Zephaniah 2:9

“Judgment on Moab and Ammon (The East)”· Zephaniah 2:8–11
Translation
King James Version
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Therefore as I live H2416, saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635, the God H430 of Israel H3478, Surely Moab H4124 shall be as Sodom H5467, and the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 as Gomorrah H6017, even the breeding H4476 of nettles H2738, and saltpits H4379 H4417, and a perpetual H5704 H5769 desolation H8077: the residue H7611 of my people H5971 shall spoil H962 them, and the remnant H3499 of my people H1471 shall possess H5157 them.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore, as I live," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, "Mo'av will become like S'dom and the people of 'Amon like 'Amora, a land covered with nettles and salt pits, desolate forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them, the survivors in my nation will inherit them."
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Berean Standard Bible
Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”
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American Standard Version
Therefore as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.
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World English Bible Messianic
Therefore as I live, says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Therefore, as I liue, saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall bee as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorah, euen the breeding of nettels and salt pittes, and a perpetuall desolation: the residue of my folke shall spoyle them, and the remnant of my people shall possesse them.
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Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, I live, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Surely, Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation--unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them, And a remnant of My nation inherit them.
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See also
Isaiah 15:1Isaiah 15:9Isaiah 11:14Deuteronomy 29:23Isaiah 25:10Jeremiah 50:40Isaiah 49:18
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The Vision of Zephaniah
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In the KJVVerse 22,815 of 31,102 · 73.4%

Study This Verse

Summary

Zephaniah 2:9 delivers a solemn divine oath from the LORD of hosts, pronouncing an irreversible and comprehensive judgment upon the nations of Moab and Ammon. These historical adversaries of Israel, known for their pride and hostility, are destined to suffer a desolation akin to that of Sodom and Gomorrah, becoming barren wastes fit only for nettles and saltpits. Crucially, this prophecy culminates in a powerful reversal of fortunes, declaring that the faithful remnant of God's people will not only survive but will also plunder and inherit the lands of their former oppressors, demonstrating God's unwavering justice and His commitment to His covenant people.

Context

Literary Context

Zephaniah 2:9 is situated within a broader section of Zephaniah's prophecy (chapters 2-3) that extends the scope of the "Day of the LORD" beyond Judah to the surrounding nations. Specifically, verses 8-11 target Moab and Ammon, two nations perpetually hostile to Israel, located east of the Dead Sea. This immediate context follows a call for Judah to seek the Lord and humility (Zephaniah 2:3), and it precedes judgments against other nations like Philistia (Zephaniah 2:4-7) and Ethiopia and Assyria (Zephaniah 2:12-15). The pronouncement against Moab and Ammon in verse 9 is particularly severe, emphasizing their long-standing taunts and territorial encroachments against the people of the LORD.

Historical & Cultural Context

Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah (c. 640-609 BC), a period marked by significant spiritual reform in Judah but also by the looming threat of foreign powers, particularly Assyria and later Babylon. Moab and Ammon, descendants of Lot (Genesis 19:37-38), were ancient enemies of Israel, frequently engaging in conflict, taunting, and oppression. Their historical animosity is well-documented, from their refusal to provide Israel with passage and provisions during the Exodus (Deuteronomy 23:3-6) to their later military aggressions. Culturally, these nations often practiced idolatry, including child sacrifice, which was an abomination to the God of Israel. The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah would have resonated deeply with the ancient audience, immediately conjuring images of utter, divinely-ordained destruction due to profound wickedness and pride.

Key Themes

Zephaniah 2:9 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book and broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the Divine Sovereignty and Justice of the LORD, who, as the "God of Israel" and "LORD of hosts," exercises absolute authority over all nations and history, executing judgment on those who oppose His people and His will. Secondly, the prophecy highlights the theme of Irreversible Desolation for the wicked, using the vivid imagery of Sodom and Gomorrah, nettles, and saltpits to depict a complete and lasting ruin for Moab and Ammon. Finally, and perhaps most significantly for Israel, it reinforces the theme of Reversal of Fortunes and Restoration for God's faithful remnant. This concept, prevalent in prophetic books like Isaiah (Isaiah 10:20-22) and Micah (Micah 4:7), assures God's people that despite their suffering, a faithful portion will endure, be vindicated, and ultimately inherit the blessings promised by God.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

live chay' H2416

From the root meaning "to live," this word signifies being alive, fresh, strong, or life itself. In the phrase "as I live," it forms a solemn divine oath, emphasizing the absolute certainty and unwavering commitment of God to fulfill His word. It is a declaration sworn by God's very existence and vitality, indicating that what follows is as sure as God's own being.

children bên H1121

This term broadly refers to a son, offspring, or descendant, and by extension, the members of a nation or group. In "the children of Ammon," it specifies the entire people group descended from Ammon, highlighting that the judgment is comprehensive, targeting the collective identity and lineage of this adversarial nation.

remnant yether H3499

Properly meaning "an overhanging," this word implies an excess, superiority, or what remains. In a theological context, it refers to a surviving, residual, or final portion of a people. Here, "the remnant of my people" signifies the faithful portion of Israel who will survive the judgment and be preserved by God, destined to inherit the lands of their enemies.

Verse Breakdown

"Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,"

This opening clause establishes the divine authority and unwavering certainty behind the prophecy. "As I live" is a powerful, self-attesting oath, unique to God, indicating that the following declaration is utterly immutable and will certainly come to pass. The titles "LORD of hosts" (Yahweh Sabaoth) and "the God of Israel" underscore His omnipotence as the commander of all heavenly and earthly armies, and His covenant relationship with His chosen people, whose cause He champions.

"Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah,"

This pronouncement delivers the core judgment. The comparison of Moab and Ammon to Sodom and Gomorrah is a vivid and terrifying simile, immediately evoking images of complete, catastrophic, and irreversible destruction, akin to the divine judgment by fire and brimstone in Genesis. It signifies that their wickedness and pride have reached a point where only utter annihilation, leaving no chance of recovery, is fitting.

"[even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation:"

This clause elaborates on the nature of the desolation. "Breeding of nettles" (thorny weeds) and "saltpits" describe a land rendered utterly barren and uninhabitable, choked with useless weeds and poisoned by salt, making it infertile and desolate forever. The phrase "perpetual desolation" emphasizes the lasting and unending nature of this ruin, a stark contrast to the fertile lands Moab and Ammon once occupied.

"the residue of my people shall spoil them,"

This marks a dramatic shift, introducing the theme of reversal and vindication for Israel. "The residue of my people" refers to the faithful remnant who survive God's judgments. This remnant, once oppressed, will now plunder their former oppressors, taking their possessions and resources. This act of "spoiling" signifies a complete reversal of power and a divine recompense for past injustices.

"and the remnant of my people shall possess them."

This final clause solidifies the reversal of fortunes. The "remnant of my people" (using a slightly different but synonymous Hebrew term for remnant) will not merely plunder but will "possess" or inherit the lands of Moab and Ammon. This speaks to a lasting occupation and inheritance, fulfilling God's promise to His people and demonstrating His faithfulness to His covenant. It signifies not just a temporary victory but a permanent restoration and territorial expansion for the faithful few.

Literary Devices

Zephaniah 2:9 is rich in literary devices that amplify its message of divine judgment and restoration. The most prominent is the Divine Oath, "as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel," which lends absolute certainty and gravity to the prophecy, making it an unchangeable decree from the sovereign God. The verse powerfully employs Simile by comparing Moab and Ammon to "Sodom and Gomorrah," immediately invoking a well-known biblical archetype of comprehensive, divinely-ordained destruction due to profound wickedness. This comparison is a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the extreme nature of the impending judgment. Furthermore, the Imagery of "breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation" paints a vivid and chilling picture of utter barrenness and uninhabitable ruin, reinforcing the permanence of the judgment. Finally, the verse concludes with a striking Contrast and Reversal of Fortunes, shifting from the complete destruction of Israel's enemies to the triumphant vindication and inheritance of the land by "the residue of my people" and "the remnant of my people," highlighting God's faithfulness to His covenant and His ultimate justice.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Zephaniah 2:9 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering justice and His sovereign control over all nations. It teaches that national pride, hostility towards God's people, and persistent wickedness will inevitably incur severe divine judgment, demonstrating that no nation is beyond the reach of God's righteous decrees. Furthermore, the verse powerfully affirms God's faithfulness to His covenant people, assuring them that even amidst widespread judgment, a faithful remnant will be preserved, vindicated, and ultimately blessed with restoration and dominion over their former oppressors. This dual message of certain judgment for the unrighteous and sure vindication for the righteous is a foundational truth throughout biblical prophecy, providing both a warning and a source of hope.

Numbers 14:28Genesis 19:24-25Isaiah 10:20-22

Reflection and Application

Zephaniah 2:9 serves as a potent reminder of God's absolute sovereignty and His commitment to justice. For us today, it underscores that God sees and will ultimately address all forms of injustice, oppression, and hostility directed against His people. This should instill both a healthy fear of God's judgment for those who oppose Him and His purposes, and a profound sense of comfort and assurance for believers. When faced with opposition or hostility, we are reminded that God is our ultimate vindicator and that His promises to His faithful "remnant" are steadfast. This passage encourages us to cultivate humility, trust in God's perfect timing, and to align our lives with His righteous standards, knowing that His word is immutable and His plans for His people will prevail. It calls us to live as part of that faithful remnant, seeking His will and enduring in faith, confident in His ultimate triumph and our inheritance in Him.

Questions for Reflection

  1. How does the certainty of God's oath ("as I live") impact your understanding of His promises and warnings?
  2. What lessons can we draw from the judgment on Moab and Ammon regarding national pride and hostility towards God's people?
  3. In what ways does the concept of a "remnant" offer hope and encouragement to believers facing adversity today?
  4. How does this passage encourage you to trust in God's justice, even when you see injustice seemingly prevail in the world?

FAQ

Why are Moab and Ammon singled out for such a severe judgment?

Moab and Ammon, descendants of Lot, were historical and persistent adversaries of Israel. They were known for their pride, their taunting of God's people, and their territorial encroachments (as mentioned in Zephaniah 2:8). Their actions demonstrated a deep-seated contempt for the LORD and His chosen nation. The severity of the judgment, comparing them to Sodom and Gomorrah, reflects the cumulative weight of their historical antagonism, idolatry, and unrepentant wickedness against God's covenant purposes. It underscores that God holds nations accountable for their actions, particularly their treatment of His people.

What is the significance of the "remnant" in this prophecy?

The "remnant" (Hebrew: she'erith and yether) is a crucial theological concept throughout prophetic literature. In Zephaniah 2:9, it refers to the faithful portion of Israel who will survive the impending judgments and be preserved by God. Its significance lies in demonstrating God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, even when the majority of His people may stray. This remnant is not merely spared but is also chosen to inherit the blessings and even the lands of their oppressors, signifying a complete reversal of fortunes and a future of restoration and vindication for those who remain loyal to the LORD. This theme points to God's enduring plan for His people, culminating in the ultimate remnant found in Christ.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

While Zephaniah 2:9 directly addresses the historical judgment of Moab and Ammon and the restoration of Israel's physical remnant, its deeper Christ-centered fulfillment lies in the spiritual realities of God's ultimate kingdom. The severe judgment meted out to Moab and Ammon, likened to Sodom and Gomorrah, foreshadows the absolute and final judgment upon all unrepentant sin and rebellion against God, a judgment fully revealed in Christ's triumph over sin and death, and ultimately in His return (Matthew 25:31-46). The "remnant of my people" who spoil and possess their enemies finds its ultimate fulfillment in the church, the spiritual Israel, composed of all who are in Christ, both Jew and Gentile (Romans 9:6-8). Through Christ, believers are empowered to overcome spiritual enemies, inheriting not merely physical land but the eternal kingdom of God (Matthew 5:5; Romans 8:17). The desolation of Moab and Ammon symbolizes the ultimate defeat of all forces hostile to God's people, while the "possession" by the remnant points to the church's spiritual inheritance and victory in Christ, who has already disarmed the powers and authorities (Colossians 2:15). Thus, Zephaniah's prophecy, sworn by the living God, finds its most profound and enduring reality in the person and work of Jesus Christ, through whom God's people receive ultimate vindication and eternal inheritance.

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Public-domain commentary

Matthew Henry

From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Zephaniah 2:8–11. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.

1662–1714 · 4 verses
Passage under commentZephaniah 2:8–11
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

The Moabites and Ammonites were both of the posterity of Lot; their countries joined, and, both adjoining to Israel, they are here put together in the prophecy against them.

I.They are both charged with the same crime, and that was reproaching and reviling the people of God and triumphing in their calamities (Zep 2:8): They have reproached my people; while God's people kept close to their duty it is probable that they reproached them for the singularities of their religion; and now that they had revolted from God, and fallen under his displeasure, they reproached them for that too. It has been the common lot of God's people in all ages to be reproached and reviled upon one account or other. Thus the old serpent spits his venom; and pride is at the bottom of it; it is in their pride that they have magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts, thinking themselves as good as they, as great, and every way as happy. It is the comtempt of the proud that God's people are filled with, Psa 123:4. They have spoken big (so some read it, magna locuti sunt - they have spoken great things) against their border (Zep 2:8), against those of them that bordered upon their country, whom upon all occasions they insulted, or against the property they claimed, which they disputed, or the protection they boasted of, which they ridiculed; they spoke big against the people of the Lord of hosts as a deserted abandoned people. Great swelling words of vanity are the genuine language of the church's enemies. "But I have heard them" (says God), "and will let you know that I have heard them. I have heard, and I will reckon for them," Jde 1:15. And, if God hears the reproaches and revilings we are under, it is a good reason why we should be as a deaf man that hears not, Psa 38:14, Psa 38:15. Nay, God not only takes notice of, but interests himself in the reproaches cast on his people, because they are his; and it is certain that those who look with disdain upon the people of the Lord of hosts thereby dishonour the Lord of hosts himself. See this very thing charged on Moab and Ammon, Eze 25:3, Eze 25:8.

II.They are both laid under the same doom.

Associates in iniquity may expect to be such in desolation. See with what solemnity sentence is pronounced upon them, Zep 2:9. It is the Lord of hosts, the sovereign Lord of all, who has authority to pass this sentence and ability to execute it; it is the God of Israel, who is jealous for their honour; it is he that has said it, nay, he has sworn it, As I live, saith the Lord. The sentence is,

1.That the Moabites and Ammonites shall be quite destroyed; they shall be as Sodom and Gomorrah, the marks of whose ruins in the Dead Sea lay near adjoining to the countries of Moab and Ammon; they shall, though not by the same means (even fire from heaven), Yet almost in the same manner, be laid waste; not again to be inhabited, or not of a long time. The country shall produce nothing but nettles, instead of corn; and there shall be brine-pits, instead of the pleasant fountains of water with which the country had abounded.

2.That Israel shall be too hard for them, shall spoil them of their goods and possess their country by lawful war. Note, Proud men sometimes, by the just judgment of God, fall under the mortification of being trampled upon themselves by those whom once they haughtily trampled upon. And this shall they have for their pride.

III.Other nations shall in like manner be humbled, that the Lord alone may be exalted (Zep 2:11):

The Lord will be terrible unto the Moabites and Ammonites in particular, who have made themselves a terror to his Israel. For,

1.Heathen gods must be abolished. They have long had possession, and their worshippers have both glorified them and gloried in them. But the Lord will famish all the gods of the earth, will starve them out of their strong-holds. The Pagans had a fond conceit that their idols were regaled by their offerings, and did eat the fat of their sacrifices, Deu 32:38. Omnia comesta Belo - Bel has eaten all. But it is here promised that when the Christian religion is set up in the world men shall be turned from the service of these dumb idols, shall forsake their altars, and bring no more sacrifices to them, and thus they shall be famished, or made lean (as the word is), their priests shall. This intimates the vanity of those idols; it lies in the power of their worshippers to famish them; whereas the true God says, If I were hungry, I would not tell thee. It intimates also the victory of the God of Israel over them. Now know we that he is greater than all gods.

2.Heathen nations must be converted; when the gospel gets ground, by it men shall be brought to worship him who lives for ever (for that is the command of the everlasting gospel, Rev 14:7), every one from his place; they shall not need to go up to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel, but wherever they are, they may have access to him. I will that men pray every where. God shall be worshipped, not only by all the tribes of Israel and the strangers who join themselves to them, but by all the isles of the heathen. This is a promise which looks favourably upon our native country, for it is one of the most considerable of the isles of the Gentiles, by which God will be glorified.

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Historical interpretation

Historical Reception

One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.

1 quote · AD 420
AD 420JeromePost-NiceneSourceCommentary on Zephaniah
(Ver. 8 onwards) I have heard the reproach of Moab and the blasphemies of the sons of Ammon, who have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their borders. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God (God remains silent), the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Moab shall be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a land of thorns and salt pits, and a desolation forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them; the survivors of my nation shall possess them. This will happen to them because of their pride, for they have blasphemed and exalted themselves above the people of the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be terrible against them; He will destroy all the gods of the earth, and men from their places will worship Him, even all the coastlands of the nations. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people and exalted themselves against their borders. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people shall plunder them, and the remainder of My nation shall possess them. This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they have reproached and exalted themselves against the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be known to them; He will destroy all the gods of the nations on the earth, and men from their places will worship Him, even all the coastlands of the nations. Except for the prophet Daniel, who frequently sees visions of four kingdoms and explains their differences using various images (Dan. VIII), Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel also do this, so that after seeing the vision of Judah against the other nations surrounding it, they prophesy and proclaim what will happen to them according to the specific events, and they dwell on the description of these events for a longer time. Now the prophet Zephaniah does the same, although briefly, in the same manner. For against the Philistines, against whom the previous threat has been made, he says, 'Gaza shall be destroyed, and Ascalon shall be turned into a desert, Ashdod shall be driven away to the south, and Accaron shall be uprooted.' Now a prophecy is woven against Moab and the sons of Ammon, or as it has been added in the Septuagint, against Damascus, which is called Aram in Isaiah (Chapter 17), because they, who had offered aid to Nebuchadnezzar, devastated Judah, trampled on its sanctuary, and even destroyed the temple, and having subjugated the people of Israel, they blasphemed the Lord. Indeed, Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans, after destroying the cities of the Jews, oppressed other nations, and so it happened that those who had insulted the people of God were themselves pressed by the same distress of evils, and held captive Judah, whom they thought they had subjected. Therefore, before the captivity came under King Josiah, while Jerusalem and the temple were still standing, a prophecy is directed against the insolent, so that the evils that once afflicted the people of God would be alleviated by the evils of other nations. I heard, he said, the reproach of Moab, which is now called Areopolis, and the blasphemies of the sons of Ammon, which itself is also called the second city of Arabia after Bosra Philadelphia: in which they reproached my people, and having expelled the Jews, they extended their borders in their land. Therefore, because they blasphemed me and reproached my people, I, the Lord of hosts, who am able to fulfill what I threaten, and the God of Israel, who myself suffer injury among my people, will make Moab like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah. We find such visions in Isaiah and Jeremiah, and we will find the same things that we now read here. The dryness of thorns and heaps of salt, and a desert forever, for which I do not know why the Seventy translated Damascus as uprooted and abandoned, unless I am mistaken, deceived by the ambiguity of the word: for the dryness that is said in Hebrew Mamasac (), if the first letter Mem is changed and Dalath is taken, has the same remaining letters as Damascus, and can be read instead of the previous word Damasec. But it is asked how these cities, that is, Moab and the sons of Ammon, were reduced to Sodom and Gomorrah, and as dry as thorns and heaps of salt, they will not be built again forever? And indeed, there is no difficulty in explaining that they were laid waste like Sodom and Gomorrah. However, what follows: They will be deserted forever, we interpret either as the destruction of their kingdom (because they were later overthrown by the Chaldeans and lost their kingdom, and then were either attacked by the Antiochians or the Ptolemies, and finally submitted their necks to the Roman Empire), or certainly it must be taken exceedingly: for Lolam signifies both eternity and age: from which it can be understood as referring to one age, or for some time, or one generation. And those who remain from the people of Israel shall be devastated, and they shall possess the blasphemous aid once of the Chaldeans. But this shall happen to them because of their pride, for they have blasphemed and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts, who will be terrible over them, and his terror will not destroy the proud. He will not shed the blood of blasphemers, but he will destroy and weaken all their idols, so that those who were previously held by error and did not feel the blessings of the Lord, pressed by the necessity of evils, may know that idols are of no use and may each worship him from his own place, all the islands of the nations. So far according to the Hebrew. Now let us turn to the Septuagint interpreters, and let us compel the Jews, who only follow the history, to explain to us when Moab and the sons of Ammon became like Sodom and Gomorrah, and like a heap of ruins, and deserted forever; they should show the sulphurous rains, the vineyards, the land turned into ashes and dust, the sea that once was a well of salt, now called the Dead Sea, flooded: when the Jews plundered them, when the remaining Israelite nations possessed them. But what is the indignation of the Lord against blasphemy and insults? Not against Moab and Ammon, but against the whole earth, so that every person from their own place may worship Him, all the islands of the nations? What is more, He grants more favor to those who blaspheme, so that they may turn from error to salvation. But if they wish to say that after the return from Babylon these nations were subject to the people of Israel, first we will demand the authority of the Scriptures, from which they can prove this: then, when they are unable to demonstrate it, we will grant them that it happened as they say: that it was the justice of God to blaspheme the ancestors and reproach the forefathers, and then repay it to the grandchildren. Since certainly that statement, which was previously said in the Law, that the sins of the fathers will be visited upon the children in the third and fourth generation (Exodus 20), is dissolved by Ezekiel: 'As I live,' says the Lord, 'this parable shall no longer be spoken; but the soul that sins, it shall die' (Ezekiel 18:20). And at the same time, observe that it is a parable that has been spoken, and it does not mean what the words on the surface suggest. But if it is unjust to impute to grandchildren the sins of their grandfather that they have committed, how much more unjust is it for the folly of the Jews to hope for this to happen at the end of the world, when it is not their Christ, as they suppose; but the Antichrist that is to come. For whenever they are pressed in history, so that they may teach that what has been said is completed, they immediately leap to future times of Christ, and they promise and say to themselves after many centuries all the things that they cannot explain, and that Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and Egypt, and the Philistines, and Edom, which now insult the Jews, will be punished at that time. Let us therefore ask them why God punishes these nations in particular, and not the entire world in which the Jews have been scattered far and wide. For if Moab deserves rebuke, insulting the Jews, and the sons of Ammon and the other nations around, why isn't Gaul rebuked? why doesn't he threaten Britain? why is Spain exempt from punishment? for what reason is nothing said about Italy? why is Africa silent? and to say it once, when the whole world holds the Jews captive, why do only the nations that are around it commit so much wickedness, to the point that they are particularly named? Now, as for what we said before, that Damascus is not named in Hebrew either by the Prophet, or by any of the other Prophets anywhere when predicting what will happen to the Gentiles, we will also prove from the very order of the Scripture. For in connection with the words: 'I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the blasphemies of the children of Ammon', he adds immediately afterwards: 'because Moab will be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah.' Therefore, what follows: 'And Damascus, deserted, like a heap of grain, should have sent something from Damascus, as he had said about two nations: Moab will be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, whose sins he had already mentioned: thus he would have described the insults or blasphemies of the Damascenes, so that it would appear fitting to inflict punishment afterwards. But even this itself that is said: 'Like a heap of grain', which in Greek is said ὡς θιμωνία ἁλὸς, we think were translated by the LXX as ἁλὸς, that is, of salt; but by the uneducated, who mistook θιμωνίαν, that is, a heap of grain or produce, for ἁλὸς, adding the two letters ω and ν, as if to indicate the abundance of produce, ἅλωνος, that is, of a threshing floor, was used. It is said about the variety and error of interpretation, and about the difficulty of history. However, the learned man compares spiritual things with spiritual things, and does not seek the things that are below, but the things that are above, and with Christ rises from the underworld, and taking off the old man, puts on the new, he will bring accusations against the teachers of the contrary doctrines of the Church, who themselves also seem to be of the lineage of Abraham, and to have escaped the fire of Sodom and Gomorrah, and to dwell in the city of Segor. But because their generation is in darkness, and they cannot see the light of truth (for they have turned away from God the Father, which is interpreted from the names Lot and Moab), and they have ceased to be the sons of God (which is called my people), and they have stood still in a dark cave conceived from incestuous marriages: therefore, even to this day, insulting the simplicity of the children of Judah, they desire to magnify their possession beyond its boundaries, of which it is said in Proverbs: Do not move the everlasting boundaries, which your fathers have set (Prov. XXII, 28). See heretics in dialectics, applauding themselves in rhetoric and in all the dogmas of sophisms, despising the simplicity of the Church, and considering it unworthy of their mysteries, which they have imagined as idols for themselves, and mocking them as worthless. And you do not seek out what are the reproaches of Moab and the insults of the sons of Ammon, in which they reproached the people of God. Therefore, the Lord swore by Himself, saying: As I live, says the Lord. And beautifully to distinguish the dead gods, who are called idols, God of Israel speaks of Himself as living, that is, the God of the people who see Him: and thus these nations, that is, Moab and the sons of Ammon, of whom we have spoken above, are blaspheming. They will be like Sodom and Gomorrah, not because they come from Sodom and Gomorrah, but because they blaspheme the people of God and act against Israel. They will be reckoned as Sodom and Gomorrah, and they will be destroyed in the same way as those cities were destroyed before, having no trace of strength and life. It is no wonder if we understand this about heretics, since they are considered like Sodom and Gomorrah, as it is also said to the ecclesiastics who did not observe God's commandments and have departed from his precepts, through Isaiah: Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom, and give ear to the law of the Lord, you people of Gomorrah (Isaiah 1:10). And to the elders desiring to corrupt the chastity of the Church under the guise of Susanna, Daniel says: This is the judgment of God: the seed of Canaan, and not of Judah (Daniel 13). And so that you may know that whenever Sodom and Gomorrah and Egypt are mentioned, it is not about those provinces that we see with our eyes, but about other spiritual things that the prophetic discourse warns us about: read in the Apocalypse of John: The place in which the Lord was crucified is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt (Rev. XI, 8). Therefore, if Jerusalem, in which the Lord was crucified, is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, why should not, on the other hand, Egypt and Sodom and Gomorrah, if they have done the works of Jerusalem and the land of Judah, be transferred to the land of the Lord's inheritance? Finally, David was not of the priests, nor was he allowed to eat the showbread (I Sam. 21), but because his works were increasing one by one, and Saul's persecution was advancing his virtues, therefore in his flight he doesn't hesitate, suddenly he becomes a high priest, and he receives the showbread, and he does not violate God's command. We have said all of this because Moab will be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah. Damascus, which also means 'drinking blood' or 'blood shed,' will be abandoned by God's mercy, like a heap of salt. For since its ruler is King Aretha, and the people of Damascus want to kill Paul, and he is let down through the wall in a basket (Acts 9), it is not said to Damascus: You are the salt of the earth; nor is that called salt, which is always offered in sacrifices, but rather that which is tasteless and about which it is written in the Gospel: But if salt has lost its taste, with what shall it be salted? It is useless, neither for the earth, nor for the dung heap; but it is thrown out, so that it may be trampled underfoot by men (Matthew 5, 13). And so Moab, and Ammon, and Damascus, who prepared themselves against the knowledge of the Lord, and blasphemed the people of God, and said many insults against him, and wanted to extend their boundaries in the land of the Church, and possess the people of God, they will be deserted and destroyed, and the remaining people of God, that is, the men educated in the Holy Scriptures, will plunder them, and the remaining of the Lord's people will possess them, and this will be their disgrace, because they reproached and magnified themselves against the Almighty Lord. See the mercy, see the compassion of the Lord: His boundaries are insulted, He is blasphemed, His territories are plundered. And what does He do? He sends to the remnants of His people, of whom we have spoken, to divide those who blaspheme against Him, and to lead them into His possession. For it is much better for a fool to serve the wise, and for his foolishness to be corrected by the wisdom of the Lord, than for him to be abandoned to his own foolishness. Therefore, the almighty Lord will come, and He will be more clearly revealed to those who now do not know Him, whom they are ignorant of. And He will destroy all doctrines, that is, their gods, and the idols of the various nations, so that when the statues, which they had composed in their own understanding, are demolished, the nations may turn to the Lord, and each one may worship Him in his own place whom they did not know before.
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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