Jeremiah 49

Jer 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

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

(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.

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).

5. every man right forth--whithersoever chance may lead him

(Jer 46:5;

Ge 19:17);

straight before him, onwards at random

(Am 4:3).

none . . . gather up him, &c.--There shall be none to gather together the wandering fugitives, so as to care for them and restore

them to their own homes.

6. (Compare

Jer 48:47).

For the sake of "righteous" Lot their progenitor. Partially fulfilled

under Cyrus; in gospel times more fully.

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].

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).

Dedan--a tribe bordering on and made subject by Idumea; descended

from Jokshan, son of Abraham and Keturah

(Ge 25:1-3).

Esau--The naming of Edom's progenitor, reprobated by God, recalls

the remembrance of the old curse on him for his profanity, both his sin

and its punishment being perpetuated in his descendants

(Heb 12:16, 17).

9.

(Ob 5).

Grape gatherers, yea even thieves, leave something behind

them; but the Chaldeans will sweep Idumea clean of everything.

10. Edom became politically extinct after the time of the Romans.

uncovered his secret places--where he hid himself

(Jer 49:8)

and his treasures

(Isa 45:3).

I have caused that nothing should be so hidden as that the conqueror

should not find it.

brethren--Ammon.

neighbours--the Philistines.

11. Thy fatherless and widows must rest their hope in God alone, as

none of the adult males shall be left alive, so desperate will be the

affairs of Edom. The verse also, besides this threat, implies a promise

of mercy to Esau in God's good time, as there was to Moab and Ammon

(Jer 49:6;

Jer 48:47);

the extinction of the adult males is the prominent idea (compare

Jer 49:12).

12. (Compare

Jer 25:15, 16, 29).

they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup--the Jews to whom,

It might have been expected that they would be spared. He regards not

the merits of the Jews, for they were as bad or worse than others: but

the grace and adoption of God; it is just and natural ("judgment") that

God should pardon His sons sooner than aliens [CALVIN].

13. Bozrah--(See on

Jer 48:24).

14.

(Ob 1-3).

ambassador . . . unto the heathen--a messenger from God to stir up

the Chaldeans against Edom.

15. David and Joab had already humbled Edom

(2Sa 8:14).

16. terribleness--the terror which thou didst inspire into others.

deceived thee--rendered thee proudly confident, as if none would dare

to assail thee.

dwellest in . . . rock--Petra, the chief of Idumea, was cut in the

rocks; its ruins are very remarkable. The whole south of Idumea abounds

in cave dwellings and rocks.

though . . . nest . . . eagle--

(Job 39:27;

Ob 3, 4).

The eagle builds its nest in the highest craggy eyry.

17. (Compare

1Ki 9:8).

18.

(Jer 50:40;

De 29:23;

Am 4:11).

no man shall abide there--that is, of the Idumeans. The Romans had a

garrison there.

19. he--Nebuchadnezzar, or Nebuzara-dan; the name would at once

suggest itself to the minds of the hearers

(Jer 48:40; 46:18).

swelling--as a lion which the overflow of the Jordan forced out of

his lair on the banks, to ascend the neighboring heights

[CALVIN]. See

as to the translation, "pride of the Jordan,"

see on

Jer 12:5.

habitation of . . . strong--the fastnesses of Idumea (compare

Nu 24:21).

MAURER translates, "An ever verdant (literally,

'perennial') pasturage," that is, Idumea heretofore having enjoyed

uninterrupted tranquillity; so in

Jer 49:20

the image is retained, the Idumeans being compared to "a flock," and

their king to "a shepherd," in this verse, and the enemy to "a lion"

(compare

Jer 50:17-19).

English Version accords more with the Hebrew.

suddenly--"in the twinkling of an eye," as the Hebrew implies.

him . . . her--I will make Nebuzara-dan enter

Idumea, and then, having in the twinkling of an eye effected the

conquest, go away speedily: elsewhere. Instead of "but,"

translate, "for." GROTIUS translates, "run

upon her," or "to her," instead of "run away from her." MAURER understands it, "I will make him (the Idumean) run

away from her" (that is, from his own land); the similar change of

reference of the pronouns

(Jer 50:44)

favors this.

who is a chosen man, &c.--God calls the choicest warriors

to Him, to set "over" the work of devastating Idumea. God will

surely execute His purpose, for He can call forth from all sides the

agents He chooses.

who is like me?--

(Ex 15:11).

who will appoint me the time?--namely, for entering into a trial in

judgment with Me (see Margin). Image from law courts

(Job 9:19).

shepherd--leader of the Idumeans; following up the previous image,

"a lion"; no Idumean shepherd shall withstand the lion sent by Jehovah

(Job 41:10),

or save the Idumean flock.

20. least of the flock--the weakest and humblest of the Chaldean

host. Compare

Jer 6:3,

where the hostile leaders and their hosts are called "shepherds and

their flocks."

draw . . . out--"shall drag them away captive"

[GROTIUS];

shall drag them to and fro, as a lion

(Jer 49:19)

does feeble sheep [MAURER].

with them--that is, the habitation which they possess.

21. was heard in--that is, shall be heard at.

Red Sea--a considerable distance from Idumea; though the district at

the Elantic bay of the Red Sea originally belonged to Idumea, and the

sea itself was called from Edom, that is, "red"

(Ge 25:30,

Margin). Others translate, "the weedy sea" (Margin), and

derive the name, "Red Sea," from its red weeds; the former view is

preferable.

22. (Compare

Jer 48:40, 41).

Bozrah--(See on

Jer 48:24).

23. Prophecy as to Damascus, &c.

(Isa 17:1; 10:9).

The kingdom of Damascus was destroyed by Assyria, but the

city revived, and it is as to the latter Jeremiah now

prophesies. The fulfilment was probably about five years after the

destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 10.9,7].

Hamath is confounded--at the tidings of the overthrow of the

neighboring Damascus.

on the sea--that is, at the sea; the dwellers there are alarmed.

Other manuscripts read, "like the sea." "There is anxiety (restless) as

is the sea: they cannot quiet it," that is, it cannot be quieted

(Isa 57:20).

it--Whatever dwellers are there "cannot be quiet."

25. city of praise--The prophet, in the person of a citizen of

Damascus deploring its calamity, calls it "the city of praise," that is,

celebrated with praises everywhere for its beauty

(Jer 33:9; 51:41).

"How is it possible that such a city has not been left

whole--has not been spared by the foe?" Compare left,

Lu 17:35, 36.

So Israel "left" standing some of the Canaanite cities

(Jos 11:13).

of my joy--that is, in which I delighted.

26. Therefore--that is, Since Damascus is doomed to fall,

therefore, &c.

27. palaces of Ben-hadad--that palace from which so many evils and

such cruelty to Israel emanated; thus implying the cause of Damascus'

overthrow. Not the Ben-hadad of

2Ki 13:3;

Am 1:4;

it was a common name of the Syrian kings (compare

1Ki 15:18;

meaning "son of Hadad," the idol).

28. Kedar--son of Ishmael

(Ge 25:13).

The Kedarenes led a wandering predatory life in Arabia-Petræa, as

the Bedouin Arabs

(2Ch 21:16, 17;

Ps 120:5).

Kedar means "blackness"

(So 1:5).

Hazor--not the city in Palestine, but a district in Arabia-Petræa.

"Kingdoms" refer to the several combinations of clans, each under its

own sheik.

men of the east--Kedar and Hazor were east of Judea

(Jud 6:3;

Job 1:3).

29. tents--in which they dwelt, from which they are called Scenites,

that is, tent dwellers.

curtains--namely, with which the tents were covered

(Jer 4:20; 10:20;

Ps 104:2).

they shall cry unto them, Fear, &c.--The foe, on crying,

Fear . . ., shall discomfit them (the Kedarenes) by their mere cry.

30. (See on

Jer 49:8).

No conqueror would venture to follow them into the desert.

31. wealthy--rather, "tranquil"

(1Ch 4:40).

neither gates nor bars--The Arabs, lying out of the track of the

contending powers of Asia and Africa, took no measures of defense and

had neither walled cities nor gates

(Eze 38:11).

They thought their scanty resources and wilderness position would tempt

no foe.

alone--separated from other nations, without allies; and from one

another scattered asunder. So as to Israel's isolation

(Nu 23:9;

De 33:28;

Mic 7:14).

32. camels--their chief possessions; not fields or vineyards.

in utmost . . . corners--who seemed least likely to be dispersed. Or

else, "having the hair shaven (or clipped) in angles"

(Jer 9:26; 25:23)

[GROTIUS].

calamity from all sides--which will force even those in "corners" to

"scatter" themselves.

33.

(Mal 1:3).

34. Elam--part of Susiana, west of Persia proper, but used to designate

Persia in general. Elam proper, or Elymais, nearer Judea than Persia, is

probably here meant; it had helped Nebuchadnezzar against Judea; hence

its punishment. It may have been idolatrous, whereas Persia proper was

mainly monotheistic.

35. bow--Elam was famed for its bowmen

(Isa 22:6).

chief of their might--in opposition to "bow," that is, bowmen, who

constituted their main strength.

36. four winds, &c.--Nebuchadnezzar's army containing soldiers from

the four quarters.

37. consumed--as a distinct nation

(Da 8:2-27).

Fulfilled under Alexander and his successors.

38. I will show Myself King by My judgments there, as though My

tribunal were erected there. The throne of Cyrus, God's instrument, set

up over Media, of which Elam was a part, may be meant

[GROTIUS]; or

rather, that of Nebuchadnezzar

(Jer 43:10).

Then the restoration of Elam

(Jer 49:39)

will refer partly to that which took place on the reduction of

Babylon by Cyrus, prince of Persia and Media.

39. latter days--The full restoration belongs to gospel times.

Elamites were among the first who heard and accepted it

(Ac 2:9).