1.
Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.
The Forty-Fourth Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).
Against = concerning.
Moab. Always hostile to Israel. Compare Judges 3:12 , Jdg 3:28 ; 1 Samuel 14:47 . 2 Samuel 8:2 . 2 Kings 1:1 ; 2 Kings 3:4-27 ; 2 Kings 13:20 . In the reign of Jehoiakim they joined with the Chaldeans.
thus saith. As in Numbers 21:28 , Numbers 21:29 ; Numbers 24:17 (compare verses: Jeremiah 48:45 , Jeremiah 48:46 ), and Amos 2:2 .
the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 7:3 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
Nebo. Not the mountain, but formerly a Reubenite possession (Numbers 32:37 , Numbers 32:38 ), now belonging to Moab.
Kiriathaim. Now probably el Kureiyat, between Medeba and Dibon.
Misgab. Probably = the high fort.
2.
There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.
Heshbon. Now Hesban. The capital of Sihon king of the Amorites. Rebuilt by Reubenites (Numbers 32:37 . Compare Joshua 13:17 ).
devised = counselled. Note Figure of speech Paronomasia . Heshbon, hashbu.
evil. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44 .
be cut down = be reduced to silence.
Madmen. Now Umm Deineh, a town in Moab twelve miles N. E. of Dibon.
3.
A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.
Horonaim. Probably near Zoar. Compare Isaiah 15:5 .
4.
Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
5.
For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
Luhith. ' Now Tal'atel Heith, one mile west of Mount Nebo.
6.
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
lives = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
the heath = naked trees. Compare Jeremiah 17:6 .
7.
For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.
thou shalt also = thou too shalt.
Chemosh shall go forth into captivity. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 21:29 ). App-92 . See App-54 , and compare Judges 11:24 . 1Ki 11:7 . 2 Kings 23:13 .
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 hath spoken.
9.
Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.
10.
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
deceitfully = negligently: i.e. this work of judgment.
11.
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
hath been at ease. Since Moab had driven out the Emims (Deuteronomy 2:10 ).
remained = stood.
12.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.
saith the LORD = [is] Jehovah's oracle.
wanderers, that shall cause him to wander = tilters that shall tilt him. Keeping up the symbol of a wine-jar (Jeremiah 48:11 ).
13.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
as = according as.
the house of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 2:4 . The last occurrence in Jeremiah.
Beth-el. Reference to the calves of Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29 . Hosea 10:5 ).
14.
How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?
men. Hebrew, plural of 'enosh. App-14 .
15.
Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
gone up . . . her cities = her cities have gone up, or ascended in burning.
saith the King = [is] the King's oracle. Compare Jeremiah 46:18 .
the LORD of hosts. See note on Jeremiah 6:6 .
16.
The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
hasteth fast. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:35 ). App-92 .
17.
All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!
18.
Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.
Dibon. Now Dhiban. Ruins north of the river Arnon. Compare Jeremiah 48:22 .
19.
O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?
inhabitant = inhabitress. Reference to "daughter' (Jeremiah 48:18 ).
Aroer. Now 'Ar'air, on the north bank of Wady, Mojib (Arnon).
20.
Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; and tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
Arnon. Now Wady Mojib, on the east side of the Dead Sea.
21.
And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
Holon. Now probably Aleiyan (not Holon or Hilen in Judah).
Jahazah . . . Mephaath. Not yet identified. Compare Isaiah 15:4 .
22.
And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,
Dibon. See Jeremiah 48:18 .
Beth-diblathaim. Also Almon-diblathaim (Numbers 33:46 , Numbers 33:47 ). Now probably Khan Deleyat = house of the two disks, mentioned on the Moabite stone. App-64 .
23.
And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,
Beth-gamul. Now Khan Jemail, east of Dibon.
Beth-meon. Now Tell M'ain. Compare Joshua 13:17 .
24.
And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
Kerioth. Probably the same as Kiriathaim (Jeremiah 48:1 ).
Bozrah. Now el Buseirah, in Edom, south-east of the Dead Sea.
25.
The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.
26.
Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
wallow in = stagger or splash into.
27.
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
since = as often as, or whenever.
skippedst for joy = didst shake thyself in excitement, or wag thy head.
28.
O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh 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.
pride = arrogance. Note the Figure of speech Synonymia : six expressions, for the sake of emphasis.
30.
I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.
31.
Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kir-heres.
mine heart shall mourn = must one mourn. So the St. Petersburg Codex (A.D. 916), with note that the Eastern Massorites read "I shall mourn".
Kir-heres. Now Kerak, the fortified town east of southern end of the Dead Sea.
32.
O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants 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.
Sibmah. Now probably Sumia, east of Jordan. Compare Numbers 32:38 .
Jazer. Now Beit Zer'ah, east of Jordan.
plants = branches.
over the sea. Probably the Dead Sea.
33.
And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.
wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27 .
34.
From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.
From the cry, &c. or, on hearing Heshbon ' s mournful cry.
Elealeh. Now el 'Al, a ruin near Heshbon.
Jahaz. A town in Reuben. Not yet identified.
Zoar. Now Tell esh Shughur, on the south side of Wady Heshban. Originally "Bela".
as an heifer of three years old: or, the third Eglath (to distinguish it from two other Eglaths), or Eglath-Shelishiyah,
Nimrim. Now Wady Nimrim, near the south end of the Dead Sea.
35.
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
high places. See note on 1 Kings 3:3 .
36.
Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
like pipes. Used in mourning at funerals. Compare Matthew 9:23 .
37.
For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
every head. Some codices, with four early printed editions (one margin), read "For upon every head".
bald = baldness. The symbol of mourning. Compare Jeremiah 47:5 .
upon the loins. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "and upon all loins".
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 wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.
the housetops. Where they prayed to their gods. Compare Jeremiah 19:13 .
streets = broadways.
39.
They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.
40.
For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
he = one (not named): Nebuchadnezzar understood.
shall fly. Codex Oriental, 2091 (British Museum), reads "shall ascend"; but the Massorah ( App-30 ) has a note, saying "according to other codices, it is fly" (vol, 167a).
as an eagle. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28:49 ). App-92 .
41.
Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
mighty men's. Hebrew. geber. App-14 .
42.
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.
43.
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.
Fear = Terror.
44.
He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
the fear . . . the pit . . . the pit . . . in the snare. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia . Hebrew. h appa- had . . . happahath . . . happahath . . . bepah .
the year of their visitation. See note on Jeremiah 8:12 .
45.
They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth 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.
stood . . . because of the force = stood strengthless; or, halted.
a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 21:28 ). App-92 .
devour. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 24:17 ). App-92 .
corner: or, flank.
tumultuous ones = sons of tumult.
46.
Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.
Woe, &c. Figure of speech Maledictio. App-6 .
the people of Chemosh. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 21:29 ).
perisheth. Same word as "undone" in Numbers 21:29 .
captives = in the captivity (masculine)
captives. Feminine.
47.
Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
bring again the captivity. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia
the latter days = in the end, or afterpart of the days.