stood . . . because of the force = stood strengthless; or, halted. a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 21:28 ). App-92 . devour. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 24:17 ). App-92 . corner: or, flank. tumultuous ones = sons of tumult. read more
"They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity. Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith Jehovah. Thus far is the judgment of Moab."The first two of these... read more
Jeremiah 48:45. They that fled, &c.— But stand ye under the shadow of Heshbon, and confide in it: for a fire shall burst forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, which shall devour the hairs of Moab, and the necks of the sons of pride. Houbigant. See Num 21:28 to which Jeremiah refers in this part of his prophesy. read more
45. under . . . shadow of Heshbon—They thought that they would be safe in Heshbon. because of the force—that is, "they that fled because of the force" of the enemy: they that fled from it. GLASSIUS translates, "through want of strength." So the Hebrew particle is translated ( :-), "faileth of fatness," that is, "faileth through want of fatness"; also :-. but a fire, c.—copied in part from Sihon's hymn of victory (Numbers 21:27 Numbers 21:28). The old "proverb" shall hold good again. As in... read more
5. The end of Moab 48:40-47The final section of the oracle stresses the full end of Moab. read more
Fugitives of the invasion would huddle in weakness, in the shadow of Heshbon-the ancient capital of Sihon king of the Amorites-because of the devastation planned and executed from there (cf. Jeremiah 48:2). The invasion would rob Moab and its complacent revelers of their glory, as when fire burns someone’s hair off."These words [i.e., "it has devoured the forehead of Moab"] have been taken by Jeremiah from Balaam’s utterance regarding Moab, Num. xxiv. 17, and embodied in his address after some... read more
Against MoabMoab, in recompense for its pride and security, and for its triumphing over Israel in the day of her calamity, shall itself be laid waste and taken captive: cp. the ’burden of Moab ’in Isaiah 15, 16.1. Nebo] not the mountain, but the Reubenite town (Numbers 32:38), which had been annexed by Mesha, king of Moab (about 895 b.c.), according to the ’Moabite Stone ’records. Several places mentioned in this chapter have not been certainly identified. 2. Heshbon] an Ammonite town on the... read more
(45) Because of the force.—Better, without strength. What is meant is that the fugitives of Moab seek shelter in Heshbon, the capital of the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:3), and find no protection there.A fire shall come forth out of Heshbon . . .—The words are interesting as being a quotation from a fragment of an old poem, probably from the “Book of the Wars of the Lord,” which is also to be found in Numbers 21:28. Heshbon, at the time of the Exodus the capital of the Amorites, is here identified... read more
CHAPTER XIXMOABJeremiah 48:1-47"Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against Jehovah."- Jeremiah 48:42"Chemosh said to me, Go, take Nebo against Israeland I took itand I took from it the vessels of Jehovah, and offered them before Chemosh."-MOABITE STONE."Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days."- Jeremiah 48:47THE prophets show a very keen interest in Moab. With the exception of the very short Book of Joel, all the prophets who... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 48:1-47
A message concerning Moab (48:1-47)Moab was one nation that tried to form an alliance with Judah against Babylon (see 27:1-3). Moab will now suffer Babylon’s anger. Jeremiah pictures the scene: the land devastated, fortresses smashed, cities destroyed, people crying out in distress, refugees fleeing from the invading armies (48:1-6).Chemosh, Moab’s national god, cannot save the nation. Rather, it will be taken into captivity along with Moab’s civil and religious leaders. The towns of Moab will... read more