Like the previous verse this one also begins with the Hebrew particle ki rendered For. It is emphatic here also, meaning “Truly” or “Indeed.” It introduces the final and climatic statement of this section: even though the Moabites have suffered greatly, they will suffer even more.
The waters of Dibon are full of blood: Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation read the name Dibon, here and in the next line. It was the capital city of Moab (see Isa 15.2). But Masoretic Text has “Dimon” in both lines. Modern scholarship and most translations keep “Dimon” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project allows another reading, based on the Vulgate, with “Dimon” in the first line and “Dibon” in the second line. No version apparently follows this option. De~Waard suggests that the verse refers to only one town and that it is “Dimon.” We recommend that translators use only this name in both lines. The town’s location is uncertain. This line says that the town’s water supply was full of blood. This may refer to real blood from the corpses of Moabites killed in battle and thrown in the water. Or it may simply be a figure for the death and suffering of the people. Instead of waters, translators may say “rivers” or “river” (Good News Translation).
Yet I will bring upon Dibon even more: The pronoun I refers to the LORD here. For clarity Good News Translation changes this pronoun to “God” and Contemporary English Version has “the LORD” since the prophet has been speaking in the previous verses. This line refers to further suffering and bloodshed. For even more, translators should not say “even more blood.” A better rendering is “even more suffering/trouble.” Good News Translation has “something even worse.”
A lion for those of Moab who escape, for the remnant of the land: It is clear that the lion symbolizes the new danger that awaits the Moabites (referred to as even more in the previous line). However, the overall meaning of these two lines is uncertain. For Revised Standard Version and most translations, for the remnant of the land is in apposition to for those of Moab who escape. If so, both phrases describe the same people, namely, the few in Moab who survive the first disaster. They will now meet worse trouble, symbolized by the lion. Good News Translation follows this understanding, but renders lion nonfiguratively as “bloody slaughter.”
Another interpretation of these lines is possible, based on a different view of the Hebrew syntax. They could be rendered “for those of Moab who escape, a lion; but for the remnant, land.” With this reading there are two different groups of people in view: “those of Moab who escape” and “the remnant.” Each group is introduced with a Hebrew preposition meaning “for” or “to,” implying that a future is promised to each. For the Moabites who flee, they will be killed; for those left in Moab, they will have land. The Hebrew syntax supports this interpretation in two ways. First, the last line in Hebrew begins with a conjunction that probably is contrastive (“but”). Revised Standard Version does not translate this conjunction. Second, the Hebrew noun translated remnant has an absolute form, not a construct form, so the last line is literally “but for a remnant land,” and not “… remnant of the land.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh follows this understanding by saying “With soil for its remnant.” We prefer this reading.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• Truly, the water supply of Dimon is full of blood, yet I will bring more suffering upon Dimon; a lion will await those of Moab who escape, but for those who remain, there will be land.
• Truly, the water supply of Dimon is saturated with blood, yet even greater trouble will I bring upon it; there will be a lion for those of Moab who flee, but for those who remain, land.
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 .