Moab, far or near.
JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS
described, but as it were painted.
Stand, he says, on the way, and look, thou inhabitant of Aroer This was another city of the Moabites, of which mention is made in many places; and then he mentions others, as we shall see. Ask him, he says, who fleeth and her who escapes He, indeed, changes the gender of the nouns; but when he mentions many, and then one person, he did this for the sake of amplifying; because, on the one hand, he wished to show that so great would be the number of exiles, that the whole land would become empty; and then, on the other hand, when he says that this and that person would flee, he means that they would be so scattered that they would not go in troops; but as it is usual in a disordered state of things, one would flee on this side, and another on the other side. Ask him who fleeth, or as we may render the words, Ask all who flee; and then, ask her who escapes; because not only men, but also women would flee, so that no sex would be spared. In short, he intimates, that those who dwelt in cities well fortified, would be all anxiety on seeing enemies irresistibly advancing through every part of the country.
Jeremiah 48:20-24
20. Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
20. Pudefactus est Moab, quia contritus est; ululate et clamate, et annuntiate in Arnon, quoniam vastatus est Moab (vel, quod vastatus est Moab; {}כיenim hic explicative accipitur, non causaliter;)
21. And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
21. Et judicium perveniet ad terram planam (vel, rectam, hoc est, ad ipsam planiciem,) ad Holon et ad Jazar et ad Mephaath;
22. And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,
22. Et super Dibon, et super Nebo, et super Beth-diblathaim (domum Diblathaim, sed est nomen proprium urbis;)
23. And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,
23. Et ad Cariathain, et ad Beth-gamoul, et ad Beth-meon;
24. And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of
Moab, far or near.
24. Et super Chirioth, et super Bozrah, et super omnes urbes terrae Moab remotas et propinquas.
We have stated why the Prophet describes so fully the ruin of the Moabites, and dwells so long on a subject in no way obscure; it was not indeed enough merely to teach and to show what was useful to be known, but it was also necessary to add goads, that the Jews might attend to these prophecies; nay, it was necessary to drive as it were with a hammer into their minds what would have been otherwise incredible; for they deemed it a fable that the Moabites could thus be broken, laid waste, and reduced to nothing. The Prophet then would have labored in vain, or spoken ineffectually, had he described in simple and plain words what we here read.
But he added vehemence to his words, as though he would drive in his words with a hammer and fasten them in the minds of the people.