Jeremiah 48
Curse on Moab
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 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.
 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.
 3  A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.
 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.
   1 - Moab The people of Moab were descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew ge1936f. The country was east of the Dead Sea.
  1 - Nebo See map of North End of Dead Sea.
  2 - Heshbon A city near Moab about 13 mi. or 21 km. See map.
  3 - Crying ... from Horonaim "the same as the city Avara, mentioned by PTOLEMY. The word means "double caves" (Ne 2:10; Isa 15:5)." (JFB).
 6  Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
.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.
.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.
  6 - Heath Probably a juniper or tamarisk tree.
  7 - Trusted ... works Moab was known for its fortresses v18.
  8 - And the plain The high area of Moab some 4000 feet above the valley and the Dead Sea.
  9 - Wings Not that she could escape.
  10 - Work of the Lord This work was to punish Moab. Doing it deceitfully could be pretending to do it, while letting the people live, perhaps by receiving their money.
 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.
 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.
 13  And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
  11 - Settled from ... youth Moab is compared to wine that has not been completely poured off to other containers leaving sediment in the bottom of the containers. It was like a wine jar with old material. 
  12 - Wanderers From so'im, meaning "tilters."  "pourers out," retaining the image of [verse 11], that is, the Chaldeans who shall remove Moab from his settlements, as men pour wine from off the lees into other vessels. "His vessels" are the cities of Moab; the broken "bottles" the men slain." (JFB)
 14 ¶ How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?
 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.
 16  The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
 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!
  15 - Gone up ... down out of ... cities "Rather, 'Moab ... and her cities are gone up,' namely, pass away in the ascending smoke of their conflagration (Jos 8:20,21; Jg 20:40). When this took place, the young warriors would go down from the burning citadels only to meet their own slaughter." (JFB).
.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.
.19  O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?
.20  Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
  20 - Moab confounded "Answer of the fleeing Moabites to the Ammonite inquirers [verse 19] Isa 16:2. He enumerates the Moabite cities at length, as it seemed so incredible that all should be so utterly ruined. Many of them were assigned to the Levites, while Israel stood" (JFB).
  20 - Arnon Moab's most important river. See map.
 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, far or near.
.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.
 27  For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
  21 - Plain The plain as well as the mountains would be laid waste je4808. For "Holon" compare jos1551. For the other two, see nu2123, is1504, jos1317ff, jos2137.)
   26 - Moab Results of mistreating the people of God is16. See SE corner of map. or See SE corner of map of Canaan when entered.
  27 - Found among thieves A disgrace je0226. "Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn." (NASBu).
.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.
.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 Kirheres.
 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.
  28 - Leave the cities This advice will apply to the righteous minority everywhere at the end of time.
  31 - Kir-heres "Kir-hareseth, in Isa 16:7; see on JFB for Isa 16:7. It means 'the city of potters,' or else 'the city of the sun' .... Here 'the men of Kir-heres' are substituted for 'the foundations of Kir-hareseth,' in Isa 16:7. The change answers probably to the different bearing of the disaster under Nebuchadnezzar, as compared with that former one under Shalmaneser." (JFB).
  32 - Simbah A place near Heshbon. See map for Heshbon (20+ miles or 40+ km. NE of the mouth of Jordan).
 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.
.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.
 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.
  34 - Elealeh Near Heshbon.
  34 - Heshbon See nu3203 and the map linked from v32 above.
  35 - Him that offereth Compare the offerings of Moab 2ki0327 in high places is1612.
.36  Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
.37  For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon 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 wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.
 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.
  36 - Pipes "A musical wind instrument, consisting of a tube with holes, like a flute or clarinet, 1Sa 10:5; 1Ki 1:40; Isa 5:12; 30:29; Jer 48:36; Mt 9:23.  The double pipe had two tubes, uniting in the mouthpiece; the tube played with the left hand emitting a few deep sounds, and serving as a base.  The Scotch Deputation of Inquiry speak of overtaking among the hills of Judea "an Arab playing with all his might upon a shepherd's pipe made of two reeds.  This was the first time we had seen any marks of joy in the land, for certainly 'all joy in darkened, the mirth of the land is gone,'" Isa 24:11." (ATS Dictionary) Perhaps, because the word is plural, it was the "double pipe."
  36 - Riches ... gotten "literally, the abundance ... that which is over and above the necessaries of life. GROTIUS translates, 'They who have been left remaining shall perish'; they who have not been slain by the enemy shall perish by disease and famine." (JFB).
.40  For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
 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.
 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.
 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.
  42 - Moab ... destroyed "They shall not have a king or civil governor: and I doubt whether there be any evidence that they were ever reinstated in their national character. They were captivated by the Chaldeans; and probably many returned with the Jews on the edict of Cyrus: but as to their being an independent nation after this, where is the positive proof?" (Clarke).
 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.
 46  Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.
.47  Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
  45 - Tumultuous ones Or "riotous revelers." (NASBr)
  46 - Chemosh A Moabite god v7.
  47 - Bring again the captivity Moab is not now a nation but the promise will be fulfilled to people among its end-time counterpart who choose to be faithful to God. It, along with Elam are mentioned in da1141. And compare the gathering of Elam je4934.
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