Jeremiah Chapter 49 — Judgment on the Nations
God issues judgments against multiple nations, including Ammon, Edom, and Damascus, detailing their impending destruction and eventual restoration for some.
1Of the children of Ammon. The LORD says:
2Therefore behold, the days come,”
3“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste!
4Why do you boast in the valleys,
5Behold, I will bring a terror on you,”
6“But afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon,”
7Of Edom, the LORD of Armies says:
8Flee! Turn back!
9If grape gatherers came to you,
10But I have made Esau bare,
11Leave your fatherless children.
12For the LORD says: “Behold, they to whom it didn’t pertain to drink of the cup will certainly drink; and are you he who will altogether go unpunished? You won’t go unpunished, but you will surely drink.
13For I have sworn by myself,” says the LORD, “that Bozrah will become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. All its cities will be perpetual wastes.”
14I have heard news from the LORD,
15“For, behold, I have made you small among the nations,
16As for your terror,
17“Edom will become an astonishment.
18As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says the LORD,
19“Behold, he will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation;
20Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he has taken against Edom,
21The earth trembles at the noise of their fall;
22Behold, he will come up and fly as the eagle,
23Of Damascus:
24Damascus has grown feeble,
25How is the city of praise not forsaken,
26Therefore her young men will fall in her streets,
27“I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
28Of Kedar, and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck, The LORD says:
29They will take their tents and their flocks.
30Flee!
31Arise! Go up to a nation that is at ease,
32Their camels will be a booty,
33Hazor will be a dwelling place of jackals,
34The LORD’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35“The LORD of Armies says:
36I will bring on Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the sky,
37I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies,
38I will set my throne in Elam,
39‘But it will happen in the latter days
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Jeremiah 49:11
“Leave your fatherless children. I will preserve them alive; and let your widows trust in me.”
This verse provides a brief moment of divine compassion for the vulnerable even in the midst of a larger prophecy of judgment.
Jeremiah 49:16
“As for your terror, the pride of your heart has deceived you, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill.”
This passage highlights how Edom's geographic security led to a false sense of pride and spiritual deception.
Chapter Summary
Jeremiah Chapter 49 records a series of prophetic judgments against several neighboring nations of Judah. It begins with Ammon, who is rebuked for seizing the territory of Gad; God promises their exile but also a future restoration. The prophecy then turns to Edom, warning that their pride and perceived security in their mountain strongholds will not save them from being made small among the nations. The chapter continues with warnings for Damascus, Kedar, and Hazor, describing how they will be scattered and their wealth taken as booty. It concludes with a word concerning Elam, where God declares He will break their military power and scatter them to the four winds, yet He ends with a promise to restore the fortunes of Elam in the latter days. Throughout these verses, the text emphasizes that no nation is beyond the reach of divine authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
This chapter contains specific prophecies regarding Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. Each section describes the unique reasons for their judgment and the nature of their coming defeat.
The text indicates that Ammon had taken possession of the cities of Gad, which belonged to Israel. Because they occupied land that was not theirs and boasted in their valleys, God declared they would be driven out.
Yes, the text explicitly mentions that God will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon and restore the fortunes of Elam in the latter days.
Study Note
The geographic references to 'clefts of the rock' and 'height of the hill' in the prophecy against Edom correspond to the actual mountainous and easily defensible terrain of the Sela and Petra regions.
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