I. Summary
Yahweh will bring destruction, shame, and exile upon Moab and its god Chemosh.
II. Photo
Yahweh tells the Moabites to flee: “Desert the cities and dwell in the crags, O inhabitants of Moab! Be like a dove that nests In the sides of a pit” (v. 28).
III. Select Verses
7-8: Surely, because of your trust In your wealth and in your treasures, You too shall be captured. And Chemosh shall go forth to exile, Together with his priests and attendants.The ravager shall come to every town; No town shall escape. The valley shall be devastated And the tableland laid waste — because the LORD has spoken.
13: And Moab shall be shamed because of Chemosh, as the House of Israel were shamed because of Bethel, on whom they relied.
21-24: Judgment has come upon the tableland — upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath; upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim; upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon; upon Kerioth and Bozrah — upon all the towns of the land of Moab, far and near.
28: Desert the cities And dwell in the crags, O inhabitants of Moab! Be like a dove that nests In the sides of a pit.
36a: Therefore, My heart moans for Moab like a flute; Like a flute my heart moans For the men of Kir-heres
46: Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone, For your sons are carried off into captivity, Your daughters into exile.
47: But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the days to come — declares the LORD. ¶ Thus far is the judgment on Moab.
IV. Outline
1a. Introduction
1b-5. Calls that Moab is laid waste
6. Call to flee
7. The god and priests of Moab will be exiled
8-9. Moab will be destroyed
10. Curse for those who don’t attack
11-12. Yahweh will smash Moab like a jar
13. Reason for shame: serving Chemosh
14-20. Moab is shamed and no longer mighty
21-24. Judgment has come upon the towns of Moab
25. Moab’s might and glory are gone
26. Moab will be shamed in its vomit
27. Moab is now the laughingstock, not Israel
28. Call to flee
29-30. Moab’s haughtiness and sin
31-34. Crying out for Moab
35. Yahweh will destroy Moab
36-38. Yahweh mourns for Moab
39-42. Destruction, wailing, and shame for Moab
43-45. Those who flee will be trapped
46. The people of Moab will be exiled
47. Yahweh will restore the fortunes of Moab
V. Comment
Jeremiah 48 is a lengthy poem/song about the destruction of Moab. Only the oracle against Babylon is longer. It is not entirely clear how the individual sections and ideas are to be separated from one another, or even if they are to be separated at all. For other oracles against Moab see Isaiah 15–16, Amos 2:1–3, Zephaniah 2:8–11, and Ezekiel 25:8–11.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Photo copied from http:// www. theodora .com/wfb/photos/norway/birds_resting_on_rocks_finnmark_north_norway_photo_johan_wildhagen-innovation_norway .jpg