Jeremiah 49:1

Ammonites. Literally, “the sons of Ammon.” Like the Moabites, this nation was descended from Lot (see Gen. 19:38), the nephew of Abraham, and was thus related to Israel. When the Israelites entered Canaan, the Ammonites were in possession of the highlands of Transjordan east of the northern part of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon. The tribe of Gad became neighbor to the Ammonites when it took over Sihon’s northern territories. The Ammonites seem to have been of a particularly bitter disposition toward Israel. David (1 Chron. 19; 20:1-3), Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:1-25), and Jotham (2 Chron. 27:5, 6) all warred against them. The Ammonites carried on a devious policy in Jeremiah’s time. Though at first allies of Babylon against Judah (see 2 Kings 24:2), they later attempted to enlist Judah in a league against Babylon (see on Jer. 27:3). When the destruction of Jerusalem came they expressed great satisfaction (see Eze. 25:1-7). They later plotted the murder of Gedaliah (see Jer. 40:14).

Their king. Heb. malkam, the consonants of which may stand for milkom (see 1 Kings 11:5, 33) and thus represent the name of the Ammonite deity. The LXX reads Melchom (thus supporting the reference to the Ammonite god, Milcom). Inasmuch as in Jer. 48 Jeremiah repeatedly mentions the Moabite god Chemosh (vs. 7, 13, 46), it seems reasonable to understand here the name of the Ammonites’ national deity. The name of this god has been attested in Ammonite inscriptions found at archeological sites.

Inherit Gad. When the people of Gad had been exiled by Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (see 1 Chron. 5:26) in the latter half of the 8th century B.C., the Ammonites evidently came and took possession of their land.