Jeremiah 48

1 Against Moab thus hath the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel said; Woe unto Nebo! for it is destroyed; it is confounded; Kiriathaim is taken; Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

2 Moab shall no longer be praised; they have devised evil against Heshbon, saying, Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

3 A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.

4 Moab is destroyed; they have caused the cry of her little ones to be heard.

5 For in the ascending road of Luhith he that weeps shall go up weeping; for in the descending road of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

7 For because thou hast trusted in thy works; in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken; and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

8 And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed as the LORD has spoken.

9 Give wings {Heb. open flowers} unto Moab that he may flee and get away, for his cities shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

10 Cursed be he that does the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keeps back his sword from blood.

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 remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

12 Therefore, behold, the days come, said the LORD, that I will send unto him captors that shall take him captive and shall empty his vessels and break his wineskins.

13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

14 How do ye say, We are mighty and strong men for the war?

15 Moab is spoiled, and his cities destroyed, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, said the King whose name is the LORD of the hosts.

16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hastens fast.

17 All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken: the beautiful rod!

18 Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab has come against thee and has dissipated thy strong holds.

19 O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch; ask her that flees and her that escapes and say, What has happened?

20 Moab is confounded, for it is broken down; howl and cry; tell it in Arnon that Moab is spoiled,

21 and judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

22 and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

23 and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

24 and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, those that are far and those that are near.

25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, said the LORD.

26 Make him drunken, for he magnified himself against the LORD; Moab shall also wallow in his vomit, and be in derision.

27 For was not Israel a derision unto thee, as if he were found among thieves? for since thou hast spoken of him, thou hast slipped.

28 O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities and dwell in the rock and be like the dove that makes her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.

29 We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness and his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart.

30 I know his wrath, saith the LORD, but it shall have no effect; his lies shall not be to his advantage.

31 Therefore I will weep over Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; my heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer; thy shoots are gone over the sea; they reach even to the sea of Jazer; the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

33 And joy and gladness shall be taken from the plentiful field and from the land of Moab; and I shall cause wine to cease from the winepresses; no one shall tread with song; their song shall be no song.

34 The cry, from Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, they have uttered their voice; from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as a heifer of three years old; for the waters of Nimrim shall also be destroyed.

35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offers upon an altar and him that burns incense to his gods.

36 Therefore my heart shall sound like flutes for Moab, and my heart shall sound like flutes for the men of Kirheres because the riches that he has gotten are perished.

37 For every head shall be bald, and every beard shaved: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon all the loins sackcloth.

38 There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which there is no pleasure, said the LORD.

39 They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how has Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all those about him.

40 For thus hath the LORD said: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle and shall spread his wings over Moab.

41 The cities are taken, and the strong holds are taken, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people because he has magnified himself against the LORD.

43 Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, said the LORD.

44 He that flees from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for I will bring upon him, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, said the LORD.

45 Those that fled from the force stood under the shadow of Heshbon; because fire came forth out of Heshbon and a flame from the midst of Sihon and burned the corner of Moab and the crown of the head of the rebellious sons.

46 Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh have perished; for thy sons are taken prisoners into captivity, and thy daughters are captives.

47 Yet I will turn again the captivity of Moab in the last of the times, said the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Jeremiah 48 Commentary

Chapter 48

Prophecies against Moab for pride and security. (1-13) For carnal confidence and contempt of God. (14-47)

1-13. The Chaldeans are to destroy the Moabites. We should be thankful that we are required to seek the salvation of men's lives, and the salvation of their souls, not to shed their blood; but we shall be the more without excuse if we do this pleasant work deceitfully. The cities shall be laid in ruins, and the country shall be wasted. There will be great sorrow. There will be great hurry. If any could give wings to sinners, still they could not fly out of the reach of Divine indignation. There are many who persist in unrepented iniquity, yet long enjoy outward prosperity. They had been long corrupt and unreformed, secure and sensual in prosperity. They have no changes of their peace and prosperity, therefore their hearts and lives are unchanged, ( Psalms 55:19 ) .

14-47. The destruction of Moab is further prophesied, to awaken them by national repentance and reformation to prevent the trouble, or by a personal repentance and reformation to prepare for it. In reading this long roll of threatenings, and mediating on the terror, it will be of more use to us to keep in view the power of God's anger and the terror of his judgments, and to have our hearts possessed with a holy awe of God and of his wrath, than to search into all the figures and expressions here used. Yet it is not perpetual destruction. The chapter ends with a promise of their return out of captivity in the latter days. Even with Moabites God will not contend for ever, nor be always wroth. The Jews refer it to the days of the Messiah; then the captives of the Gentiles, under the yoke of sin and Satan, shall be brought back by Divine grace, which shall make them free indeed.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 48

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Moab, and of the mourning that should be for it; and not only its destruction in general is predicted, but particular places are mentioned, on which it should fall, Jer 48:1-5; the causes of which were their confidence in their works and riches, their carnal ease and security, and their idolatry, they should now be ashamed of, Jer 48:6-13; and this destruction is represented both as certain and as near, notwithstanding their mighty warriors and choice young men, Jer 48:14-17; and then other cities are particularly named, that should share in the calamity, Jer 48:18-25; and all this because of their insolence to the Lord; their contempt of his people; their pride, arrogance, and haughtiness; their wrath, and their lies, Jer 48:26-30; and this destruction is further exaggerated by the lamentation of the prophet over Moab in general, and over several particular cities; and by the lamentation of the inhabitants of them, because of the spoiling of their vines, their fruits, and their riches, Jer 48:31-39; and this is confirmed by the Lord, as to the swiftness of the enemy that should destroy them; the consternation and fear that should seize them; the flight they should be put to; and the consumption and captivity of them, Jer 48:40-46; and the chapter is concluded with a promise of the return of their captivity in the latter day, Jer 48:47.