Jeremiah 49
OGCREVIEW OF CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I. Facts to Master
The names of the eight nations concerning which Jeremiah has a message from the Lord in Chapter s 46-49.
The following facts about the great battle of Carchemish: (a) the location of Carchemish; (b) the commander of the losing army; (c) the commander of the winning army; (d) the synchronism with the history of Judah (Jeremiah 46:2)
Names of the countries furnishing mercenary troops to Egypt (Jeremiah 46:9).
Name of one of the leading gods of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:25).
Names of four prominent cities of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:14; Jeremiah 46:19; Jeremiah 46:25).
Name of the king who would smite the land of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:13).
Name of the chief god of Moab (Jeremiah 48:7; Jeremiah 48:13; Jeremiah 48:46).
Name of the chief god of Ammon (Jeremiah 49:1; Jeremiah 49:3).
The ancestor of the Edomites (Jeremiah 49:8; Jeremiah 49:10).
The previous overthrow to which God compares the destruction of Edom (Jeremiah 49:18).
II. Questions to Ponder
In Jeremiah 46:1-12 is Jeremiah predicting the outcome of the battle of Carchemish or is he celebrating or commemorating it?
In the oracle concerning Egypt what literary technique is most prominent?
What is meant by the phrase the time of her punishment (visitation)?
What are the sins which the nations have committed which justifies their destruction? Is there an explicit accusation made in each of the oracles?
Which of the oracles conclude on a positive note? To what period of time does the phrase the latter days refer? What does the expression bring back the captivity really mean?
What important differences exist between the Hebrew text and the Greek version of this section of Jeremiah? How can you account for these differences? See comments in Chapter Three.
In how many of the prophetic books can oracles concerning foreign nations be found? Why were the Hebrew prophets interested in the destiny of foreign nations?
How would you arrange the oracles concerning the nations in chronological sequence? What purpose is there in the arrangement as it stands in the text?
What evidence is there in these oracles of Jeremiah’s personal distress over the fate of the foreign nations?
Jeremiah 49:1-6
V. AN ORACLE AGAINST AMMON Jeremiah 49:1-6
TRANSLATION
(1) Against the children of Ammon. Thus says the LORD: Has Israel no sons; has he no heir? why does their king possess Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? (2) Therefore, behold, days are coming (oracle of the LORD) when I will cause Rabbah Ammon to hear the shout of battle; and it shall become a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned. Then Israel shall possess his possessors, says the LORD. (3) Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry out, O daughter of Rabbah! Gird on sackcloth, mourn, run to and fro with gashes; for their king shall go into captivity, his priests and princes together. (4) Why do you glory in the valleys, your flowing valleys, O backsliding daughter, who trusts in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me? (5) Behold, I am about to bring fear against you (oracle of the LORD of hosts) from all round about you. You shall be thrust out each man before him. There shall be no one to gather the fugitive. (6) After this I will reverse the fortunes of the children of Ammon (oracle of the LORD).
COMMENTS
The territory of Ammon lay just north of Moab with its capital Rabbah (modern Amman) on the Jabbok river. The Ammonites and Moabites were closely connected by descent and frequently united together in attacks against Israel. Prior to the Israelite invasion of Transjordan under Moses the Ammonites had been dislodged from their traditional home by the Amorite king Sihon. When the Israelites defeated Sihon, they assigned the former Ammonite territory to the tribe of Gad. With the Assyrian deportations of the northern tribes the Ammonites were able to gradually filter back into their ancient territory and occupy towns and villages which for centuries had belonged to Israel.
The oracle against Ammon lends itself nicely to an alliterative outline. Jeremiah speaks here of the crime (Jeremiah 49:1), conquest (Jeremiah 49:2-5), and the conversion (Jeremiah 49:6) of Ammon.
A. The Crime of Ammon Jeremiah 49:1
The crime of Ammon is infringement upon Israelite territory. From the very earliest times the Ammonites had laid claim to the territory occupied by the tribes of Transjordan. Jephthah had attempted to settle the issue by diplomacy back in the period of the Judges. To the charge that Israel had taken by force the territory of the Ammonites, Jephthah replied that as a matter of fact the Ammonites did not OCCUPY that territory when Israel had entered the land. Since Israel had not taken the land from Ammon originally and since Israel had already occupied the land for three hundred years, Jephthah argued that the Ammonites no longer had any claim to the territory (Judges 11:12-28). The king of Ammon refused to accept this reasoning and war broke out between the two peoples with Jephthah inflicting a crushing blow upon the Ammonites. Now, centuries after Jephthah, the territorial issue has been raised again. Since the Assyrians had removed so many Israelites from the area in 734 and 722 B.C., the Ammonites were able to occupy certain villages in the tribal territory of Gad. It is to this incursion that Jeremiah refers in verse one. Has Israel no sons? Has he no heirs? the prophet asks. It is true that Israel has been carried captive but will not his descendants return to claim the land Ammon has wrongfully seized? Their king is better read as a proper name Malcam as in the ASV. Malcam or Milcom or Molech was the chief god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:5; 1 Kings 11:7) and here represents his people just as Chemosh (Jeremiah 48:7) represents the Moabites.
B. The Conquest of Ammon Jeremiah 49:2-5
The seizure of Israelite territory is an affront to the Lord for He is there (Ezekiel 35:10), that is to say, it is His land.[393] Therefore, the Lord will bring about the conquest and destruction of Ammon. Rabbah and her daughters (minor cities depending on her) will be destroyed, burned and left desolate. Israel then will be able to recover the territory lost to Ammon (Jeremiah 49:2). The destroyer of Ammon is not specifically named but there can scarcely be doubt that Jeremiah has in mind Nebuchadnezzar. The great Chaldean king devastated Ammon and Moab in 582-581 B.C. At this time the Ammonite king was Baalis who had been instrumental in the assassination of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40:14).
[393] 2 Kings 5:17; Hosea 9:3; Joe 2:18; Joe 3:2; Leviticus 25:23; Psalms 85:1.
In view of the forthcoming destruction of the land, Jeremiah calls upon the Ammonites to cry and howl in lamentation over their fate. In uncontrollable grief Jeremiah pictures them running hither and yon trying to find safety behind the hedges or stonewalls around fields and vineyards. Though a city of Moab, Heshbon seems at this period to have been under Ammonite control. The location of Ai, mentioned only here, is unknown. The reason for the grievous lamentation is that their god Malcam (see Jeremiah 49:1) has been carried off into captivity along with his priests and his princes (Jeremiah 49:3). What a disconcerting discovery to find that one’s god is really more helpless than the people who worship him.
The Ammonites were proud of their fruitful valleys, particularly the valley of the Jabbok river. The apostate nation had turned from the living God and placed their trust in their natural resources and treasures. Ammon boasted, Who shall come unto me? (Jeremiah 49:4). That false confidence will be shattered when God brings a fear upon the land. It will be every man for himself. With only the thought of self-preservation in mind the inhabitants of Ammon will flee in all directions (Jeremiah 49:5). Every man right forth probably means that each man takes what he thinks is the shortest route to safety. No one bothers to collect or rally the fugitives. What a sad future awaits those who regarded themselves as invincible.
G. The Conversion of Ammon Jeremiah 49:6 As in the case of Moab, a note is appended to the oracle against Ammon indicating that the Ammonites will in the future experience the grace of God. The language here is almost identical with that of Jer 48:47 except that the phrase afterward replaces the more prophetically precise phrase in the latter days. See comments on Jeremiah 48:47.
Jeremiah 49:7-13
VI. AN ORACLE AGAINST EDOM Jeremiah 49:7-22
Beyond the brook Zered, the southern boundary of Moab, lay Edom. Edom was an exceedingly mountainous country rich in copper and iron ore. Because of its mineral wealth and because a main north-south trade route, the King’s Highway, passed through it, Edom was under constant threat of attack from surrounding nations. From the time of David the Israelites were able to dominate Edom except for a few brief periods of independence. Esau’s bitter hatred of his brother Jacob was inherited by his descendants, the Edomites. While history records that Jacob and Esau were reconciled (Genesis 33:1-16), the descendants of these two patriarchs remained implacable foes throughout most of their history.
**A. The Inescapable Calamity Jeremiah 49:7-13
TRANSLATION**
(7) Concerning Edom. This said the LORD of hosts: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? has counsel perished from the prudent ones? has their wisdom disappeared? (8) Flee! Turn! Go down deep to dwell, O inhabitant of Dedan; for I will bring the destruction of Esau upon him, the time of his punishment. (9) If grape-gatherers come to you they will not leave grapes. If thieves in the night, they will destroy until they have sufficient. (10) But I have stripped Esau, uncovered his hiding places and he shall not be able to hide himself. His seed and his brethren are destroyed; and he is no more. (11) Forsake your orphans! I will keep them alive! Let your widows trust in Me! (12) For thus says the LORD: Behold, if those whose judgment was not to drink the cup shall surely drink, shall you get off scot-free? You will not be exempt, but will certainly have to drink. (13) For I have sworn by Myself (oracle of the LORD) that Bozrah shall be desolation, reproach, waste, and curse; and all her cities shall be eternal desolations.
COMMENTS
The oracle against Edom begins with a series of rhetorical questions designed to mock the wisdom for which that land was renown. The calamity comes with such suddenness upon Edom that the professional wisemen, counselors, and statesmen are incapable of offering any helpful advice. Teman is a city in the northern part of Edom. Human wisdom is certainly inadequate in the face of the judgment of the living God. The calamity draws near. Jeremiah calls on the neighboring Dedanites who inhabited the region south of Edom. These merchant people apparently carried on extensive trade with Edom and they are here urged to avoid all contact with Edom lest they be caught up in the calamity which was about to befall that nation. Dwell deep probably means to withdraw deep into the desert regions where they would be safe from the approaching destruction. It is the time of Edom’s judgment; the Lord will bring calamity upon Edom (Jeremiah 49:8).
The complete devastation of Edom is indicated by two powerful figures of speech. The enemy like grape gatherers will leave no gleanings in the land. Like thieves they will unsparingly plunder the land until they have their fill (Jeremiah 49:9).[394] The Lord Himself will lay Esau (Edom) bare revealing to the enemy the secret retreats and hiding places thus insuring that all the treasures of the land will be plundered. The inhabitants of Edom will be able to find no safe retreat. The descendants of Edom, those who shared his land and those who lived around about his land, would all suffer in the coming calamity. Most important, Edom himself is not i.e., would cease to exist as a nation (Jeremiah 49:10). All the warriors of Edom shall be cut off in the conflict leaving their wives and children as helpless widows and orphans. Yet the gracious God of Israel will care for these helpless ones if they but look to Him for protection. What a beautiful promise here in the midst of ominous threats and dreadful judgments.
[394] There is no real reason Why Jeremiah 49:9 should be rendered in English as an interrogative as in KJV and ASV. The ASV marginal reading is superior.
Edom must drink of the cup of God’s wrath. The calamity is inescapable. After all, if the chosen people of God shall not escape His judgment, how could Edom? (Jeremiah 49:12). Since Israel must suffer, Edom cannot be unpunished. Furthermore, God has taken an oath that Bozrah, the chief city of northern Edom, and the other cities of the land shall become perpetual desolations (Jeremiah 49:13).
Jeremiah 49:14-18
B. The Subsequent Conditions Jeremiah 49:14-18
TRANSLATION
(14) I have heard tidings from the LORD, and an ambassador has been sent to the nations: Gather yourselves and come against her! Rise up to battle! (15) For behold I have made you small among the nations, despised among men. (16) As for your terribleness, the pride of your heart has deceived you, O dweller in the clefts of the rock, O holder of the heights of the hills. Though you have made high your nest like an eagle, from thence I will bring you down (oracle of the LORD). (17) And Edom shall become an astonishment; every one who passes by shall be astonished and shall whistle over all of her wounds. (18) As the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors (says the LORD) a man shall not dwell there nor a son of man sojourn there.
COMMENTS
Jeremiah begins the second section of the Edom oracle by announcing that he has heard a rumor or report directly from the Lord. God has revealed to the prophet that He has sent an heavenly ambassador or messenger to the nations urging them to come to battle against Edom (Jeremiah 49:14). God guides the counsels of nations. Often they carry out His plans and fulfill His purposes without even being aware that they are being used of God. The Lord has decreed that Edom shall be small among the nations and despised among men (Jeremiah 49:15). To this end he grants success to the enemies who march against Edom.
Again the finger of accusation points to national arrogance as the supreme cause of Edom’s doom. Your terribleness should probably be understood as the terror you inspire. No doubt many enemies upon approaching Edom were overcome with fear as they beheld what seemed to be unconquerable fortresses nestled in the inaccessible clefts of the mountains. This reputation of invincibleness had misled Edom and had given birth to pride or arrogance within the hearts of the inhabitants of that land.After all, even if the other cities of the land fell there was still that impregnable fortress Sela or Petra, the Rock. Accessible only. by a narrow ravine which could easily be defended by a handful of men this city was the ultimate confidence of the Edomites. The inhabitants had cut huge cisterns for the storage of water and supplies so as to be able to withstand a siege of the longest possible duration. The references to the clefts of the rock and the height of the hill likely refer to this desert stronghold. The God of Israel will humble the arrogant pride of Edom. Even though they might build their fortresses as high in those mountains as an eagle might build her nest, God will bring them down to the ground (Jeremiah 49:16).
Suddenly the picture changes. The battle is over and Edom has fallen. Centuries pass and Edom remains uninhabited, a complete desolation. Those who pass by the area will hiss or whistle in astonishment at the extent of the desolation. The destruction of Edom shall remind men of the earlier destruction of the cities of the plain in that the whole region would henceforth be uninhabited (Jeremiah 49:18). Of the Patriarchal accounts mentioned in the prophetic books none is mentioned so frequently as the Sodom account. The number of occurrences and the distribution of the references are truly remarkable. From the eighth century on the cities of the plain, made famous by Genesis 19, became proverbial for divine judgment. Their destruction became the norm for punishmentthe standard which other judgments approximated or equaled. The emphasis here is not on the manner of Sodom’s overthrow but on the permanent effects of that destruction.[395] Some commentators call attention to the fact that whereas in the case of Moab and Ammon a promise of restoration is appended to the oracle of doom, no such promise appears in the Edom oracle. Edom will be destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah; there will be no restoration, That this observation is not particularly significant is indicated by two facts. First, Zephaniah (Jeremiah 2:9) uses the Sodom and Gomorrah simile in reference to Moab and Ammon. Second, the prophet Amos (Jeremiah 9:12) foretold that Edom would be included in the Messianic kingdom, at least that is the interpretation that James put upon the passage (Acts 15:15-18).
[395] Cf. Isaiah 13:19-20; Jeremiah 50:40.
Jeremiah 49:19-22
C. The Chosen Conqueror and the Divine Counsel Jeremiah 49:19-22
TRANSLATION
(19) Behold, as a lion from the pride of Jordan goes up unto the strong habitation, so will I suddenly make him run from it; and he who is chosen I will appoint over it; for who is like Me and who will appoint Me a time? Who is the shepherd who shall stand before Me? (20) Therefore, Hear the counsel of the LORD which He has counseled concerning Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed concerning the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they will drag them away, the small of the flock! Surely he will lay waste their pasture over them. (21) At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; the sound of her cry is heard beside the Red Sea. (22) Behold, like the eagle he shall go up and fly and spread out his wings over Bozrah; and the heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be like the heart of a woman in travail.
COMMENTS
The enemy which is to come against Edom is compared to a lion that comes up from the pride of the Jordan (ASV) to pounce upon the prey. The lion, which is extinct in Palestine today, posed quite a threat to the inhabitants of the region in Biblical times. The lush vegetation which grows along side of the Jordan river, the so-called pride or swelling of the Jordan, was a favorite haunt for lions in those days. Shepherds especially had to be on guard against the attacks of this beast. In the present passage Edom is called the habitation of the strong i.e., strong sheepfold or, as some prefer, permanent or perennial pasture (ASV margin). The phrase I will suddenly make him run away from her is difficult and has received various explanations. Probably the meaning is that God will cause the Edomites to flee in fear from their strong habitation in the face of the ravaging lion. The one who comes to rend and ravage Edom is the appointee of the Lord. And he who is chosen, him will I appoint over it.1 No mortal has the right to question the decision of the Lord, no one can appoint Me the time. This terminology seems to be taken from the court of law. A plaintiff in a law suit had the right to appoint the time of the trial. But no one can take God to court, as it were, and there protest against his sovereign decisions. Neither can any shepherd or ruler of Edom stand before the Lord to resist Him or His appointee.
The prophet does not name the one appointed by the Lord to conquer the land of Edom. The Chaldeans dealt a crushing blow to Edom as is indicated by Malachi 1:3. During the intertestamental period the Maccabean rulers of Judea launched vicious attacks against the Edomites. The Romans continued the annihilation of that people about the time of the Jewish war against Rome. The conqueror of Edom as depicted in this passage is a composite of all of those agents who would be used by God through the centuries to bring divine judgment to the land of Edom.
It was no accident of history that the Edomites were unable to withstand the invader who plundered their land. Nothing that they did or could have done would have averted that destruction short of complete repentance and turning to the true God in faith. Even the wisdom for which the Temanites were famous could not avert that disaster. The God of the universe and the King of nations has decreed that Edom shall be destroyed. The Hebrew of the last part of Jer 49:20 is difficult but the ASV seems to have captured the sense: -Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them. The enemy will drag away the Edomites as sheep to the slaughter. Even the most feeble among them will not be spared. The pasture upon which the flock of Edom had grazed will be turned to desolation (Jeremiah 49:20).
The sound of Edom’s fall will shake the earth and the wail that shall arise will be heard at the Red Sea (Jeremiah 49:21). In times of prosperity the southern border of Edom extended to the Gulf of Akabah, one of two great arms of the Red Sea (cf. 1 Kings 9:26). As the enemy is strong as a lion, so he is also as swift as an eagle. The towering heights of Edom will offer no difficulty to this conqueror. When he swoops down and spreads his wings over Bozrah the heart of the most fearless men will become as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Jeremiah 49:23-27
VII. AN ORACLE CONCERNING DAMASCUS
Damascus was the capital of the kingdom of Aram (Syria), the northern neighbor of Israel. During the ninth century before Christ the Syrians were the most formidable foe with whom the nations of Israel and Judah had to do battle. Damascus reached the height of its power under Hazael (841-801 B.C.) who oppressed Israel and Judah throughout his reign. Damascus suffered greatly in the campaign of Shalmaneser IV in 797 B.C. and the king of Israel was able to recover the territories which he had lost to Hazael (2 Kings 13:25). Under king Rezin (750-732 B.C.) Syria again oppressed the people of God (2 Kings 16:6) and many Judeans were taken captive to Damascus (2 Chronicles 28:5). In 732 B.C. the mighty Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser crushed Damascus and thereby unwittingly fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 17:1) and Amos (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Thereafter Damascus lost its political influence. Very little is known about Damascus in the days of Jeremiah. Perhaps some day texts will be unearthed which will shed more light on the political background of the oracle concerning Damascus. Meanwhile it is best to assign the Damascus oracle to the period just prior to the battle of Carchemish.
TRANSLATION
(23) Concerning Damascus. Hamath is ashamed and Arpad; for they have heard an evil report, they are melted away, at the sea there is sorrow; it cannot find rest. (24) Damascus is feeble, she has turned to flee and trembling has seized her; sorrow and pangs have seized her as a woman in childbirth. (25) How sad that the city of praise is not forsaken, the city of my joy? (26) Therefore, her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of battle shall be silenced in that day (oracle of the LORD of hosts). (27) I will kindle a fire against the wall of Damascus and it will consume the palaces of Ben-hadad.
A. A Picture of Consternation Jeremiah 49:23-24
COMMENTS
The oracle against Damascus opens with a vivid picture of the consternation that sweeps over the land of Aram with the approach of a dreaded enemy. Hamath and Arpad,[396] prominent cities of northern Aram, melt in fear at the reported approach of the foe. The exact meaning of the phrase there is sorrow on the sea (Jeremiah 49:23) is uncertain. Some take the expression to mean that the anxious concern over the invasion of the land extends to the seashore, i.e., throughout the country. Others suggest that the prophet is poetically describing the sea as participating in the sorrow of the land of Aram. As the news of invasion sweeps southward even Damascus, the once proud and powerful city, becomes paralyzed by fear. Using one of his favorite figures Jeremiah compares the anguish of Damascus to that of a woman in travail (Jeremiah 49:24).
[396] Hamath is located about 110 miles north of Damascus and Arpad about 96 miles north of Hamath.
B. A Picture of Conflict Jeremiah 49:25-27
The fear of the foe has so paralyzed the inhabitants of Damascus that they cannot flee from their city even though they realize that to remain there will mean disaster to them. The prophet laments, How sad it is that the city of praise has not been abandoned. It is impossible to tell from this context whether the lament is sarcastic or sincere. Men have sung the praises of the city of Damascus throughout history. Because of its geographical location at the juncture of several important trade routes the city in antiquity was prosperous and flourishing. In appreciation for the beauty of this place the prophet refers to it as the city of my joy(Jeremiah 49:25). But because the inhabitants of Damascus would not flee from before the enemy her young men shall fall in her streets and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day (Jeremiah 49:26). Jeremiah 49:27 is based on Amos 1:4; Amos 1:14. The phrase kindle a fire denotes the ravages of war (cf. Numbers 21:28; Deuteronomy 32:22). The conflagration shall consume the places of Benhadad. At least two kings of Damascus named Benhadad appear in the books of Kings. Some think that Benhadad was something of a throne name of the kings of Damascus.
Information concerning the city of Damascus subsequent to the fall of that city to the Assyrians in 732 B. C. is scanty. To date no reference to a destruction of Damascus following the days of Jeremiah has been found. The destroyer of Damascus is unnamed in the prophecy for he is relatively unimportant. The important thing is At the destruction comes from the Lord the God of Israel. Most likely the prediction was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar after the battle of Carchemish (605 B.C.) when he victoriously marched throughout the Hatti land i.e., Syria-Palestine.
Jeremiah 49:28-33
VIII. AN ORACLE AGAINST KEDAR AND HAZOR Jeremiah 49:28-33
TRANSLATION
(28) Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor which Nebuchadnezzar smote. Rise up! Go up to Kedar! Destroy the sons of Kedar! (29) Their tents and their flocks they shall take; their curtains and their vessels and their camels they shall bear away for themselves, and they shall cry unto them: Terror on every side! (30) Flee! Wander far off! Dwell deep, O inhabitant of Hazor (oracle of the LORD); for Nebuchadnezzar has taken counsel against you, he has conceived a purpose against you. (31) Rise up! Go up unto a nation at ease, dwelling securely (oracle of the LORD) with no doors and no bars, who dwell alone. (32) And their camels shall be spoil, and the multitudes of their cattle booty, and I will scatter to every wind those who cut the corners of their beard. From every side I will bring their destruction (oracle of the LORD), (33) And Hazor shall become a habitation of jackals, an eternal desolation. A man shall not dwell there nor a son of man sojourn in it.
COMMENTS
Kedar and Hazor represent the Arabian tribes which occupied the desert regions east of Palestine. The tribe of Kedar, descended from Ishmael, is mentioned by Isaiah (Isaiah 21:16-17), and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 27:21) as well as Jeremiah (Jeremiah 2:10). Several Hazors are mentioned in the Old Testament. It is not certain whether Hazor here is a city, a region, or, as seems most likely, a tribal name. The title of the oracle indicates the fulfillment of the prophecy in the words which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote (Jeremiah 49:28).[397] At the time this oracle was placed in its present position within the body of the oracles against the nations it had already been fulfilled and the editor of the book, Jeremiah himself or Baruch, makes note of that fact in the introductory verse.
[397] The KJV wrongly makes the verb future. The ASV is preferable.
A. Exhortation Jeremiah 49:28-32 a
The opening verses of this oracle contain three words of exhortation addressed to (1) the attackers (Jeremiah 49:28-29); (2) the Arabs (Jeremiah 49:30); and (3) the attackers again (Jeremiah 49:31-32 a.).
The oracle begins with an exhortation to the troops of Nebuchadnezzar to arise and plunder Kedar and the other Arab tribes of the eastern desert (Jeremiah 49:28). The Chaldeans will heed the exhortation and will confiscate the tents, flocks, beautifully ornamented tent hangings, vessels, and camels of the Arab tribes. The expression fear on every side (Jeremiah 49:29) is characteristic of Jeremiah.[398] Some regard the expression here as the battle cry of the invader; others regard it as descriptive of the effect that the enemy battle cry produces among the Arab tribes.
[398] See Jeremiah 20:3; Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 46:5; Jeremiah 49:29.
Just as Jeremiah earlier urged the Dedanites (Jeremiah 49:8) to dwell deep, i.e., retreat into the impenetrable desert, so now he urges the inhabitants of Hazor to do the same. The desert dwellers of antiquity relied on the vast expanse of the desert to protect them from the scourge of war. Enemy armies would seldom dare to attempt to penetrate those wide-open spaces where the lack of food and water and the blistering heat would make a military expedition most perilous. But Nebuchadnezzar, the daring young prince of Babylon, has carefully made his plans to attack these tribes. Therefore Jeremiah urges the desert people to retreat even farther into the trackless waste.
Again the prophet turns to the attackers and urges them to launch the attack against the Arab tribes. Three facts about the Arab tribes are mentioned as incentives to the invaders. First, the Arabs are described as a nation that is at ease, that dwells without care (ASV). In other words the Arab nations have hitherto felt secure from attack and thus a Chaldean invasion would catch them off guard. Second, the Arabs have no walled cities which would involve the invaders in prolonged siege. Third, the Arabs dwell alone, i.e., they have no powerful neighbors or allies upon which they can call for aid.
B. Declaration Jeremiah 49:32-33
The second part of the oracle against the Arab tribes contains a divine declaration concerning the destruction and subsequent desolation of the area. The camels of the desert tribes will become spoil for the invader. Those who escape the initial onslaught will be scattered to the wind i.e., in all directions. The phrase them that are in the utmost corners (KJV) is more correctly rendered them that have the corners of their hair cut off (ASV). The Israelites were forbidden to shave or trim the beard (Leviticus 19:27) and they regarded the custom of the Arabs of cutting off the hair from the edges of the beard and from the temples as something unusual. The calamity of invasion shall surround these Arab tribes (Jeremiah 49:32). As a result of the attack the area of Hazor will become a perpetual desolation, a habitation for jackals (not dragons as in KJV). No man will dwell in that area again (Jeremiah 49:33). Just when Nebuchadnezzar launched his campaign against the desert tribes cannot be determined. That he did attack and conquer Arabia is specifically attested by Berosus, the Babylonian historian, who is quoted at length in the writings of Josephus. The fact that Nebonidus, the last king of Babylon, occupied the oasis of Tema in the Arabian desert would also indicate that the prophecies of this section were fulfilled.
Jeremiah 49:34-39
IX. AN ORACLE AGAINST ELAM Jeremiah 49:34-39
TRANSLATION
(3?) The word of the LORD which came unto Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah. (35) Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am about to break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. (36) And I will bring against Elam four winds from the four corners of the heaven; and I will scatter them to all these winds, and there shall be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not come. (37) And I will cause Elam to tremble before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring against them misfortune, My fierce anger (oracle of the LORD). I will send them the sword until I have consumed them. (38) I will place My throne in Elam and I will destroy from them king and princes (oracle of the LORD). (39) And it shall be in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam (oracle of the LORD).
COMMENTS
Elam was located in the hill country east of Babylon and north of the Persian Gulf. Its capital was Shushan or Susa which was located about 200 miles due east of Babylon. Unlike the other nations mentioned in this section of oracles, Elam had very little contact with Israel throughout history. During the time of Abraham an Elamite king by the name of Chedor-laomer and his allies put down a revolt by certain city-states in the Valley of Siddim near the Dead Sea (Genesis 14:1-11). Other than this episode only brief allusions to Elam can be found in the Bible. Isaiah names the Elamites as allies of Assyria in the campaign against Judah (Isaiah 22:6). The same prophet predicts that it will be the Elamites along with the Medes who will ultimately conquer Babylon (Isaiah 21:2-6).
The question will naturally be raised as to why Jeremiah delivered this oracle against far-distant Elam. The suggestion has been made that the oracle was intended mainly for the benefit of the Jewish captives who had only recently been deported to Babylon (in 597 B.C.). Some evidence exists that Elam was giving Nebuchadnezzar trouble about, this time and the Jewish exiles may have been looking to that nation for deliverance. False prophets had stirred their expectations of immediate return to Palestine and at the moment Elam looked like the most likely prospect to make the prediction of these deceivers come true. God then directed Jeremiah to utter this brief oracle against Elam in order that the illusions and delusions of the Babylonian exiles might be dashed to pieces. It may be that a copy of this oracle was sent to exiles along with the letter recorded in chapter 29.
The oracle against Elam is dated in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 49:34) shortly after king Jehoiachin had been deported to Babylon. The prophecy was uttered about eight years after the preceding oracles of this section. Babylonian operations against Elam seem to have been conducted in the winter of 596 B.C. which would fall in the early part of the reign of king Zedekiah.[399] It may be that this campaign of Nebuchadnezzar was the beginning of the fulfillment of the present prophecy.
[399] See D. J. Wiseman Chronicles of the Chaldean Kings in the British Museum (London: Trustees of the Museum, 1956), p. 36.
A. Doom Jeremiah 49:35-38
In spelling out the doom of Elam the prophet makes four points. (1) The strength of Elam will be demolished. God declares that he will break the bow of Elam, the weapon on which that nation chiefly relied (cf. Isaiah 22:6). (2) The inhabitants of Elam will be dispersed, scattered to the four winds, as they seek refuge in surrounding nations (Jeremiah 49:36). (3) The Elamites will be dismayed when the fierce anger of the Lord is poured out on their nation. Even in captivity they will be hounded by the sword of the Lord until they are utterly consumed (Jeremiah 49:37). (4) The rulers of Elam will be destroyed. The real Ruler of this world will set up His throne in Elam, remove the king and princes of the land, and appoint a ruler of His own choosing. When Cyrus, the anointed of the Lord (Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1), incorporated Elam as a province in his vast empire, the present prophecy was fulfilled.
B. Hope Jeremiah 49:39
In the latter days i.e., the days of the Messiah, the Lord will bring again the captivity of Elam i.e., reverse the fortunes of Elam. Elamites will experience the spiritual deliverance and blessing of the Messiah’s kingdom. Men from Elam were present in the Pentecost audience when Peter preached the first Gospel sermon (Acts 2:9). Perhaps some of them accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour that day and were baptized into Christ. If so, they would be the first fruits of a great host of their countrymen who would embrace the Gospel of Christ.