TRV
Translation
King James Version
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
Complete Jewish Bible
A curse on him who does the work of ADONAI carelessly! A curse on him who withholds his sword from blood!
Berean Standard Bible
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
American Standard Version
Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
World English Bible Messianic
Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Cursed be he that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently, and cursed be he that keepeth backe his sword from blood.
Young's Literal Translation
Cursed is he who is doing the work of Jehovah slothfully, And cursed is he Who is withholding his sword from blood.
Study This Verse
Commentary on Jeremiah 48 verses 1–13
1 ¶ Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.
2 There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.
3 A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.
4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
5 For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a 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 shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.
8 And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.
9 Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.
10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
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 remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
12 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.
13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
We may observe in these verses,
I. The author of Moab's destruction; it is the Lord of hosts, that has armies, all armies, at his command, and the God of Israel (Jer 48:1), who will herein plead the cause of his Israel against a people that have always been vexatious to them, and will punish them now for the injuries done to Israel of old, though Israel was forbidden to meddle with them (Deu 2:9), therefore the destruction of Moab is called the work of the Lord (Jer 48:10), for it is he that pleads for Israel; and his work will exactly agree with his word, Jer 48:8.
II. The instruments of it: Spoilers shall come (Jer 48:8), shall come with a sword, a sword that shall pursue them, Jer 48:2. "I will send unto him wanderers, such as come from afar, as if they were vagrants, or had missed their way, but they shall cause him to wander; they seem as wanderers themselves, but they shall make the Moabites to be really wanderers, some to flee and others to be carried into captivity." These destroyers stir up themselves to do execution; they have devised evil against Heshbon, one of the principal cities of Moab, and they aim at no less than the ruin of the kingdom: Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation (Jer 48:2); nothing less will serve the turn of the invaders; they come, not to plunder it, but to ruin it. The prophet, in God's name, engages them to make thorough work of it (Jer 48:10): Cursed be he that does the work of the Lord deceitfully, this bloody work, this destroying work; though it goes against the grain with men of compassion, yet it is the work of the Lord, and must not be done by the halves. The Chaldeans have it in charge, by a secret instinct (says Mr. Gataker), to destroy the Moabites, and therefore they must not spare, must not, out of foolish pity, keep back their sword from blood; they would thereby bring a sword, and a curse with it, upon themselves, as Saul did by sparing the Amalekites and Ahab by letting Benhadad go. Thy life shall go for his life. To this work is applied that general rule given to all that are employed in any service for God, Cursed by he that does the work of the Lord deceitfully or negligently, that pretends to do it, but does it not to purpose, makes a show of serving God's glory, but is really serving his own ends and carries on the work of the Lord no further than will suit his own purposes, or that is slothful in business for God and takes neither care nor pains to do it as it should be done, Mal 1:14. Let not such deceive themselves, for God will not thus be mocked.
III. The woeful instances and effects of this destruction. The cities shall be laid in ruins; they shall be spoiled (Jer 48:1) and cut down (Jer 48:2); they shall be desolate (Jer 48:9), without any to dwell therein; there shall be no houses to dwell in, or no people to dwell in them, or no safety and ease to those that would dwell in them. Every city shall be spoiled and no city shall escape. The strongest city shall not be able to secure itself against the enemies' power, nor shall the finest city be able to recommend itself to the enemies' pity and favour. The country also shall be wasted, the valley shall perish, and the plain be destroyed, Jer 48:8. The corn and the flocks, which used to cover the plains and make the valleys rejoice, shall all be destroyed, eaten up, trodden down, or carried off. The most sacred persons shall not escape: The priests and princes shall go together into captivity. Nay, Chemosh, the god they worship, who, they hope, will protect them, shall share with them in the ruin; his temples shall be laid in ashes and his image carried away with the rest of the spoil. Now the consequence of all this will be, 1. Great shame and confusion: Kirjathaim is confounded, and Misgah is so. They shall be ashamed of the mighty boasts they have sometimes made of their cities: There shall be no more vaunting in Moab concerning Heshbon (so it might be read, Jer 48:2); they shall no more boast of the strength of that city when the evil which is designed against it is brought upon it. Nor shall they any more boast of their gods (Jer 48:13); they shall be ashamed of Chemosh (ashamed of all the prayers they have made to and all the confidence they put in that dunghill deity), as Israel was ashamed of Beth-el, of the golden calf they had at Beth-el, which they confided in as their protector, but were deceived in, for it was not able to save them from the Assyrians; nor shall Chemosh be able to save the Moabites from the Chaldeans. Note, Those that will not be convinced and made ashamed of the folly of their idolatry by the word of God shall be convinced and made ashamed of it by the judgments of God, when they shall find by woeful experience the utter inability of the gods they have served to do them any service. 2. There will be great sorrow; there is a voice of crying heard (Jer 48:3) and the cry is nothing but spoiling and great destruction. Alas! alas! Moab is destroyed, Jer 48:4. The great ones having quitted the cities to shift for their own safety, even the little ones have caused a cry to be heard, the meaner sort of people, or the little children, the innocent harmless ones, whose cries at such a time are the most piteous. Go up to the hills, go down to the valleys, and you meet with continual weeping (weeping with weeping); all are in tears; you meet none with dry eyes. Even the enemies have heard the cry, from whom it would have been policy to conceal it, for they will be animated and encouraged by it; but it is so great that it cannot be hid, 3. There will be great hurry; they will cry to one another, "Away, away! flee; save your lives (Jer 48:6); shift for your own safety with all imaginable speed, though you escape as bare and naked as the heath, or grig, or dry shrub, in the wilderness; think not of carrying away any thing you have, for it may cost you your life to attempt it, Mat 24:16-18. Take shelter, though it be in a barren wilderness, that you may have your lives for a prey. The danger will come suddenly and swiftly; and therefore give wings unto Moab (Jer 48:9); that would be the greatest kindness you could do them; that is what they will call for, O that we had wings like a dove! for unless they have wings, and can fly, there will be no escaping."
IV. The sins for which God will now reckon with Moab, and which justify God in these severe proceedings against them. 1. It is because they have been secure, and have trusted in their wealth and strength, in their works and in their treasures, Jer 48:7. They had taken a great deal of pains to fortify their cities and make large works about them, and to fill their exchequer and private coffers, so that they thought themselves in as good a posture for war as any people could be and that none durst invade them, and therefore set danger at defiance. They trusted in the abundance of their riches and strengthened themselves in their wickedness, Psa 52:7. Now, for this reason, that they may have a sensible conviction of the vanity and folly of their carnal confidences, God will send an enemy that will master their works and rifle their treasures. Note, We forfeit the comfort of that creature which we repose that confidence in which should be reposed in God only. The reed will break that is leaned upon. 2. It is because they have not made a right improvement of the days of the peace and prosperity, Jer 48:11. (1.) They had been long undisturbed: Moab has been at ease from his youth. It was an ancient kingdom before Israel was, and had enjoyed great tranquillity, though a small country and surrounded with potent neighbours. God's Israel were afflicted from their youth (Psa 129:1, Psa 129:2), but Moab at ease from his youth. He has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, has not known any troublesome weakening changes, but is as wine kept on the lees, and not racked or drawn off, by which it retains its strength and body. He has not been unsettled, nor any way made uneasy; he has not gone into captivity, as Israel have often done, and yet Moab is a wicked idolatrous nation, and one of the confederates against God's hidden ones, Psa 83:3, Psa 83:6. Note, There are many that persist in unrepented iniquity and yet enjoy uninterrupted prosperity. (2.) They had been as long corrupt and unreformed: He has settled on his lees; he has been secure and sensual in his prosperity, has rested in it, and fetched all the strength and life of the soul from it, as the wine from the lees. His taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed; he is still the same, as bad as ever he was. Note, While bad people are as happy as they used to be in the world it is no marvel if they are bad as they used to be. They have no changes of their peace and prosperity, therefore fear not God, their hearts and lives are unchanged, Psa 55:19.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–13. Public domain.
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Basil of CaesareaAD 379
THE LONG RULES 9
What condemnation, then, ought we to expect to fall on those who are frivolous and irresponsible in the management of goods that are already consecrated to the Lord? Are they not liable to the sentence of doom pronounced on the negligent, as it is written, “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord negligently”?
Basil of CaesareaAD 379
ON RENUNCIATION OF THE WORLD
Do not allow another to do the work that is rightly yours, so that the reward as well may not be taken from you and given to another and he be enriched with your wealth while you are put to shame. Perform the duties of your ministry decently and with care as if you were serving Christ, for “cursed,” says the prophet, “is everyone who does the work of the Lord negligently.” Fear, as if the eye of the Lord were on you, the perversity that arises from fastidiousness and contempt, even though the task in hand seems to you a menial one. The work of the ministry is an exalted work and leads to the kingdom of heaven.
Basil of CaesareaAD 379
THE LONG RULES 24
It is hazardous for a superior to be delinquent, since he holds the position of arbiter in everything. It is both injurious and detrimental for those under their charge when they are disobedient. It is especially perilous if, in addition, the one who is in a superior position is scandalous. Each one who shows in his own place a tireless zeal, fulfilling the apostle’s precept, “in carefulness not slothful,” merits praise for his promptness. But for negligence he deserves the opposite, that is, unhappiness and woe. For the prophet says, “Cursed is the one who does the work of the Lord negligently.”
Basil of CaesareaAD 379
CONCERNING BAPTISM 2:6
Elsewhere, he expresses his condemnation more vividly: “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels.” Then he alleges not the commission of any forbidden act but the omission of commended ones, saying, “For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink,” and so on. There are many passages like that that one might find to prove that not only are those who do wicked things worthy of death—for whom has been prepared the inextinguishable fire as well—but that along with these those are condemned who leave good works undone or who perform them negligently. For it is written, “Cursed is every person who does the work of the Lord negligently.”
JeromeAD 420
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 34
“Awake, lyre and harp.” O psaltery, O harp, you were made and fashioned to give praise to God; awake my harp and give praise; why do you lie idle? O monk, you are standing there in body; why is your soul listless, why are you not chanting praises to the Lord? “Cursed is one who is remiss in doing the Lord’s work.” If you are a psaltery, if you are a harp, why are you so mute and not glorifying God? “I will wake the dawn.” There is not blessing and praising God in darkness but only in light. I am going to say something startling. Even if we arise in the nighttime, we are blessing God in light. For the Christian, it is never night; for the Christian, the sun of justice is ever rising.
Sulpicius SeverusAD 425
LETTERS OF SULPITIUS SEVERUS 2:19
When you repeat a psalm, consider whose words you are repeating and delight yourself more with true contrition of soul than with the pleasantness of a thrilling voice. For God sets a higher value on the tears of one thus praising him than on the beauty of his voice; as the prophet says, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Now, where there is fear and trembling, there is no lifting up of the voice but humility of mind with lamentation and tears. Display diligence in all your doings; for it is written, “Cursed is the one who carelessly performs the work of the Lord.” Let grace grow in you with years; let righteousness increase with age; and let your faith appear the more perfect the older you become.
Caesarius of ArlesAD 542
SERMON 77:1
I exhort and admonish you, dearly beloved, that whenever the priest prays at the altar or when the deacon intones the prayer in a loud voice, you devoutly bow your bodies as well as your hearts. I have carefully noted that when the deacon says the usual flectamus genua, most of the people frequently remain standing like straight columns. This is not at all proper or right for Christians who are praying in church, because the deacon does not pray for us from you. Since those words are addressed to you in particular and most of all to the negligent, it is just for you to devoutly obey them. Let that prayer become a remedy for those who obey it but evidence against those who do not, according to the words, “Cursed is one who does the work of God carelessly.” We also ought to fear and perfectly accomplish what the apostle said: “Be attentive in prayer, being vigilant,” and “pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks.”
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
PASTORAL RULE 3:25
If persons by no means ignorant of the medicinal art were to see a sore that required lancing and yet refused to lance it, certainly by their mere inactivity they would be guilty of a brother’s death. Let them see, then, in how great guilt they are involved who, knowing the sores of souls, neglect to cure them by the lancing of words. And so, it is well said through the prophet, “Cursed is one who keeps back his sword from blood.” For to keep back the sword from blood is to hold back the word of preaching from the killing of the carnal life. Of which sword it is said again, “And my sword shall devour flesh.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 48:10 issues a profound and severe imprecation against those who perform the Lord's divinely appointed work with negligence or deceit, and equally against those who shrink from fully executing the necessary, albeit violent, aspects of His judgment. This powerful verse, set within the context of God's judgment against Moab, underscores the absolute seriousness with which the Almighty regards obedience, diligence, and unwavering commitment in fulfilling His sovereign will, particularly when it involves punitive action against rebellious nations.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 48:10 is rich with potent literary devices that amplify its message. The most prominent is Imprecation, a solemn curse or denunciation, which is emphatically stated twice, underscoring the absolute severity and certainty of the pronouncement. This precise repetition also creates a powerful form of Parallelism, specifically synonymous or intensifying parallelism, where the second clause ("cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood") deepens and clarifies the meaning of the first ("cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully"), demonstrating that the "deceitful work" is precisely the failure to fully execute the judgment. The phrase "keepeth back his sword from blood" is a striking example of Metonymy or Synecdoche, where "sword" represents the act of warfare and destruction, and "blood" represents the full, lethal consequences and required thoroughness of battle. It functions as a powerful Idiom, conveying the precise idea of failing to complete a task of judgment to its full, intended, and often brutal extent, frequently out of misplaced pity, reluctance, or a desire to avoid the unpleasantness of the task. The imagery employed is intensely Visceral and direct, designed to evoke a strong, uncompromising response and leave no doubt about the absolute and unyielding nature of the divine command.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 48:10, despite its harsh context of divine judgment, reveals profound and enduring truths about God's character and His expectations for those involved in His work. It teaches that God is utterly sovereign over all nations and that His purposes, even those involving widespread destruction, will be accomplished with absolute certainty. More importantly, it highlights that God demands absolute integrity, unwavering diligence, and uncompromising obedience from those who serve as His instruments, whether they are conscious, willing servants or unwitting agents. There is no room for half-heartedness, negligence, compromise, or selective obedience when executing a divine mandate. The severe curse pronounced underscores the immense gravity of such a commission and the profound accountability of those who receive it. This foundational principle extends far beyond military judgment to encompass all forms of God's work, emphasizing that all tasks performed for the Lord must be undertaken with the utmost sincerity, thoroughness, and dedication, reflecting His own perfect and holy character.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the immediate historical context of Jeremiah 48:10 is the execution of divine judgment through warfare, its underlying principles hold profound and enduring relevance for believers in every age. This verse serves as a powerful challenge, compelling us to deeply examine our own commitment, diligence, and integrity in every "work of the LORD" that we undertake. This expansive concept includes not only formal ministry, evangelism, or acts of charity, but also our daily vocations, our family responsibilities, our personal spiritual disciplines (like prayer and Bible study), and our engagement with issues of justice and truth in the world. Are we performing these tasks with integrity, passion, and thoroughness, or are we acting "deceitfully"—with negligence, procrastination, half-heartedness, or a lack of genuine zeal? The "sword" in our hands today might metaphorically represent the Word of God, the call to confront sin in our lives or in the church, or the necessity to stand firm against spiritual compromise. Are we "keeping back our sword from blood" by avoiding difficult conversations, shrinking from spiritual battles, or failing to fully commit to the challenging demands of true discipleship? This potent verse calls us to a radical, uncompromising commitment to God's revealed will, reminding us that He values not only the ultimate outcome but, perhaps even more so, the heart, diligence, and integrity with which His sacred work is done.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "the work of the LORD" in this verse refer to all good deeds or specifically to acts of judgment?
Answer: While "the work of the LORD" (H4399, mᵉlâʼkâh) can broadly refer to any task, ministry, or labor undertaken for God, in the specific literary and historical context of Jeremiah 48:10, it primarily refers to the divinely ordained judgment against Moab. The second clause, "keepeth back his sword from blood," explicitly ties the "work" to a military and punitive context. Therefore, it is about the thorough and uncompromising execution of God's judgment, typically carried out by instruments like the Babylonian army. However, the underlying principle of diligence and integrity in all God's commands can be applied more broadly to Christian life, as seen in Colossians 3:23.
How can a loving God command such violence and then curse those who show mercy?
Answer: This is indeed a challenging aspect of Old Testament divine judgment for modern readers. The biblical narrative consistently presents God as both infinitely loving and perfectly just. His judgments against nations like Moab were not arbitrary acts of wrath but were the culmination of centuries of their persistent rebellion, idolatry, pride, and often, their active oppression and mockery of God's people (e.g., Jeremiah 48:26-27). The severity of the judgment reflects the gravity of their deep-seated sin and God's absolute holiness, which cannot tolerate unrepentant evil indefinitely. When God commissions an instrument for judgment, He expects full and uncompromising obedience, as any partiality or mercy might be seen as undermining His righteous decree and allowing evil to persist or even flourish. This demonstrates God's ultimate sovereignty and the profound seriousness with which He views both sin and the complete execution of His divine will. It serves as a powerful reminder that God's ways and His perfect justice are often higher and more complex than our human understanding, even when they appear harsh from our limited perspective.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 48:10, with its stern curse against those who perform God's work deceitfully or hold back from executing His judgment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in several profound and redemptive ways. First and foremost, Jesus Christ perfectly embodies the one who never did "the work of the LORD deceitfully." His entire earthly ministry, from His humble incarnation to His agonizing crucifixion, was marked by absolute, unwavering obedience, perfect integrity, and diligent commitment to the Father's will, fulfilling every prophetic word and divine command without compromise, sloth, or personal reservation (as declared in John 4:34 and John 17:4). He did not "keep back his sword" from the ultimate "blood"—His own precious blood—shed on the cross, which was the final, decisive, and perfect act of God's righteous judgment against sin, and simultaneously the purchase of eternal salvation for humanity (a truth beautifully articulated in Hebrews 9:22).
Furthermore, Christ is revealed as the ultimate and perfectly righteous executor of God's judgment, who will one day wield the "sword" of divine justice with absolute precision and without holding back (as vividly depicted in Revelation 19:15). Unlike fallible human instruments who might falter, act with mixed motives, or show misplaced mercy, Jesus will perfectly fulfill all of God's righteous decrees, bringing both salvation and condemnation to their full, intended, and just measure. Thus, this Old Testament curse, while initially directed at human agents of judgment, ultimately points forward to the perfect and complete obedience of Christ, who fully accomplished the Father's will, establishing His eternal kingdom and securing everlasting redemption through His unwavering, decisive, and complete commitment to the "work of the LORD."