Jer 49:1 Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the LORD says: “Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns?
Jer 49:2 But the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,” says the LORD.
Jer 49:3 “Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials.
Jer 49:4 Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, ‘Who will attack me?’
Jer 49:5 I will bring terror on you from all those around you,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. “Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives.
Jer 49:6 “Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,” declares the LORD.
Judgment on Edom
Jer 49:7 Concerning Edom: This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
Jer 49:8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time when I punish him.
Jer 49:9 If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
Jer 49:10 But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say,
Jer 49:11 ‘Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.'”
Jer 49:12 This is what the LORD says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it.
Jer 49:13 I swear by myself,” declares the LORD, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”
Jer 49:14 I have heard a message from the LORD; an envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!”
Jer 49:15 “Now I will make you small among the nations, despised by mankind.
Jer 49:16 The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.
Jer 49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds.
Jer 49:18 As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,” says the LORD, “so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it.
Jer 49:19 “Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”
Jer 49:20 Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
Jer 49:21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.
Jer 49:22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
Judgment on Damascus
Jer 49:23 Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea.
Jer 49:24 Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor.
Jer 49:25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight?
Jer 49:26 Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD Almighty.
Jer 49:27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”
Judgment on Kedar and Hazor
Jer 49:28 Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the LORD says: “Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East.
Jer 49:29 Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, ‘Terror on every side!’
Jer 49:30 “Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,” declares the LORD. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you.
Jer 49:31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,” declares the LORD, “a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger.
Jer 49:32 Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side,” declares the LORD.
Jer 49:33 “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no people will dwell in it.”
Judgment on Elam
Jer 49:34 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:
Jer 49:35 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.
Jer 49:36 I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go.
Jer 49:37 I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger,” declares the LORD. “I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.
Jer 49:38 I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,” declares the LORD.
Jer 49:39 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the LORD.
1 The judgment of the Ammonites. 6 Their restoration. 7 The judgment of Edom, 23 of Damascus, 28 of Kedar, 30 of Hazor, 34 and of Elam. 39 The restoration of Elam.
Jer 49:1 Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the LORD says: “Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns?
1. Ammonites. Literally, “the sons of Ammon.” Like the Moabites, this nation was descended from Lot (see Gen. 19:38), the nephew of Abraham, and was thus related to Israel. When the Israelites entered Canaan, the Ammonites were in possession of the highlands of Transjordan east of the northern part of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon. The tribe of Gad became neighbor to the Ammonites when it took over Sihon’s northern territories. The Ammonites seem to have been of a particularly bitter disposition toward Israel. David (1 Chron. 19; 20:1–3), Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:1–25), and Jotham (2 Chron. 27:5, 6) all warred against them. The Ammonites carried on a devious policy in Jeremiah’s time. Though at first allies of Babylon against Judah (see 2 Kings 24:2), they later attempted to enlist Judah in a league against Babylon (see on Jer. 27:3). When the destruction of Jerusalem came they expressed great satisfaction (see Eze. 25:1–7). They later plotted the murder of Gedaliah (see Jer. 40:14).
Their king. Heb. malkam, the consonants of which may stand for milkom (see 1 Kings 11:5, 33) and thus represent the name of the Ammonite deity. The LXX reads Melchom (thus supporting the reference to the Ammonite god, Milcom). Inasmuch as in Jer. 48 Jeremiah repeatedly mentions the Moabite god Chemosh (vs. 7, 13, 46), it seems reasonable to understand here the name of the Ammonites’ national deity. The name of this god has been attested in Ammonite inscriptions found at archaeological sites.
Inherit Gad. When the people of Gad had been exiled by Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (see 1 Chron. 5:26) in the latter half of the 8th century b.c., the Ammonites evidently came and took possession of their land.
Jer 49:2 But the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,” says the LORD.
2. Rabbah. The Ammonite capital, Rabbath-ammon, now ‘Ammân, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The site is 23 mi. (36.8 km.) east of the Jordan River in a straight line.
Jer 49:3 “Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials.
3. Heshbon. See on ch. 48:2. The Moabite city is called upon to lament what has already happened to Ai, perhaps because it forebodes her doom also.
Ai. This is the only reference to an Ai in Transjordan. The town was probably near Heshbon.
Hedges. Heb. gederoth, a word used elsewhere of sheepfolds (see Num. 32:16, 36; 1 Sam. 24:3; Zeph. 2:6), which were fenced enclosures in the open fields. Jeremiah’s thought here is evidently that the people of Ammon will forsake their conquered cities and seek refuge in the open country in these corrals.
Their king. Or, Milcom (see on v. 1).
Jer 49:4 Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, ‘Who will attack me?’
4. Valleys. The streams of Transjordan flow through deep valleys, called wadies, which often remain green when the rest of the country becomes dry. Rabbah is called “the city of waters” (see 2 Sam. 12:27).
Jer 49:5 I will bring terror on you from all those around you,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. “Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives.
5. Lord God of hosts. See on ch. 7:3.
Jer 49:6 “Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,” declares the LORD.
See on ch. 48:47.
Jer 49:7 Concerning Edom: This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
7. Edom. The land of the Edomites, known also as “mount Seir” (see Gen. 36:8), lay south of Moab, extending from the brook Zered southward toward the Gulf of Aqabah. It included the country on both sides of the Arabah, the great geological fault that continues the rift of the Jordan valley, south of the Dead Sea.
The country to the east of the Arabah is characterized by colorful limestone formations. Though it is semidesert and sparsely populated today, there is ample archeological evidence that Edom in Biblical times supported an extensive population. It was important for two reasons: first, it contained valuable copper and iron deposits (cf. Deut. 8:9), which its rulers exploited; and second, it controlled the trade route from the desert to western Palestine and the Mediterranean, as well as the great King’s Highway running north into Syria.
The people of Edom were more closely related to the Israelites than were either the Moabites or the Ammonites; they were descended from Esau, “who is Edom” (Gen. 36:1). For this reason Israel was commanded to show them special consideration (see Deut. 23:7). Although relations between the two nations appear at first to have been reasonably friendly (see Deut. 2:4–6, 29), they later deteriorated into bitter animosity. The Edomites took particular delight in the fact that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians (see Ps. 137:7).
Jeremiah’s prophecy against Edom closely parallels that of Obadiah. Several passages are so strikingly similar (Jer. 49:7; cf. Obadiah 8; Jer. 49:9, 10a; cf. Obadiah 5, 6; Jer. 49:14–16; cf. Obadiah 1–4) that it appears that one writer quoted the other. However, it is impossible to determine which represents the original and which a quotation, or whether, indeed, the two prophets may have collaborated on these passages and then each included them in his own utterance.
Teman. Either one of the tribal districts of Edom, taking its name from Teman, the grandson of Esau (see Gen. 36:15), or as a poetic synonym for Edom.
Jer 49:8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time when I punish him.
The stone formations so characteristic of the country afforded caves and recesses for hiding.
Dedan. A tribe descended from Abraham and Keturah (see Gen. 25:3). They were distinguished as merchants (see Eze. 27:15, 20; 38:13).
Disaster on Esau. Doubtless the calamities destined to fall upon Edom.
Visit. See on ch. 46:21.
Jer 49:9 If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
The thought is that grape gatherers generally leave gleanings, and thieves normally destroy only until they have enough, but the coming judgments would do a thorough work.
Jer 49:10 But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say,
Jer 49:11 ‘Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.'”
11. Fatherless children. During a picture of utter destruction the prophet calls upon those who survive the terrors of war to place their faith in Jehovah. Divine judgments are not without the positive purpose of bringing men back to Him.
Jer 49:12 This is what the LORD says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it.
12. Drink of the cup. See Jer. 25:15; cf. Jer. 13:12–14; Rev. 14:10).
13. Sworn by myself. Compare Heb. 6:13.
Jer 49:13 I swear by myself,” declares the LORD, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”
Bozrah. Usually identified with Buṣeirah, about 24 mi. (38.4 km.) south by east from the Dead Sea. It is evidently a different city from that mentioned in ch. 48:24.
Jer 49:16 The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.
16. Rock. Heb. sela‘. Jeremiah’s reference here is probably to the site of Sela (later known as Petra, “rock”), 51 mi. (81.6 km.) south of the Dead Sea. This was a virtually impregnable mountain fortress in a natural amphitheater. It was accessible only through a narrow gorge, the Sîq, which winds for 11/4 mi. (2 km.) between precipitous walls 100 to 160 ft. (30.5 to 48.8 m.) high.
Jer 49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds.
17. Desolation. Compare the prophecy against Jerusalem, ch. 19:8. See on v. 7 for a description of Edom.
Jer 49:19 “Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”
19. He shall come. Verses 19–21 are virtually identical with ch. 50:44–46, where the same words are applied to Babylon.
Swelling of Jordan. Heb. ge’on hayyarden, “the majesty of Jordan” (translated “the pride of Jordan” in Zech. 11:3). Some believe that Jeremiah refers to the swelling waters of the Jordan at flood season. Yet inasmuch as the phrase seems to denote a lair of lions, it seems more reasonable to understand this expression to apply to the rank growth of willows, tamarisks, and cane that lines the river’s banks (see on Jer. 12:5).
Who is like me? The exact meaning of the latter part of v. 19 is not clear. It appears that God here represents Himself as directing all that befalls Edom. This in itself should be a comfort even to those who are punished, for they may know that a divine hand directs their destiny.
Jer 49:20 Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
20. Teman. See on v. 7.
Draw them out. The clause reads literally, “they shall drag them away, the little ones of the flock.” The rabbis understood this to mean that “the little ones of the flock shall drag them away,” and cited the later conquest of the Westland by the Persians, who in Jeremiah’s time were a very insignificant people.
However, a more probable interpretation regards the phrase “little ones” as the object of the verb, and translates the passage, “Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away.” The reference is then to the complete captivity to come upon the people of Edom. Such a translation forms a better parallel with the final clause of the verse.
Jer 49:21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.
21. Red sea. The Hebrew here is dramatic, reading literally, “A cry—at the Red Sea is heard its noise.” The southern boundary of Edom, at its greatest prosperity, extended to the Gulf of Aqabah, the northeast tip of the Red Sea (see 1 Kings 9:26). The cry of anguish reaches to the farthest extent of the ravaged country.
Jer 49:22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
22. Bozrah. See on v. 13.
Jer 49:23 Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea.
23. Damascus. One of the most ancient of continuously inhabited places of importance in the Near East (see Gen. 14:15). The town was situated on a wide plateau east of the Anti-Lebanon range, in a fertile oasis formed by the Pharpar and Abana rivers. It was conquered by David (see 2 Sam. 8:5, 6) and again by Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14:28). However, during most of the period of the divided kingdom, Damascus was capital of one of the chief Aramaean states. It finally lost its independence to Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria in 733/732 b.c. For a considerable period thereafter it seems to have been comparatively insignificant politically. Aside from Jeremiah’s statement in Jer. 49:23–27, there is no other Biblical mention of Damascus during the period of the Exile, except the entirely incidental references in Eze. 27:18; 47:16–18; 48:1.
Yet Damascus remained a highly important commercial center. It was situated at the junction of two leading trade routes, (1) the Way of the Sea, which ran north from Egypt along the Mediterranean coast, and thence across northern Palestine by way of Megiddo and the Sea of Galilee, and (2) the King’s Highway, which carried the desert trade from Arabia and Edom north through Transjordan. These roads met at Damascus and thence ran across the desert into Mesopotamia. Thus the Aramaeans became the great inland commercial nation of the Near East, as the Phoenicians became the sea traders.
Hamath. A city on the Orontes River 118 mi. (188.8 km.) north by east from Damascus; the modern Ḥamā. The name appears in the Assyrian inscriptions as Amâttu and Ḫammâtu.
Arpad. The modern Tell Erfâd, a city about 95 mi. (152 km.) north of Hamath and 19 mi. (30.4 km.) north by west from Aleppo. The name appears in Assyrian texts as Arpadda. Hamath and Arpad are frequently mentioned together (see 2 Kings 18:34; 19:13; Isa. 10:9; 36:19).
Jer 49:27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”
27. Ben-hadad. Compare Amos 1:4. Ben-hadad is literally, “son of Hadad.” Hadad was an Aramaean god. Benhadad was a characteristic name of the kings of Damascus (see 1 Kings 15:18; 20:1; 2 Kings 13:3; see on 1 Kings 15:18). Here it seems to be used as a general reference to the Syrian kings.
Jer 49:28 Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the LORD says: “Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East.
28. Kedar. These people were descendants of Ishmael (see Gen. 25:13) and thus, like the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites mentioned in Jer. 48; 49, were related to Israel. They were apparently noted as archers (Isa. 21:16, 17).
It is clear from Jer. 49:29 that they led a nomadic, pastoral existence. According to 27:21, their homeland was Arabia. This is also clear from the reference to them here as “the men of the east,” Heb. bene–qedem, “sons of the east,” also translated, “children of the east,” a frequent term for the dwellers in the Arabian Desert (see on Judges 6:3; 1 Kings 4:30; cf. Judges 7:12; 8:10; Job 1:3; Eze. 25:4, 10).
Hazor. The OT mentions several places by this name (Joshua 11:1; 15:23, 25; Neh. 11:33). All of these, however, appear to have been west of the Jordan, whereas the Hazor mentioned here is clearly east of Palestine. It has been suggested that the name Hazor, Heb. chaṣor, may be derived from the Heb. chaṣer, “an unwalled town,” “a village.” The word “villages” in the phrase “the villages that Kedar doth inhabit” (Isa. 42:11) is from chaṣer. Thus there may be a general reference here to those Arabs living in villages as contrasted with their nomadic neighbors who are indicated by the name Kedar.
Jer 49:31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,” declares the LORD, “a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger.
31. Arise. Spoken by the Lord to the invading Babylonians.
Wealthy. Heb. shelew, “undisturbed,” “carefree.” The people of Arabia are represented as living a free, nomadic life without the fortifications customary among more settled peoples.
Jer 49:31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,” declares the LORD, “a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger.
Jer 49:32 Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side,” declares the LORD.
32. The utmost corners. See on ch. 9:26.
Jer 49:33 “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no people will dwell in it.”
33. Dragons. Heb. tannim, “howling ones,” probably jackals. These animals are repeatedly referred to in Scripture in connection with desolate cities (see Isa. 13:22; Jer. 9:11; 10:22; 51:37). The translation “dragons” seems to have arisen through confusing tannim with tannin, “a serpent” (Ex. 7:9, 12), or “dragon” (Isa. 27:1; 51:9; etc.).
A desolation for ever. The absence of any trace of this Hazor (see on v. 28) bears out the truth of this prediction.
Jer 49:34 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:
34. Elam. This was the country occupying the highlands to the east of Babylonia, an area now in the western portion of modern Iran. Elam lost its independence to the Assyrians under Ashurbanipal (669–c. 627 b.c.), and was subsequently swallowed up in the revived Babylonian Empire of the time of Nebuchadnezzar.
Beginning of the reign. This prophecy was given soon after the deportation of Jews to Babylon in 597 b.c., when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin, the royal family, and many soldiers and artisans into exile. Thereafter the Babylonian king placed Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, on the throne. A prophecy regarding Elam was particularly significant to the Jews at a time when many were exiles in Babylon and thus in closer contact with the Elamites than ever before.
This prophecy was delivered at a crucial time in Jeremiah’s personal career. It is contemporary with his message against the foreign ambassadors sent to Zedekiah (see ch. 27; see on ch. 27:3).
There is insufficient information to trace historically the fulfillment of all the details of this prediction. As with Edom (see on Obadiah 15, 17), certain features may have been related to the future glory of Israel, and hence to that extent conditional.
Jer 49:35 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.
35. The bow. The Elamites were famed for their archery (see Isa. 22:6).
Jer 49:38 I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,” declares the LORD.
38. Set my throne. A figure indicating that God would superintend the affairs of Elam (see Ps. 103:19; Jer. 43:10).
Jer 49:39 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the LORD.
39. Bring again. See on ch. 48:47.