Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Jeremiah
Book: Jeremiah
Chapter: 48
Overview:
Prophecies against
Moab for pride and security.
(1-13) For
Carnal confidence and contempt of
God.
(14-47)
1-13. The Chaldeans are to destroy the Moabites. We should be
thankful that we are required to seek the
Salvation of men's
lives, and the
Salvation of their souls, not to shed their
Blood; but we shall be the more without excuse if we do this
pleasant work deceitfully. The cities shall be laid in ruins,
and the country shall be wasted. There will be great sorrow.
There will be great hurry. If any could give wings to sinners,
still they could not
Fly out of the reach of Divine indignation.
There are many who persist in unrepented iniquity, yet long
enjoy outward prosperity. They had been long corrupt and
unreformed, secure and sensual in prosperity. They have
No
changes of their peace and prosperity, therefore their hearts
and lives are unchanged, Ps 55:19.
14-47. The
Destruction of
Moab is further prophesied, to awaken
them
By national
Repentance and reformation to prevent the
trouble, or
By a personal
Repentance and reformation to prepare
for it. In reading this long
Roll of threatenings, and meditating
On the terror, it will be of more use to us to keep in view the
power of
God's
Anger and the terror of his judgments, and to
have our hearts possessed with a holy awe of
God and of his
wrath, than to search into all the figures and expressions here
used. Yet it is not perpetual
Destruction. The
Chapter ends with
a promise of their return out of
Captivity in the latter days.
Even with Moabites
God will not contend for ever, nor be always
wroth. The Jews refer it to the days of the
Messiah; then the
captives of the
Gentiles, under the
Yoke of
Sin and
Satan, shall
be brought back
By Divine
Grace, which shall make them free
indeed.