Jeremiah 48

1. Against Moab. Rather, “Concerning Moab,” as R.V.

Nebo . . . Kiriathaim. . . . Mispab (or, “the high fort”), etc. Many of these cities belonged at first to the Emim (Gen. xiv. 5), then to the Moabites, and afterwards to the Amorites (Numb. xxi. 24-30), who were speedily dispossessed by the Hebrews (Numb. xxxii. 37). After the Assyrians subdued Israel, they fell again into the hands of the Moabites.

3. Horonaim. “The two caverns”: see Isa. xv. 5.

6 be like the heath, etc. See note on xvii. 6. Choose poverty and desolateness to save your life.

7 thy works. Or, the product of work; thy resources.

Chemosh. See Numb. xxi. 29, and note.

8 the plain. The table-land: see Josh. xiii. 9, 17, 21.

10 that doeth the work of the Lord. The work of punishment to be inflicted on the Moabites. “Deceitfully” should rather be “negligently” (R.V.).

11 he hath settled on his lees. A figure denoting that Moab had enjoyed great prosperity, as well as tranquillity, in consequence of her freedom from foreign wars: see note on Isa. xxv. 6. Here “taste” is an emblem of national character.

12 wanderers that shall cause him to wander. Lit., “tilters that shall tilt him up.” Moab, which has just been represented as a jar of old wine, is here described as being tilted, or raised at one end, in order to be completely “emptied,” i.e., to be devastated and depopulated, every smaller vessel that held the wine being at the same time exhausted of its contents.

13 ashamed of Chemosh. Chemosh shall defend the Moabites no better than the golden calf at Bethel had protected the Israelites.

15 and gone up [out of] her cities. Rather, “and her cities are gone up [in smoke],” as R.V. marg.

17 rod. Or, “sceptre”; the ensign of dominion.

18 in thirst. That is, in a parched place or in the dust. This expression is emphatic, as Dibon was remarkable for its well-watered situation: see note on Isa. xv. 9.

19. Aroer. Vers. 19-25 represent strongly the consternation of the Moabites and the desolation of the whole country; judgement falling on every place. Some of the places cannot now be identified.

20 for it is broken down. i.e., Dibon, her strong fortress.

24. Bozrah. To be distinguished from the Edomite Bozrah (Isa. lxiii. 1).

26. Make ye him drunken. That is, with the cup of fury and trembling; see xxv. 15; Isa. li. 17, 22.

27 since thou spakest of him, etc. Rather, as R.V., “as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head”; a mark of contempt.

29. We have heard the pride of Moab, etc. The passage to ver. 36 seems an expansion of Isa. xvi. 6-12.

30 but it shall not be so. It will be powerless.

31 will I howl. The prophet here speaks in his own person. In Isaiah it is Moab who laments (xvi. 7); Isaiah himself afterwards (9, 11).

32. Sibmah. Two miles from Heshbon. The

33 from the plentiful field. Heb., “from Carmel”; a general term applied to fruitful fields: cp. Isa. xvi. 10.

[Their] shouting shall be no shouting. These joyous shoutings shall give place to the war-cry, or the death-wall.

34 [As] a heifer of three years old. See Isa. xv. 5.

39. They shall howl [saying]. Rather, as R.V., “How is it broken down! [how] do they howl!”

40 he shall fly (“swoop”). i.e., the enemy, Nebuchadrezzar.

45 because of the force. Or, “without force”; in vain.

a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, etc. See note on Numb. xxi. 28; xxiv. 17; from which these words are taken.

47 bring again the captivity. i.e., restore the prosperity, as in other passages.