This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Moab, and of the mourning that should be for it; and not only its destruction in general is predicted, but particular places are mentioned, on which it should fall, Jer.

Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, &c.] The prophecy concerning Moab is introduced with these epithets of God, partly to observe that the God of Israel was the only true God, in opposition to the gods of Moab, and other nations; and partly to point out his omnipotence,…

There shall be no more praise of Moab It shall be no more commended for a rich, populous, and fruitful country, being now laid waste; though the next phrase, in Heshbon, or “concerning Heshbon” [[1]], should be read in connection with this; and then the sense is, there shall be none any more in…

A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim Another city of Moab. The word is of the dual number; and, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, there were two Horons, the upper and the lower; of this place (See Gill on Isa.

Moab is destroyed Either the whole nation in general; so the Targum, “the kingdom of Moab is broken;” and so Abarbinel; or a city so called, which some take to be the city Areopolis.

For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up, &c.] This is another city, which was built on a high hill, which had a considerable ascent to it, whither those that escaped from Horonaim might flee for safety; but as they went up the hill would weep bitterly, and all the way they went,…

Flee, save your lives These are either the words of the Moabites, their cry of destruction mentioned in the latter part of ; who, seeing nothing but ruin before their eyes, advise one another to flee in all haste, and save their lives if possible, since nothing else could be saved: or else they are…

And the spoiler shall come upon every city That is, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and his army. The Targum is, the spoilers, who came against and took every city of Moab, and wasted them.

Give wings unto Moab that it may flee and get away That is, give wings to the inhabitants of Moab; signifying that they were in great danger, and there was no probability of escaping it, unless they had the wings of a swift bird, or were as swift as such, and even that would not do; though perhaps…

Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, &c.] Which is said with respect to the Chaldeans, who were enjoined to destroy the Moabites; which is called the work of the Lord, because he had given them a commission to do it; and which was to be done by them, not by halves, or in a…

Moab hath been at ease from his youth Lived in great peace and prosperity from the time they became a kingdom; being very little disturbed with wars by their neighbours, or very rarely; so that they were in very prosperous and flourishing circumstances, which occasioned that pride and haughtiness…

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord This being their case, they should not continue in it; a change would be made, and that in a very short time, as there was; for, according to Josephus [[14]], it was about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem that the Moabites were subdued…

And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh His idol; see ; of his worship of him, prayers to him, and confidence in him; he not being able to save him from the destruction of the Chaldeans, and being carried captive by them; he himself also going into captivity: as the house of Israel were ashamed of…

How say ye, we are mighty and strong men for the war? ] The Moabites were proud, haughty, and arrogant; boasted much of their strength and valour; of the strength of their bodies, and fitness for war, and skill in it; and of the strength of their fortified cities; and thought themselves a match for…

Moab is spoiled The whole country is ruined; which is spoken of as present, though future, after the manner of prophecy, because of the certainty of it: and gone up out of her cities; the inhabitants of Moab were gone up out of their cities, either through fear and flight; or through force, being…

The calamity of Moab is near to come As it did come within live years after the destruction of Jerusalem, as observed on ; out of Josephus: and his affliction hasteth fast: or, “his evil” [[24]] the evil of punishment for his sin; his utter destruction. 25: (רעתו) “malum ejus”, V. L.

All ye that are about him, bemoan him The neighbouring nations, such as the Ammonites, and others, are called upon to condole the sad case of Moab; all upon the borders of the country of Moab, either within them or without them: and all ye that know his name; not only that had heard of his fame and…

Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon A city in Moab; (See Gill on Isa. 15:2). The Targum is, “O kingdom of the congregation of Dibon;” but this was not a kingdom of itself, though a principal city in the kingdom of Moab: come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; in a dry and thirsty land; in…

O inhabitant of Aroer Another city that belonged to Moab, situated on the border of it towards Ammon, near the river Arnon; (See Gill on Isa. 17:2); stand by the way, and espy; get to the road side where travellers pass, and look out for them: ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth; whether man…

Moab is confounded, for it is broken down This is the answer returned, by those that had escaped and were fleeing, to those who inquired of them; who report that the whole country of Moab was in the utmost confusion and consternation; not being able to stand before the enemy, who broke down and…

And judgment is come upon the plain country Of Moab, which was for the most part such, especially that which lay near Arnon; the judgment of God’s vengeance, punishment for sin, by the hand of the Chaldeans.

And upon Dibon Whose destruction by this time was come upon it, as suggested, ; and upon Nebo: of which see ; and upon Bethdiblathaim: the same with Almondiblathaim in (Num. 33:46, Num. 33:47) and Diblath in .

And upon Kirjathaim Of which see ; and upon Bethgamul; this is nowhere else mentioned in Scripture; supposed by Grotius to be the Maccala of Ptolemy, put for Camala: and upon Bethmeon: of which see .

And upon Kerioth Which once belonged to the tribe of Judah, ; from this place Judas Iscariot is by some thought to have his name; as if it was “Ish Kerioth”, “a man of Kerioth”.

The horn of Moab is cut off The kingdom of Moab, high and strong, his power and strength, by which he defended himself, and offended others, as a beast with his horns; his powerful kingdom, and the glory of it: and his arm is broken, saith the Lord; so that he cannot hold a sword, or manage any…

Make ye him drunken Not with wine, but with the cup of divine wrath; with the vengeance of God; with sore judgments, afflictions, and calamities; give him his fill of them, till he is quite intoxicated with them, and has lost his senses, and is brought to madness and distraction, and reels, and…

For was not Israel a derision unto thee? &c.] In the time of his calamity, when the ten tribes were carried captive by the Assyrians some years ago; and of late the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin by the Chaldeans; the Moabites rejoiced at this, which they ought not to have done, upon the common…

O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock Signifying hereby that they would not be in safety in their strongest and most fortified cities, which would be besieged by the enemy, and taken; and therefore are advised to leave them, and flee to the rocks and mountains, that if…

We have heard the pride of Moab Israel, and all the nations round about, had heard of this, and seen or heard of many instances of it; the thing was notorious; according to Kimchi, it is the prophet that here speaks in the name of the nations; but it seems best to understand it of the Lord himself,…

I know his wrath, saith the Lord Against the Jews, and other nations; what he has threatened to do unto them, and would do if not restrained: but it shall not be so; as he has devised in his mind, and threatened in his wrath; all his swelling thoughts and big words shall come to nothing: his lies…

O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer Sibmah was a city in the land of Moab abounding with vines, but now should be destroyed; and Jazer another city in the same country, which was destroyed before the other; and therefore its destruction should be lamented and wept over,…

And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field Or, from Carmel [[9]]; not Mount Carmel in the land of Israel; for the prophecy is of Moab; though that reached to Sibmah; but here it signifies any fruitful place, like Carmel, where were good pasturage, corn, and fruit bearing trees, which…

From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh Two cities in the land of Moab; of which see . Heshbon being destroyed, a cry was made by the inhabitants of it, which either reached from thence to Elealeh; or the destruction being carried on to that city, the cry was continued there: and even unto Jahaz,…

Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places A burnt offering there; that is, the priest, who shall be taken and carried captive, ; even everyone of them; so that there will not be one left to otter sacrifice: and him that burneth incense to his gods:…

Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes That are sounded on mournful occasions, as at funerals, and the like; see . This the prophet said, as Kimchi observes, in the person of the people, the inhabitants of Moab; whose hearts would yearn and sound for the calamities of their country like…

For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped Men, in times of mourning, used to pluck off the hairs of their head till they made them bald, and shaved their beards; which, as Kimchi says, were the glory of their faces; see ; upon all the hands shall be cuttings: it was usual with the…

There shall be lamentation generally Or, “all of it is mourning” [[12]]; the whole country of Moab is in mourning; or all is full of mourning; all persons, places, and things, express nothing but mourning; go where you will, it is to be seen: upon all the house tops of Moab, and in the streets…

They shall howl, saying, how is it broken down? &c.] Or, “how is it broken” or “thrown into consternation [[14]]? they howl”; that is, they howl out these words, or, while they are howling, say, how is Kirheres or Moab broken all to pieces; their strength, power, and glory; their cities, and their…

For thus saith the Lord, behold, he shall fly as an eagle, &c.] The enemy, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with his army; who is compared to an eagle for his strength, swiftness, and greediness after the prey: and shall spread his wings over Moab; as an eagle spreads its wings, which are very…

Kerioth is taken The name of a city in Moab, as in ; so Jarchi, and others; but Kimchi and Abarbinel observe, that it may be taken for an appellative, and be rendered “the cities”; everyone of the cities of Moab, which were as easily and quickly taken as one city; these may intend the cities in the…

And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people For some time, not always; since the captivity of Moab is promised to be returned, ; or from being such a people as they had been, enjoying so much ease, wealth, power, and prosperity.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee A proverbial expression, showing, that if they escaped one danger, or sore judgment, they should fall into another and greater: the words seem to be taken from ; (See Gill on Isa.

He that fleeth from the fear From terrible enemies he is afraid of, and dares not face them, but flees, in order to escape them: shall fall into the pit; into some misfortune or another: and he that getteth out of the pit shall be taken in the snare; laid by the enemy for him, and so shall fall…

They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon, because of the force Heshbon was a strong city in the land of Moab, to which many of the Moabites betook themselves in this time of their calamity; thinking they should be sheltered, under the protection of it, from the fury of the Chaldean army;…

Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth, &c.] The inhabitants of Moab, who worshipped the idol Chemosh; of which see ; and so called his people, as Israel were called the people of the Lord; now these, notwithstanding their idol, whom they worshipped, and in whom they trusted,…

Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter day, saith the Lord Some think this is added, not so much for the sake of Moab as of the Jews, to assure them of their return from captivity, as had been promised them, since this would be the case even of Moab.