Jeremiah 49:23 - Exposition

Hamath . Still an important city under the name of Hamah, situated to the north of Hums (Emesa), on the Orontes. It formed nominally the boundary of the kingdom of Israel ( Numbers 34:8 ; Joshua 13:5 ), was actually a part of the empire of Solomon ( 2 Chronicles 8:4 ), and was conquered for a short time by Jeroboam II . ( 2 Kings 14:25 ). Under Sargon it was fully incorporated into the Assyrian empire (comp. Isaiah 10:9 ); rebellious populations were repeatedly transplanted into the territory of Hamath. Arpad . Always mentioned together with Hamath, whose fate it appears to have shared ( Isaiah 10:9 ). A tell, or hill, with ruins, about three (German) miles from Aleppo, still bears the name Erfad ( Zeitschrift of the German Oriental Society, 25:655) . There is sorrow on the sea , etc.; i.e. even the sea participates in the agitation of that troublous time: somewhat as in Habakkuk 3:10 the sea is represented as sympathizing in the terror produced by a Divine manifestation. But by the slightest possible emendation (viz. of caph into beth ) we obtain a more natural sense—"with an unrest as of the sea, which cannot be quiet." In Isaiah 57:20 we read, "For the ungodly are like the troubled sea, for it cannot be quiet;" and it can hardly be doubted that Jeremiah is alluding to this passage. If he altered it at all, it would be in the direction of greater smoothness rather than the reverse. Not a few manuscripts of Jeremiah actually have this corrected reading, which should probably be adopted.