Jeremiah 48:46

Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

Woe {H188} be unto thee, O Moab {H4124}! the people {H5971} of Chemosh {H3645} perisheth {H6}: for thy sons {H1121} are taken {H3947} captives {H7628}, and thy daughters {H1323} captives {H7633}.

Woe to you, Mo'av! K'mosh's people are doomed! For your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters led into captivity.

Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity.

Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity.

Jeremiah 48:46 delivers a solemn pronouncement of doom upon Moab, emphasizing the complete devastation that awaits them due to their idolatry and opposition to God. This verse encapsulates the severe consequences of rejecting the true God and relying on false deities.

Context of Jeremiah 48:46

This verse is part of a longer prophetic oracle against Moab, found in Jeremiah chapter 48. Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," delivered many messages of judgment against Judah, Jerusalem, and surrounding nations. The prophecy against Moab details their impending destruction, likely at the hands of the Babylonian empire, as a divine consequence for their pride, wealth, and particularly their worship of the false god Chemosh. Moab, a nation east of the Dead Sea and descended from Lot, frequently interacted, often hostilely, with Israel. The entire chapter serves as a stark reminder of God's sovereignty over all nations and His justice against sin and idolatry.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment on Idolatry: The core message is God's unwavering judgment against those who worship false gods. Moab's reliance on Chemosh proved futile, as their god could not save them from the impending destruction. This highlights the impotence of idols compared to the omnipotent God of Israel.
  • Consequences of Rebellion: The "woe" pronounced upon Moab signifies a deep lamentation and the inevitable, sorrowful outcome of their rebellion against God. The capture of "sons" and "daughters" underscores the comprehensive nature of this judgment, affecting every aspect of their society and future. This reflects a common consequence of disobedience found throughout the Old Testament, such as the warnings in Deuteronomy 28:41.
  • God's Sovereignty: Even nations outside the covenant with Israel are subject to God's ultimate authority and justice. The prophecy against Moab, like those against other nations in Jeremiah, demonstrates that God is the ruler of all the earth, not just His chosen people.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "woe" is hoy (הוֹי), which is not merely a curse but a lament, an expression of deep sorrow and impending doom. It often prefaces prophetic pronouncements of judgment, emphasizing the tragic outcome. The phrase "the people of Chemosh perisheth" directly challenges the power and efficacy of Moab's national deity, Chemosh. This god was associated with human sacrifice and fertility cults, and his inability to protect his worshipers reveals the emptiness of idolatry.

Reflection and Application

Jeremiah 48:46 serves as a timeless warning against placing trust in anything or anyone other than the one true God. For us today, "Chemosh" can represent anything we elevate above God in our lives—money, power, reputation, or even relationships. The verse reminds us that such idols are ultimately powerless to save us from life's true challenges or God's ultimate judgment. It calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure our ultimate allegiance is to the Lord, who alone has the power to deliver and sustain. The universal nature of God's justice also reminds us that His standards apply to all, and there are serious consequences for rejecting His truth and embracing spiritual falsehoods, echoing the call for repentance found in the New Testament, such as Acts 17:30.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Numbers 21:29

    Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

  • 1 Kings 11:7

    Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

  • Jeremiah 48:13

    And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

  • Judges 11:24

    Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

  • Jeremiah 48:7

    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.

  • 2 Kings 23:13

    And the high places that [were] before Jerusalem, which [were] on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

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