Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Judgment of Edom, JEREMIAH XLIX. Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam
The Ammonite god is said to do what ihey do, viz., occupy the Israelite land of Gad. To Jehovah, the theocratic "King" of Isra.'l, tlie land belonged of right; so that their Molecli or Melchom was a usurper-kinff. lils people —the people of Melchom, "their king." Cf. "people of Chemosh," eh. -IS. 46. 3. Ratobali—tfte sr>-eat, metropolis of Amnion (2 Samuel 12. 26-30). Its destruction Is foretold also in Ezekiel, 25. 5; Amos 1. 14, 15. Uer dang Uters—the towns and villages, dependencies of the metropolis (Joshua 15. 45). sUall . . . be Ueir—shall possess those who possessed hiiii. The full accomplishment of this is still future; partialljfulfilled under the Maccabees (1 Maccabees 5. 6). 3. Heslibon . . . Al—Nebuchadnezzar, coming from the north, first attacked Ammon, then its brother and neighbour, Moab. As Ai of Ammon had already
God ; it is just and natural ("judgment") that God should pardon His .sons sooner than aliens. [Calvin.] 13. BozTaU—(Note, ch. 48.24.) 14. (Obadiah 1-3.) ambassador. . . unto the heathen—a messenger from God to stir up the Chaldeans against Edom. 15. David and Joab had already humbled Edom (2 Samuel 8. 14). 16. terribleneM —the terror which thou didst inspire into others, deceived thee—rendered thee proudly confident, as if none would dare to assail thee, dwellest in . . . rock—Petra, the chief city of Idumea, was cut in tlie rocks ; its ruins are very remarkable. The whole south of Idumea abounds in cave-dwellings and rocks, though . . . nest . . . eagle —(Job 39. 27 ; Obadiah 3, 4.) The eagle builds its nest in the highest craggy eyry. 17. (Cf. 1 Kings 9. 8.) 18. (Ch. 50. 40; Deuteronomy 29. 23; Amos 4. 11.) no man shall abide there—i. e., of the Idumeaus. The Romans had a garrison there. 19. he — Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuzaradan ; the name would at once suggest Itself to the minds of the hearers (ch. 48. 40; 46. IS), swelling—as a lion which the overflow of the Jordan forced out of his lair on the banks, to ascend the neighbouring heights. [Calvin.] See as to the translation, "jiride of the Jordan." jVote, ch. 12. 5. habitation of . . . strong—the fastnesses of Idumea (cf. Numbers 24. 21). Mavrer translates, "An ever-verdant suffered destruction, Heshbon of Moab being near it might well fear the same fate, hedges—their cities being destroyed, the outcasts have no place of shelter save behind the "hedges"' of vineyards and gardens; or else the enclosures of their villages, tlielr king—il/eiciowi, the idol, as the mention of "his priests" shows (cf. ch. 4S. 7). 4. thy flowing valley—rather, "thy valley shall flow," viz., witli the blood of the slain; in sad contrast to their "valleys" in which they had heretofore "gloried," and flowing with milk and honey. [Grotius.] Or else, as Margin, ".shall flow away." backsliding—apostate from Jehovah, tlie God of their lather Lot, to Molech. treasures—her resources for resisting the foe. Who shall, Ac. Who can come, &c. (,ch. 21. 13). 5. every man right forth —whithersoever chance may lead him(ch. 46. 5; Genesis
(lit., pcremiial) pasturage," i. e., Idumea heretofore liaviug enjoyed uninterrupted tranquillity; so in d. 20 the image is retained, the Idunieans being compared to "a flock," and their king to "a shepherd," in tliis ver.se, and the enemy to "a lion" (cf. ch. 50. 17-19). Knglish »)-SiO« accords more with the Hebrew, suddenly—in Ihe twinkling of an eye, as the Hebrew implies, him . . . her—I will make Nebuzaradan enter Idumea, and then, having in the twinkling of an eye effected the conquest, go aicay speedily elsewhere. Instead of " but," translate, for. Grotius translates, " run upon her, or " to her," instead of " run away from her." Maurer understands it, "I will make him (the Idumean) run away from her" (i. e., from his own land); the similar change of reference of the pronouns (ch.
19. 17) ; straight before him, onwards at random (Amos 4. 3). none . . . gather up him, <S:c.—there shall be none to gather together the wandering fugitives, so as to entertain them and restore them to tlieir own homes. 6. (Cf. ch.48.
47.) For the sake of "righteous" Lot their progenitor. Partially fulfilled under Cyrus; in gospel times loore fully. 7. conceniing Edom—A distinct prophecy, copied in part from Obadiali, but with the freedom of one in-
50.44) favours this, who is a chosen man, SiC.—God callg the choicest warriors to him, to set "over" the work of de« vastaling Idumea. God will surely execute His purpose, spire<l himself, and foretelling a later calamity. Obadiah's was fulfilled prohably in Sennacherib's time (cf. Isaiah 34.
6; Amos 1.11); Jeremiah's about the same time as his preceding prophecies {v. 12; Ezekiel 25. 12). wisdom—for which the Arabs and the people of Teman (a city of Edom) for He can call forth from all sides what agents He chooses, wlio is like me ^—(Exodus 15. 11.) who will ajpoint me tlie time 1—viz., for entering into a trial in judgment with me (see Margin). Image from law courts (Job 9. 19). shepherd—leader of the Idunieans; following up the previous image, "a lion:" no Idumean shepherd shall withstand in particular, were famed (Genesis 36. 15; 1 Kings 4.30; see Job, everj'wliere ; Obadiah 8). vanished lit., poured out, i.e., exhausted (cf. Isaiah 19. S, Margin). [Mauker.] Or, as the kindred Ethiopic word means, worn-out. [LuBOVicus DE DiEU.] 8. turn—V12., your backs in flight, dwell deep—in deep defiles and caves [Grotius], which abound in Idumca. Otliers refer it to the Arab custom of retiring into the depth of the desert when avoiding an offended foe (v. 30). Dedan—a tribe bordering on and made subject by Idumea; descended from Jokshan, son of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis Zi. 1-3). Esau—tlie naming of Edom's progenitor, reprobated by God, recalls the remembrance of the old curse on him for his profanity, both liissin and its i)unishment being perpetuated in his descendants (llel)rews 12. 16, 17). 9. (Obadiah 5.) Grapegalherer.i, yea even //lieves, leave something behind them; but the Chaldeans will sweep Idumeaclean of everything. 10. ICdom became politically extinct after the time of tlie Romans, uncovered Isis secret places—where he hid himself (r. 8) and his treasures (Isaiah 45.3). I have caused Hint nothing should be so hidden as that the con(iueror should not find it. brethren — Ammon. neighbours—tlie Philistines. 11. "Thy fatherless and widows must rest their hope In God alone, as none of the adult males shall be left alive, so desperate will be the adiiirs of Edom. The verse also, besides this threat, iinplies a promise of mercy to Esau In God's good time, as there was to Moab and Ammon (r. 6; ch. 4S. 17); the extinction of the adult males Is the prominent Idea tlie lion sent by Jeliovah (Job 41. 10), or save the Idumean flock. 30. least of the flock—the weakest and humblest of the Chaldean host. Cf. ch.6. 3, where the hostile leaders and their hosts are called "shepherds and tlieir flocks." draw . . . out—"shall drag them away captive" [Grotius]; shall drag them to and fro, as a Hon {v. 19) does feeble s!ieep. [Maurer.] with them—i.e., the habitation which they possess. 21. was heard in i. e., shall be heard aU Red Sea—a considerable distance from Idumea; though the district at the Elantlc bay of the Red Sea originally belonged to Idumea, and the se.a itself was called from Edom, t. e., red (Genesis 25. 30, Margin). Others translate, "the weedy sea" (Margin), and derive the name, "Red Sea," from its red weeds; the former view is preferable.
'ZZ. (Cf. ch. 48. 40, 41.) Boirah—(A'oc, ch. 48. 24.) 'Z3. Prophecy as to Damascus, Ac. (Isaiah 17.1; 10.9). The kingdom of Damascus was destroyed by Assyria, but the city revived, and it is as to the latter Jeremiah now prophesies. The luiniment was probably about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (JoSK-
I'lIUS, 10. 9, 7). Ilamutli is confoundeil—at the tidings of tlie overthrow of tlu neighbouring Damascus, on the sen— I. e., at the sea ; the dwellers at it are alarmed. Other MSS. read, "like thesea." "There is anxiety (restless) as is the sea: they cannot quiet it," i. e.. It cannot be quieted (Isaiah 57. 20). it-whatever dwellers are there "cannot be <iulet." as. city of praise-Th<? prophet, in the person of a cltlz<>n of Dumascus deploring Its I'alamit.v, calls It "the cil,v of praise," i. e., celebrated with praises everywlun-e for Its beauty (eh. 33. 9; 51.41). "How is It pos-
(cf. V. 12). li. (Vh. 25. 15, 10, 29.) they wliose Judgment wnt not to ilrinl< tljc cup—the Jews to whom, by virtue of lh(t covenant n laliou, It <lld not belong to drink the cup, who, it miglit have been expected, would be spared.
He regards not the merits of the Jews, for they were as bad or worse than others: but tlie grace and adoptlou of sible that such u city Acu iwt been liij'l, whole—has not been