Deeper Commentary
Jeremiah 48:1 Of Moab. Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo! for it is laid waste- The city, not the mountain (Num. 32:38).
Kiriathaim is disappointed, it is taken;
Misgab is put to shame and broken down- The present tenses are used
because the threatened judgments are so certain. I suggest that there is a
particular address to the Jews who had taken refuge in Moab, just as the
previous chapter addresses the Jews who had taken refuge in Egypt (see on
:18).
Jeremiah 48:2 The praise of Moab is no more; in Heshbon they have devised
evil against her. Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. You
also, Madmen, shall be brought to silence: the sword shall pursue you-
"Heshbon" and "devised" are similar words, and so there is a word play
here. Likewise "Madmen" and "brought to silence". The idea is that they
had done this to themselves. Judgment is really self-inflicted and an
extension of what the condemned did to themselves.
Jeremiah 48:3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great
destruction!- See on :4. In Is. 16:3, Moab had been asked to accept the
exiles of Judah and thus shield them from "spoiling" (s.w. NEV
"desolation"). It seems that they had spoiled the Jewish refugees and not
at all shielded them from the spoiling of the northern invader, both at
the time of the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions. And so their attitude
to their brother [for Moab and Israel were all related to Abraham] becomes
the basis for their judgment. This is a continual theme, and one that will
continue to our own judgment.
Jeremiah 48:4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be
heard- Isaiah had also spoken of this crying out of Moab in their time
of judgment, and it motivated him to himself cry out for them.
We
too will appeal to men with conviction, as Isaiah’s heart cried out for Moab
like a young heifer about to be slaughtered, feeling for them in what would
come upon them, and desperately appealing for their repentance. Because the
Moabites would cry out and their voice would be heard, “my
heart shall cry out for Moab” (Is. 15:4,5,8). As the Lord Jesus is a
representative Saviour, we too must feel the judgment that is to come upon
others, and in that sense cry out for them as they will cry out.
Jeremiah 48:5 For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they
go up; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the
cry of destruction- See on :4. The same words for "cry of destruction"
are found in the description of Jerusalem's fall in Zeph. 1:10. The Jews
who had fled to the mountainous crags of Moab to escape Divine judgment
were going to receive exactly that judgment; leaving us a lesson, that we
will not avoid judgment. We need to repent of our sins, rather than
psychologically try to avert judgment coming.
Jeremiah 48:6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the
wilderness- As noted on :4, this is an appeal for repentance. God
wanted Moab saved too. LXX has "be like a wild ass in the wilderness",
which is hard to capture. Through repentance, they could avoid the capture
and destruction which was otherwise inevitable.
Jeremiah 48:7 For because you have trusted in your works and in your
treasures, you also shall be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into
captivity, his priests and his princes together- Their "works" were
their idols, which are repeatedly described as the works of human hands
(Dt. 4:28 etc.). And this is the essence of idolatry today- a trusting in
our own works. Perhaps the reference is to the valuable stones in the
Chemosh idol, which was therefore going to be taken into captivity as a
valuable item. But it was understood that a god of a people or town always
fought for its people, and if overcome, then it as it were goes into
captivity (Is. 46:1; Am. 1:15). This was the difference with Israel's God
Yahweh, the God who threatened to destroy His own city and temple because
of His sensitivity to His peoples' sins; the God who brought their enemies
upon them.
Jeremiah 48:8 The destroyer shall come on every city, and no city shall
escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; as
Yahweh has spoken- The reference is to the Jordan valley and to the
tableland of Moab. The Hebrew phrase for 'none escaping' has been used by
Jeremiah in describing the Babylonian judgment (Jer. 34:3; 38:18; Ez.
17:18). The Jews (see on :18) thought they could escape by running to
Moab; but it is foolish to think we can play games with God.
Jeremiah 48:9 May wings be given to Moab, that she may fly and get her away:
and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein-
This may be Jeremiah's interjection, wishing that Moab would take the
way out- which was through repentance and turning to Yahweh. The "wings"
of the mighty cherubim were there to deliver God's people, or whoever
trusted in Him.
Jeremiah 48:10 Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and
cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood- If Babylon was
negligent in judging Moab, they would be cursed.
Jeremiah 48:11 Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on
his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he
gone into captivity: therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent is
not changed- The idea therefore is that by Moab going into captivity,
their scent and taste would change; in other words, they would repent. The
same figure is used of how the captivity of Judah was likewise to bring
about their repentance (Zeph. 1:12). This was in view throughout all these
judgments, that the nations around Israel would repent.
We
are baptized into the Name of Jesus, and bear that Name in the eyes of men.
The Hebrew concept of a name meant really a renown, an understanding of the
person. The Bride comments that “thy name is as ointment poured forth” (Song
1:3), likening the name to the smell of perfume. The “scent” of a nation is
likewise their reputation, the message they give out (Jer. 48:11; Hos.
14:7). We are the savour of Christ (2 Cor. 2:16), we bear His Name, and
therefore anyone carrying the Name is thereby a witness to Him.
Jeremiah 48:12 Therefore behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will
send to him those who pour off, and they shall pour him off; and they
shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles in pieces- There was
to be no possibility for Moab to return to their former taste and scent
(:11); the bottles of wine themselves would be broken. Yet this was all
because God wanted them to radically change.
Jeremiah 48:13 Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel
was ashamed of Bethel their confidence-
The idol cult at Bethel was used by Judah too (Am. 5:5). Israel's
repentance and restoration was to signal that of the surrounding nations
like Moab (see on :11). But they sadly failed. Clearly enough, God’s ideal intention even in Old Testament times was for
the Gentiles to respond to the Hope of Israel. The aim of God’s judgments
upon Moab were so that they might be ashamed of their idols, and that
their “flavour” might be changed to be more pleasing to Israel’s God (:11);
see on :28.
Jeremiah 48:14 How do you say, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the
war?- The present tense is used; they at that time were confident in
their own strength, but the Divine word of judgment was as good as
fulfilled, so that :15 also uses the present tense in saying that "Moab
is laid waste".
Jeremiah 48:15 Moab is laid waste, and they are gone up into his cities,
and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, says the King,
whose name is Yahweh of Armies- These titles are in contrast to
Chemosh, god of Moab, which means ' the powerful / subduing one'.
Jeremiah 48:16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction
hurries fast- This is a quotation from Dt. 32:35 about the judgments
of Israel (Dt. 32:36). As suggested on :18, it is the Jews in Moab who are
being addressed here.
Jeremiah 48:17 All you who are around him, bemoan him; all you who know
his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod!- It
would be Judah who particularly lamented the breaking of the strength of
Moab, because she was one of the nations Judah trusted in against the
Babylonians. We note how 'knowing his name' means to have trusted and
understood Moab based upon his history and characteristics; and likewise
to know Yahweh's Name is far more than simply knowing the word "Yahweh".
Jeremiah 48:18 You daughter who dwells in Dibon, come down from your
glory, and sit in thirst; for the destroyer of Moab has come up against
you, he has destroyed your strongholds- The daughter who dwelt in
Egypt referred to the Jews who had fled there for salvation from the
Babylonians; see on Jer. 46:19,24. Perhaps some had fled to Moab and been
accepted there (from the time of Is. 16:4), and were confident that
Babylonian judgment could never reach them. But the Babylonian destroyer
of Moab would also come to them there. See on :20,22,23.
Jeremiah 48:19 Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch: ask him
who flees, and her who escapes; say, What has been done?- This town
was Moab's great pride; Mesha records on the “Moabite stone” that he
“built (i.e. restored) the city".
Jeremiah 48:20 Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down: wail and cry;
tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste- "Disappointed" is a
concept more relevant to the Jews being disappointed in their trust in
Moab, just as those who lived in Egypt had been of their trust upon Egypt
(Jer. 46:24). The Jews who had fled to Moab would likewise be disappointed
(see on :18).
Jeremiah 48:21 Judgement has come on the plain country, on Holon, Jahzah,
Mephaath- These last two were priestly cities (Josh. 21:36,37).
Israel had allowed these priestly cities to be lost to Moab, and thereby
had decreased the accessibility of salvation intended for them. We can do
the same in essence.
Jeremiah 48:22 Dibon, Nebo, Beth Diblathaim- "House of two figs". The
Hebrew name may have been carried over by the Moabites from its original
Israelite name; or perhaps the Jews living there gave it this name. See on
:18.
Jeremiah 48:23 Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, Beth Meon- The Moabites called
the latter town Beth Baal Meon (Josh. 13:17), and it is noted like that on
the Moabite stone. The absence of "Baal" could suggest that this was a
town taken over by Jews who had emigrated there; see on :18.
Jeremiah 48:24 Kerioth, Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab,
far or near- Kerioth could be another name for Ar (Num. 21:28; Am.
2:2). Bozrah is likely the Bezer of Dt. 4:43; Josh. 20:8; 21:36.
Jeremiah 48:25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says
Yahweh- This was the judgment to happen to Israel (Lam. 2:3; Am.
3:14). Again we see a similarity in the judgments, because it was the same
Divine hand trying to also elicit repentance in Moab as well as Israel.
Jeremiah 48:26 Make him drunken; for he magnified himself against Yahweh:
and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision-
See on :42. This may be an invitation to Jeremiah to again take a cup
of wine to Moab (Jer. 25:15). Moab need not have drunk this cup of
judgment, had they submitted to Babylon and repented before Yahweh. As
Moab derided Israel, so they would be (:27). Again we see the eternal
truth- that how we treat God's people is the basis for our eternal
blessing or condemnation.
Jeremiah 48:27 For wasn’t Israel a derision to you? Was he found among
thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head-
Israel were indeed as caught thieves (Jer. 2:26), who were to be despised.
The Lord’s Bible mind would have found some sort of
encouragement from those who mocked Him. For the Lord was so clearly
bearing the judgment of Israel’s sins: “All who pass along the way clap
their hands at you: they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of
Jerusalem" (Lam. 2:15). And note too Jer. 48:27 (LXX 31:27): “Is Israel a
laughing stock? Was she caught between thieves that you wag your head?".
This was exactly the Lord’s position, between thieves, and mocked- but by
Israel. These prophecies imply it was the Gentiles who would mock Israel;
thus by treating the Lord as they did, they declared themselves to be no
longer God’s people but Gentiles.
Jeremiah 48:28 You inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the
rock; and be like the dove that makes her nest over the mouth of the
abyss-
They
were intended to hide themselves in the rocks in repentance and be ashamed
of their idols, just as Judah were to (Jer.
48:11,13,28 cp. Is. 2:19-21). Israel were to be the light to the
Gentile world around them, the righteous servant who showed light to the
Gentiles; their repentance and restoration was to signal that of the
surrounding nations (see on :11). But they sadly failed.
Jeremiah 48:29 We have heard of the pride of Moab. He is very proud; his
loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the highness of his
heart- This is the ultimate reason for all condemnation. The pride of
Moab is lamented also in Is. 25:11; Zeph. 2:8-10. This seems to be an
expansion upon the prophecy of Is. 16:6.
Jeremiah 48:30 I know his wrath, says Yahweh, that it is nothing; his
boastings have worked nothing- All external bravado and appearance is
seen through by God; and we should also not find it attractive. Judah had
found the bravado of Moab so attractive.
Jeremiah 48:31 Therefore will I wail for Moab; yes, I will cry out for all
Moab: for the men of Kir Heres shall they mourn- Isaiah’s love for the Gentiles whom he
condemned (see on Is. 16:7) inspired Jeremiah to adopt the same attitude
(Jer. 48:20,31-34); he too howled for those whose howling in condemnation
he prophesied (Jer. 48:31 s.w.). As Moab cried out like a three year old
heifer (Jer. 48:34), so did Isaiah for them (Is. 15:5). All this was done
by Isaiah and Jeremiah, knowing that Moab hated Israel (Is. 25:10) and
were evidently worthy of God’s condemnation. But all the same they loved
them, in the spirit of Noah witnessing to the mocking world around him.
Our knowledge of this world’s future means that as we walk the streets and
mix with men and women, our heart should cry out for them, no matter how
they behave towards us, and there should be a deep seated desire for at
least some of them to come to repentance and thereby avoid the judgments
to come. Particularly is this true, surely, of the people and land of
Israel. It ought to be impossible for us to walk its streets or meet its
people without at least desiring to give them a leaflet or say at least
something to try to help them see what lies ahead.
Jeremiah 48:32 With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for you,
vine of Sibmah: your branches passed over the sea, they reached even to
the sea of Jazer: on your summer fruits and on your vintage the destroyer
is fallen- The "I" who is lamenting is God through Jeremiah. It is
hard to lament the fall of the arrogant and abusive; but all the same, we
see here the lament for the loss of every human being by God and His
prophet.
Jeremiah 48:33 Gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and
from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to cease from the wine
presses: none shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no
shouting- The Hebrew noun is used for both the joyous shout of the
grape-treaders and for a battle-cry. The removal of the blessing of joy
and wine recalls the covenant blessings being withdrawn from Israel
for breaking the covenant; and again we suspect that it is the Jews living
in Moab who are particularly in view (see on :18).
Jeremiah 48:34 From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz have
they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath
Shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate-
This is a condensed form of Is. 15:4-6. Isaiah's prophecies about Moab
hadn't come true at his time, but now they had the possibility of coming
true in Jeremiah's time. The final fulfilment of every prophetic word will
be in the last days.
Jeremiah 48:35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, says Yahweh, him
who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods-
The implication could be that it was particularly the idolaters who were
to be destroyed. The prophets condemn Israel for having adopted the gods
of the surrounding nations, so perhaps these idol worshippers are
specifically the Jews who had gone to live there; see on :18.
Jeremiah 48:36 Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, and my heart
sounds like pipes for the men of Kir Heres: therefore the abundance that
he has gotten is perished- This appears to be the interjection of
Jeremiah for Moab. He really believed that what he was saying was going to
happen to them, and his heart bled for them. See on 31.
Jeremiah 48:37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: on all the
hands are cuttings, and on the waist sackcloth- This is a repeat of
Is. 15:2. Such signs of mourning were forbidden to Israelites (Lev. 19:27;
21:5). But it seems that those mourning in Moab were Israelites who had
taken refuge there, as they thought, from God's judgments through the
Babylonians (see on :18). So the idea may be that they had become so
identified with Moab that they acted as they did, and thus broke their
covenant with Yahweh.
Jeremiah 48:38 On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is
lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which
none delights, says Yahweh- Housetops and streets were where idols
were worshipped; earlier Jeremiah has lamented that Jerusalem's streets
and roofs were full of such idolatry. Moab was no better, and would suffer
the same judgment. Moab was now going to be a vessel in which nobody
delighted- including the Jews who had fled there for refuge.
Jeremiah 48:39 How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned
the back with shame! So shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all
who are around him- The same kind of language is used about the
condemnation of Moab as is used for that of Judah. The idea is that they
were intended to repent together, so that the revived kingdom of God in
Israel would be populated by the repentant, surrounding nations too.
Jeremiah 48:40 For thus says Yahweh: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and
shall spread out his wings against Moab- Just as Babylon came as an
eagle against Judah, so it would against Moab (Jer. 4:13; Dt. 28:49).
There was to be no avoiding Divine judgment. The wings of the cherubim
were there for Israel's protection; but they had spurned them, and instead
run to Moab for help (see on :18).
Jeremiah 48:41 Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the
heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a
woman in her pangs- Again the metaphor has hope of a new birth out of
this calamity. The Divine hope was that Moab along with Israel would
repent and form a reborn people in the restored Kingdom of God in Israel.
Jeremiah 48:42 Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has
magnified himself against Yahweh- It is the Name of Yahweh which is
to be magnified because of His special love for Israel (s.w. 2 Sam. 7:26),
and therefore magnifying themselves against God's people was magnifying
themselves against Yahweh (Zeph. 2:10). Any magnification of self against
God's people is therefore a revolt against Yahweh and all that is implicit
in His Name. We can do this, by magnifying our own desires and needs above
those of His collective people.
Jeremiah 48:43 Fear, the pit and the snare are upon you, inhabitant of
Moab, says Yahweh- Their relationship with Babylon would be a "snare"
in that they united with them and were then destroyed by them.
Jeremiah 48:44 He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he
who gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring
on him, even on Moab, the year of their visitation, says Yahweh-
Jer. 48:44; 49:5 describe condemnation as fear
being brought upon people (as Job 3:25; Prov. 1:27), and Is. 24:18 and
other passages speak of the condemned fleeing from “the noise of the
fear”. “The fear” is almost a way of saying ‘the judgment of God’ (Lam.
3:47). The torment of the rejected will be their fear (1 Jn. 4:18).
Psychologically, we need to get in touch with our own fears now, face our
fears of condemnation eye to eye, and work through them- in repenting and
coming to believe firmly in God’s gracious acceptance, living in the
spirit of the true love which casts out fear. I know men and women who
knew God and walked with the Lord, but now say ‘it means nothing to me’.
They shrug when I nervously mention to them the reality of judgment to
come- and I’m not very bold at bringing the conversations around to that
issue, because it is just so fearsome and of such magnitude. They tell me
that they’re indifferent. But somewhere deep within them, no matter what
good actors they are before the stage of our human eyes, there has to be a
deep and awful fear. And it is that fear which will be revealed and which
will grip them in that final day. Perhaps the greatest mental torment of
the rejected will be realizing how they could have been in the Kingdom of
God; they will then perceive how great was the potential which they had
had in the brief years of their mortality.
Jeremiah 48:45 Those who fled stand without strength under the shadow of
Heshbon; for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the
midst of Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the
head of the tumultuous ones- This quotes from the prophecies against
Moab in Num. 21:28; 24:17. The final fulfilment of all the prophetic word
will be at the last day, when the Lord Jesus as the "star out of Jacob"
will destroy the latter day equivalent of Moab, and any Jews who have
taken refuge with her.
Jeremiah 48:46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh is undone; for
your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity-
This is based on Num. 21:29. And yet Balaam's prophecies against Moab all
have a latter day application. See on :47.
Jeremiah 48:47 Yet will I revive the fortunes of Moab in the latter days,
says Yahweh. Thus far is the judgement of Moab- T
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