Jeremiah 48:23

Kiriathaim. See on v. 1.

Beth-gamul. The modern Khirbet ej-Jumeil, about 7 mi. (11.2 km.) east-southeast of Dibon, in what was formerly southern Reuben.

Beth-meon. This is now known as Ma‘in, about 4 1/2 mi. (7.2 km.) southwest of Medeba. It is identical with Baal-meon, which the people of Reuben built (see Num. 32:37, 38), and also Beth-baal-meon (in Joshua 13:15-21). Mesha refers to it in the Moabite Stone by both of these latter names and says that he built (meaning rebuilt) the city (see Additional Note on 2 Kings 3). The extent of its present-day ruins indicates that it must have been a place of importance. Ezekiel classes it with two other cities as “the glory of the country” of Moab (Eze. 25:9). A possible reason for the variety of its names is suggested by the statement that the people of Reuben changed its name (see Num. 32:38). Evidently the change was from the heathen Baal-meon, literally, “Baal of habitation,” to Beth-meon, literally, “house of habitation.” Thereafter the old name and the new seem sometimes to have been fused into Beth-baal-meon, literally, “house of the Baal of habitation.”