Jeremiah 48 Study Notes

48:1-47 This chapter contains Jeremiah’s prophecy against the Moabites. The Moabites were the descendants of Lot’s incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter (Gn 19:30-38). Moab was located east of the Dead Sea, bounded on the south by the river Zered, on the north by the river Arnon, on the east by the desert, and on the west by the Dead Sea. A few towns mentioned in this chapter were north of the Arnon, since this small country extended north from time to time. The tribes of Reuben and Gad originally occupied this land (Nm 32:33-38). But in the time of Mesha, king of Moab (ninth century BC), Moab regained these areas. It was mostly a plateau with fertile lands. For Isaiah’s earlier oracle against Moab, see Is 15:1-16:14. For Ezekiel’s and Amos’s oracles against Moab, see Ezk 25:8-11 and Am 2:1-3.

48:1 Nebo was twelve miles east of the northern tip of the Dead Sea. It is also known from the days of the Reubenites (Nm 32:3,38). Kiriathaim, known from the Moabite Stone as a Moabite city, is possibly modern el-Qereiyat, about five miles northwest of Dibon.

48:2 Heshbon was the capital city of the Amorite king Sihon (Nm 21:25-30). An iron-age city has been identified through excavations at Heshbon. Madmen . . . will be silenced may be a wordplay on the city Dimon and the Hebrew verb dmm, “to be dumb, silent.”

48:3-4 Horonaim (double cave) is mentioned on the Moabite Stone but is otherwise unknown. Her little ones will cry out is rendered in the LXX as “their cry can be heard clear to Zoar.” Zoar, one of the five cities of the plain (Gn 13:10-11), was probably located at the end of the Dead Sea.

48:5 The Ascent to Luhith is otherwise unknown.

48:6 The command to flee is ironic because there would be nowhere safe.

48:7 Pride in her works and in Chemosh, the national deity of Moab (Nm 21:29, 1Kg 11:7,33), were the sources of Moab’s troubles as far as God was concerned. Chemosh/Kemosh is known on the Moabite Stone as Ashtar-Kemosh. Ashtar in Canaan was associated with the morning star, so it seems he was one of the astral deities. Solomon built a high place for Chemosh (1Kg 11:7) so the Moabite women in his harem could have a place of worship.

48:8 The valley probably refers to the Jordan Valley, which bordered Moab on the west. The plain signifies the plateau of the Transjordanian highland where most Moabite cities were located.

48:9 The phrase make Moab a salt marsh is the preferred reading following Ugaritic/Canaanite sisuma, “salt.” Sowing an enemy’s fields with salt was a way to destroy his land (Jdg 9:45). She will run away is obscure, but it could also be rendered, “She shall surely be laid in ruins.”

48:10 The “destroyer” (v. 8), as the agent of the Lord, must not do the Lord’s business deceitfully or negligently. God’s business requires precision, promptness, and faithfulness.

48:11 Complacency is implied by the phrase settled like wine on its dregs—an apt metaphor for Moab and her renowned vineyards. Moab has been left quiet. Even though she had been a tributary nation to Israel, she had never gone into exile. Since she was off the main trail, she had experienced few if any invasions.

48:12 God will send pourers to him [Moab], who will pour him out (lit “I will send tilters who will tilt him”). Tilters worked in wine cellars to decant the wine. In order for wine to age properly, it was not left to settle on its dregs in the vessel too long (Zph 1:12). After forty days or so it was poured into other vessels and separated from its dregs. If not handled properly, the wine would not achieve the quality the tilters sought. In the same way Moab had rested on her laurels, but this time of complacency was over.

48:13 A wordplay is evident as Moab will be put to shame [Hb bosh] because of Chemosh. In parallel to Chemosh, the house of Israel [would be] put to shame because of Bethel. This must be an allusion to the calf worship set up by King Jeroboam in Bethel (1Kg 12:26-33).

48:14 Boasting is better done after the battle than before.

48:15 Regardless of what the Moabites thought, “the Lord” was still their Lord, not Chemosh.

48:16 The day has been assigned and is certain.

48:17 The neighboring lands are invited to sympathize with the Moabites. The symbols of their power and authority, the mighty scepter and the glorious staff, will be shattered. In about 580 BC Moab lost her independence forever.

48:18 The phrase resident of the daughter of Dibon addresses this city that stood on two hills. Her people are invited to come down from glory and sit on parched ground. Dibon, modern Diban, was thirteen miles east of the Dead Sea and four miles north of the Arnon River. The Moabite Stone, which mentions Dibon, was discovered here in AD 1868.

48:19 Aroer was the northernmost city of Reuben on the north side of the Arnon River.

48:20 Jeremiah called for a proclamation alongside the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

48:21-24 Eleven towns of Moab are mentioned in these verses.

48:21 The Moabite Stone mentions the towns of Jahzah . . . Dibon . . . Beth-diblathaim, Kiriathaim . . . Beth-meon, Kerioth, and Bozrah, even though the identification of some of these towns is uncertain. Likewise, the locations for Holon and Mephaath (a Levitical city in Jos 21:37) are unknown. Beth-gamul may be Khirbet el Jemeil, eight miles east of Dibon. Kerioth is referred to in Am 2:2. Bozrah may be Bezer (Dt 4:43; Jos 20:8; 21:36), but not the Edomite city by the same name in Jr 49:13,22.

48:25 The horn and arm are OT metaphors for strength and military might. “Horn” is used of one’s descendants in Ps 132:17.

48:26 Drunkenness is another metaphor used by Jeremiah in 25:15-29. Those under the wrath of God were made to drink from the wine cup of God’s wrath. This is an apt figure for the Moabite wine-producing industry. It is also an apt allusion given the origin of Moab in Gn 19:30-38.

48:27 The translation of this verse is uncertain.

48:28 The only wise course would be to try to hide.

48:29-30 Jeremiah piled up several synonymous terms to depict Moab’s pride: insolence, arrogance, and haughty heart.

48:31-36 In these verses four different Hebrew verbs are used for the Moabite weeping and wailing.

48:31 Kir-heres (lit “city of potsherds”) is probably the Kir-hareseth of 2 Kg 3:25 and Is 16:7 (cp. Is 16:11). It may be identified with el-Kerak, about seventeen miles south of the Arnon River and eleven miles east of the Dead Sea.

48:32 God would weep more for the vine of Sibmah than for Jazer. Sibmah’s branches reached down to the Dead Sea with its famous vineyards and gardens, but her destruction would include all its renowned vegetation and grape vineyards. The destroyer, a recurrent theme in this chapter (vv. 8,15,18), will fall on Moab’s summer fruit and grape harvest.

48:33 The shouts heard are not those of the joyous grape treaders, but the shouting of warriors who have come to conquer Moab.

48:34 Another seven towns of Moab are mentioned in this verse along with the eleven Moabite towns in vv. 21-24. The mention of the cities here seems to move from north to south. A cry and an uproar go up from the humiliation of the destroyer.

48:35 God himself will put an end to Moab’s idolatrous worship.

48:36 The wailing of Moab will be like that of a flute or a reed pipe. Flutes were used at funerals; they signified mourning.

48:37 On these four symbols of mourning, see note at 47:5.

48:38 The phrase like a jar no one wants was used of King Jehoiachin (22:28).

48:39 Their brokenness is a disgrace to them.

48:40 The image of the eagle is similar to Ezekiel’s use of the figure to depict Babylon, who would swoop down and take the top of the cedar tree (Ezk 17:3-5). In Ezk 17:7-8, the eagle stands for Egypt.

48:41-42 By exalting themselves over Israel, Moab had exalted themselves over the God of Israel.

48:43-44 A good example of triple assonance can be found in the three Hebrew words behind panic, pit, and trap (Hb pachad, wapachath, wapach; see note at Is 24:17-18).

48:45-46 Some believe these verses may be a free quotation from an old Hesbon song mentioned in Nm 21:28-29 and 24:17. If so, the words of Balaam the prophet seem poised to be fulfilled.

48:47 In spite of all the dire predictions against Moab, God will restore its fortunes in the future. The prophecies of restoration are not limited to Israel and Judah.