Major Prophets · Chapter 48 of 52

Jeremiah 48

A long oracle announces the fall of Moab. Her cities are named one by one as spoiled and confounded, her pride the root of her ruin. Moab had settled comfortably on her dregs, trusting works, treasures, and the god Chemosh. Now she is broken like a useless vessel. Yet the prophet weeps for Moab, God's own heart mourns, and a promise closes the chapter that her captivity will be restored in the latter days.

What happens in Jeremiah 48

The LORD of hosts pronounces woe on Moab city by city, from Nebo and Kiriathaim to Heshbon, Dibon, and Kerioth. Moab is confounded, her praise silenced, her strongholds destroyed. The reason is exposed plainly: she trusted her works and treasures, and her god Chemosh will go into exile with his priests. Moab has been at ease from her youth, settled on her lees like undisturbed wine, never emptied from vessel to vessel, so her complacency remained.

Now God sends those who will pour her out and shatter her jars. Her horn is cut off, her arm broken, because she magnified herself against the LORD and mocked Israel's calamity. Fear, pit, and snare await every fleeing Moabite. Remarkably the prophet howls and weeps for Moab, and God says his own heart sounds like mournful pipes for her men. The judgment ends with an unexpected mercy: in the latter days God will restore the fortunes of Moab.

Jeremiah 48 in context

Moab, descended from Lot, lay east of the Dead Sea and had a long, hostile history with Israel. This oracle belongs to Jeremiah's collection against the nations. Chemosh was Moab's national deity. Moab's characteristic sins were pride and self satisfied security.

The promise of eventual restoration echoes other prophetic hints that God's purposes reach beyond judgment even for Israel's enemies.

Main themes of Jeremiah 48

Jeremiah 48 (KJV)

1Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed. 2There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee. 3A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction. 4Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. 5For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. 6Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. 7For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together. 8And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken. 9Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein. 10Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. 11Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. 12Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles. 13And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence. 14How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war? 15Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 16The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast. 17All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod! 18Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds. 19O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done? 20Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled, 21And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath, 22And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim, 23And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon, 24And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. 25The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD. 26Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision. 27For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy. 28O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth. 29We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. 30I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it. 31Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres. 32O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage. 33And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting. 34From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate. 35Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods. 36Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished. 37For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. 38There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD. 39They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. 40For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab. 41Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. 42And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD. 43Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. 44He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. 45They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. 46Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives. 47Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Verses to carry from Jeremiah 48

“For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.”Jeremiah 48:7

“Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.”Jeremiah 48:11

“Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.”Jeremiah 48:47

Reflection

Where has comfort quietly settled into complacency in your life, leaving your faith untested and your confidence resting in works or possessions? Let the weeping God of this chapter meet you. He disturbs our ease not to destroy us but to pour us out and refine us, and he holds out mercy even to those who have wandered far.

A prayer from Jeremiah 48