John Gill Commentary Isaiah 15:3

"In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly." — Isaiah 15:3 (ASV)

In their streets they shall girt themselves with sackcloth, &c.] Instead of their fine clothes, with which they had used to deck themselves, being a very proud people; see (Isaiah 16:6). This was usual in times of distress on any account, as well as a token of mourning for the dead; see (Joel 1:8Joel 1:13). The word for "streets" might be rendered "villages", as distinct from cities, that were "without" the walls of the cities, though adjacent to them; and the rather, seeing mention is made of streets afterwards:

on the tops of their houses; which were made flat, as the houses of the Jews were, on which were battlements, (Deuteronomy 22:8). Hither they went for safety from their enemies, or to see if they could spy the enemy, or any that could assist them, and deliver them; or rather, hither they went for devotion, to pray to their gods for help; for here it was usual to have altars erected, to burn incense on to their deities; see (2 Kings 23:12) (Jeremiah 19:13) (Zephaniah 1:5) and in such places the people of God were wont to pray, (Acts 10:9):

and in their streets; publicly, as well as privately, where they ran up and down to get from the enemy, and save themselves:

everyone shall howl, weeping abundantly; or, "descending with weeping": the tears running down his cheeks in great abundance, so that his whole body was as it were watered with them; or the meaning may be, that everyone that went up to the temples of the idols, and to the high places, (Isaiah 15:2) or to the roofs of the houses, as here, to pray the assistance of their gods, should come down weeping and howling, having no success.