translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JER

label: NET study note

text: Moab was a country east of the Dead Sea whose boundaries varied greatly over time. Basically, it was the tableland between the Arnon River about halfway up the Dead Sea and the Zered River which is roughly at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. When the Israelites entered Palestine they were forbidden to take any of the Moabite territory but they did capture the kingdom of Sihon north of the Arnon which Sihon had taken from Moab. Several of the towns mentioned in the oracles of judgment against Moab here are in this territory north of the Arnon and were assigned to Reuben and Gad. Several are mentioned on the famous Moabite Stone which details how Mesha king of Moab recovered from Israel many of these cities during the reign of Joram (852-841 b.c. ; cf. 2 Kgs 3:4-5 ). It is usually assumed that Moab submitted to Nebuchadnezzar after the battle of Carchemish and that they remained loyal to him throughout most of this period, though representatives were present at Jerusalem in 594 b.c. when plans for revolt were apparently being discussed ( Jer 27:3 ). Moabite contingents were used by Nebuchadnezzar in 598 b.c. to harass Jehoiakim after he rebelled ( 2 Kgs 24:2 ) so they must have remained loyal at that time. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Moab in 582 b.c. and destroyed many of its cities.


text: Nebo and Kiriathaim were both north of the Arnon and were assigned to Reuben ( Num 32:3 , Josh 13:19 ). They are both mentioned on the Moabite Stone as having been recovered from Israel.


text: Heshbon was originally a Moabite city but was captured by Sihon king of Og and made his capital ( Num 21:26-30 ). It was captured from Sihon and originally assigned to the tribe of Reuben ( Num 32:37 ; Josh 13:17 ). Later it was made a Levitical city and was assigned to the tribe of Gad ( Josh 21:39 ). It formed the northern limits of Moab. It was located about eighteen miles east of the northern tip of the Dead Sea.


text: There is a wordplay in Hebrew on the word “Heshbon” and the word “plot” ( חָשְׁבוּ , khoshvu ).


text: Chemosh was the national god of Moab (see also Numb 21:29). Child sacrifice appears to have been a part of his worship ( 2 Kgs 3:27 ). Solomon built a high place in Jerusalem for him ( 1 Kgs 11:7 ), and he appears to have been worshiped in Israel until Josiah tore that high place down ( 2 Kgs 23:13 ).


text: The practice of carrying off the gods of captive nations has already been mentioned in the study note on 43:12 . See also Isa 46:1-2 noted there.


text: Aroer is probably the Aroer that was located a few miles south and west of Dibon on the edge of the Arnon River. It had earlier been the southern border of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and had been allotted to the tribe of Reuben ( Josh 13:16 ). However, this whole territory had earlier been taken over by the Arameans ( 2 Kgs 10:33 ), later by the Assyrians, and at this time was in the hands of the Moabites.


text: See the study note on Jer 48:8 for reference to this tableland or high plain that lay between the Arnon and Heshbon.


text: There is an extended use of assonance here and in the parallel passage in Isa 24:17 . The Hebrew text reads פַּחַד וָפַחַת וָפָח ( pakhad vafakhat vafakh ). The assonance is intended to underscore the extensive trouble that is in store for them.


text: Jer 48:43-44 a are in the main the same as Isa 24:17-18 which shows that the judgment was somewhat proverbial. For a very similar kind of argumentation see Amos 5:19 ; judgment is unavoidable.