Jeremiah49
New American Standard
1Concerning the sons of Ammon. This is what the Lord says: “Does Israel have no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad, And his people settled in its cities?
2Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will cause an alarm of war to be heard Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; And it will become a desolate heap, And her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel will take possession of his possessors,” Says the Lord.
3“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, daughters of Rabbah, Put on sackcloth and mourn, And move about inside the walls; For Malcam will go into exile Together with his priests and his leaders.
4How you boast about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, You backsliding daughter Who trusts in her treasures, saying, ‘Who can come against me?’
5Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you,” Declares the Lord God of armies, “From all directions around you; And you will be driven away one after another, With no one to gather the fugitives together.
6But afterward I will restore The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,” Declares the Lord.
7Concerning Edom. This is what the Lord of armies says: “Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good advice been lost by the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
8Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, You inhabitants of Dedan, For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him At the time I punish him.
9If grape pickers came to you, Would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, They would destroy only what was sufficient for them.
10But I have stripped Esau bare, I have uncovered his hiding places So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring have been destroyed along with his brothers And his neighbors, and he no longer exists.
11Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.”
12For this is what the Lord says: “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, so are you the one who will be held completely blameless? You will not be held blameless, but you will certainly drink it.
13For I have sworn by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a disgrace, a wasteland, and a curse; and all its cities will become permanent ruins.”
14I have heard a message from the Lord, And a messenger is being sent among the nations, saying, “Gather yourselves together and come against her, And rise up for battle!”
15“For behold, I have made you small among the nations, Despised among people.
16As for the terror you cause, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord.
17“Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and will hiss at all its wounds.
18Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the Lord, “no one will live there, nor will anyone of mankind reside in it.
19Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will chase him away from it, and I will appoint over it whoever is chosen. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?”
20Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has in mind against the inhabitants of Teman: they will certainly drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; He will certainly make their pasture desolate because of them.
21The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea.
22Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle, and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the warriors of Edom on that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They despair. There is anxiety at the sea, It cannot be calmed.
24Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and labor pains have seized her Like a woman in childbirth.
25How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy!
26Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will perish on that day,” declares the Lord of armies.
27“I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified palace of Ben-hadad.”
28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This is what the Lord says: “Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate the people of the east.
29They will take away their tents and their flocks; They will carry off for themselves Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will call out to one another, ‘Horror on every side!’
30Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, You inhabitants of Hazor,” declares the Lord; “For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you And devised a scheme against you.
31Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely,” declares the Lord. “It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone.
32Their camels will become plunder, And their many livestock for spoils, And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; And I will bring their disaster from every side,” declares the Lord.
33“Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, A desolation forever; No one will live there, Nor will anyone of mankind reside in it.”
34The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:
35“This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, The finest of their might.
36I will bring upon Elam the four winds From the four ends of heaven, And will scatter them to all these winds; And there will be no nation To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37So I will shatter Elam before their enemies And before those who seek their lives; And I will bring disaster upon them, Even My fierce anger,’ declares the Lord, ‘And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.
38Then I will set My throne in Elam, And eliminate from there the king and officials,’ Declares the Lord.
39‘But it will come about in the last days That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’” Declares the Lord.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 49.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Prophecies relative to the Ammonites. (1-6). The Edomites. (7-22). The Syrians. (23-27). The Kedarenes. (28-33). The Elamites. (34-39).
vv1-6
Might often prevails against right among men, yet that might shall be controlled by the Almighty, who judges aright; and those will find themselves mistaken, who, like the Ammonites, think every thing their own on which they can lay their hands. The Lord will call men to account for every instance of dishonesty, especially to the destitute.
vv7-22
The Edomites were old enemies to the Israel of God. But their day is now at hand; it is foretold, not only to warn them, but for the sake of the Israel of God, whose afflictions were aggravated by them. Thus Divine judgments go round from nation to nation; the earth is full of commotion, and nothing can escape the ministers of Divine vengeance. The righteousness of God is to be observed amidst the violence of men.
vv23-27
How easily God can dispirit those nations that have been most celebrated for valour! Damascus waxes feeble. It was a city of joy, having all the delights of the sons of men. But those deceive themselves who place their happiness in carnal joys.
Key Words
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אַיִן: a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אִם: used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
יָרַשׁ: to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin
מַדּוּעַ: what (is) known?; i.e. (by implication) (adverbially) why?
מֶלֶךְ: a king
גָּד: Gad, a son of Jacob, including his tribe and its territory; also a prophet
Cross References
Jeremiah 49Parallels Jeremiah's prophecy on Edom, highlighting the loss of Teman's famed wisdom and counsel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Condemns Ammon for seizing Gilead (Gad) and predicts their king (Melchom) going into captivity.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Parallel imagery of grape-gatherers and thieves leaving gleanings, contrasted with Edom's utter desolation.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the uncovering and searching out of Esau's hidden treasures.
Supported by JFB
Verbatim verbal parallel regarding the pride of Edom dwelling in the clefts of the rock.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the warning to Edom about making its nest high as the eagle.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Specifically prophesies the fire and alarm of war against Rabbah, the metropolis of Ammon.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Ezekiel's parallel prophecy of vengeance on Edom, stretching from Teman to Dedan.
Supported by JFB
Nearly identical language describing the conqueror coming like a lion from Jordan's swelling.
Supported by JFB
Amos's parallel judgment on Damascus, forecasting the burning of the palaces of Ben-hadad.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Groups Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites together under the cup of God's fury.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Ezekiel's prophecy against Ammon for exulting over the desolation of Israel's sanctuary and land.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The historical origin of the Ammonites from Lot's younger daughter, establishing their kinship.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Matches the promise of ultimate restoration of captivity given to Ammon and Moab.
Supported by JFB
Develops the cup of wrath metaphor: if Jerusalem drinks, the pagan nations cannot go unpunished.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel structure promising the return of captivity in the latter days (Ammon and Elam).
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identifies Teman as a major chief/clan of Edom, descended from Esau.
Supported by JFB
The command to 'dwell deep' is repeated for both Dedan and Hazor.
Supported by JFB
Identical imagery of the conqueror flying like an eagle and spreading wings over Moab/Bozrah.
Supported by JFB
Locates the province of Elam, reinforcing its historical identity and role in subsequent empires.
Supported by Matthew Henry