Jer. 48 The judgment of Moab, Jer. 48:1–6, for their pride, Jer. 48:7–10; for their security and human confidence, Jer. 48:11–25; especially for their contempt of God, and insolence towards his people, Jer. 48:26–46. Their restoration, Jer. 48:47.

The prophet having, Jer. 46:0; denounced God’s judgment against Egypt, and against the Philistines, Jer. 47:0, in this chapter he cometh to do the like against the Moabites. Moab, the father of these Moabites, was the son of Lot, Gen. 19:37.

Heshbon was formerly the city of Sihon, Num. 21:26; it became afterward one of the principal cities of the Moabites, as appeareth from Isa. 15:4; which maketh the learned author of our English Annotations think our translation not so good; for why should they devise evil in Heshbon against Moab,…

Another city of Moab, mentioned only in this place, and in Isa. 15:5. Some think it the same with Horon, where Sanballat was born, Neh. 2:10, Neh. 13:28. The prophet threatens also ruin and destruction to this city.

Moab was both the name of the whole country, and of a principal city in it. Some by it here understand the city; by her little ones some understand little children; others, inferior magistrates, or the common people.

Of Luhith we read only in this place, and Isa. 15:5; it was a city of Moab, and situated upon a hill, as appears both here and where it is mentioned in Isaiah.

It is of no great moment whether we understand these as the words of the Moabites, calling one to another to flee, and save their lives, though they lost all they had, and left themselves as bare as a naked tree; or as the words of the prophets speaking to the Moabites to the same sense.

Whether by works in this place he meant their riches, got by the labour of their hands, or their idols, which often are called, by way of defamation, the works of their own hands, or their fortifications, is not much considerable; a confidence in creatures, opposed to a confidence in God, is…

That is, all the parts of the country of Moab, and all the cities, as well those that stood upon hills and mountainous places, as those that stood in valleys; because or for the Lord had said it (for so the particle we translate as is bettea translated).

That is, the Moabites had need of wings like a bird to escape that ruin which is coming upon them. Yea, if they had wings, they should not escape, for the Lord is resolved that the cities of Moab shall be all brought to desolation, so as no inhabitants shall be left in them.

These words seem like the words of the prophet to the Chaldeans, inciting them to go on valiantly against the Moabites, calling it the work of the Lord, which he would have done, and to which he had called them.

Moab hath been at ease from his youth; the Moabites ever since they began to be a people have been a quiet people, not exercised with wars, and enemies making inroads upon them. He hath settled on his lees; like to a cask of wine, that hath not been racked, but hath continued in the same state.

By the wanderers here mentioned the Chaldeans are most certainly understood, who wandered from their own country to conquer other people; the word is variously translated, vagrants, travellers, removers, &c., who shall conquer the Moabites, and carry them into captivity.

It is a natural and a penal shame which is here spoken of; we are naturally ashamed when we have reposed a great confidence in, and made great boasts of, a thing which, when it comes to be tried, proveth of no use, but mischievous to us.

How can ye justify what you say, or why say you so, or to what purpose do you brag of your valour?

Moab is spoiled; your country will be wasted and spoiled. And gone up out of her cities; the inhabitants of it shall be all driven out of their cities. The Hebrew is, and her cities, it, or he, is gone up.

Josephus tells us this destruction came upon the Moabites five years after the siege of Jerusalem; but if it were longer, we must consider that he who speaketh is that God to whom a thousand years is but as one day.

All ye that are about him, bemoan him: the prophet having spoken of Moab’s calamity as already come upon him, or at least very near, calls to his friends to come and condole with him, as is usually done in case of some calamity befallen to a friend.

Of this Dibon we read Num. 21:30. It was a land for cattle, Num. 32:3. Both Dibon, and Aroer, and Ataroth were built by-the children of Gad, to whose lot it fell, Num. 32:34, as also to the Reubenites in part, Josh. 13:17.

Aroer was a city in the lot of Gad and Reuben, Num. 32:34. In David’s time it was in the hand of the Jews, 1 Sam. 30:28, but in Isaiah’s time it belonged to Syria, Isa. 17:2, and here it is reckoned to the Moabites.

Arnon was the name of a river, Num. 21:14, Deut. 2:36, Josh. 12:1. It was the border of Moab, whither Balak went to meet Balaam, Num. 22:36; probably the adjacent country or city might take its name from the river.

God threateneth vengeance to come upon all Moab, which had great plains, Num. 31:12, Num. 33:48. For the names of these cities, and those mentioned Jer.

That is, the beauty and the strength of Moab. So these two terms often signify in holy writ, the horn being much the beauty of some beasts, and that part of their bodies by which they both do injury to others, and defend themselves from the assaults of others.

Make ye him drunken; either make ye him to stagger like a drunken man, (the cause being put for the effect,) or fill him with the intoxicating wine cup of God’s vengeance, with the effects of God’s wrath.

For was not Israel a derision unto thee? it is an ill thing to mock at the miseries of others, especially such as we have some relation to; the Moabites were descended from Lot, who was nearly related to Abraham the father of the Jews, and ought not to have mocked at them, but to have pitied their…

Still the prophet speaks of the Moabites as a people whose armies were routed, and calls to them to leave their houses in cities, not promising themselves any security, either to or from their houses, or from the walls of their cities, but to get them to rocks, which are naturally fortified, and…

There is a passage, Isa. 16:6;c., concerning Moab, very little differing from this: Isaiah lived some years before this prophet, who yet complaineth of them for the same sins, so as they were not at all reformed.

I know his rage, either against Israel, or other people; but he shall never execute it, or bring to pass what he thinks to do. There is no trusting to what he saith, his boastings and his confidence are but lies, and shall never effect his designs.

Though wicked men rejoice and triumph in the ruin of good men, yet their charity suffereth them not to do the like, but engageth them to mourn for them in the day of their affliction.

We read of this vine of Sibmah also Isa. 16:8–9. Both Sibmah and Jahaza were places in the portion of Reuben, Josh. 13:18–19. Sibmah was doubtless a place famous in those days for vines and vineyards.

The time of harvest and vintage being times when the husbandmen were wont to reap the fruit of all their labours the preceding year, were times of great joy ordinarily; but the prophet foretells them of a year when there should be no such rejoicing, for they should have no wine from the…

An heifer of three years old. See Isa. 15:5. Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Jahaz, and Zoar, and Horonaim, were all cities of Moab, who are here all threatened with ruin; with the country about Nimrim; which Nimrim is mentioned no where in Scripture but here, and in Isa.

That is, every one, or some of all orders, for the Moabites generally were idolaters; though the expressing it under this notion may hint to us also one great cause of this judgment coming upon them, viz. their idolatry.

The prophet means such pipes as they were wont to use at funerals, and other sad occasions, to play doleful lessons upon; see Isa. 15:5; because of the great change in the state of this poor people, which had got together a great deal of wealth, which is all perished.

These phrases are expounded in the beginning of the following verse, There shall be lamentation generally upon all the house-tops of Moab. Shaving of the hair, and clipping the beards, and cutting themselves, were rites and ceremonies of mourning used by these heathens.

We met with the same phrase applied to Coniah, Jer. 22:28. The meaning is, I have broken Moab all to pieces, as people use to do vessels they care not for; they never go about to mend such a vessel, but dash it in pieces against some stones or walls.

Those that formerly lived in Moab, when it was in its glory, shall lament to see how the case is altered with it, that all its glory is broken down, and they that were wont to conquer their enemies turn their backs with shame upon their enemies.

Nebuchadnezzar shall come upon Moab swiftly; and as an eagle covereth the prey which he hath taken with his wings, so Nebuchadnezzar shall spread himself over Moab.

Whether Kerioth here be the proper name of a city, as it is Jer. 48:24, or an appellative noun signifying cities, is doubtful. The latter seems best to agree to this place: The cities and the strong holds are all taken; and though Moab hath in it many mighty and valiant men, yet their hearts will…

That is, for a time; see Jer. 48:47; or being such a people as it hath been, so full of splendour and glory. The reason given is the same with that Jer. 48:26.

These three words, fear, pit, snare, signify no more than a variety of dangers that should be on all sides of them, so as if any escaped one danger, he should presently meet with another, for this was the time when the Lord was resolved to punish all the inhabitants of the land of Moab.

Heshbon was a great city, and, as it should seem, a place of some force; the war being in the country, they made Heshbon the place of their sanctuary. But the prophet, applying to the Chaldeans what was said in Moses’s time, Num.

The prophet, closing the threatening part of his prophecy against Moab, repeateth the same thing which he had often said, that the Moabites should be carried into captivity by the king of Babylon, and denounceth a woe unto them upon that account.

Some think this prophecy was fulfilled upon the return of the Jews out of Babylon, when the Jews inhabited the land of Moab, Zeph. 2:9; but this doth not seem to be the bringing again the captivity of Moab, but of Judah; besides, in that place it is said that Moab should be as Sodom, and the…