Jeremiah Chapter 48
From The Open Bible Project
48:1 Of Moab. Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo! for it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is disappointed, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and broken down.
- (a) These were cities of the Moabites, which Nebuchadnezzar took before he went to fight against Nebo King of Egypt.
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.
- (b) Thus shall the Babylonians encourage one another.
- (c) Read (Isaiah 25:10).
48:3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
48:4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
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.
- (d) Horonaim and Luhith were two places by which the Moabites would flee, (Isaiah 15:5).
48:6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
- (e) Hide yourselves in barren places, where the enemy will not pursue after you, (Jeremiah 17:6).
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.
- (f) That is, the idols which are the works your hands. Some read, in your possessions, for so the word may signify as in (1 Samuel 25:2).
- (g) Both your great idol and his maintainers will be led away captives so that they will then know that it is in vain to look for help at idols, (Isaiah 15:2).
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.
48:9 Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.
48:10 Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
- (h) He shows that God would punish the Chaldeans if they did not destroy the Egyptians, and that with a courage, and calls this executing of his vengeance against his enemies, his work though the Chaldeans sought another end, (Isaiah 10:11).
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.
- (i) Has not been removed as the Jews have, but have lived at ease, and as a wine that feeds itself on his lees.
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.
48:13 Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
- (k) As the calf of Bethel was not able to deliver the Israelites no more will Chemosh deliver the Moabites.
48:14 How do you say, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?
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.
48:16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast.
48:17 All you who are around him, bemoan him, and all you who know his name; say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod!
- (l) How are they destroyed that put their trust in their strength and riches?
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.
48:19 Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch: ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, What has been done?
48:20 Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down: wail and cry; tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
- (m) Thus they who flee will answer.
48:21 Judgment is come on the plain country, on Holon, and on Jahzah, and on Mephaath,
48:22 and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth Diblathaim,
48:23 and on Kiriathaim, and on Beth Gamul, and on Beth Meon,
48:24 and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
48:25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says Yahweh.
- (n) That is, his power and strength.
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.
- (o) He willed the Chaldeans to lay afflictions enough on them till they are like drunken men that fall down to their shame and are derided by all.
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.
- (p) You rejoiced to hear of his misery, (Isaiah 16:6).
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.
48:29 We have heard of the pride of Moab, [that] he is very proud; his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
48:30 I know his wrath, says Yahweh, that it is nothing; his boastings have worked nothing.
- (q) He will not execute his malice against his neighbours.
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.
- (r) Read (Isaiah 16:7).
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.
- (s) Which city was in the utmost border of Moab: and by this he signifies that the whole land would be destroyed and the people carried away.
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.
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.
- (t) See Geneva
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.
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.
- (u) Their custom was to play on flutes or instruments, heavy and grave tunes at burials and in the time of mourning, as in (Matthew 9:23).
48:37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: on all the hands are cuttings, and on the waist sackcloth.
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.
48:39 How is it broken down! [how] do they wail! how has Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.
48:40 For thus says Yahweh: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.
- (x) That is, Nebuchadnezzar, as in (Jeremiah 49:22).
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.
48:42 Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against Yahweh.
48:43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, inhabitant of Moab, says Yahweh.
- (y) He that escapes one danger will be taken by another, (Isaiah 24:17).
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.
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.
- (z) They fled there thinking to have comfort from the Amorites.
- (a) The Amorites had destroyed the Moabites in times past, and now because of their power the Moabites will seek them for help.
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.
- (b) Who vaunted themselves of their idol as though he could have defended them.
48:47 Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, says Yahweh. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
- (c) That is, they will be restored by the Messiah.
