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Jeremiah 48

Jeremiah 48:45

Judgment on Moab · Jeremiah 48:1–47
Read Jeremiah 48

Translations

Modern
“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult.
Traditional
They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
Literal
“In the shadow of Heshbon stand those fleeing powerless; for a fire has gone forth from Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and it devours the forehead of Moab and the crown of the sons of tumult.
Latin
In umbra Hesebon steterunt de laqueo fugientes, quia ignis egressus est de Hesebon, et flamma de medio Seon: et devorabit partem Moab, et verticem filiorum tumultus.

Original

Hebrew
English
“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult.

Notes

Jeremiah 48:45

  • If the Moabites fled north, they would meet their enemies at Heshbon.

  • fire has gone forth from Heshbon: (compare Numbers 21:28).

Jeremiah 48:43–45

The people of Moab could not escape the terror (Hebrew pakhad), traps (Hebrew pakhath), and snares (Hebrew pakh).

Jeremiah 48:1–47

Moab, one of two nations descended from Abraham’s nephew Lot (Genesis 19:36–38), was the next nation judged in the Lord’s courtroom (compare Isaiah 15–16). Moab’s land was between the Arnon River and the Zered Brook, east of the Dead Sea. At that time, the Moabites felt confident because they were mostly safe from Babylonian military power. However, the Lord found the Moabites to be greedy and cruel, and their worship was violent and indulgent.

Jeremiah 48:1–49:6

The Lord ordered the destruction and future rebuilding of Moab and Ammon. These two nations came from Lot, who was Abraham's nephew (Genesis 19:36–38).

Events

Parallels

Isaiah 15:1–9

People

Sihon: Amorite king of Heshbon, defeated by the Israelites

Places

Heshbon: Amorite city conquered by Moses, allotted to Reuben Moab: Ancient kingdom east of the Dead Sea in Jordan

Glossary

Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (Old Testament) Book of Jeremiah Midian, Midianite Moab, Moabites Nations