Jeremiah 49WEB
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Jeremiah49

World English Bible · Public Domain

1Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Malcam possess Gad, and his people dwell in its cities?

2Therefore behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and it will become a desolate heap, and her daughters will be burned with fire; then Israel will possess those who possessed him,” says Yahweh.

3“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah! Clothe yourself in sackcloth. Lament, and run back and forth among the fences; for Malcam will go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.

4Why do you boast in the valleys, your flowing valley, backsliding daughter? You trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come to me?’

5Behold, I will bring a terror on you,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, “from all who are around you. All of you will be driven completely out, and there will be no one to gather together the fugitives.

6“But afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon,” says Yahweh.

7Of Edom, Yahweh of Armies says: “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?

8Flee! Turn back! Dwell in the depths, inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau on him when I visit him.

9If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves came by night, wouldn’t they steal until they had enough?

10But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he will not be able to hide himself. His offspring is destroyed, with his brothers and his neighbors; and he is no more.

11Leave your fatherless children. I will preserve them alive. Let your widows trust in me.”

12For Yahweh says: “Behold, they to whom it didn’t pertain to drink of the cup will certainly drink; and are you he who will altogether go unpunished? You won’t go unpunished, but you will surely drink.

13For I have sworn by myself,” says Yahweh, “that Bozrah will become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. All its cities will be perpetual wastes.”

14I have heard news from Yahweh, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, “Gather yourselves together! Come against her! Rise up to the battle!”

15“For, behold, I have made you small among the nations, and despised among men.

16As for your terror, the pride of your heart has deceived you, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill, though you should make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there,” says Yahweh.

17“Edom will become an astonishment. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and will hiss at all its plagues.

18As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein.

19“Behold, he will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation; for I will suddenly make them run away from it, and whoever is chosen, I will appoint him over it. For who is like me? Who will appoint me a time? Who is the shepherd who will stand before me?”

20Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh, that he has taken against Edom, and his purposes that he has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they will drag them away, the little ones of the flock. Surely he will make their habitation desolate over them.

21The earth trembles at the noise of their fall; there is a cry, the noise which is heard in the Red Sea.

22Behold, he will come up and fly as the eagle, and spread out his wings against Bozrah. The heart of the mighty men of Edom at that day will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

23Of Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are confounded, for they have heard evil news. They have melted away. There is sorrow on the sea. It can’t be quiet.

24Damascus has grown feeble, she turns herself to flee, and trembling has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in travail.

25How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?

26Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all the men of war will be brought to silence in that day,” says Yahweh of Armies.

27“I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.”

28Of Kedar, and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck, Yahweh says: “Arise, go up to Kedar, and destroy the children of the east.

29They will take their tents and their flocks. they will carry away for themselves their curtains, all their vessels, and their camels; and they will cry to them, ‘Terror on every side!’

30Flee! Wander far off! Dwell in the depths, you inhabitants of Hazor,” says Yahweh; “for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you, and has conceived a purpose against you.

31Arise! Go up to a nation that is at ease, that dwells without care,” says Yahweh; “that has neither gates nor bars, that dwells alone.

32Their camels will be a booty, and the multitude of their livestock a plunder. I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners of their beards cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them,” says Yahweh.

33Hazor will be a dwelling place of jackals, a desolation forever. No man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein.”

34Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

35“Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

36I will bring on Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the sky, and will scatter them toward all those winds. There will be no nation where the outcasts of Elam will not come.

37I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before those who seek their life. I will bring evil on them, even my fierce anger,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.

38I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from there king and princes,’ says Yahweh.

39‘But it will happen in the latter days that I will reverse the captivity of Elam,’ says Yahweh.”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 49.

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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.

Cross References

Jeremiah 49
v7Obadiah 1:1-9thematic

Parallels Jeremiah's prophecy on Edom, highlighting the loss of Teman's famed wisdom and counsel.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v1Amos 1:13-15thematic

Condemns Ammon for seizing Gilead (Gad) and predicts their king (Melchom) going into captivity.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v9Obadiah 1:5thematic

Parallel imagery of grape-gatherers and thieves leaving gleanings, contrasted with Edom's utter desolation.

Supported by JFB

v10Obadiah 1:6thematic

Parallels the uncovering and searching out of Esau's hidden treasures.

Supported by JFB

v16Obadiah 1:3thematic

Verbatim verbal parallel regarding the pride of Edom dwelling in the clefts of the rock.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v16Obadiah 1:4thematic

Parallels the warning to Edom about making its nest high as the eagle.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v2Amos 1:14thematic

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

v23Amos 1:3-5thematic

Amos's parallel judgment on Damascus, forecasting the burning of the palaces of Ben-hadad.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v1Jeremiah 25:21thematic

Groups Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites together under the cup of God's fury.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v1Ezekiel 25:2-10thematic

Ezekiel's prophecy against Ammon for exulting over the desolation of Israel's sanctuary and land.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v1Genesis 19:38thematic

The historical origin of the Ammonites from Lot's younger daughter, establishing their kinship.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v6Jeremiah 48:47thematic

Matches the promise of ultimate restoration of captivity given to Ammon and Moab.

Supported by JFB

v12Jeremiah 25:29thematic

Develops the cup of wrath metaphor: if Jerusalem drinks, the pagan nations cannot go unpunished.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v6Jeremiah 49:39thematic

Parallel structure promising the return of captivity in the latter days (Ammon and Elam).

Supported by Matthew Henry

v7Genesis 36:15thematic

Identifies Teman as a major chief/clan of Edom, descended from Esau.

Supported by JFB

v8Jeremiah 49:30thematic

The command to 'dwell deep' is repeated for both Dedan and Hazor.

Supported by JFB

v22Jeremiah 48:40thematic

Identical imagery of the conqueror flying like an eagle and spreading wings over Moab/Bozrah.

Supported by JFB

v34Daniel 8:2thematic

Locates the province of Elam, reinforcing its historical identity and role in subsequent empires.

Supported by Matthew Henry