Jeremiah 49

ENGWEBEnglish39 verses

1Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says: Has Israel no sons? has he no heir? why then does Malcam possess Gad, and his people well 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 shall become a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel possess those who possessed him, says Yahweh.

3Wail, 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 shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.

4Why do you glory in the valleys, your flowing valley, backsliding daughter? who trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come to me?

5Behold, I will bring a fear on you, says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, from all who are around you; and you shall be driven out every man right out, and there shall be no one to gather together the fugitives.

6But afterward I will bring back the captivity of the children of Ammon, says Yahweh.

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

8Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau on him, the time that I shall visit him.

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

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

11Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let your widows trust in me.

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

13For I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, that Bozrah shall become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all its cities shall be perpetual wastes.

14I have heard news from Yahweh, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, Gather yourselves together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

15For, 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.

17Edom shall become an astonishment: everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all its plagues.

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

19Behold, he shall 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, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and 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 shall drag them away, the little ones of the flock; surely he shall 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 shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread out his wings against Bozrah: and the heart of the mighty men of Edom at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

23Of Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad; for they have heard evil news, they are 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 on 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 shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be brought to silence in that day, says Yahweh of Armies.

27I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall 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.

29Their tents and their flocks shall they take; they shall carry away for themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall 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 have neither gates nor bars, that dwell alone.

32Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their livestock a plunder: and 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 shall be a dwelling place of jackals, a desolation forever: no man shall dwell there, neither shall 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,

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

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

37I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before those who seek their life; and 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;

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

39But it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring back the captivity of Elam, says Yahweh.

Commentary

CHAPTER 49Jer 49:1-39. Predictions as to Ammon, Idumea, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam.The event of the prophecy as to Ammon preceded that as to Moab (see on [989]Jer 49:3); and in Eze 21:26-28, the destruction of Ammon is subjoined to the deposition of Zedekiah.1. Hath Israel … no heir?—namely, to occupy the land of Gad, after it itself has been carried away captive by Shalmaneser. Ammon, like Moab, descended from Lot, lay north of Moab, from which it was separated by the river Arnon, and east of Reuben and Gad (Jos 13:24, 25) on the same side of Jordan. It seized on Gad when Israel was carried captive. Judah was by the right of kindred the heir, not Ammon; but Ammon joined with Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem (2Ki 24:2) and exulted over its fall (Ps 83:4-7, 8; Zep 2:8, 9). It had already, in the days of Jeroboam, in Israel's affliction, tried to "enlarge its border" (2Ki 14:26; Am 1:1, 13).their king—(Am 1:15); referring to Melchom, their tutelary idol (Zep 1:5); and so the Septuagint reads it here as a proper name (1Ki 11:5, 33; 2Ki 23:13). The Ammonite god is said to do what they do, namely, occupy the Israelite land of Gad. To Jehovah, the theocratic "King" of Israel, the land belonged of right; so that their Molech or Melchom was a usurper-king.his people—the people of Melchom, "their king." Compare "people of Chemosh," Jer 48:46.

49:1-6. 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.

49:1 No heir - During the long tract of time that there were wars between the Jews and Ammonites, the land of Gad and Reuben which lay beyond Jordan, fell into the hands of the Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. Hence it is that the prophet saith, Hath Israel no sons? God had given that country of Gilead to Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad; and as mens estates ought to descend to their heirs, so this land should have descended to their posterity, but the Ammonites had taken and possessed it.

2. Rabbah—"the great," metropolis of Ammon (2Sa 12:26-30). Its destruction is foretold also in Eze 25:5; Am 1:14, 15.her daughters—the towns and villages, dependencies of the metropolis (Jos 15:45).shall … be heir—shall possess those who possessed him. The full accomplishment of this is still future; partially fulfilled under the Maccabees (1 Maccabees 5:6).

3. Heshbon … Ai—Nebuchadnezzar, coming from the north, first attacked Ammon, then its brother and neighbor, Moab. As Ai of Ammon had already suffered destruction, Heshbon of Moab being near it might well fear the same fate.hedges—Their cities being destroyed, the outcasts have no place of shelter save behind the "hedges" of vineyards and gardens; or else the enclosures of their villages.their king—Melchom, the idol, as the mention of "his priests" shows (compare Jer 48:7).

4. thy flowing valley—rather, "thy valley shall flow," namely with the blood of the slain; in sad contrast to their "valleys" in which they had heretofore "gloried," as flowing with milk and honey [Grotius]. Or else, as Margin, "shall flow away."backsliding—apostate from Jehovah, the God of their father Lot, to Molech.treasures—her resources for resisting the foe.Who shall, &c.—Who can come … (Jer 21:13).

7. Concerning Edom—a distinct prophecy, copied in part from Obadiah, but with the freedom of one himself inspired and foretelling a later calamity. Obadiah's was fulfilled probably in Sennacherib's time (compare Isa 34:5; Am 1:11); Jeremiah's about the same time as his preceding prophecies (Jer 49:12; Eze 25:12).wisdom—for which the Arabs and the people of Teman (a city of Edom) in particular, were famed (Ge 36:15; 1Ki 4:30; see Job, everywhere; Ob 8).vanished—literally, "poured out," that is, exhausted (compare Isa 19:3, Margin) [Maurer]. Or, as the kindred Ethiopic word means, "worn out" [Ludovicus De Dieu].

49:7 Edom - The Edomites were the posterity of Esau the eldest son of Isaac, but disinherited; the blessing being given to his younger brother Jacob, who was head of the twelve tribes of Israel. God promised him that he should have a fat, and plentiful country, tho' his brother should be his lord; and foretold, that he should break his brother's yoke from off his neck: the land of Seir was his country. The Edomites coasted southward upon Canaan, the Israelites passed by their coasts to go into Canaan, their way lay thro' Edom, but their king refusing to suffer them to go through, God ordered them to go another way. Balaam prophesied their ruin. They were enemies to the Israelites in the time of Saul, 1Sam 14:47, and David, 2Sam 8:14, and Amaziah, 2Kings 14:17, who slew of them ten thousand, and took Selah, calling it Jokteel. Many of the prophets foretold their ruin, Jeremiah in this place, Ezek 25:12 - 14 Joel 3:19 Amos 9:11,12, and others. Teman - Was a city of Edom.

49:7-22 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.

8. turn—namely, your backs in flight.dwell deep—in deep defiles and caves [Grotius], which abound in Idumea. Others refer it to the Arab custom of retiring into the depth of the desert when avoiding an offended foe (Jer 49:30).

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG ስለ አሞን ልጆች፤ እግዚአብሔር እንዲህ ይላል፦ ለእስራኤል ልጆች የሉትምን? ወይስ ወራሽ የለውምን? ስለ ምን ሚልኮም ጋድን ወረሰ? ሕዝቡስ በከተሞቹ ላይ ስለ ምን ተቀመጠ? አማርኛ ENGNIV Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the Lord says: “Has Israel no sons? Has she no heirs? Why then has Molech taken … English BCV እግዚኣብሄር ብዛዕባ ደቂ ኣሞን ዝበሎ እዙይ እዩ፦ “ንእስራኤልዶ ውሉድ የብሉን እዩ? ወረስቲኸ የብሉን ድዩ? ስለ ምንታይ ድኣ እቲ ሚልኮም ንጉሶም ንጋድ ዝወረሳ? ህዝቡ ኸዓ ኣብ ከተማታቱ … ትግርኛ GAZBIB Waaqayyo waa'ee biyya Amooniif kanatti fufee kan jiru in dubbate; inni,“Israa'el ilmaan isa dhaalan hin qabuu ree” Maal… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ በእንተ ደቂቀ አሞን፤ ከመዝ ይቤ እግዚአብሔር፦ አልቦኑ ደቂቅ በውስተ እስራኤል፤ ወአልቦኑ ዘይወርስ እምኔሆሙ ከመ ይረስ ሞሎክ ለጋድ ወሕዝቡ ውስተ አህጉሪሁ ይንበር። giz GAZGAZ Waaqayyo waa'ee biyya Amooniif kanatti fufee kan jiru in dubbate; inni,“Israa'el ilmaan isa dhaalan hin qabuu ree” Maal… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum እግዚኣብሄር ብዛዕባ ደቂ ኣሞን ዝበሎ እዙይ እዩ፦ “ንእስራኤልዶ ውሉድ የብሉን እዩ? ወረስቲኸ የብሉን ድዩ? ስለ ምንታይ ድኣ እቲ ሚልኮም ንጉሶም ንጋድ ዝወረሳ? ህዝቡ ኸዓ ኣብ ከተማታቱ … ትግርኛ AMHNIV ስለ አሞናውያን፤ እግዚአብሔር እንዲህ ይላል፤ “እስራኤል ወንዶች ልጆች አልወለደምን? ወራሾችስ የሉትምን? ታዲያ፣ ሚልኮምሸ ጋድን ለምን ወረሰ? የእርሱ ሰዎች ለምን በከተሞቿ ይኖራሉ? አማርኛ