Isaiah describes women fleeing as birds fluttering in terror whose nests have been destroyed, or like fledglings in the nest. They seem to hesitate at the fords of the Arnon river, uncertain whether to return to their old homes or to cross into a strange land.

It is not clear whether he is describing women driven from their homes, or whether he is speaking figuratively of the displacement of the entire population of towns and villages.

The imagery reminds us of Psalm 11:1:

How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?
2“For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They have set their arrow on the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

The Arnon River was the northern boundary of Moab. The river canyon is about a mile wide and 1,700 feet deep.

This makes no sense. The threat is from the north. Why would they be at the fords of the Arnon, unless they were living north of the Arnon, heading south to escape the Assyrians or Babylonians.