Jeremiah48chapter 48

Jeremiah 48:11

“Moab from the time it conquered the Emims Deu 2:9-10, and so became a nation, had retained quiet possession of its land, and enjoyed comparative prosperity. From the Moabite Stone we gather that King Mesha, after the death of Ahab threw off the yoke of Israel; nor except for a short time under Jeroboam II was Israel able to bring the Moabites back into subjection. They gradually drove the Reubenites back, and recovered most of the territory taken from the Amorites by Moses, and which originally had belonged to them.”

Jeremiah 48:11

“Not emptied - A metaphor of wine which is drawn out from vessel to vessel, when it is drawn off the lees. It is expounded by the next words. Therefore - And this is the reason why they retain their old sins, pride, presumption, and luxury.”

Jeremiah 48:12

“I will send unto him wanderers that shall cause him to wander - Dr. Blayney renders צעים tsaim, tilters; those who elevate one end of the wine cask when nearly run out that the remains of the liquor may be the more effectually drawn off at the cock. And this seems to be well supported by the following words, - And shall empty his vessels - I will send such as will carry the whole nation into captivity.”

Jeremiah 48:13

“Israel was ashamed of Beth-el - After Salmaneser had carried Israel away, they could trust no longer in the calf of Bethel established by Jeroboam.”

Jeremiah 48:15

“Moab is spoiled,.... The whole country is ruined; which is spoken of as present, though future, after the manner of prophecy, because of the certainty of it: and gone up out of her cities; the inhabitants of Moab were gone up out of their cities, either through fear and flight; or through force, being made to go out of them, and were carried captive. The Targum is, "the Moabites are spoiled, and their cities are desolate;'' and so Kimchi interprets it, "the multitude of her cities is made to cease;'' the people of them.”

Jeremiah 48:15

Rather, “Moab is spoiled,” and her cities have gone up, i. e., in smoke, have been burned Jos 8:20-21. Others render, “The waster of Moab and of her towns is coming up to the attack, and her chosen youths are gone down to the slaughter.”

Jeremiah 48:15

“When this took place, the young warriors would go down from the burning citadels only to meet their own slaughter [GROTIUS]. English Version is somewhat favored by the fact that "gone out" is singular, and "cities" plural.”

Jeremiah 48:16

“The calamity of Moab is near to come,.... As it did come within live years after the destruction of Jerusalem, as observed on Jer 48:12; out of Josephus: and his affliction hasteth fast: or, "his evil" (z) the evil of punishment for his sin; his utter destruction. (z) רעתו "malum ejus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt.”

Jeremiah 48:16

“Near to come - Twenty-three years elapsed between the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when this prophecy was spoken, and its accomplishment by the invasion of Moab five years after the capture of Jerusalem. So slowly does God’s justice move onward.”

Jeremiah 48:17

“The lamentation over Moab uttered by those “round about him,” i. e., the neighboring nations, and those “that know his name,” nations more remote, who know little more than that, there is such a people, takes the form of an elegy. The metaphorical expressions, “staff of strength,” and “rod” or “scepter of beauty,” indicate the union of power and splendor in the Moabite kingdom.”

Jeremiah 48:18

“That dost inhabit Dibon - This was anciently a city of the Reubenites, afterwards inhabited by the Moabites, about two leagues north of the river Arnon, and about six to the east of the Dead Sea. - Dahler.”

Jeremiah 48:19

“Aroer - On the Arnon, due south of Dibon. If Dibon falls, the turn of Aroer will come next, and therefore its inhabitants are to be on the look out, asking for news.”

Jeremiah 48:21

“And judgment is come upon the plain country,.... Of Moab, which was for the most part such, especially that which lay near Arnon; the judgment of God's vengeance, punishment for sin, by the hand of the Chaldeans. The Targum is, "they that execute vengeance are come:'' upon Holon; a city of Moab; of which see Jos 15:51; it had its name perhaps from the sandy ground on which it stood.”

Jeremiah 48:22

“And upon Dibon,.... Whose destruction by this time was come upon it, as suggested, Jer 48:18; and upon Nebo: of which see Jer 48:1; and upon Bethdiblathaim: the same with Almondiblathaim in Num 33:46 and Diblath in Eze 6:14.”

Jeremiah 48:22

“Beth-diblathaim - i. e., “the house of the two cakes of figs,” perhaps so called from two hills in its neighborhood. Hos 1:3 note.”

Jeremiah 48:23

“And upon Kirjathaim,.... Of which see Jer 48:1; and upon Bethgamul; this is nowhere else mentioned in Scripture; supposed by Grotius to be the Maccala of Ptolemy, put for Camala: and upon Bethmeon: of which see Isa 15:2.”

Jeremiah 48:23

“Beth-meon - Meon is probably the Moabite Olympus, and thus Beth-Baal-Meon, the full name of this town Jos 13:17, would signify the place where the heavenly Baal was worshipped.”

Jeremiah 48:24

“And upon Kerioth,.... Which once belonged to the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:25; from this place Judas Iscariot is by some thought to have his name; as if it was "Ish Kerioth", "a man of Kerioth". Grotius takes it to be the Goiratha of Ptolemy: and upon Bozrah; not in Idumea, but in Moab; the same with Bezer, Jos 21:36; and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, for and near; all the rest of the cities not named, whether nearer or farther off from Aroer.”

Jeremiah 48:24

“Kerioth - A synonym of Ar, the old capital of Moab. It appears to have been a considerable place, and has been identified with El-Korriat, situated on the long ridge of Mount Attarus. Bozrah - Probably the Bosora mentioned in 1 Macc. 5:26 in company with Bosor, i. e., Bezer. Since the word means sheepfolds, it was no doubt a common name for places in this upland region, fit only for pasturage.”

Jeremiah 48:25

“The horn of Moab is cut off,.... The kingdom of Moab, high and strong, his power and strength, by which he defended himself, and offended others, as a beast with his horns; his powerful kingdom, and the glory of it: and his arm is broken, saith the Lord; so that he cannot hold a sword, or manage any weapon of war against the enemy, or do anything to annoy him, or in his own defence.”

Jeremiah 48:25

“Note, When iniquity is universal we have reason to expect that calamity should be so too. The kingdom is deprived of its dignity and authority: The horn of Moab is cut off, the horn of its strength and power, both offensive and defensive; his arm is broken, that he can neither give a blow nor prevent a blow,”

Jeremiah 48:27

“What did Israel do to deserve such derision? Was he detected in theft, that thou didst so exult over him in speaking of him? Though guilty before God, Israel was guiltless towards thee. since--"since ever" thou didst begin speaking of him. skippedst for joy--at Israel's calamity [CALVIN]; or, "thou didst shake thy head" in "derision" [MAURER].”

Jeremiah 48:27

“But the Moabites industriously proclaimed their joy, and avowed the enmity they had to Israel, triumphing over every Israelite they met with in distress and laughing at him, which was as inhuman as it was impious and an impudent affront both to man, whose nature they were of, and to God, whose name they were called by.”

Jeremiah 48:29-30

Let heretics give heed.… "His haughtiness and his arrogance and his pride and the loftiness of his heart I know," says the Lord, "because his strength is not according to the loftiness of his boasts."

Jeremiah 48:29

“Jeremiah adds "loftiness and arrogancy" to Isaiah's picture, so that Moab had not only not been bettered by the chastisement previously endured as foretold by Isaiah, but had even become worse; so that his guilt, and therefore his sentence of punishment, are increased now. Six times Moab's pride (or the synonyms) are mentioned, to show the exceeding hatefulness of his sin.”

Jeremiah 48:29

“It was charged upon them Isa. xvi. 6 , but here it is expressed more largely that there. Since then they had been under humbling providences, and yet were unhumbled; nay, they grew more arrogant and haughty, which plainly marked them for that utter destruction of which pride is the forerunner.”

Jeremiah 48:30

But it shall not be so - Most commentators translate, “I know, saith Jehovah, his arrogancy, and the emptiness of his boastings; they have worked emptiness.”

Jeremiah 48:30

“CALVIN translates, "his lies are not right (that is, his vauntings are vain because God will not give them effect); they shall not do so" as they project in their minds, for God will set at naught their plans.”

Jeremiah 48:31

“Kir-heres--Kir-hareseth, in Isa 16:7; see on Isa 16:7. It means "the city of potters," or else "the city of the sun" [GROTIUS]. Here "the men of Kir-heres" are substituted for "the foundations of Kir-hareseth," in Isa 16:7.”

Jeremiah 48:32

Or, “More than the weeping of Jazer” over its ruined vineyards “will I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah.” Compare the marginal reference. Jazer lies in an upland valley about 15 miles north of Heshbon. Thy plants ... - “Thy branches are gone over the sea, i. e.” the power of Moab is felt even on the western side of the Dead Sea; “they reached etc.”

Jeremiah 48:33

“Winepresses - Rather, “wine-vats,” into which the wine runs from the presses. Their shouting shall be no shouting - The vintage shout is - silence. For the vines have been destroyed, and desolation reigns where once was the joyful cry of those who tread the grapes.”

Jeremiah 48:33

“However, Moab alone seems to be spoken of here; nor does the parallelism forbid "plentiful field" answering to "Moab." English Version is therefore better. shouting--repeated; as at the conclusion of the vintage, men sing over and over again the same cry of joy.”

Jeremiah 48:34

“As a heifer of three years old - Which runs lowing from place to place in search of her calf, which is lost or taken from her.”

Jeremiah 48:36

“Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes,.... That are sounded on mournful occasions, as at funerals, and the like; see Mat 9:23. This the prophet said, as Kimchi observes, in the person of the people, the inhabitants of Moab; whose hearts would yearn and sound for the calamities of their country like the doleful sound of minstrels.”

Jeremiah 48:36

Like pipes - A wind instrument, used at funerals Mat 9:23. The riches that he hath gotten - literally, “that which remains over, a superfluity.”

Jeremiah 48:39

Literally, “How is it broken down! they wail! How hath Moab tutored the back in shame! Yea, Moab is become a laughter and a terror Jer 17:17 to all who are round about him.”

Jeremiah 48:39

“How . . . how--prodigious, yet sure to happen. turned the back--not daring to show her face. derision . . . dismaying to all--a derision to some; a dismaying to others in beholding such a judgment of God, fearing a like fate for themselves.”

Jeremiah 48:40

“For thus saith the Lord, behold, he shall fly as an eagle,.... The enemy, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with his army; who is compared to an eagle for his strength, swiftness, and greediness after the prey: and shall spread his wings over Moab; as an eagle spreads its wings, which are very large, over the little birds it seizes upon as its prey; so the king of Babylon would bring a numerous army against Moab, and spread it over his country.”

Jeremiah 48:40

“The rapid and irresistible attack of Nebuchadnezzar is compared to the impetuous dash of the eagle on its prey Deu 28:49.”

Jeremiah 48:42

“And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people,.... For some time, not always; since the captivity of Moab is promised to be returned, Jer 48:47; or from being such a people as they had been, enjoying so much ease, wealth, power, and prosperity.”

Jeremiah 48:42

“Moab shall be destroyed from being a people - They shall not have a king or civil governor: and I doubt whether there be any evidence that they were ever reinstated in their national character. They were captivated by the Chaldeans; and probably many returned with the Jews on the edict of Cyrus: but as to their being an independent nation after this, where is the positive proof?”

Jeremiah 48:43

“Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee,.... A proverbial expression, showing, that if they escaped one danger, or sore judgment, they should fall into another and greater: the words seem to be taken from Isa 24:17; See Gill on Isa 24:17; O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord; what in the prophecy of Isaiah is said of the inhabitants of the earth in general, is here applied to the inhabitants of Moab in particular.”

Jeremiah 48:45

“Because of the force - Rather, without force. Translate it: “The fugitives have stood, (i. e., halted) powerless in the shadow of Heshbon.” As Heshbon was the capital of the Ammonites, the sense is that the defeated Moabites looked to Ammon for protection. But afire ... - Not only will Ammon refuse aid to Moab, but her ruin is to come forth from Heshbon. To show this Jeremiah has recourse to the old triumphal poetry of the Mosaic age (marginal reference).”

Jeremiah 48:45

“GLASSIUS translates, "through want of strength." So the Hebrew particle is translated (Ps 109:24), "faileth of fatness," that is, "faileth through want of fatness"; also La 4:9. but a fire, &c.--copied in part from Sihon's hymn of victory (Nu 21:27, 28).”

Jeremiah 48:47

“It is written that when Jeremiah caused the nations and kingdoms to drink the cup of wrath, he said concerning each one of the cities, that after they shall drink the cup, I will turn back the captivity of Elam, of Tyre, of Sidon, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab and of Edom.”

Jeremiah 48:47

“Bring again the captivity - (Or, “restore the prosperity.”) A similar promise is given to Egypt, Ammon, and Elam Jer 46:26; Jer 49:6. Thus far ... Moab - An editorial note by the same hand as the last words of Jer 51:64.”

Jeremiah 48:47

“Yet it looks further, to gospel times; the Jews themselves refer it to the days of the Messiah; then the captivity of the Gentiles, under the yoke of sin and Satan, shall be brought back by divine grace, which shall make them free, free indeed. This prophecy concerning Moab is long, but here it ends; it ends comfortably: Thus far is the judgment of Moab.”