Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Tht Judijment of Moab, JEREMIAH XLVIII. for their Contempt of God.
Rather, " Moab . . . and her cities are gone up," viz., pass awaj' in the ascending smoke of their conflagration (Joshua 8.20,21; Judges 20.40). When this took place, the young warriors would go dotvn from the burning citadels only to meet their own slaughter. [Gkotius.] English Version is somewhat favoured by the fact that "gone out" is «ui,7)(/((r, and cities plural. The antithesis favours Grotius. 16. near—to the prophet's eye, though probably twenty-three years elapsed between the utterance of the propliecy in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (2 Kings 24. 2) and its lulfilmeut in tlie fifth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 17. bemoan—not that Moab deserves pity, but this mode of expression pictures more vividly the grievousness of Moab's calamities, all ye that know his name—those at a greater distance whom the fame of Moab's "name" had reached, as distinguislied from those "about him,'" i. e., near, strong gtatf . . . rod—Moab is so called as striking terror into and oppressing other peoples (Isaiah 9.4; 14.4,5); also because of its dignity and power (Psalm 110.2; Zechariah 11.7). IS. (Isaiah
Fulfilled liy Nobnehadnezzar five years after the destruction of Jerusalem, when also he attacked Egypt (ch. 43. R-To) and Amrann (cli. -19.1-6). [Josephus, Antiquities, 10.
9, 7.] Jeiemiah in this prophecy uses that of Isaiah 15. 16, amplifying and adapting it to his purpose under inspiration, at the same time confirming its Divine authority. Isaiah, liowever, in his prophecy refers to the devastation of Moab by the Assyrian king. Shalmnneser ; Jeremiah refers to that by Nebuchadnezzar. 1. Nebo—A monntaia and town of Moab; its meaning is "that which fructifies." Kiriatliaim—A city of Moab, consisting of two cities, as the word means; originally held by the Emim (Genesis li. 5). NIsfjali—meaning elevation. It lay on an elevation. 3. no more prnisc—(Isaiah 16. 1-1.) In Heslibon—The foe having tjiken Hoshbon, the chief city of Moab {v. 4-5), in it devise evil against Moab (" it") saj'ing. Come, Ac. Heshbon was midway between the rivers Arnon and Jabbolc; it was the residence of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and afterwards a Levitical city in Gad (Numbers 21. 26). There is a play of words in the Hebrew, "Heshbon, Hashbu." Heshhon means a place of devising or counsel. The city, heretofore called Hie seat of counsel, shall find other cmin-
47.1.) dost inhabit—now so securely settleil as if in a lasting habitation, thirst— Dibon, being situated on the Arnon, abounded in water (Isaiah 15. 9). In sad contrast witli this, and with her "glory" in general, she shall be reduced not only to shame, but to the want of the commonest necessaries (" thirst") in the arid wilderness (v. 6). 19. Aroer-on the north bank of tlie Arnon, a city of Ammon (Deuteronomy 2. 36; 3.12). As it was on "the way" of the Moabites who fled into the desert, its inhabitants "ask" what is the occasion of Moab's flight, and so learn the lot that awaits themselves (cf. 1 Samuel 4.13, 16). 30. Answer of the flying Moabites to the Ammonite inquirers (v. 19; Isaiah Iti. 2). He enumerates the Moabito cities at length, as it -seemed so incredible that all should be so utterly ruined. Many of them were assigned to the Levites, whilst Israel stood, lu Arnon—the north boundary between Moab and Ammon (i'. 19;- Numbers 21. 13). 31. plain—((\ H.) Not only the mountainous regions, but also the plain, shall be wasted. Holon—(Cf. Joshua 15. 51.) Jeihazah — (Numbers 21. 'i3; Isaiah 15.4.) Mephaath— (Joshua 13. 18 ; 21. 37.) Zi. Beth-diblathalni—^/le house of Diblathaim: " Almon-diblathaim" (Numbers 33. 46>; "Diblath" (Ezekiel 6. 13). Not far from Mount Nebo (Numbers 33.46,47). 33. Beth-gamul— meaning the city of camels. Bcth-nieon the house ofhabitation. i?e//i-6aaZ-»)»eou (Joshua scllors, viz., those who devise its destruction, tliou shalt be cut down . . . Madmen—Rather, by a play of words on the meaning of madmen (i-ilence), Thoii shalt be brought to silence, so as well to deserve thy name (Isaiah 15. 1). Thou shalt not dare to utter a sound. 3. Horonalm the same as the city Avara, mentioned by Ptolemy. The word mcam the double eaves (Nehemiah 2.10; Isaiah 15.5). 4. little ones .'. . cry—heightening the distress of the scene. The foe do not spare even infants. 5. joing np of LiwUlth . . . going down of Horonalm—Horonaim lay in a plain, Luhith on a height. To the latter, therefore, the Moabitcs would flee with "continual weeping," as a place of safety from the Chaldeans. Lit., Weeping shall go iip upon u-eeping. 6. They exhort one another to flee, heath—or the juniper (see Note, ch. 17. 6). Matjreb translates, "Be like one naked in the wilderness." But the sense is. Live in the wilderness like the heath, or juniper do not "trust in" walls (v. 7). [Grotius.] (Cf. Matthew 21.
16-lS.) 7. thy works— viz., fortifications built by thy work. Moab was famous for its fortresses (v. 18). The antithesis is to v. 6, "Be ... in the wilderness," where there are no fortified cities, thou . . . also—like the rest of the surroun<ling peoples, Judah, Ac. Chemosh—the tutelary god of Moab (Numbers 21.29; Judges 11.21; 1 Kings 11.7; 2 Kings 2."!. 13i. When a people was vanquished, their gods also were taken away by the victors
13. 17). Now its ruins are called Miun. 34. Kerloth (Joshua 15. 25; Amos 2. 2). Bozrah—See Note, Isaiah 34. 6. Atone time under the dominion of Edom, though belonging originally to Moab (Genesis 36. 33; Isaiah 6.3. 1). Others think the Bozrah in Edom distinct from that of Moab. " Bezer" (Joshua 21. 36). 35. horn—the einbleni of strength and sovereignty : it is the horned animal's means of offence and defence (Psalm 75.5, 10; Lamentations 2.3), 30. drttnkrn {Note, ch. 13. 12; "25. 17.) Intoxicated with (ch. 4.3. 12). 8. the valley . . . shall perish i. e., those dwelling in the valley. 9. Give wings, &c.—(Psalm 55. 6.) T'nless it get wings, it caunot escape the foe. "Wings," the Hebrew root meaning in a flotrer (Job 14. 2), so the flower-like plumage of a bird. 10. work of . . . Lord the divinely-appointed utter dev.astation of Moab. To represent how entirely this is God's will, a curse is pronounced on the Chaldeans, the instrument, if the.v do it tlie cup of Divine wrath, so as to be in lielpless distraction, niagnllled . . . against . . . Lord—boasted arrogantly against ad's people, that whereas Israel was fallen, Moab remained nourishing, wallow in . . . vomit—Following up the image of a drunken man, t. p., shall be so afflicted by God's wrath as to t/(.s,i70)f/e all his past pride, riches, and vain-glory, and fall in his shameful abasement, he also . . . derision—he in his disaster shall bo an object of derision to us, us we in ours have been to him negligenll;/ {Mar<rin) or by halves (Judges 5.23); cf. Saul's sin as to ,\malekd(l Samuel 15. 3, 9), and Ahab's as to Syria (1 Kings 20.421. 11. settled on . . . lees—(A'o;(', Isaiah 25.
6; Zephanlah 1. 12). As wine left, to .settle on its own leea retains Its flavour and strength, which it would lose by being poiu'cd from one vessel into another, so Moab, owing to Its never having been dislodged from its settlements, retains its pride of strength nniinpalred. emptied from vessel, Ac.—to make it fit for use, it used to be filtered from vessel to vessel, scent^—retaining the linage.
(('. 27). Uetribtit icm in kind. 37. (/ephaniali 2. 8.) a «l«rrislon—The Hebrew has the article: referring to v. 26, "Was not Israel (the ii'Aoie nation) </ic object of derision to thee'?" Therefore as formerly for its exultation over the calamity (2 Kings 17. 6) of the ten tribes under the Assyrian Khalmaneser (J.saiah 15. 16), so now for its e.xultiition over the fall of Judah, under the ("haldean Nebuchadnezzar, Moab is to suffer. God takes up His people's cause as His own (Obadiali 18-13). was ho . . , among thieve* —(Ch. '2. 26.) Proverbial. What did Israel do to deserve such derision ? UVi.v he detected in theft, that thou didst so ea»/M)ver him in speaking of himf Tliough guilty beforo (rod, Israel wi\s guiltless towards thee, since-.vincc ever thou didst begin spealiing of lilin. skippedst for Joy—at
Tlie bounuet or perfume of the wine. Vi. wanderers Rather, pourers out, retaining the imago of v. 11, i. e., the Chaldeans who shall remove Moab from his settlements, lis men pour wine from off the lees into other vessels. " His vessels" are the cities of Moab ; the broken "bottles" the men slain. [Gkotiu.s.] The //eftrejw and the kindred Arabic wm-iX mennf*, to turn on one side, so as to emjity a vessel. fMAlTRF.n.l 1.3. ashamed — have the shame of (I'sappointnient as to the |m)|>i's they entertained of aid from Chemosh, their idol. He«l»-el—(l Kings 12.27,2!))— i.e., the golden calf set up tliere l)y Jeroboam, l.l. gone up . . . gone flown— in anlltheslH. «ut of her cities— 552 iBruel'tt ca UuuUy [CAiiViNj; or, "thou Uldst s/iakt tky
Restoration of Moah, JEREMIAH—XLIX. Judgments upon Ammon, Idumea, etc a. 27). high places — (Isaiah 16.12.) 36. (Kotes, Isaiah head" In "derision." [Mauker.] 38. Doves often have 15.7; 16.11.) like pipes—a plaintive instrument, theretlu-iiiiefts iu the "sides" of caveins. No longer shalt fore used at funerals and in general mourning, rlchei thou have eilies to shelter thee : thou shalt have to flee for . . . gotten lit., 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. 37. (Note, ch. 47. 5; Isaiah 15.2,3.) on all hands— j. e., arins, in which such cuttings used to be made in token of grief (cf. Zechariah 13.'6). 38. vessel ... no pleasure—(jYoie, ch. 22. 28.) A vessel cast aside by the potter as refuse, not answering his design. 39. It— Moab. How . . . how—prodigious, yet sure to happen, shelter to caves and deserts (Psalm 55. 6, 8; Song of Solomou 2.11). 29. pride—(Isaiah 16.6,7.) Moab was the trumpeter of liis own fame. Jeremiah adds "loftiness and arrogancy" to Isaiah's picture, so that Moab had not only unt been bettered by the chastisement previously endured as foretold by Isaiah, but had even become worse; so that his guilt, and therefore his sentence of punishment, are increased now. Six times Moab's pride (or tlio synonyiiiH) are mentioned, to show the exceeding hateful !i;ss of his sin. 30. 1 ki»o\v—Moab's "proud arrogancy" (c. 29) or •' wrath," against my people, is not unknown to me. It shall not be so—the result shall not be tiii'ned tilt back—not daring to show her face, derision. . . dismaying to all—a derision to some; a dismaying to others in beholding such a judgment of God, fearing a so as he thinks : his lies shall not so effect what he aims at by them. Cai,vin translates, " his lies are not right (i. e., like fate for themselves. 40. he—Nelnizaradan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar, as . . . eagle—not to bear them " on eagles' wings " (Exodus 19. i ; Deuteronomy 32. 11. 12), as God does His people, but to pounce on them as a prey his vauntings are vain, because God will not give them eflfect): they shall not do so" as they project in their minds, for God will set at naught their plans. 31. 1 will cry . . . fur . . . Moab—not that It deserves pity, but the (ch. 49.22; Deuteronomy 28. 49; llaljaklcuk 1.8). 411. as . . . woman in . . pangs—(Isaiah 13. 8.) Hi. (Note, v. propliet's "crying" for it vividly represents the greatness
26.) 43, 44. {Note, Isaiah 24. 17, 18). 44. When tliou of the calamity. tS-ir-iieres—Kir-hareseth, in Isaiali 16. 7, see yole tliere. It means the city of pollers, or else the city tliinlcest thou hast escaped one kind of danger, a fresh on* will start up. 45. under . . . shadow of Ilesiibon They thought that they would be sale in Heshbon. because of tJie force i.e., "they that lied because of the force" of the enemy: tliey that tied fi-om it. GIASSIUS of the sun. [Grotius.] Here "the men of Kir-heres" are substituted for "the foundations of Kir-hareseth," in Isaiali 16. 7. T'ne change answers probably to tlie different bearing of the disaster under Nebuchadnezzar, as compared with that former one under Slialmaneser. 33. translates, "througli want of strength." So the Hebrew particle is translated (Paaliw 109. 24j, " Faileth of fatness," t» Itb the weeplug—witli the same weeping as Jazer, now i. e., " Failetli through want of fatness;" also Lamentations
V!iiU|iiislied, wept with for the destruction of its vines.
4. 9. but a fire, Ac.—copied in part from Hihon's hymn of victory (Numbers 21. 27, 28). Tlie old " proverb " shall hold good again. As in ancient times Sihon, Icing of the Tinsame calaniitj' sliall befall thee, Sibmah, as befell
Jazer. Tlie Hebrew preposition here is different from tliat ill Isaiah Ifi. 9, for wliicli reason '^.Iavv.v.v. translates, " witli more than the weeping of Jazer." English Version
Aiiiorites, issued forth from his city, Heslibon, as a devouring "flame," and consumed Moab, so now tlie Chaldeans, making Heshbon their starting-point, shall advance to the destruction of Sloab. midst of Sihon i, e., the city of Sihon. corner of Moab— i. e., Moab from one corner to tlie other, crown of . . . head—the most und<M-staiids It of the continuation of tlie weeping: after t:i'*y have wept for Jazer, fresh subject of lamentation will present Itself for the wasting of the vine-abounding
Sibiuali. plants . . . gone over . . . sea of Jazer—As LXX. read "cities of Jazer," and as no traces of a lake rear Jazer are found, the reading of English Version is doubtful. Retaining the pi-esent reading, we avoid tlie elevated points of Moab. Making some alterations, he here copies Balaam's prophesy (Numbers 24. 17). Margin there translales "pvince&" for corners; if so, " crown of diriieulty by translating [Grotius], "Tliy plants (i.e., . . . head " here refers to tlie nobles, tumultnous sons citizens: alluding to the 'vine') are gone over tlie sea of tumult: those who have tumultuously revolted from Babylon. Heshbon passed from the Amorite to the Is- (t. e., shall be transported beyond sea to Cyprus, and such distant lands subject to Babylon; and tliis, too, in summer-time), whereas Jazer {i. e., the men of Jazer) reached the sea" (shore only, but are not transported beyond sea); so that worse shall befall thee than befalls Jazer. spoiler — Nebuzaradan. 33. the plentiful field raelite sway. Moab liad wrested it from Israel, and helped the Chaldeans against tlie Jews; but revolting from Babylon, they brought ruin on themselves in turn. 4G. Copied from Numbers 21. 29. 47. Restoration promised to Moab, for righteous Lot's sake, their progenitor (Genesis 19.37; Exodus 20.6; Psalin 89. 30-33). Cf. as to Egypt, ch. 46. 26; Ammon, cli. 49.6; Elam, cli. 49. 39. Gospel blessings, temporal and spiritual, to the Gentiles in the last days, are intended. ratlier, Carmel: as the parallel "land of Moab" requires, though in Isaiah 16. 10, it is " the plentiful field." Joy is taken away as from the nearer regions (Canaan and Palestine), so from the farther " land of Moab ;" what has happened Judah shall befall Moab too {v. 26, 27). [Maureu.] However, Moab alone seems to be spoken of here; nor does the parallelism foibid "plentiful field" answering to "Moab." English Fe?'s<o?i is therefore better, shouting — repeated, as at the conclusion of the vintage, men sing over and over again tlie same cry of Joy. their sliouting
CHAPTER XLIX.
Ver. 1-39. Predictions as to Ammon, Iditmea, Damascus, Kedar, H.\zor, and Elam. The event of the prophecy as to Amnion preceded that as to Moab {Note, v.
. . . no shotitlng—a shouting shall be heard, but not the Joyous shouting of labourers treading the grapes, but tlie terrible battle-cry of the foe. 34. From theory of HeshboM. Ac-Those who fly from Heshbon on its capture
3); and in Ezekiel 21. 26-28, the destruction of Ammon is subjoined to the deposition of Zedekiah. Kath Isiitel, . . no heir 1 viz., to occupy tlie land of Gad, after itself has been carried away captive by Slialmaneser. Ammon, like Moab, descended from Lot, lay north of Moab, from which it was separated by the river Anion, and east of Reuben and Gad (Joshua 13. 24, 2.5) on the same side of Jordan. It seized on Gad when Israel was carried captive. Judali was b.y the right of kindred the heir, not Ammon; but Ammon joined with Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem (2 Kings 24. 2), and exulted over it.i fall (Psalm 83. 4-7, 8; Zephaniah 2. 8, 9). It had already, >n the days of Jeroboam, in Israel's affliction, tried to "enlarge its border" (2 Kings 14.26; Amos 1. 1, sliall continue the cry even as far as Elealeh, &c. There will be continued cries in all quarters, from one end to the other, everywhere slaughter and wasting, as an heifer of three years old—Moab heretofore not having known foreign yoke, and iu its full strength, as compared to an heifer of three years old, never yet yoked, nor as yet worn out with many birth-givings (cf. Note, Isaiali 15. 5). waters . . . of Niinrlm i.e., the well-watered Bind therefore luxuriant pastures of Nimrim. desolate—the Hebrew is stronger: not merely shall be "desolate," but desolation itself multiplied: plural, desolations. The most fertile tracts shall be dried up. 33, him that oflfereth—I'tz., whole burnt offerings, as the Hebrew requires. [Grotius.] Vt the awfu'. burnt ofl'ering of the king of Moab (2 Kings
13). their king—(Amos 1. 15) ; referring to Melchom, their tutelary idol (Zephaniah 1.5); and so the LXX. read It here as a proper name ' • Kings 11. 5. 33 ; 2 Kings 23. 18). 553