THE PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH (8)

Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE THAT PUZZLES YOU?

If so please EMail us with your question and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer.EMailus. (But preferably not from aol.com, for some reason they do not deliver our messages).
FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.
THE PENTATEUCH --- GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS --- NUMBERS --- DEUTERONOMY --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- THE BOOK OF RUTH --- SAMUEL --- KINGS --- I & II CHRONICLES --- EZRA---NEHEMIAH---ESTHER---PSALMS 1-73--- PROVERBS---ECCLESIASTES--- SONG OF SOLOMON --- ISAIAH --- JEREMIAH --- LAMENTATIONS --- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL --- --- HOSEA --- --- JOEL ------ AMOS --- --- OBADIAH --- --- JONAH --- --- MICAH --- --- NAHUM --- --- HABAKKUK--- --- ZEPHANIAH --- --- HAGGAI --- ZECHARIAH --- --- MALACHI --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- READINGS IN ROMANS --- 1 CORINTHIANS --- 2 CORINTHIANS ---GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS--- PHILIPPIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- PHILEMON --- HEBREWS --- JAMES --- 1 & 2 PETER --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- JUDE --- REVELATION --- THE GOSPELS & ACTS
111 Commentary on Jeremiah The Prophet (8). (46.1-48.47)

By Dr Peter Pett BA BD (Hons-London) DD.

SECTION 3. PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS (chapters 46-51).
This SECTION commences in 46.1 with the words, ‘The word of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet --’. This phrase follows the pattern that has gone before, and here indicates a new section. It is also a reminder that what was to happen would result from ‘the word of YHWH’ (dbr YHWH). Such a word was seen as powerfully effective in bringing about what was prophesied (compare Isaiah 55.10 ff). The English phrase ‘word of YHWH’ translates two alternative Hebrew phrases, ‘dbr YHWH’ and ‘neum YHWH’. While it should not be overpressed the former has more in mind the poweful, effective prophetic word that goes actively forth to accomplish its purpose (and became the forerunner of the idea of Jesus as the Word (Logos) while the latter has in mind the prophetic word in its ominiscience, as declaring what will be because God will do it. Where ‘word of YHWH’ occurs in the middle of a stream of prophecy it is usually neum YHWH.
In this case this ‘word of YHWH’ (dbr YHWH) is ‘against the Gentiles’. Thus it may well have in mind the whole of what is to follow in chapters 46-51 as Jeremiah prophesies concerning God’s dealings with the nations, revealing His overall sovereignty. The point was that what was being described would be brought about by the effective and powerful word of YHWH. When YHWH speaks it is done. The section is an expansion on the ideas found in 25.15-28.
It should be noted that these prophecies were not spoken to the nations, but to Judah/Israel. The words were an indication to them that YHWH was in control of world events, and a warning to them against trusting in any of these failing nations. They were no more secure than Judah was. And they were also an assurance to them that God had not overlooked what Judah had suffered at their hands, and would deal with them accordingly, although that is not the prominent idea. They are difficult to date but may well have mainly been spoken in the time of Josiah and Jehoiakim.
We can analyse this Section as follows:
A). ‘Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish --’ - this was the army that had slain Josiah and had taken over the lands south of the Euphrates in the early days of Jehoiakim. Here it receives its judgment (46.2-12).
B). ‘The word that YHWH spoke to Jeremiah the prophet how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon would come and smite the land of Egypt --’ (46.13-28).
C). ‘The word of YHWH that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines before Pharaoh smote Gaza, thus says YHWH --’(47.1-7).
D). ‘Against Moab, thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel -’ (48.1-47).
E). ‘Concerning the Ammonites, thus says YHWH --’ (49.1-6).
F). ‘Concerning Edom, thus says YHWH of Hosts --’ 49.7-22).
G). ‘Concerning Damascus --’ (49.23-27).
H). ‘Concerning Kedar and concerning the Kingdom of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon will smite, thus says YHWH -- (49.28-33).
I). ‘The word of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam --’ (49.34-39).
J). ‘The word that YHWH spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet --’ (50.1-51.58).
K). ‘The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah, the son of Neriah, --’ when at Jeremiah’s request he took to Babylon, to which he was being transported along with King Zedekiah, Jeremiah’s scroll of his prophecies against Babylon and, having read them over Babylon, threw them in the River Euphrates as evidence that Babylon would one day sink in a similar way (51.59-64).

Thus the order of the judgments on the nations is - Egypt (SW), Philistia (including Tyre and Sidon) (W), Moab (E), Ammon (E), Edom (SE), Damascus (N), Arabia (E), Elam (NE), Babylon (NE).
The concluding words of the Section, ‘thus far are the words of Jeremiah’ (51.64b) possibly refer to this section only, but are more probably intended to apply to the whole prophecy when it was brought together.
This section will then be followed by the final CONCLUSION in chapter 52, which closes the prophecy by outlining the taking of Jerusalem and the blinding and exile of Zedekiah, gives information about the different exiles that took place, and describes the restoration to honour of King Jehoachin by Evil-merodach (Arwel Marduk). Most of this is paralleled in 2 Kings 24.18-25.30. The purpose of the conclusion is to end the prophecy with an indication of hope, and especially of the commencement of the process by which the final son of David will take his throne. It emphasises that the Davidic house is still a part of the purposes of God.
PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS.
It will be noted that, contrary to other prophets, in Jeremiah these prophecies concerning foreign nations come at the end of the book (that is, in the MT. In LXX they follow 25.13 where judgment on the nations is previously mentioned). In MT they are in effect a postscript bringing out that it is not only Israel/Judah who must suffer for their sins and idolatry, but all the nations. They were a confirmation that in the end it was not only Israel/Judah, but also ‘the whole world’ (of that day), who would be affected by YHWH’s judgment, indicating thereby that He is the sovereign LORD of all nations. But along with this there are also hints of future hope for many of them (46.26; 48.47; 49.6, 39).
In Isaiah and Ezekiel, where there are similar large and specific collections of prophecies against foreign nations, such prophecies follow oracles proclaimed against Israel and/or Judah, and in Isaiah’s case prophecies concerning the Coming King, but they also precede many oracles speaking of Israel's restoration. Such oracles against foreign nations also appear in other prophets as well. Thus we may consider not only the collections in Isaiah 13-23, Ezekiel 25-32, but also those in Amos 1-2 and Zephaniah 2.2-15, all of which underline the fact that God’s concern is with all nations, something also brought out in the Book of Jonah. But the Book of Jeremiah uniquely places these prophecies against foreign nations at the end of the book, presumably in order to indicate that in all things God will have the last word, not only with His chosen nation, but with all nations. It is a salutary reminder that it is not only His own people who will be called to account. Indeed we should note that from the beginning Jeremiah was called on to prophesy against all the nations (1.10). Thus here that promise is being fulfilled. It is also possible that in his view what happened to the nations would be a postscript to what was to happen to Israel/Judah. They also would not escape YHWH’s notice. It was not only God’s people who would be subject to judgment.
It will, however, be noted that among the prophecies directed against Babylon there are clear indications of God’s future restoration of a remnant from among His people (50.4-5, 19-20, 33-34; 51.5, 10, 19, 50. Compare also 46.27-28). And on top of this hope is also promised for other nations (46.26; 48.47; 49.6, 39). Thus even as it reaches its conclusion the prophecy of Jeremiah is a prophecy of hope, something again emphasised in the final ending (52.31-34) which speaks of the initial restoration of the Davidic monarchy in preparation for what is to come. God has not forsaken either the house of David or His people in Babylon.
The prophecies appear partly to have geographical indications in mind, commencing with Egypt in the South West, and Philistia (and Tyre and Sidon - 47.4) in the West and North West, and moving on to the neighbouring nations in the east, Moab, Ammon and Edom. They then deal with Damascus in the north, the Arab nations in the remote east, and Elam in the far north, before finishing up with the prophecy against Babylon in the north. This fact that the prophets of Israel and Judah gave oracles about other nations reflects Yahweh's sovereignty over the whole earth, and demonstrates YHWH’s government and oversight over the whole world. It is noteworthy that apart from in the case of Babylon this oversight is not directly related to any activity by these nations against Israel/Judah (in contrast to Amos 1-2). What is remarkable is rather the matter of factness of the prophecies. Apart from in the case of Babylon there is no reference to their being vengeance for acts performed against Israel (contrast Amos 1-2). Rather they are simply a reminder that all nations will be called to account because of what they are, and that none can finally be relied on by Judah. The message is that only in YHWH is there future hope for any of them. By common scholarly consensus, these chapters contain some of the finest Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament.
We may ask ourselves, why should such prophecies be included in the word of God. What message do they have for us today? The answer is clear. They are a reminder that all nations and all men will be called on to give account of themselves to God, and that God does it on a just basis. They are a reminder that God is the sovereign Lord over all nations, and they are an indication that no nation, however powerful, will last forever unless specially preserved by God. They indicate further that He is the Lord of history, calling all to account. As we read through these chapters therefore, they should bring home to us the fact that God takes sin seriously, something which includes our own sins if they are not fully repented of. They indicate that if we treat God and His word lightly we should not be surprised if it inevitably results in unpleasant repercussions.
We may summarise some of the lessons learned from this section as follows:
1). God is sovereign over all nations. This idea is a commonplace to us precisely because of prophecies such as this. But it was not so obvious in Jeremiah’s day.
2). God will call all nations and people into account. None can assume that they will be overlooked.
3). God will judge all peoples in accordance with the moral principles revealed in His covenant. Such moral principles are universal (compare Romans 2.13-16).
4). These prophecies are an indication of how God works in history, using one nation to punish another, and then punishing that nation for its own sins at the hands of others, and so on. They indicate the tide of history, and that God is the Lord of history.
5). They reveal the powerful effectiveness of God’s ‘powerful word’ in reaching out to the nations (even though they did not at the time know it) and bringing about His purposes.
6). They bring out that even in the worst moments and in the worst of circumstances there is hope ahead for those who look to Him.

One important lesson comes out in respect to all this, and that is that it brings out how we are to see God’s activity in history. All that is described in Jeremiah’s prophecies resulted from the outworking of the activities of nations against each other as man revealed his inhumanity to man. None of those nations even dreamed that what was happening to them resulted from ‘the word of YHWH’, but Jeremiah assures us that it was so. And yet we can look back and see how it all developed ‘naturally’, and our historians can describe it without even bringing in God as a factor. So whilst the tide of history is seen by the prophets as being under the control of God, we must also recognise that it moves forward as a direct result of man’s activity. The judgments of history can be seen as being the result of the outworking of history as man reveals himself for what he is. Thus God is not to be seen as to blame for the cruelties revealed in that history. Those cruelties are simply the result of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’.
But what Scripture does unequivocally reveal is that in the last analysis behind all that happens is the hand of God. And if God is the sovereign Creator that is in fact inevitable, unless we assume that He simply withdraws from the situation. The point is that having created the world He continues to sustain it (Colossians 1.15-17; Hebrews 1.1-3). And that involves His influencing the way that history develops. But in all this God’s sovereignty and man’s freewill are seen as moving forward hand in hand. That is why some Scripture writers can describe God as being behind all that happens and can describe even the most horrific things as resulting from His activity. This is because they are seeing God as the ‘overall Cause’ of everything. But this is then ameliorated by other parts of Scripture which bring out a different aspect of things. A good example of this is found when the writer of Samuel describes David’s ‘numbering of Israel’ as resulting from God’s initiative, in contrast with the writer of Chronicles who points out that it really resulted from Satan’s initiative. This would not be seen as a contradiction. The point is that in 1 Chronicles 21.1 the Chronicler is looking at the detail of history, the flow of events, and the forces that directly lay behind it, whilst the writer in 2 Samuel 24.1 is in contrast seeing all from the angle of God’s sovereignty over all things. He sees the ‘flow of events’ as being all under God’s supervision and control. So in his view had God not specifically allowed Satan a free rein it could not have happened. Thus he rightly draws our attention to the fact that it was all within God’s purposes. But we would be wrong to assume from this that every detail resulted directly from God’s positive intention and initiative. Rather He used the activity of Satan in the fulfilment of His final purpose, that of dealing with David’s sin. In a freewill world it was inevitable that such things would happen, but they were not outside God’s overall control. On the other hand He was not ‘to blame’ for them, except in the sense that He created man’s free will and allowed it free rein even when He did not like the consequences. In the end it was man who was responsible for the evil of the situation.
COMMENTARY.
General Heading.
46.1 ‘The word of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.’
Here we have an indication of what this final main section is all about. It deals with YHWH’s ‘powerful word’ (dbr YHWH) against all the nations which were affecting Judah/Israel at that time. It indicated that YHWH’s judgment would be active against such nations. It must be remembered that during the time of Jeremiah’s prophecies following Josiah’s death in 609 BC, Babylon was the dominant nation in the ancient Near Eastern world, and we therefore learn from these prophecies how their tentacles would embrace all the nations round about, bringing YHWH’s judgment on them. None would escape their attention. But the final important point is that in the end Babylon itself would succumb, overtaken by judgment from the north. In contrast God’s people would arise triumphantly from the ashes. Jeremiah’s message was thus that against all appearances it was to be recognised that God was still in control.
Oracles Concerning Egypt.
There are two oracles concerning Egypt. The first deals with the rout of the Egyptian armies at Carchemish as Nebuchadrezzar began to take over that part of the world (c 605 BC) after a lull following the final defeat of the Assyrians. At that stage, after a further rout at Hamath, Egypt were driven back to their own borders. The second deals with Nebuchadrezzar’s ‘invasion’ of Egypt in a punitive expedition which occurred decades later. Both are confirmed archaeologically, although the latter only in a fragmentary inscription.
In the second millennium BC Egypt had seen Palestine and beyond as its own special province and had mainly exercised control over it. But Egyptian power had waned and to a certain extent in the first part of the 1st millennium BC Palestine had been left to itself prior to its becoming subservient to Assyria. But at the time to which this prophecy refers Egypt under Pharaoh Necho had sought once again to exercise its authority outside its own borders and to extend its control over this and other territory, engaging in wars of belligerence, and it was his attempt to assist a weakened Assyria against the Babylonians that had resulted in his advance to the Euphrates and the death of Josiah, and the loss of Judean independence.
A). Oracle Concerning Nebuchadrezzar’s Defeat Of The Egyptian Army At Carchemish In 605 BC (46.2-12).
The importance of this prophesy to a people reeling under the unexpected death of their good and godly king Josiah, and who now as a consequence found themselves under tribute to Egypt, with their king held hostage, is clear. It was an indication that God had taken note of affairs and would eventually punish Egypt accordingly.
Yet whilst it may well be that Jeremiah had seen this defeat as punishment of Egypt for their behaviour towards Judah/Israel, both in bringing about the death of Josiah and in its aftermath, it is noteworthy that he does not draw this out in the prophecy. Rather it is simply a poetically inspired statement of what happened to the Egyptians. As we know from earlier, in 609 BC the Egyptian army had moved up the Coastal Plain to the aid of an Assyria which was on its last legs against a Medo-Babylonian invasion, with a view to stemming the rising Babylonian power. It was in seeking to interfere in this that Josiah lost his life. Having defeated Josiah’s army the Egyptians then moved on, and although not arriving in time to succour the Assyrians, took possession of all the lands from their own borders right up to Carchemish in the north, meanwhile taking Josiah’s heir, Jehoahaz as a hostage to Egypt and replacing him with Jehoiakim. They were able to sustain this position for a time because Nebuchadrezzar’s attention, as commander-in-chief of his father’s armies was taken up elsewhere. But once those problems had been dealt with Nebuchadrezzar addressed the situation and totally humiliated the Egyptian army, first at Carchemish and then at Hamath, driving Egypt back to its own borders. Babylon then took over Egypt’s fleeting ‘empire’, including Judah.
46.2 ‘Of Egypt: Concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.’
The oracle is stated to be in respect of the defeat by Nebuchadrezzar of the Egyptian army of Pharaoh-Neco, which had its headquarters at Carchemish near the Euphrates. This was the very army which had slain Josiah. This took place in 605 BC. In consequences the new Egyptian ‘empire’ had lasted for only four years. It is noteworthy that in what follows there is no description of the battle. It is not history as such. The idea is rather in order to bring out that after their proud preparations, carried out in such expectancy, they were totally routed and humiliated. Man proposes, but God disposes.
Expectant Preparation For Battle (46.3-4).
The prophecy commences with a vivid picture of preparation for battle, as the Egyptian army prepared to face the enemy. Some see in this the Babylonian preparations, but the whole context appears to have in mind the Egyptians (although note verse 6).
46.3-4
‘Prepare you the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle. Harness the chariot horses, And mount your horses, And stand forth with your helmets, Furbish the spears, Put on the coats of mail.’
How proudly the Egyptian army would have prepared itself. They dressed both their large (rectangular or oval) and small (usually round) shields, they prepared to advance onto the battlefield, they harnessed their chariots and mounted their horses, they put on their leather helmets ready for battle, their infantrymen prepared their spears and donned their ‘coats of mail’ (possibly made up of metal strips attached to their jerkins). They were so sure of themselves as they stood forth and drew near to do battle with the Babylonians and their allies.
Utter Defeat (46.5).
In deliberately stark contrast we are now given the picture of this once proud army fleeing in tatters. It is as though it was written by an onlooker behind the lines who had observed with awe the initial preparations and advance, and now saw the same army streaming back in desperate and terror-stricken flight.
46.5
‘Why have I seen it? (or ‘What do I see concerning it?) They are dismayed and are turned backward, And their mighty ones are beaten down, And are fled hastily, And they look not back, Terror is on every side, the word of YHWH.’
‘What have I seen concerning it?’ The observer is astonished at what he sees. What could have caused this turnaround? For he now describes what follows the advance of the proud army. Its total humiliation. What follows is a picture of total defeat. The Egyptian army is no longer proud. They are filled with dismay and turn backwards, their mighty men are beaten down, all flee hastily not daring to look back, and all is terror. They are the remnants of an army fleeing in tatters. And all this in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH (neum YHWH), which both prophesied it and brought it about.
The Command To Let None Escape (46.6).
The Babylonians are commanded to ensure that their victory is complete and that due judgment is visited on the Egyptians. All is under God’s control.
46.6
‘Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape! In the north by the river Euphrates, Have they stumbled and fallen.’
The victorious army is seen as under YHWH’s direction. They are commanded to prevent the elite of the Egyptian army from escaping. They are to prevent the swift from fleeing way, and to prevent the mighty men from making their escape. The victory, and the judgment, must be complete. There must be no opportunity for them to reform and fight again. And so it was. For in the North, by the River Euphrates, the Egyptian army stumbled and fell.
A Description Of The Preceding Arrogance Of The Egyptian Army (46-7-8).
It was not what proud Egypt had expected. They had come up from Egypt with all confidence, a confidence seemingly justified by their establishment of their (brief) empire.
46.7-8
‘Who is this who rises up like the Nile, Whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?’ Egypt rises up like the Nile, And his waters toss themselves like the rivers, And he says, “I will rise up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.”
This consequence was far from what the Egyptians had foreseen. They had seen themselves in terms of the all-conquering Nile. When the Nile flooded its banks everything gave way before it, and it formed rivers which swept all before them. Thus the Egyptian army saw themselves in a similar way. They too would cross their borders triumphantly, and all would give way before them. And their Pharaoh’s boast was that he and his army would cover the earth, and would destroy cities with their inhabitants. None would stand before them.
YHWH Challenges Them And Dares Them To Go Forth To What Is To Be His Day, A Day Of Vengeance And Sacrifice (46.9-10).
But YHWH saw things differently. The Egyptian Army was composed largely of mercenaries, experienced warriors from many nations. They appeared invincible. But they are now called on to be aware that it is a day of YHWH’s judgment. Thus while they may go forth proudly, they are to recognise that His sword will drink of their blood, whilst they themselves are to become a sacrifice offered up to Him. Without being aware of it the Egyptians are offering themselves up to YHWH.
46.9-10
Go up, you horses, and rage, you chariots, And let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put, who handle the shield, And the Ludim, who handle and bend the bow. ’ For that day is of the Lord, YHWH of hosts, A day of vengeance, That he may avenge him of his adversaries. And the sword will devour and be satiated And will drink its fill of their blood, For the Lord, YHWH of hosts, has a sacrifice, In the north country by the river Euphrates.’
The army is efficient and well prepared, containing horsemen, and chariots, and mighty men. The North Africans from Sudan and Libya (see Genesis 10.6 for Cush and Put) are experienced in armed warfare, while the Ludim are expert bowmen. Ludim possibly refers to Lydians, although North Africans may be in mind (see Genesis 10.13). Certainly Egyptian mercenaries would include Greeks and Jews. But despite their expertise they have no hope, for it is the Day of YHWH’s vengeance, possibly for the death of Josiah, but equally possibly because they had pretensions against Palestine and were thus YHWH’s adversaries. Thus it is in the end His sword, as contained in the swords of their enemies, which will smite them, and they will become a sacrificial offering made to Him, offered in Gentile territory.
46.11-12
‘Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt. In vain do you use many medicines. There is no healing for you.’ The nations have heard of your shame, And the earth is full of your cry, For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, They are fallen both of them together.’
The prophecy ends with a warning that there is no cure for their ills. There is an irony in the fact that Egypt, in which the people of Judah/Israel had taken refuge, is itself seen as seeking to Israel for its healing. Gilead (east of Jordan) was famous for its healing balms (compare 8.22; 51.8), but such would be their wounds that it would offer them no hope. Indeed news of their rout would go out among the nations, and their despairing cry would be heard by all men, for so devastating would be their situation that even their mighty men, their champions, would be falling over each other and finally collapsing together.
‘O Virgin Daughter Of Egypt.’ The idea of a virgin daughter may be of one well-protected and seemingly invulnerable. But it is being made clear that she is in fact vulnerable, in that she will be looking to Gilead for healing balms. We can compare the Virgin Daughter Israel/Judah (14.17; 18.13; 31.4; Amos 5.2), and the Virgin Daughter of Babylon (Isaiah 47.1).
B). Oracle Concerning Nebuchadrezzar’s Later Penetration Into Egypt Which Will Not However Be Terminal (46.13-26).
This prophecy here has in mind a much later excursion of Nebuchadrezzar against Egypt (568/7 BC), no doubt angered by Egypt’s constant interference in Palestine. It was not so much a full-scale invasion, as a massive punitive expedition, and it is confirmed by a fragmentary Babylonian inscription.
Nebuchadrezzar threatened the Egyptian border a number of times. He had advanced on Egypt after Carchemish (605/4 BC), but had had to return to Babylon on the death of his father so as to secure his own position. In 604 BC he advanced on Ashkelon (47.7), something which must have caused tremors in Egypt. He had again advanced with a large army in 601 BC only to fight an indecisive battle on the Egyptian borders with heavy losses on both sides, something which demonstrated the renewed strength of the Egyptians. As a result of the heavy losses on both sides, Nebuchadrezzar withdrew to Babylon in order to regroup, and henceforth Egypt kept to its borders and was left alone (2 Kings 24.7). This situation altered when the Egyptian army advanced to provide assistance to Zedekiah in 587 BC, something from which it hastily turned back when it was faced with the Babylonian forces. Whether there was a battle we do not know, but it was certainly an indication of renewed Egyptian interest in Palestine, and of activities which were anti-Babylon. Thus Nebuchadrezzar’s final action against Egypt which is now described was probably in response to later renewed Egyptian activity. It is referred to by Jeremiah in 43.8-13.
46.13 ‘The word that YHWH spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon would come and smite the land of Egypt.’
As previously noted the reference is to Nebuchadrezzar’s later foray on Egypt. The Jews felt safe in Egypt under the protecting hand of Pharaoh. It probably seemed incredible to them that anyone would invade Egypt. But it would happen in accordance with ‘the word of YHWH’.
46.14
‘Declare you in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, And publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes, Say you, “Stand forth, and prepare yourself, For the sword has devoured round about you.”
The call goes out to the northern cities of Egypt which had received the Jewish refugees (see 44.1 - Noph = Memphis) to prepare for a coming invasion, and for much slaughter. The border defences would prove insufficient to hold back the Babylonians, and they were to experience Nebuchadrezzar’s punitive measures in full as all the areas around them were devastated.
For Migdol see 44.1. For Memphis and Tahpanhes see 2.16; 44.1. What Memphis and Tahpanhes had done to Judah would now rebound on themselves, and because Judah had chosen to settle among them they would have their part in it.
46.15-17
‘Why are your strong ones swept away? They stood not, because YHWH drove them.” He made many to stumble, Yes, they fell one upon another, And they said, “Arise, and let us go again to our own people, And to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword. They cried there, “Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise, He has let the appointed time pass by.”
Once again YHWH’s sovereignty over all nations, even the greatest, is emphasised. The Egyptian mercenaries would find themselves unable to resist the Babylonian invaders. Their most powerful forces would be swept away. And why would this be? It would be because YHWH was on the side of the Babylonians, and was thus forcing the Egyptian mercenaries to flee. The reason that they would not be able to stand would be because it would be YHWH Himself Who drove them onwards, and to such good effect that they would stumble on their way and would even fall over one another in their desire to escape. In consequence they would decide to cease being mercenaries and would return to the countries from which they had come, to their birthplace, to Cush, Put and Lud (46.9), in order to escape ‘the oppressing sword’.
And as they fled they would mouth their disdain of the one whom they had served as mercenaries, declaring Pharaoh to be but a boaster, ‘a noise’, one who boasted about his own greatness and made claims and promises that he could not fulfil.
‘Why are your strong ones swept away?’ Literally, ‘why is your strong bull swept away?’ This may have in mind reference to the Egyptian bull-god Aphis, as the one to whom the armies of Egypt looked. Herodotus tells us of the slaughter of the sacred bull by Cambyses. But it may simply be seeing the Egyptian mercenary army as being like a strong bull. The two possibilities are not necessarily exclusive.
‘He has let the appointed time pass by.’ In other words, he has let slip his opportunity, he has failed to deliver at the right time, he has proved inept. Perhaps we are to see in this an indication that his failure was due to a missed opportunity at a time when, had he acted, the army of Babylon could have been defeated. Some see it as a reference to his failure to call on the gods of Egypt sufficiently at an appointed festival. But as the whole point behind this prophecy is that the gods of Egypt are nothings who cannot deliver Egypt and can be disregarded, it is unlikely. The point is that all is in the hands of YHWH. It is a reminder that our times are in His hands.
46.18
“As I live,” the word of the King, Whose name is YHWH of hosts, “Surely like Tabor among the mountains, And like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.”
The Babylonians are also seen as being at YHWH’s disposal. All happens because YHWH is the living God, the Lord of ‘all the Hosts in the world’. YHWH is not just ‘a noise’ like Pharaoh (who was also acclaimed a god). He is the all-powerful living God. Thus all this happens because YHWH is ‘the living God’ and has determined that Nebuchadrezzar will stand out with such prominence that his coming will be unmistakable. Tabor was a prominent eminence in an otherwise flat plain at the east end of the Plain of Jezreel (rising 588 metres/1843 feet above sea level), whilst Carmel was a prominence on the coast of a similar kind (at its highest point 530 metres/1740 feet). Whilst they were by no means the highest mountains in the land they were distinctive and stood out because they were high prominences in what was otherwise flat plain, and not just one among a range of mountains.
46.19
“O you daughter who dwells in Egypt, Make preparations for yourself to go into captivity, For Memphis will become a desolation, And will be burnt up, without inhabitant.”
The coming devastation of Memphis is emphasised, and the people of Israel/Judah who have taken refuge there and feel totally secure because they ‘dwell in Egypt’ are warned that they have found no safe haven. They are even now to prepare themselves to go into captivity, into exile. Their flight to Egypt will have proved a failure. Memphis will provide no long term security. For reference to Memphis see 2.16; 44.1; Hosea 9.6; Isaiah 19.13; Ezekiel 30.13, 16.
The picture of a burning city bereft of inhabitants is a common one, indicating utter devastation. Here Memphis will be the subject of Nebuchadrezzar’s wrath. The city will be systematically burned and its surviving inhabitants will flee or be taken captive.
“O you daughter who dwells in Egypt.” Compare here 4.11; 8.11; 14.17. There is disdain at the thought of YHWH’s daughter being found seeking refuge in Egypt. Rather they should have sought refuge in YHWH and have obeyed His instructions. But they have rather chosen to look to another who can only fail them. Others, however, see ‘daughter’ as referring to the Egyptians. Compare verses 11. and 24
46.20-21
“Egypt is a very fair heifer, A fly out of the north is come, it is come.” Also her mercenaries in the midst of her, Are like calves of the stall, For they also are turned back, They are fled away together, they did not stand, For the day of their calamity is come upon them, The time of their visitation.”
In likening Egypt to a beautiful heifer Aphis the bull god may again have been in mind, although here a heifer because she has calves. She is seen as a heifer admired by all, contentedly pasturing, along with her calves (the mercenaries), secure in her loveliness. But then, out of the north, along comes the gadfly (the word means one which nips) buzzing around and biting her, causing her and her calves great distress. It is an apt picture of a punitive invasion. And the consequence is that both heifer and calves flee, maddened by the gadfly, unable to cope with what is coming. Compare here Isaiah 7.18. Note again the idea that it is because it is YHWH’s ‘time’. YHWH is in control of the nations. He controls the history of the world.
46. 22-24
“Their (the Egyptians) sound will go like the (hiss of the) serpent, For they (the Babylonians) will march with a host, And come against her with axes, As hewers of wood. They will cut down her forest, the word of YHWH, Though it cannot be explored (i.e. it is dense), Because they are more than the locusts, And are innumerable. The daughter of Egypt will be put to shame (violated), She will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.”
The idea behind this picture comes from the experience of woodmen called on to cut down a forest. As they advance to do so snakes will often rear their heads and hiss, but they can then do no more to stem the advance and they thus disappear into the undergrowth.
In the same way at the approach of the Babylonians to cut down their trees in order to make weapons of war, the Egyptians will hiss like the serpent, making a show of resistance before gliding away in flight. For the Babylonians will arrive in large numbers, axes in hand, and will cut down their forest refuge, even though it is so large and dense that it cannot be explored. And this in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH. What had appeared to be impenetrable will simply be removed. And they will be able to do this because they are more innumerable than a swarm of locusts. All would have been familiar with swarms of locusts, arriving in huge numbers to eat up the land. And just as the locusts ate up the vegetation and trees, so would the Babylonian armies eat up the Egyptian forests in order to turn them into weapons of war.
The picture then changes to that of the people of Egypt as being like a violated woman, who is sexually exposed. Babylon will come and shamefully rape her. She will no longer be a virgin daughter (compare verse 11). She will have been shamefully abused.
46.25-26
‘YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, And Egypt, with her gods, and her kings, Even Pharaoh, and those who trust in him, And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, And into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of his servants, And afterwards it will be inhabited, As in the days of old, The word of YHWH.’
The gods of Egypt, including Pharaoh, are included in the judgment. The great god Amon of Thebes (No) will be helpless to do anything, and will be punished along with Pharaoh and all the other gods and goddesses, and all who trust in them. Egypt will be delivered into the hands of their attackers, into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar and his chief officers. But it is not to be a final end. For Egypt will once more be restored, and inhabited as it was of yore. And this in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH (neum YHWH). For such a future hope for Egypt see Isaiah 19.21-25; Ezekiel 29.13-16.
A Promise To Judah That She Too Will Be Restored (46.27-28).
But in spite of these judgments there is future hope for Judah/Israel, for YHWH’s promise is that He will not leave them in their exile. As He had previously promised in Isaiah, they will be brought back to their land and dwell in safety (Isaiah 11.11 and often). It is not the people of Judah in Egypt who are specifically in mind, for they have been promised judgment with only a remnant escaping. It rather has in mind that God will not leave His exiled people worldwide to perish. This found its fulfilment with the restoration of exiles from Babylon and from all around the world after what we call The Exile, so that by the time of Jesus Palestine was well populated again. Note that both halves of the nation are in mind. It will be a restoration of ‘Israel’, as indeed Isaiah had made clear.
For these verses compare 30.10-11 in a context where they appear more apposite. But they are also incorporated here in view of the promise of Egypt’s restoration in verse 26. If Egypt was to be restored, how much more God’s people, for in all that God does it is His people who are finally in view. But it is important to note that it is only those who return who are to receive the promise. God’s promises require response.
46.27
“But do not you be afraid, O Jacob my servant, Nor be dismayed, O Israel, For, lo, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity, And Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease, And none will make him afraid.
In accordance with the teaching of Isaiah ‘believing’ Israel are still YHWH’s servant with a task to fulfil (e.g. 41.8-13; 43.5; 44.1-8). Thus they need not be dismayed whatever happens, for they will be brought back to the land from afar, delivered from their worldwide exile. And the promise is that they will be brought back to their own land and will dwell in safety. ‘quiet and at ease and unafraid’. This actually occurred after the Exile when Israelites returned from all parts of the world, and for a while Israel/Judah became an independent nation. Prominent among these were the returnees from Babylon, but they were not the only ones. It is simply that we know more about them because of Ezra and Nehemiah.
46.28
“Do not you be afraid, O Jacob my servant, The word of YHWH, For I am with you, For I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, But I will not make a full end of you, But I will correct you in measure, And will in no way leave you unpunished.
Note the continual stress on the fact that they need not be afraid. Their confidence is to be in God Who will make all things right. Whilst there will be a ‘full end’ for many of the nations among who they are exiled, He will not make a full end of them, even though it is necessary for them to be punished. As always it is those who ‘believe’ and respond to the divine activity who will benefit by the promise. They would be the ones who would make the effort to return.
Note the reference to ‘Jacob’ (Israel/Judah) as His servant, a typical Isaianic theme. The point is that ‘Jacob’ is His chosen people through whom He will carry forward His saving purposes, bringing salvation to the world.
C). Prophecy Concerning Philistia And Its Great Cities Including Within It A Word Against Tyre and Sidon (47.1-7).
To the west of Judah was Philistia, with its great semi-independent cities such as Gaza (the Azzah of 25.20) and Ashkelon (along with Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod - 25.20, and earlier, Gath), and to the north-west the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. The Philistines had been a constant thorn in the side of Israel ever since they had arrived from the Aegean in the Coastal Plain around 1200 BC where, having been repulsed by Egypt, they had established themselves as a military elite over the Canaanites on the Coastal Plain. Indeed during the Judges period they had almost swallowed up central Israel and Judah, a situation which was partly alleviated by Samuel and was finally solved by David. After David any Philistine encroachment was limited. But ruled over by five semi-independent ‘tyrants’, and relatively strong in themselves, they had still caused trouble for Israel/Judah, either by their belligerence at times of weakness (compare Ezekiel 25.15-17), or by persuading them to enter into alliances against a common enemy. Their own problem was that they were in the direct path of any northern incursion against Egypt, for invaders from the north would march down the Coastal Plain through Philistia.
47.1 ‘The word (dbr) of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh smote Gaza.’
The timing of the prophecy is indicated by the fact that it was ‘before Pharaoh smote Gaza’. This may suggest a date between 609-600 BC. During that period the Egyptians were active in the region a number of times, including their march to the aid of the Assyrians in 609 BC, as a result of which Josiah was slain, their control over the area until their defeat at Carchemish in 605 BC, and their subsequent repulsion of the Babylonians in that area in 601 BC. Herodotus, 2:159, says that Pharaoh Necho took Kadytis, which may well be Greek for Gaza , in 609 BC, presumably on his march north, and the Babylonian Chronicles indicate that Necho may have attacked and defeated Gaza in 601 BC. If this be the case the prophecy occurs either in the latter part of the reign of Josiah or in that of Jehoiakim. The reference to the sacking of Ashkelon (verse 7) may point to a date prior to 604 BC when the Babylonian Chronicles tell us that Nebuchadrezzar sacked Ashkelon.
Some view it as unlikely that Pharaoh Necoh ‘smote Gaza’, and argue that this refers to a later Pharaoh, namely Pharaoh Hophra, who is known to have been widely belligerent..
47.2
‘Thus says YHWH: “Behold, waters rise up out of the north, And will become an overflowing stream, And will overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell in it, And the men will cry, And all the inhabitants of the land will wail.”
That this refers to an enemy ‘out of the north’ and not to Pharaoh Necho points to a coming Babylonian invasion. For the picture used compare 46.8; Isaiah 8.7. The invasion is likened to a great flood which inundates the land and overwhelms the cities, something illustrated in the following verses. The consequence is that the people wail and mourn because of what has come on them.
47.3-4
“At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, At the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers do not look back to their children, Because of feebleness of hands; Because of the day which comes to destroy all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains, For YHWH will destroy the Philistines, The remnant of the isle of Caphtor.”
The vivid picture portrays the awfulness of seeing the invaders arrive in irresistible force. The hoofbeats of the horses and the noise of the chariots brings terror to the neighbourhood such that children are abandoned in the haste to get away. It is a day of destruction and it is a day which will destroy ‘all the Philistines’, and will include their allies in Tyre and Sidon (compare Psalm 83.7). And all this was because YHWH has determined to destroy the Philistines who had previously arrived (among the Sea People) from Crete and the Aegean, taking over parts of YHWH’s land and harassing His people. Once again we see that YHWH’s purposes are being brought about by the activities of men, and that although His action is sometimes delayed He never forgets how His people have been treated.
‘To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains.’ This may suggest that Philistia’s great fault in Nebuchadrezzar’s eyes (their being seen as ‘the helper who remains’) was that they had assisted Tyre and Sidon in their struggle against Babylon, possibly by rebelling at the same time. Tyre, which had gained its independence at the demise of the Assyrian Empire, resisted Nebuchadrezzar’s siege for thirteen years, and proved a constant thorn in the flesh to him.
‘The remnant of the isle of Caphtor.’ According to Deuteronomy 2.23; Amos 9.7; the Philistines came from Caphtor, which many see as referring to Crete and its connections. In the second millennium BC the Minoan empire was extensive. But the original origins of the Philistines lay in North Africa (Genesis 10.13-14).
47.5 “Baldness is come on Gaza,
Ashkelon is brought to nought (or ‘is silenced’), The remnant of their valley, How long will you cut yourself?”
It is clear from this that the great Philistine cities of Gaza and Ashkelon were the prominent ones in the area at this time, although Ekron and Ashdod are also mentioned in 25.20. But in spite of their importance both of them will be brought down. Baldness is a sign of extreme mourning (compare 16.6; 41.5; 48.37; Isaiah 15.2-3; Micah 1.16), and of total desolation (Isaiah 7.20). It indicates the removal of their strength and manliness (the hair was seen as a source of strength). Ashkelon will be ‘silenced’ or ‘bought to nothing’, its great pride totally humbled. The relatively few who remain alive outside the cities in the surrounding countryside will cut themselves in order to indicate their anguish. This cutting of themselves was a regular Canaanite religious practise to indicate mourning and grief (41.5: 1 Kings 18.28). And the question as to how long it will be necessary indicates the dire situation. The Babylonian Chronicle refers to the destruction of Ashkelon in 604 BC.
47.6-7 “O you sword of YHWH,
How long will it be before you are quiet? Put up yourself into your scabbard, Rest, and be still. How can you be quiet, Seeing that YHWH has given you a charge? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, There has he appointed it.
But Nebuchadrezzar is in the end nothing but the sword of YHWH. And the prophet, disturbed at what is coming, asks him how long he intends to go on with his destructive work. He calls on him to sheathe his sword and cease his destructive activity. But then he recognises that he cannot do so because he is acting on a charge from YHWH. It is YHWH Who has determined on the destruction of Ashkelon and the coastland. It is by His appointment that it is happening. All nations are in His hands. What He has purposed, the wages of sin, must come about.
D). Prophecy Against Moab (48.1-47).
Whilst the Philistines were a constant trouble to Israel/Judah from the west, mainly troubling western Israel/Judah, eastern Israel/Judah, especially east of Jordan, suffered constantly at the hands of Moab when it was strong. Moab was situated east of the Dead Sea. This was partly due to the fact that in the time of Moses Israel had occupied territory which Moab saw as its own, territory which had been taken from Moab by the Ammonites prior to the arrival of Israel, and had subsequently been occupied by Israel on the defeat of Sihon. The consequence was that when it was strong Moab never ceased to trouble Israel as it sought to gain back what it saw as its own, and it would take advantage of that position in order to further its own wider interests. Such marauding against Israel had taken place in the days of Jehioiakim (12.7-13; 2 Kings 24.2). A particularly good example of similar marauding is seen in the activities of King Mesha of Moab, as described by him in the Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone), as follows:
‘I am Mesha, son of KMSYT (Chemosh[-yat]), the king of Moab, the Dibonite. My father was king over Moab thirty years, and I reigned after my father. And I built this high-place for Chemosh in QRH ("the citadel"), a high place of salvation because he saved me from all the kings (or "all the attackers"), and because he let me be victorious over all my adversaries. Omri was king of Israel and he oppressed Moab for many days because Chemosh was angry with his land. And his son replaced him; and he also said, "I will oppress Moab". In my days he spoke thus. But I was victorious over him and his house. And Israel suffered permanent destruction, And Omri had conquered the land of Madaba, and he dwelt there during his days and half the days of his son, forty years. But Chemosh dwelt in it in my days. So I rebuilt Baal Meon, and I put the water reservoir in it. And I built Qiryaten. The men of Gad had dwelt in Ataroth from of old; and the king of Israel built Ataroth for himself. But I fought against the city and took it. And I slew all the people [and] the city became the property of Chemosh and Moab. And I carried from there the ariel (altar) for its DVDH (possibly "its Davidic altar-hearth"?) and I dragged it before Chemosh in Qerioit, and I settled in it men of Sharon and men of Maharit. And Chemosh said to me, "Go! Seize Nebo against Israel." so I proceeded by night and fought with it from the crack of dawn to midday, and I took it and I slew all of them: seven thousand men and boys, and women and girls and female slaves because I had dedicated it to Ashtar Chemosh. I took from there the vessels of YHWH, and I dragged them before Chemosh. And the king of Israel had built Yahaz, and he dwelt in it while he was fighting with me, but Chemosh drove him out before me. so I took from Moab two hundred men, all captains. And I brought them to Yahaz, And I seized it in order to add (it) to Dibon. I (myself) have built the 'citadel', 'the wall(s) of the forest' and the wall of the 'acropolis'. And I built its gates; And I built its towers. And I built a royal palace; and I made the ramparts for the reservoir for water in the midst of the city. But there was no cistern in the midst of the city, in the 'citadel,' so I said to all the people, "Make [for] yourselves each man a cistern in his house". And I hewed the shaft for the 'citadel' with prisoners of Israel. I built Aroer, and I made the highway in the Arnon. I built Beth-Bamot, because it was in ruins. I built Bezer, because it was a ruin with the armed men of Dibon because all of Dibon was under orders and I ruled over [the] hundreds in the towns which I have annexed to the land. And I built Medeba and Beth-Diblaten and Beth-Baal-Meon, and I carried there my herdsmen to herd the small cattle of the land, and as for Horonain, in it dwelt --- [and] Chemosh said to me, "Go down, fight against Horonain". And I went down and I fought with the city and I took it and Chemosh returned it in my days. Then I went up from there ---.’
This is one example of how over the centuries Moab, when it was able, had consistently harried Israel, and annexed their land, something for which it now had to give a reckoning. But that is not the reason stated by Jeremiah for what is to happen. The reason for their judgment is rather to be seen as resulting from:
a). Their trusting ‘in their works and in their treasures’ (verse 7).
b). Their derision at Israel/Judah’s suffering (verse 27; Zephaniah 2.8-10).
c). Their trusting in their god Chemosh (verses 7, 13, 46).

For the whole passage compare Isaiah 15-16, and consider especially Isaiah’s words ‘we have heard of the pride of Moab’ (Isaiah 16.6; repeated in verse 29 below). Moab had exulted in itself and in its god Chemosh; had derided Israel in its sufferings; and had refused to turn to YHWH. It was thus ripe for chastening. For other prophetic references to judgment on Moab see Ezekiel 25.8-11; Amos 2.1-3, and Zephaniah 2.9. It was not to be the end of Moab, however. In the end they would find mercy (verse 47).
The Destruction of Moab (48.1-13).
Note how, as in Isaiah 15, the towns and prominent places are mentioned by name. Some of them were towns that had been taken over from Israel (compare Mesha’s account of his conquests above referring to Nebo and Horonaim). Now these trophies will be theirs no more.
48.1a ‘Of Moab. Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Of Moab.’ A plain and succint heading indicating the country in mind in the prophecy. YHWH is then identified by His full official title as ‘YHWH of hosts’, the One Who is over all the hosts both of heaven and of earth, and as ‘the God of Israel’, the official God worshipped by Israel Who still acknowledges them as His people even though they have been unfaithful to Him.
481b-2
“Woe to Nebo! for it is laid waste, Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken, Misgab is put to shame and broken down, The praise of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have devised (hshb) evil against her. “Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation.” You also, O Madmen, will be brought to silence (dmm), The sword will pursue you.”
Note the play on words between the cities named and the verbs used of their judgment, something beloved of Hebrew poetry. Moab was noted for its pride (Isaiah 16.6), and its judgment is described accordingly. Thus it is to be ‘put to shame’, it is ‘no more to be praised’, it is to be ‘brought to silence’. It is to be humbled in the dust.
Various towns and cities in Moab are identified, and it is noteworthy that they are conurbations which had once been a part of Israel. Note, for example, that Nebo was mentioned in the Moabite Stone (see above) as taken by Mesha from Israel. Heshbon was the leading city of Sihon, King of the Amorites (Numbers 21.25-30), and had been taken over by the tribe of Reuben on his defeat (Numbers 32.37). The fact that it was now Moabite speaks for itself. Kiriathaim, the plural ending probably indicating an upper and lower city, was also formerly a Reubenite city (Joshua 13.19). See Numbers 32.37-38; Joshua 13.17-19 for the whole. Madmen is unknown although there were towns with a similar name in Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15.31; Isaiah 10 31). But it may refer to Dibon (Dimon in Isaiah 15.9) which was another Israelite city seized by Moab (‘m’ is often used to turn a verbal root into a noun). Thus there had been a considerable annexation of land by Moab from Israel and it is salutary that the very cities that the Moabites had annexed and now proudly called their own, would now be destroyed.
48.3-4
“The sound of a cry from Horonaim, “Desolation and great destruction!” Moab is destroyed, Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.”
Moab no longer rings with shouts of pride, but with cries of destruction, as her people flee as refugees. All her ‘little ones’ (her towns and villages) cry out. The idea of towns and cities as ‘daughters’ is found regularly elsewhere. Horonaim was another annexed area and was another dual city that was to be destroyed. But it is then made clear that the destruction of these cities is synonymous with the destruction of Moab with all her towns.
Some see ‘her little ones’ as referring literally to children with the idea that even the children are involved in her suffering which is affecting the whole populace, but in context the restriction to ‘little ones’ in this sense seems unlikely. There is no mention of fathers, or mothers, or people. What has been in mind are the towns and cities.
48.5
“For by the ascent of Luhith, With continual weeping will they go up, For at the descent of Horonaim, They have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.”
Compare here Isaiah 15.5 which may well have been in Jeremiah’s mind. As the people of Moab flee before the enemy, seeking to escape as they laboriously climb the ascent of Luhith and make their way down the descent of Horonaim, (consider the difficulty that they must have faced, a long line of refugees, as they made their way up and down the passes bearing with them the possessions with which they fled) there is continual weeping and distress for the destruction that has come on their country and on their cities, the sound of which destruction is ringing in their ears from behind even as they seek to escape down ‘the descent of Horonaim’.
48.6-8
“Flee, save your lives, And be like the heath (vegetation) in the wilderness (semi-desert). For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, You also will be taken, And Chemosh will go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together. And the destroyer will come upon every city, And no city will escape, The valley also will perish, And the plain will be destroyed, As YHWH has spoken.”
The call to them is to flee and save their lives, something which will result for them in conditions here depicted in term of ‘vegetation and shrubs in the semi-desert’, something stunted and fighting for life. They share the plight of all refugees in a war situation. And this was because their trust had been in their own achievements (their ‘work’) and in their wealth (their ‘treasures’ - mainly their vast numbers of sheep). Nor had Chemosh, their god in whom they had gloried (see again the Moabite stone inscription), been able to assist them. He too would be carried off into captivity, along with his priests and princes, to be ignominiously dealt with by his captors by being carried off helplessly on the backs of mules while the whole land was being destroyed. Compare the vivid picture of Babylonian deities being carried off by the invaders (probably the Assyrians) in Isaiah 46.1-2. Meanwhile no city would escape, and the countryside and valleys would bear their share of destruction. The whole land, city and countryside, would be devastated. And all this was because, in contrast with the helpless Chemosh, YHWH had spoken.
Note the huge contrast here between Chemosh and YHWH. Outwardly it might have appeared that neither could defend their people, for both nations would have been pillaged, but Jeremiah’s whole point is that YHWH’s people have suffered at YHWH’s hands as chastisement for their sins, precisely because they had turned to idols, and not because YHWH had been powerless to help them (had they obeyed YHWH’s word through Jeremiah they would not have been devastated). And He would therefore deliver them again. It did not thus indicate that YHWH had been helpless. No one had carried YHWH off in a mule train. Rather it was in fact He Who had brought the situation about. And as seen here He was still in overall control of events both on behalf of His people and on behalf of surrounding nations. He was LORD of all.
We should note here the very great difference between the Old Testament prophets, and the false prophets and the prophets of surrounding nations. The latter all assumed that their god would deliver, indeed that was the message that they were expected to give. Thus when their gods failed to do so those gods were discredited, although it should be noted that in the Moabite Stone Moab had suffered temporary humiliation at the hands of Israel because Chemosh was angry with them. But that was presumably over a lack if proper religious observance. However, in the case of YHWH His true prophets had regularly declared what YHWH would do to His people because of their disobedience to the covenant which covered their behaviour both religious and ethical, so that when it happened YHWH was actually vindicated.
48.9-10
“Give wings to Moab, That she may fly and get her away, And her cities will become a desolation, Without any to dwell in them. Cursed be he who does the work of YHWH negligently, And cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood.”
With pointed irony the prophet calls for wings to be given to Moab so that she could flee the more quickly. But it would not be for the people’s benefit. They would still be refugees. This prayer was rather in order to underline the speed that they would need in order to escape, the devastation that was being left behind, and the haste in which they were having to leave it. While she ‘flew away’ her cities would be left devastated and uninhabited, her land desolated by war.
Some translate this as ‘give salt to Moab’, based on comparison of sis with a Ugaritic word. Then the idea parallels what follows for the spreading of salt was used in order to render a city uninhabitable.
This whole picture is then underlined by what follows, the calling for a curse on the invaders if they failed to do their task properly. This was because they were seen as doing the work of YHWH in bringing judgment on Moab, and had thus to do it to His satisfaction. They must not therefore draw back or hesitate. They must fulfil that task to the full. It is a reminder that nothing that is done for God should be done casually. This call for a curse is of course hyperbole. It is a hyperbolic method of underlining the fact that what is occurring is of YHWH. It is not calling for a literal curse to be laid on individuals as such We can compare here Judges 5.23; 1 Samuel 15.3, 18; 1 Kings 20.42.
48.11
“Moab has been at ease from his youth, And he has settled on his lees, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity, Therefore his taste remains in him, And his scent is not changed.”
Moab is likened to a skin (bottle-equivalent) of wine which has been left to mature. The picture is vivid. It is quality wine which is left to mature in this way. The lees have settled on the bottom and nothing has escaped, neither scent nor taste, because the skin has never been opened and poured out into another container. The wine has thus become rich and fruity, a delight both to the nose and the palate. Compare here Zephaniah 1.12. Moab was seen as like this because up until now her people had escaped invasion and being taken into exile. They had not been ‘poured out’. Rather they had continued to grow wealthy and expand their flocks of sheep without hindrance (their wealth was founded on sheep - 2 Kings 3.4). They would, of course, at times have had to pay tribute, but by doing so expediently they had escaped worse. But we know that at this stage they were getting involved in intrigue against Babylon, and this time therefore they would not escape.
‘Emptying from vessel to vessel’ was a technique of wine producers used in order to clarify wine and improve its flavour. It was especially necessary for cheaper wines. In practise it is to some extent a matter of taste. Some like wine clear, some like it mature, but the point here is that it is for a nation’s good to be stirred up every now and again, because it prevents them from becoming arrogant like Moab had. She boasted in her own ‘good fortune’ and of course laid it at the door of her god Chemosh.
48.12-13
“Therefore, behold, the days come, The word of YHWH, That I will send to him those who pour off, And they will pour him off, And they will empty his vessels, And break their bottles in pieces, And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.”
But Moab’s complacency will soon be shattered as surely as YHWH has spoken. Her wineskins will be opened up and poured out, and they will be made empty. And the wineskins themselves will be shattered and rendered useless. Such will be her condition that she will be ashamed of her god Chemosh as she recognises that he has been unable to help her. Just as in the same way Israel were made ashamed of Bethel. This latter possibly has in mind the golden calf at Bethel set up by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12.29), or it may refer to an actual god worshipped under the name of Bethel. Such a god was known among the Jewish colony at Elephantine in 5th century BC. The parallel and the phraseology might be seen as favouring the second as more probable, but even if that is so the worship of the golden calf would almost certainly be in mind. That god too had failed to deliver Israel.
The Humbling Of Moab And Judgment On Her Cities (48.14-28).
48.14-15
“How do you say, ‘We are mighty men, And valiant men for the war?’ Moab is laid waste, and they are gone up into his cities, And his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, The word of the King, Whose name is YHWH of hosts.”
In their complacency the people of Moab trusted in their armed forces, in their champions and in their men of valour. They had no doubt that they could cope with anything. (Like many peoples of that day they did not quite realise what they were up against). But the consequence of that trust would be that Moab would be laid waste, her cities possessed and her choice young men slaughtered.
Note the growth of the case against Moab. She had trusted in her accomplishments and her wealth (verse 7), she had trusted in the fact that she had never experienced exile for her people (verse 11), she had trusted in the ability of her god Chemosh (verses 7, 13), and now she trusted in her military strength. What she was always unwilling to do was trust in the true and living God, even though her antecedents had been God-worshippers (Genesis 19.37-38).
And this will occur because it is the word of the true King (melech), YHWH of hosts, in contrast with the false god Melech, who was worshipped both by Moab’s neighbour Ammon, and by many throughout Canaan). Thus both Chemosh and Melech (Molech) have been dismissed, for it is YHWH Who is over all the hosts of heaven and earth.
48.16-17
“The calamity of Moab is imminent, And his affliction hastens speedily, All you who are round about him, bemoan him, And all you who know his name, say, ‘How is the strong staff broken, The beautiful rod!’ ”
Because of the word of YHWH Moab’s downfall is imminent, her affliction will speedily come. Indeed all who her neighbours who had so admired her would soon mourn for her, having seen her as the strong and reliable one in the area, the strong staff/sceptre, and the beautiful stave. Such staffs were used for sceptres, for weapons, and for assisting men in walking, indicating the strength that Moab was seen to have. Her neighbours had relied on her strength. But soon it would be seen as having come to nothing.
48.18-19
“O you daughter who dwells in Dibon, Come down from your glory, and sit in thirst, For the destroyer of Moab is come up against you, He has destroyed your strongholds. O inhabitant of Aroer, Stand by the way, and watch, Ask him who flees, and her who escapes, Say, ‘What has been done?’ ”
Dibon was an important city (once an Israelite city), probably above the banks of the River Arnon. It belonged to Moab by the time of Mesha (see what was written on the Moabite stone above). There was no shortage of water for them. And it dwelt in splendour and glory, a royal city. But it is to be equally humiliated with all the other towns and cities. It too will sit in thirst in the heat and the dust (compare Isaiah 47.1), possibly awaiting transportation. But the ‘coming down’ to the thirst and the dust may also indicate self-humiliation because of what it sees coming on Moab, for the destroyer of Moab is coming against them, and has already destroyed many strongholds. There is therefore no point in her sitting there in her pride.
This was probably the Aroer on the north bank of the Arnon (Deuteronomy 2.36; 3.12; 4.48; Joshua 12.2), where its inhabitants were to observe the flight of the once proud Dibonites. They are called on to observe the humiliation of Dibon, and, as the refugees from Dibon stream past, to ask, ‘what has happened?’. It is a theoretical picture. In reality the inhabitants of Aroer would be fleeing as well. It is intended simply to bring out the awfulness of the situation.
48.20-24
“Moab is put to shame, For it is shattered (broken down), Wail and cry, Tell you it by the Arnon, That Moab is laid waste, And judgment is come on the plain country (the plateau), On Holon, and on Jahzah, and on Mephaath, And on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth-diblathaim, And on Kiriathaim, and on Beth-gamul, and on Beth-meon, And on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, And on all the cities of the land of Moab, Far or near. The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken.” The word of YHWH.
Prior to this the emphasis has been on the towns and cities in northern Moab, which had been seized from Israel. But now the whole of Moab is in mind, and its great towns and cities are listed, including many mentioned above. What is now being described is the devastation of the whole of Moab. Its great pride was now to be humbled, and it was to be ‘put to shame’. At the crossing-place of the Arnon the story would be told, ‘Moab is laid waste, and judgment has come on the Plateau’.
The great towns and cities of the Plateau are now listed as being a part of the destruction. Dibon and Nebo have been mentioned above, and along with Kiriathaim and Beth-diblathaim are mentioned in the Moabite Stone (see above) which was discovered at Dibon. A number of them are former levitical cities as named in the Book of Joshua (e.g. Jahzah 21.36; Mephaath 21.37 ; Bozrah (bezer) 20.8. The names now include those of towns in Moab proper (e.g. Beth-meon).
‘The horn of Moab is cut off.’ Wild animals in captivity had their horns cut off so as to render them powerless, and the horn is ever a symbol of strength. The breaking of the arm indicated a similar situation. A man could not fight with a broken sword arm (compare Ezekiel 30.21). In the same way would Moab be rendered powerless by Babylon. And all this in accord with the prophetic word of YHWH.
48.26-27
“You (who are invading), make him drunk, For he magnified himself against YHWH, And Moab will wallow in his vomit, And he also will be in derision.” For was Israel not a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? That as often as you speak of him, You wag the head.”
The invaders, ‘you’, are called on to make Moab so drunk with the wine of the wrath of YHWH (compare 25.15-29; Isaiah 49.26; 51.21-23) that she wallows in her own vomit, becoming a pitiable sight mocked by the nations, in the same way as she had once mocked Israel. The invaders are to be seen as instruments in God’s hands. But we should note that the whole idea of drinking emphasises that Moab themselves deliberately partake of it by their own actions. YHWH’s punishments are not direct but are the consequences of man’s rebellion connected with man’s inhumanity to man. Thus the arrogance of Moab and the cruelty of the Babylonians were both tools in His hands for the fulfilling of His purposes. Indeed had Moab heeded YHWH when He warned against rebellion against the Babylonians she would not have suffered these judgments. She thus brought them on herself. We should always remember that God’s judgments are brought about by men’s machinations, even though it be under His sovereign hand.
It was, however, because Moab had magnified itself against YHWH by deriding His failure to protect Israel, by not responding to Him and by not heeding YHWH’s warning against rebellion against Babylon, that they themselves must be brought low. They had continually wagged their heads in derision at Israel’s earlier fate, and the prophet challenges them as to why they had done so. Had they any grounds for suggesting that Israel were deserving of their fate because they had allied themselves with marauding nations (had been found among thieves)? In the Hebrew the question expects the answer ‘no’, but some commentators see what is said was indicating that Moab’s attitude was due to the consequence of Israel having entered into alliance with bad companions. If that is so they had now done the same thing themselves, for they were not alone in the rebellion which brought Nebuchadrezzar’s wrath on them.
‘Wallow --.’ The verb literally means ‘clap the hand’ or ‘slap the thigh’ (compare 31.19; Numbers 24.10). The thought is seemingly of their response to their situation expressed in gesticulation.
48.28
“O you inhabitants of Moab, Leave the cities, And dwell in the rock, And be like the dove who makes her nest over the mouth of the abyss.”
So the Moabites are now called on to flee from their cities and become refugees in the mountains. Like the dove who chooses the most inaccessible place for its nest, they are to seek out hiding places where they can be safe, dwelling in caves and holes in the rocks, a contrast with their sophisticated lives in their cities.
A Lament Over Moab (48.29-39).
The fate of Moab is very much linked with its overweening pride. It tended to be out of the way of invaders from the north who would use the coastal route, and after the demise of the Assyrians had therefore remained relatively unscathed. It was thus confident in itself and in its god Chemosh, and saw itself as superior to other nations, especially Israel and Judah which had suffered much more at the hands of oppressors. It had grown confident that nothing could happen to it of an adverse nature. But it was now to be humbled and brought low in order that it might learn its lesson.
48.29
We have heard of the pride of Moab, (He is very proud), His loftiness, and his pride, And his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.” .
These words are very similar to those found in Isaiah 16.1-11. See especially 16.6. They are similar enough to indicate that Jeremiah knew of Isaiah’s prophecy, or of similar common tradition. It would seem clear that Moab’s pride in itself, and its extreme arrogance, were proverbial. It would seem that it was time now for them to be humbled so that they would recognise the inadequacy of their god Chemosh, and the smallness of their own status.
48.30-32
“I know his wrath, the word of YHWH, that it is nought, His boastings have accomplished nothing, Therefore will I wail for Moab, Yes, I will cry out for all Moab, For the men of Kir-heres will they mourn, With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah. Your branches passed over the sea, They reached even to the sea of Jazer, On your summer fruits and on your vintage, The destroyer is fallen. And gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab, And I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses, None will tread with shouting, The shouting will be no shouting.”
Compare here Isaiah 16.7. In Isaiah it is Moab which howls, although the prophet also weeps with them (verse 9). Here either YHWH or the prophet himself is the one who howls for Moab. God’s judgments are always accompanied by God’s weeping even as He carries them out. He is no hard-nosed judge.
“I know his wrath, the word of YHWH, that it is nought, his boastings have accomplished nothing --.” YHWH looks with scorn at Moab’s attempts to aggrandise itself. Both his self-expressed haughty anger against lesser peoples, and his loud boastings, are a nothing, and accomplish nothing. They are empty attitudes and words. In the end all empires, both small and great, collapse into themselves and find themselves subdued.
‘Therefore will I wail for Moab, yes, I will cry out for all Moab, for the men of Kir-heres will they mourn --.’ The question here is as to who is speaking. Verses 35 and 38 suggest that the ‘I’ is YHWH Himself. Others see it as referring to words of Jeremiah, or of some unknown onlooker. But the context is in favour of the first alternative. It is YHWH Himself Who weeps for Moab. And His weeping is in parallel with the weeping of Moab or of sympathetic onlookers (‘they’). This underlines the compassion of YHWH while at the same time emphasising the certainty of what will be. It also brings out the inevitable nature of what follows. The fact that YHWH will weep over it proves that it will happen. But it further brings out that YHWH is not acting in a vindictive manner. He is doing what has to be done. But even as He judges He weeps. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, necessary though it be.
Kir-heres, ‘the city of the sun’, was probably a strong Moabite fortress the defeat of which with its powerful defenders signalled the totality of the disaster coming on Moab. Even the sun god worshipped there could not prevent coming disaster. It was only to be seen as an irrelevance not worthy of mention. What happened there was in the hands of YHWH. For Kir-heres compare Kir-haresheth (Isaiah 16.7) and Kir of Moab (Isaiah 15.1). Taken together these references indicate an important city.
“With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, your branches passed over the sea, they reached even to the sea of Jazer --’. Both Jazer (Joshua 21.39) and Sibmah (Joshua 13.19) appear to have been near Heshbon, and they appear to have been situated in a part of the land prominent for its vineyards. The vineyards encompassed Jazer and Sibmah stretching even to ‘the sea of Jazer’. This latter was probably a famous inland lake in northern Moab, although some see it as referring to the Dead Sea. Thus their inhabitants were united in mourning over the destruction of their vineyards. But though the mourning of the vinedressers of Jazer might be deep, it did not compare with the depths of the weeping of YHWH. He was equally deeply involved.
“On your summer fruits and on your vintage, the destroyer is fallen, and gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses, none will tread with shouting, the shouting will be no shouting.” The whole of Moab’s vintage crop will be destroyed, along with its summer fruits (figs and pomegranates) and harvests, with the result that the wine presses will lie empty and unused, and there will be no treaders of the grapes to shout joyously as they trample on the grapes. What shouting occurs will not be joyous shouting. It will not be the shouting of the treaders of the grapes exulting in the harvest, but that of the conquerors scenting their own harvest of booty and conquest.
48.34
“From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, Even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, From Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath-shelishiyah, For the waters of Nimrim also will become desolate.”
The weeping and crying will not just be localised, it will stretch to all the cities of Moab. Heshbon and Elealeh were two miles apart, and Jahaz was not too far away. The whole area in northern Moab (once Reubenite) would be filled with weeping and cries of distress. And the same would apply to the region from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah, including the waters of Nimrim. Here we are in southern Moab. All would become desolate.
‘Eglath-shelishiyah.’ This means literally ‘heifer of the third year’, that is, one not brought under the yoke. Most commentators see it as the name of a city, the three names in southern Moab paralleling those in northern Moab. Others see it as signifying ‘the third Eglath’ (there being two other towns of the same name), or as signifying that Eglath is the third of the triumvirate Zoar, Horonaim and Eglath. Still others consider that it rather indicates that Horonaim (or Horonaim and Zoar) was a city that had never been previously brought under foreign control, the parallel to Jazer (compare ‘the sea of Jazer’ above) being the waters of Nimrim.
48.35
“Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, The word of YHWH, Him who offers in the high place, And him who burns incense to his gods.”
Here is one of the foundation causes of YHWH’s judgments, the false worship of the Moabites, for they were eponymously descended from worshipers of the true God (Genesis 19.37), and were therefore without excuse. Thus YHWH prophetically assures them that the priests and worshipers of Moab’s false gods will have their activities brought to an end by Him. The ‘high place’ has in mind altars in sanctuaries, some possibly in the mountains. Incense offering was common throughout the Near East, and ancient incense altars have been found.
48.36-37
“Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, And my heart sounds like pipes for the men of Kir-heres, Therefore the abundance that he has obtained, It is perished, For every head is bald, And every beard is clipped, On all the hands are cuttings, And on the loins sackcloth.”
Compare here Isaiah 16.11 from which the idea is taken. The heart of YHWH is so moved that its vibes sound like funeral pipes playing for the men of Moab and Kir-heres. Even while they suffer under His judgments YHWH weeps with them over their sufferings. And yet His weeping is the very proof that it will happen. Of course all these expressions are anthropomorphisms emphasising that God understands our sufferings and shares in our grief, something especially revealed when He became man on our behalf. This reminds us that when we look at the problem of suffering we must look deep. Our problem is that we are so sinful that we are not aware of the problem of sin. Thus we do not understand why God has to act as He does.
The consequence of what YHWH wept for was that the wealth of Moab would perish, her abundance would cease. And as a result they would all be in dire mourning. The shaving of the head, the clipping of the beard, the cuttings on the hands and the sackcloth on the loins were all recognised funerary activities.
48.38
“On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets, There is lamentation every where, For I have broken Moab like a vessel, In which no one delights, The word of YHWH.
Indeed in every town and city lamentation would be everywhere, and this would include in rooftop sanctuaries and resting places (see Judges 3.20). And this would be because YHWH had broken Moab like a clay vessel which no one wanted, either because it was cracked, or because it was dirty, past its user date and useless. Note the point that Moab’s condition is in mind. It has become defiled and useless. And this was the assured prophetic word of YHWH.
The Coming Judgment On Moab And Its Final Restoration (48.39-46).
In its pride Moab considered itself invulnerable and well able to take care of itself. It exalted its own god, Chemosh, above YHWH as it arrogantly surveyed what had happened to Judah/Israel. But its very pride led to it refusing tribute to Babylon, with the consequences which followed. When men become too confident in themselves they are heading for a downfall. It may be delayed, but it will come. And if we put anything before God we can be sure that it will be the cause of our downfall.
48.39
How is it broken down (shattered)! How they wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So will Moab become a derision, And a horror (terror) to all who are round about him.”
The end of Moab is vividly described. It is shattered. Its people wail. It turns away with shame. For it has become a derision to all who are around it and were aware of its arrogant claims. The proud nation is to be humbled before all, to the horror of the nations, who will themselves be terrified at the sight, something seen as already accomplished in the prophet’s eyes. How many people today have experienced a similar fate when they have foolishly turned away from or forgotten God? What we sow we reap
48.40-42
‘For thus says YHWH: Behold, he will fly as an eagle, And will spread out his wings against Moab. Kerioth is taken, And the strongholds are seized, And the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day, Will be as the heart of a woman in her birthpains. And Moab will be destroyed from being a people, Because he has magnified himself against YHWH.”
The people were used to the sight of the terrible eagle as it hovered in the sky and then pounced on some prey for which it had been seeking. In a similar way would Nebuchadrezzar descend upon Moab, flying as an eagle and spreading his wings over Moab, descending to seize his prey. Even mighty Kerioth (see verse 24) would be taken, and Moab’s strongholds would all be seized, and the heart of its trained fighting men would be as desperate and helpless as a woman lying helpless in her labour pains. The dove which had its nest in the clefts of the rock (verse 28), and had thought itself invulnerable, would fall prey to the mighty eagle swooping down from above. For Moab was to be destroyed from being an identifiable nation. And it was because it had magnified itself against God.
48.43-44
“Fear, and the pit, and the snare, Are upon you, O inhabitant of Moab, The word of YHWH, He who flees from the fear will fall into the pit, He who climbs out of the pit, Will be taken in the snare, For I will bring on him, even upon Moab, The year of their visitation, The word of YHWH.”
“Fear (pahath), and the pit (pahat), and the snare (pah).” Note the play on words which brings out the inevitability of the process. For the phrase see Isaiah 24.17. It was probably by now proverbial. The picture is one of hunted animals, first the animals in terror at the approach of the hunters, then the pit prepared for them into which they are driven, and finally for those who manage to scramble out of the pit, the hunter’s snare which seals the fate of those who escape.
So the vivid picture changes, although the message is the same. Moab is now seen as fleeing in fear like a hunted animal and falling into a hunter’s pit. And if any manage to scramble out of the pit it is only to find themselves caught in a snarer’s trap. There is to be no escape. For it is the year of their visitation, the time when they receive retribution for all that they have been and done. It is a reminder of the words of our own poet, ‘The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small’. And all this in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH (neum YHWH).
It is salutary for us all to recognise that ‘the day of our visitation’ will come. One day every one of us will give account to God for what we have done in our bodies, whether good or bad. We should therefore live in readiness for that day.
48.45
“Those who 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 has devoured the shaped beard (corner) of Moab, And the crown of the head of the panic-stricken (children of tumult).”
The Moabites are seen as fleeing to mighty Heshbon, once the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, prior to the arrival of Israel (Numbers 21.26). Now the capital city of Ammon (49.3). But Heshbon will do them no favours. For instead of succour, from Heshbon will come fire, for Heshbon also will be in the hands of their enemies. And the fire will devour them, identified as deserving of judgment as they are by their godless symbolism. Arriving at Heshbon panic-stricken, the shaping of their beards and their heads as an indication of mourning, reveal them as belonging to Chemosh, the Moabite god, for they are recognised symbols of pagan mourning. It is as such that they will be devoured.
Comparison should be made with Numbers 21.28-29; 24.17b, which serves to explain the reference to Sihon. Moses’ words in Numbers will be fulfilled.
48.46
“Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone, For your sons are taken away captive, And your daughters into captivity. Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab, In the latter days, the word of YHWH. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
And the final consequence will be exile. As those who proudly call themselves ‘the people of Chemosh’ they will be hauled away to foreign lands to eke out their existence, as Israel/Judah had been because of their worship of false gods. Chemosh can do nothing to help them. He is a nonentity.
But it is not to be a final end. In later days many of them will be restored to their land, as indeed would happen under Cyrus of Persia. And this in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH. There is also in this the hint that one day Moab would participate in the blessing of God when the Gospel reached out to the ends of the earth.
‘Thus far is the judgment of Moab.’ The judgment has been pronounced. Now awaits its execution. But it is a judgment tinged with mercy.

Return to Home Page
Back to Jeremiah 1 (1.1-10.25).
Back to Jeremiah 2 (11.1-17.27).
Back to Jeremiah 3 (18.1-25.38).
Back to Jeremiah 4 (26.1-29.32).
Back to Jeremiah 5 (30.1-33.26).
Back to Jeremiah 6 (34.1-39.18).
Back to Jeremiah 7 (40.1-45.5).

IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE THAT PUZZLES YOU?

If so please EMail us with your question and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer.EMailus. (But preferably not from aol.com, for some reason they do not deliver our messages).
FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.
THE PENTATEUCH --- GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS --- NUMBERS --- DEUTERONOMY --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- THE BOOK OF RUTH --- SAMUEL --- KINGS --- I & II CHRONICLES --- EZRA---NEHEMIAH---ESTHER---PSALMS 1-73--- PROVERBS---ECCLESIASTES--- SONG OF SOLOMON --- ISAIAH --- JEREMIAH --- LAMENTATIONS --- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL --- --- HOSEA --- --- JOEL ------ AMOS --- --- OBADIAH --- --- JONAH --- --- MICAH --- --- NAHUM --- --- HABAKKUK--- --- ZEPHANIAH --- --- HAGGAI --- ZECHARIAH --- --- MALACHI --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- READINGS IN ROMANS --- 1 CORINTHIANS --- 2 CORINTHIANS ---GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS--- PHILIPPIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- PHILEMON --- HEBREWS --- JAMES --- 1 & 2 PETER --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- JUDE --- REVELATION --- THE GOSPELS & ACTS