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Jeremiah48

The LORD pronounces a comprehensive judgment against Moab, decreeing its utter destruction for its pride and trust in its own works and idol, Chemosh. Cities like Nebo and Kiriathaim are spoiled, and the land is filled with crying and desolation. Moab, which had long been at ease, will now face widespread calamity and be made a derision.
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Judgment Declared Against Moab

1
Of Moab. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe unto Nebo! for it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and broken down. ​
2
The praise of Moab is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her: Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. Thou also, O Madmen, shalt be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue thee. ​
3
The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
4
Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
5
For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.
6
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. ​
7
For, because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his princes together. ​
8
And the destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; as Jehovah hath spoken.
9
Give wings unto Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.
10
Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. ​

Moab's Complacency and Ease

11
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remaineth in him, and his scent is not changed. ​
12
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will send unto him them that pour off, and they shall pour him off; and they shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles in pieces.
13
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence. ​

The Destruction and Shame of Moab

14
How say ye, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?
15
Moab is laid waste, and they are gone up into his cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts. ​
16
The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
17
All ye that are round about him, bemoan him, and all ye that know his name; say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod! ​
18
O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the destroyer of Moab is come up against thee, he hath destroyed thy strongholds.
19
O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch: ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth; say, What hath been done?
20
Moab is put to shame; for it is broken down: wail and cry; tell ye it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
21
And judgment is come upon the plain country, upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath,
22
and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,
23
and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,
24
and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
25
The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith Jehovah. ​
26
Make ye him drunken; for he magnified himself against Jehovah: and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision. ​
27
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head. ​
28
O ye inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock; and be like the dove that maketh her nest over the mouth of the abyss.

The Divine Condemnation of Moab's Pride

29
We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogancy, and the haughtiness of his heart. ​
30
I know his wrath, saith Jehovah, that it is nought; his boastings have wrought nothing.
31
Therefore will I wail for Moab; yea, I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir-heres shall they mourn.
32
With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah: thy branches passed over the sea, they reached even to the sea of Jazer: upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage the destroyer is fallen. ​
33
And gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting.
34
From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, even unto Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, to Eglath-shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.
35
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith Jehovah, him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods. ​
36
Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.
37
For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. ​
38
On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof there is lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein none delighteth, saith Jehovah.
39
How is it broken down! how do they wail! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all that are round about him.

Inescapable Doom and Future Hope

40
For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab. ​
41
Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
42
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against Jehovah.
43
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith Jehovah.
44
He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon him, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah. ​
45
They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
46
Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity.
47
Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith Jehovah. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. ​

Study Notes for Jeremiah 48

Verse 1

This chapter is one of Jeremiah’s major 'Oracles Against the Nations' (chapters 46–51). Moab, located east of the Dead Sea, was judged primarily for its pride and historic antagonism toward Israel. Nebo and Kiriathaim were important Moabite cities.

Verse 2

Heshbon, though sometimes ruled by Moab, is here shown as the place where the invading forces (likely Babylon) plot the complete destruction of the nation, aiming to erase Moab’s identity.

Verse 6

The prophet urges the people to flee and hide, comparing them to a desolate shrub (the heath or juniper) seeking shelter in the arid wilderness.

Verse 7

Moab is condemned for trusting in its own economic 'works and treasures' rather than the Lord. Chemosh was the national god of Moab; his capture symbolizes the ultimate failure of Moab’s religious and political defenses.

Verse 10

This is a unique imprecation (curse) directed at the invading army (Babylonians), urging them to carry out God’s devastating judgment fully and without holding back or showing mercy.

Verse 11

The metaphor of 'settled on his lees' refers to wine left undisturbed on its sediment, becoming strong but retaining a stagnant taste. Moab had avoided major invasions or exile, leading to national complacency, arrogance, and an unchanged, stubborn character.

Verse 13

Moab will suffer shame for trusting Chemosh, just as the northern kingdom of Israel was shamed by its false worship centers, particularly the golden calf cult at Bethel.

Verse 15

The title 'the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts' emphasizes that the imminent destruction is not merely a political event but a divine judgment executed by the sovereign God of Israel.

Verse 17

The 'strong staff' and 'beautiful rod' refer metaphorically to Moab’s once-great political and military power, now completely shattered.

Verse 25

The 'horn' and 'arm' are common biblical symbols of national strength, military power, and dignity. Cutting off the horn and breaking the arm signifies total national incapacitation.

Verse 26

Moab is forced to drink the 'cup of the LORD’s wrath' (cf. Jer. 25:15), a metaphor for divine judgment that leads to staggering, confusion, and utter humiliation ('wallow in his vomit').

Verse 27

A primary reason for Moab’s severe judgment was its history of mocking and rejoicing over Israel’s misfortunes and downfall (cf. Ezek. 25:8-11).

Verse 29

Moab’s excessive pride (hubris) is the central theological reason for the severity of its judgment. This pride manifested as self-sufficiency and arrogance against the divine authority.

Verse 32

Sibmah was famous for its rich vineyards and excellent wine. The spoiling of the vintage symbolizes the loss of prosperity, joy, and the foundational aspects of Moabite culture and economy.

Verse 35

The cessation of sacrifices in the high places and incense offerings signifies the destruction of Moab’s religious system and the final victory of the LORD over Chemosh.

Verse 37

Shaving the head and beard, along with self-inflicted cuttings and sackcloth, were standard, visible signs of extreme grief and mourning in the ancient Near East, demonstrating total devastation.

Verse 40

The image of the enemy flying like an eagle refers to the speed, power, and vast reach of the Babylonian invasion, signifying that the attack will be swift and overwhelming (cf. Deut. 28:49).

Verse 44

This proverb describes inescapable judgment: those fleeing one catastrophe (fear) fall into another (the pit), and those escaping the pit are caught in a third trap (the snare). Judgment is comprehensive.

Verse 47

Unlike many enemies of Israel, Moab is promised a future restoration 'in the latter days.' This demonstrates God’s ultimate authority over all nations and his capacity for redemptive mercy, even toward historic adversaries.

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