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Jeremiah 49:1-6

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

1. 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. 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. 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. Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, [saying], Who shall come unto me? 5. 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. And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 49:1-6 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Jeremiah 49:1

Theological / Devotional

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.

By SdaBc