Jeremiah 48 Bible Commentary

48:1 Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe to ^a Nebo! for it is laid waste: Kiriathaim is confounded [and] taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

(a) These were cities of the Moabites, which Nebuchadnezzar took before he went to fight against Nebo King of Egypt.

48:2 [There shall be] no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; ^b come, and let us cut it off from [being] a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, ^c O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

(b) Thus shall the Babylonians encourage one another.
(c) Read (Isaiah 25:10).

48:5 For in the ascent of ^d Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a 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 ^e bush in the wilderness.

(e) Hide yourselves in barren places, where the enemy will not pursue after you, (Jeremiah 17:6).

48:7 For because thou hast trusted in thy ^f works and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and ^g Chemosh shall go forth into captivity [with] 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).

48:10 ^h Cursed [be] he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed [be] he that keepeth 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 hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been ⁱ emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained 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.

48:13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of ^k Bethel their confidence.

(k) As the calf of Bethel was not able to deliver the Israelites no more will Chemosh deliver the Moabites.

48:17 All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, ^l How is the strong staff broken, [and] the beautiful rod!

(l) How are they destroyed that put their trust in their strength and riches?

48:20 ^m Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: wail and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is laid waste,

(m) Thus they who flee will answer.

48:25 The ⁿ horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.

(n) That is, his power and strength.

48:26 Make ye him ^o drunk: for he magnified [himself] against the LORD: Moab also 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 was not Israel a derision to thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou hast spoken of him, thou didst ^p leap for joy.

(p) You rejoiced to hear of his misery, (Isaiah 16:6).

48:30 I know his wrath, saith the LORD; ^q but [it shall] not [be] so; his lies shall not so effect [it].

(q) He will not execute his malice against his neighbours.

48:31 ^r Therefore will I wail for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; [my heart] shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

(r) Read (Isaiah 16:7).

48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants have gone over the sea, they reach [even] to the sea ^s of Jazer: the spoiler hath fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

(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.

48:34 From the cry of Heshbon [even] to Elealeh, [and even] to Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar [even] to Horonaim, [as] an ^t heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

(t) See Geneva

48:36 Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like ^u pipes, and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches [that] he hath gotten have 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).

48:40 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, ^x he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

(x) That is, Nebuchadnezzar, as in (Jeremiah 49:22).

48:43 ^y Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [shall be] upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

(y) He that escapes one danger will be taken by another, (Isaiah 24:17).

48:45 They that fled stood under the shadow ^z of Heshbon because of the force: but ^a a fire shall come out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour 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 be to thee, O Moab! the people of ^b Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

(b) Who vaunted themselves of their idol as though he could have defended them.

48:47 Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the ^c latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far [is] the judgment of Moab.

(c) That is, they will be restored by the Messiah.