CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Jeremiah 49
Chapter 49 of 52
Chapter Overview
What happens in Jeremiah 49
This chapter contains prophecies against five nations: Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, and Elam. Each nation faces God's judgment for its pride, cruelty, or opposition to God's people. Yet for some, God includes a promise of future restoration.
Scripture
Jeremiah 49
Judgment on Ammon
Study note
The Ammonites, like the Moabites, were distant relatives of Israel through Lot. Their capital was Rabbah, modern-day Amman, Jordan. When the Assyrians deported the Israelite tribe of Gad from their territory east of the Jordan River, the Ammonites moved in and took over their land and cities. God declared this unjust and promised to drive them out. Their king (possibly referring to the god Milcom/Molech) and his priests would go into exile. Yet God promised to restore Ammon's fortunes afterward.
1 About the Ammonites, the Lord asks: "Does Israel not have any children? Does Israel not have anyone to inherit its land? Then why has the Ammonite god Milcom moved in and taken over the territory that belongs to the tribe of Gad? Why are Ammonite settlers living in Israel's towns?" Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
2 "Because of this, the time is coming, says the Lord, when I will sound the battle trumpet against the Ammonite capital of Rabbah. It will be turned into a heap of rubble, and the surrounding villages will be set ablaze. Then Israel will reclaim the land that was stolen from them. The Lord has spoken." Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.
3 "Cry out in grief, Heshbon, because the city of Ai has been demolished! Scream, people of Rabbah! Wrap yourselves in rough mourning cloth and weep! Run back and forth inside your walls in panic, because your god Milcom is going into exile, and his priests and officials are going with him." Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.
4 "Why do you brag about your rich, fertile valleys, you rebellious nation? You trust in your wealth and say, 'Nobody would ever dare to attack us.'" Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?
5 "I am going to make terror close in on you from every direction, says the Lord God of Armies. Each of you will be chased out, running straight ahead without stopping, and no one will gather the scattered refugees." Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.
6 "But after all of this, I will restore the Ammonites and bring back their prosperity. That is the Lord's promise." And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.
Judgment on Edom
Study note
Edom was descended from Esau, Jacob's twin brother, and was located south of the Dead Sea in rugged, mountainous terrain. The Edomites were known for their wisdom, with the city of Teman being famous for its wise men. God declared that even their renowned wisdom could not save them. Edom's rock fortresses, including the famous city of Petra carved into cliff walls, gave them a false sense of security. God compared Edom's destruction to that of Sodom and Gomorrah and said the invader would come like a lion from the Jordan River's thickets. The whole earth would tremble at Edom's fall.
7 About the nation of Edom, the Lord of Armies asks: "Is there no one wise left in the city of Teman? Have the smart advisors run out of good ideas? Has their wisdom dried up and blown away?" Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?
8 "Turn around and run! Go hide deep underground, people of Dedan! I am about to bring terrible punishment down on the descendants of Esau." Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.
9 "When grape pickers work through a vineyard, they always leave a few grapes behind. When burglars break in at night, they only take what they came for." If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
10 "But I have stripped Esau completely bare. I have uncovered every last hiding spot, and there is nowhere left to hide. His children are gone, his relatives are gone, his neighbors are gone -- he has nothing left." But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.
11 "But leave your orphans with me. I will take care of them and keep them alive. And let your widows put their trust in me." Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
12 The Lord says this: "If even innocent people had to drink from the cup of suffering, what makes you think you will be let off the hook? Certainly not. You will have to drink it too." For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.
13 "I swear by my own name, says the Lord, that Bozrah will become a place that fills people with horror, disgust, and shock. It will become a complete ruin, and people will use its name as a curse word. All the towns around it will be wrecked forever." For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.
14 "I have received a report from the Lord. A messenger has been sent out to all the nations with this order: 'Get your armies together and march against Edom! Get ready for war!'" I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
15 "I am going to shrink you down to the smallest of nations. Everyone will look down on you with contempt." For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.
16 "Your scary reputation has gone to your head, and your pride has fooled you. You live high up in the cracks of the rocky cliffs and perch on the mountaintops. But even if you build your nest as high as an eagle does, I will drag you down from there, says the Lord." Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
17 "Edom will become so awful that everyone who walks past will gasp in shock at the sight of all its ruin." Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
18 "It will be wiped out like Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them were wiped out, says the Lord. No one will ever live there again. Not a single person will ever settle there." As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
19 "Like a lion charging out of the thick brush along the Jordan River to attack a strong flock, I will suddenly chase Edom off its land. And who is the leader I will pick for this job? After all, who is like me? Who can challenge me? What ruler can stand up to me?" Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
20 "So listen to what the Lord has planned for Edom and decided to do to the people of Teman: The weakest enemies will drag them away. Their own pastures will be left in ruins because of what happened to them." Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
21 "When Edom crashes to the ground, the noise will be so loud that the whole earth will shake. Their screams will carry all the way to the Red Sea." The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.
22 "Watch! An eagle will soar up and come swooping down, stretching its wings wide over the city of Bozrah. When that day arrives, even the bravest soldiers in Edom will feel like a woman in the middle of giving birth." Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Judgment on Damascus
Study note
Damascus was the capital of Aram (Syria) and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The nearby cities of Hamath and Arpad had already received bad news, and panic was spreading. Damascus, once a famous and joyful city, would be abandoned. Its young men would fall in the streets, and God would set fire to its walls. Ben-Hadad was a common name for Syrian kings, and the palaces named after them would be consumed.
23 About Damascus: "The cities of Hamath and Arpad are rattled and confused because they have heard terrible news. They are churning with worry like a stormy sea that will not calm down." Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
24 "Damascus has lost all its nerve and turned to flee. Sheer panic has grabbed hold of it. Pain and anguish have gripped it like a woman in labor." Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 "Why has the famous city not been deserted yet -- the city that once brought so much joy?" How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 "Its young men will certainly fall dead in the streets. Every soldier will be silenced on that day, says the Lord of Armies." Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 "I will set fire inside the walls of Damascus. The flames will burn down the great palaces of Ben-Hadad." And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-hadad.
Judgment on Kedar and Hazor
Study note
Kedar and Hazor were Arabian desert tribes known for their tent-dwelling, nomadic lifestyle. They raised flocks and camels. God declared that Nebuchadnezzar would attack these peaceful, unsuspecting people who lived without walls or gates. Their tents, flocks, and camels would be taken as plunder. They would be scattered to every wind. Hazor would become a wasteland inhabited only by wild animals, never to be settled again.
28 About the people of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: The Lord says, "Get up! March against Kedar! Wipe out those people of the east!" Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.
29 "Their tents and their flocks will be seized. Their tent coverings, all their possessions, and their camels will be carried away. People will shout at them from every direction, 'Terror is closing in on you!'" Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: they shall take to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry unto them, Fear is on every side.
30 "Run as fast as you can! Find a deep cave to hide in, people of Hazor, says the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has you in his crosshairs. He has already come up with a battle plan against you." Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.
31 "Get up and attack that carefree nation that feels perfectly safe, says the Lord. They have no city gates or door bars to protect them. They live completely on their own, spread out and isolated." Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.
32 "Their camels will be taken as plunder, and their huge herds of livestock will become someone else's property. I will scatter to every corner of the earth those desert people who trim the edges of their hair. I will bring disaster crashing in on them from every direction, says the Lord." And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith the LORD.
33 "Hazor will turn into a home for jackals and wild dogs, an empty wasteland that lasts forever. Nobody will live there. No human being will ever make it their home." And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.
Judgment on Elam
Study note
Elam was an ancient kingdom located in modern-day southwestern Iran. The Elamites were famous archers, and their bow was considered their greatest military strength. God said he would break that bow -- meaning he would destroy their primary weapon and military advantage. He would scatter the Elamites to every direction. God would set his throne in Elam, showing his authority over their land. Yet this oracle also ends with a promise of future restoration, showing God's mercy extends even to distant nations.
34 Here is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nation of Elam. This came early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 The Lord of Armies says this: "I am going to snap Elam's bow in half. That bow is the backbone of their military power." Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36 "I will unleash winds against Elam from all four directions of the sky. I will scatter the people of Elam to those four winds. There will not be a single nation on earth that does not have some of Elam's refugees in it." And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37 "I will smash Elam before its enemies, before the people who want to kill them. I will bring fierce, burning disaster down on them. This is the Lord's word. I will send an enemy army with swords to chase them until I have completely finished them off." For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38 "I will set up my own throne in Elam and get rid of its king and officials from there, says the Lord." And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
39 "But in the future, I will turn things around for Elam and restore what was lost. That is the Lord's promise." But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.
Key Themes
Themes in Jeremiah 49
God's judgment on surrounding nationsPride and cruelty punishedNo fortress can protect against GodGod's compassion on orphans and widowsFuture restoration even for judged nations
Apply This Today
Living Jeremiah 49
God's justice extends to every nation and people. Whether it is Ammon's cruelty, Edom's pride, or Damascus's complacency, no one escapes accountability. Yet even in these judgments, God promises to restore the fortunes of some of these nations, showing that His ultimate purpose is redemption, not annihilation.
Go Deeper
Study Jeremiah in Covenant Path
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