soul trembles: The pronoun his refers collectively to the Moabite army. Translators should use a pronoun that agrees with the subject of the previous line. The depth of their fear is pictured in the use of the Hebrew word rendered soul, which refers to the essential being of a person (see 1.14; see also Gen 2.7, where Revised Standard Version has “being”). This line describes the intense fear of the Moabites, striking at their innermost being. Alternative images are “their hearts melt” and “their belly is soft.” A nonfigurative possibility is “they are extremely afraid.”
Translation examples for this verse are:
• The towns of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out for help, the sound carries as far as Jahaz;
therefore the warriors of Moab shudder, their soul trembles.
• Heshbon and Elealeh cry for help, the people of Jahaz hear them;
therefore Moab’s warriors quiver, each one trembles in great fear.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .