Jeremiah 49:16
in Jeremiah 49The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, O occupiers of the mountain summit. Though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As for thy terribleness, the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.
KJV
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.
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This verse in Jeremiah 49
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart,.... Some render it, "thine idol" (o); see 1Ki 15:13; which, being terrible to them, they thought it might be so to others, and protect them. In the place referred to the word "miphlezeth" is used, and comes from the same root with this, which signifies to be terrible and formidable, and cause to tremble, as the idols of the Gentiles were to their worshippers, and others.
This site's exposition
If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it
on Jeremiah 49:12-18
The cup of wrath from 25:15-29 comes to Edom: if those who do not deserve the cup must drink it, Edom will not go unpunished. Verses 14 to 16 run close to Obadiah 1-4. Verse 18 says of Edom, “no man will abide there,” words used of Babylon in 50:40.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Fir trees are the home of the heron." The heron is a mighty bird; they say, too, that it overpowers the eagle and feeds on it. It is not like other birds that build their nests and fly to them in the evening; wherever darkness overtakes the heron, there it sleeps. Allegorically, the monk does not have a cell, but wherever he finds one, there, too, he stays.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
High as they are, God will bring them down; for, as there is no wisdom, so there is no might against the Lord, See these expressions, Obad. That their destruction should be inevitable and very remarkable.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
O thou that dwellest - All Idumea is full of mountains and rocks, and these rocks and mountains full of caves, where, in time of great heats, and in time of war, the people take shelter.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
terribleness--the terror which thou didst inspire into others. deceived thee--rendered thee proudly confident, as if none would dare to assail thee. dwellest in . . . rock--Petra, the chief of Idumea, was cut in the rocks; its ruins are very remarkable.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| תִּֽפְלַצְתְּךָ֞ | tiflatztekha | horror your | H8606 → | |
| הִשִּׁ֤יא | hishi' | it has deceived | H5377 → | 16 times |
| אֹתָךְ֙ | ʾotokh | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זְד֣וֹן | zedon | [the] arrogance of | H2087 → | 11 times |
| לִבֶּ֔ךָ | libekha | heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
| שֹֽׁכְנִי֙ | shokheni | O dweller | H7931 → | 129 times |
| בְּחַגְוֵ֣י | bechagvei | in [the] clefts of | H2288 → | |
| הַסֶּ֔לַע | hasela' | the rock | H5553 → | 58 times |
| תֹּפְשִׂ֖י | tofesi | O occupant of | H8610 → | 65 times |
| מְר֣וֹם | merom | [the] height[s] of | H4791 → | 54 times |
| גִּבְעָ֑ה | givah | a hill | H1389 → | 68 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תַגְבִּ֤יהַ | tagbiha | you will make high | H1361 → | |
| כַּנֶּ֙שֶׁר֙ | kanesher | like <the> eagle | H5404 → | 26 times |
| קִנֶּ֔ךָ | kinecha | nest your | H7064 → | |
| מִשָּׁ֥ם | misham | from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אֽוֹרִידְךָ֖ | ʾoridekha | I will bring down you | H3381 → | 381 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
תִּֽפְלַצְתְּךָ֞horror your
tiflatztekhaH8606 →
הִשִּׁ֤יאit has deceived
hishi'H5377 →16 times
אֹתָךְ֙<obj.> you
ʾotokhH853 →10935 times
זְד֣וֹן[the] arrogance of
zedonH2087 →11 times
לִבֶּ֔ךָheart your
libekhaH3820 →595 times
שֹֽׁכְנִי֙O dweller
shokheniH7931 →129 times
בְּחַגְוֵ֣יin [the] clefts of
bechagveiH2288 →
הַסֶּ֔לַעthe rock
hasela'H5553 →58 times
תֹּפְשִׂ֖יO occupant of
tofesiH8610 →65 times
מְר֣וֹם[the] height[s] of
meromH4791 →54 times
גִּבְעָ֑הa hill
givahH1389 →68 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תַגְבִּ֤יהַyou will make high
tagbihaH1361 →
כַּנֶּ֙שֶׁר֙like <the> eagle
kanesherH5404 →26 times
קִנֶּ֔ךָnest your
kinechaH7064 →
מִשָּׁ֥םfrom there
mishamH8033 →834 times
אֽוֹרִידְךָ֖I will bring down you
ʾoridekhaH3381 →381 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 49:25Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with…
it leads to
- Isaiah 54:15–17
If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you.
- Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Isaiah 41:11–12
Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
- Jeremiah 50:33–34
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them.
- Isaiah 54:13
Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
- Isaiah 54:15–17
Through
Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
- Isaiah 2:11–12
The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
- Proverbs 18:12
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
- Proverbs 11:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 30 (PS 103); John Calvin, Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.