Jeremiah
Chapter 49
Against Ammon
Concerning the Ammonites, the Lord says this: “Has Israel no sons? Has she no heir? Why then has Milcom disinherited Gad, why have his people settled in its cities?
But the days are coming —says the Lord— when I will sound the battle alarm against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a heap of ruins, its villages destroyed by fire. Then Israel will dispossess those who had dispossessed her —the Lord says.
Wail, Heshbon, for the destroyer marches! Howl, inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth, lament, run to and fro, gashing yourselves; for Milcom goes into exile, along with his priests and officials.
Why boast about your valleys, your valleys flowing with fruit, O faithless daughter, trusting in your riches and saying, ‘Who will dare attack me?’
Look, I will bring terror upon you; you will be driven away, everyone making his own way, with no one to gather the fugitives.
Yet I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites later on. It is the Lord Sabaoth who speaks.”
Against Edom
Concerning Edom, this is what the Lord says: “Is there no more wisdom left in Teman? Has counsel vanished from the wise? Has their understanding faded?
Flee or hide in dark caves, you inhabitants of Dedan, for I will bring destruction upon Esau when I come to punish him.
If grape pickers worked in your vineyard, would they not leave gleanings behind? If thieves came to you at night, would they not steal only what they want?
But I will remove Esau’s defenses; I will expose his hiding places. His relatives, children, and neighbors will perish, and he will be no more.
Leave your widows and orphans behind, and rest assured, I will keep them alive.”
For thus says the Lord: “Even those who are not sentenced to drink the cup must drink it. Why, then, should you go unpunished? You, too, shall drink!
I have sworn by my own self, says the Lord: Bozrah shall become an object of horror, disgrace, desolation, and a curse. All her towns and cities shall remain in ruins forever.
I have received a message from the Lord; a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Assemble! Prepare for battle! March against these people!
Look, I will make you despised among the nations, and you will be hated among humankind.
The terror you inspire and your pride have deceived you, you who dwell in the crags, on the rocky heights of the hill. Even if you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord.
Edom will become a horror, shocking every passerby who sees her wounds.
Just as Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighboring towns were overthrown, no one will dwell or visit there —this is what the Lord proclaims.
As a lion emerges from the Jordan thicket to attack a rich feeding ground, so I will suddenly drive Edom from its land. Who will I choose for this task? Who is like me, who can call me to account? What shepherd can stand against me?
Therefore, listen to the Lord’s plan against Edom, against those living in Teman. They will be taken away, even the smallest sheep; their pasture will be destroyed because of them.
The earth will tremble at their fall, and their cry will reach the Sea of Reeds.
Look! An eagle will fly and spread its wings over Bozrah. On that day, the hearts of Edom’s warriors will beat like a woman in labor.
Against Damascus
Message concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are confused, having heard bad news. Their hearts are faint with fear, like the waters of a troubled sea.
Damascus has become feeble and turns to flee in panic, gripped by anguish and pain, like a woman in travail.
How the renowned city is forsaken, the city of delight!
Her young men will fall in the streets, her soldiers will be silenced on that day. the Lord declares:
I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume Ben-Hadad’s fortresses.”
Against Kedar and Hazor
A message concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked. This is what the Lord says: “Arise and attack Kedar, destroy the people of the East!
Their tents and flocks will be taken away, their goods and camels carried off as men shout, ‘Terror on every side!’
Flee, dwell in deep caves, you who live in Hazor —says the Lord. For Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has devised a plot against you.
Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives confidently, a nation that has neither bars nor gates, a people that dwell alone complacently.
Their camels will become plunder, their large herds will be spoils; I will scatter to the winds those who are in far-off places; I will bring disaster on them from every side.
Hazor will be a jackal’s haunt, forever a wasteland uninhabited by humans, unvisited by anyone.”
Against Elam
This is the word of the Lord against Elam, delivered to the prophet Jeremiah at the start of Zedekiah’s reign as king of Judah.
The Lord Sabaoth declares: “See, I will break the bow of Elam, the support of their power.
I will send the four winds against her from the four corners of heaven, and Elam’s exiles will be scattered to every nation on earth.
I will break Elam before their enemies, Before those seeking their lives. I will bring disaster upon them, fueled by my fierce anger. I will pursue them with the sword until I have finished them.
I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials.
Yet I will restore Elam’s fortunes in days to come —says the Lord.”
Commentaries
Against Ammon.
The Ammonites lived north of Moab, in Transjordan, bordering the Syrian Desert; their capital was Rabbah, now known as Amman. This territory was given to the tribe of Gad during the conquest (see Nm 32; Josh 13:24-28). The Ammonites, along with their god Malchishu, regained control of their land in 734 B.C. after Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria expelled the descendants of Gad. Now, the prophet affirms the right of the descendants of Gad to live in their land again.
Against Edom.
The Edomites were known for their wisdom and intelligence. Edom, a neighbor of Israel, occupied the southern part of the Dead Sea. From Jeremiah 27:1-8, it can be inferred that the Edomites had allied with Judah to resist Babylon during the reign of Jehoiachin. However, during Zedekiah’s time, things changed: the king rebelled against Babylon, the empire retaliated, and Judah was at a disadvantage. Edom took advantage of the situation to harshly punish Judah’s territory. From then on, Israel viewed Edom as a treacherous and mortal enemy. Other oracles against Edom appear in Isaiah 34:5-17; 63:1-6; Ezekiel 25:12-14; 35; Amos 1:11ff; Obadiah 1-18; Malachi 1:2-5.
Against Damascus.
This oracle targets the three capitals of the small Aramean kingdoms situated in Assyrian territory. Starting from the eighth century B.C., these kingdoms lost their independence as they were incorporated into the Assyrian empire (cf. 2 Kgs 18:34; 19:13).
Against Kedar and Hazor.
The names mentioned here refer to the tribes that live in the desert. When walls, gates, and bars are used to indicate the destruction of a city, this passage mentions tents, camels, and cattle, which suggests these are nomadic groups. Although Nebuchadnezzar persecuted these tribes, it is known that they later gradually repopulated the territories of Moab and Ammon before eventually disappearing as distinct peoples.
Against Elam.
Elam is a region in Mesopotamia, located north of the Persian Gulf. It had many glorious periods until Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered it and incorporated it into his empire. The “bow of Elam” symbolizes the fame of Elamite archers (cf. Is 22:6).