Jeremias 49

1 Then came all the leaders of the host, and Joanan, and Azarias the son of Maasaeas, and all the people great and small,

2 to Jeremias the prophet, and said to him, Let now our supplication come before thy face, and pray thou to the Lord thy God for this remnant; for we are left few out of many, as thine eyes see.

3 And let the Lord thy God declare to us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing which we should do.

4 And Jeremias said to them, I have heard ; behold, I will pray for you to the Lord our God, according to your words; and it shall come to pass, whatsoever word the Lord God shall answer, I will declare to you; I will not hide anything from you.

5 And they said to Jeremias, Let the Lord be between us for a just and faithful witness, if we do not according to every word which the Lord shall send to us.

6 And whether good, or whether evil, we will hearken to the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, because we shall hearken to the voice of the Lord our God.

7 And it came to pass after ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremias.

8 And he called Joanan, and the leaders of the host, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

9 and he said to them, Thus saith the Lord;

10 If ye will indeed dwell in this land, I will build you, and will not pull down, but will plant you, and in no wise pluck you up: for I have ceased from the calamities which I brought upon you.

11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you, to deliver you, and save you out of their hand.

12 And I will grant you mercy, and pity you, and will restore you to your land.

13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, that we may not hearken to the voice of the Lord;

14 for we will go into the land of Egypt, and we shall see no war, and shall not hear the sound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger for bread; and there we will dwell:

15 then hear the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord;

16 If ye set your face toward Egypt, and go in there to dwell; then it shall be, the sword which ye fear shall find you in the land of Egypt, and the famine to which ye have regard, shall overtake you, after you in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

17 And all the men, and all the strangers who have set their face toward the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall be consumed by the sword, and by the famine: and there shall not one of them escape from the evils which I bring upon them.

18 For thus saith the Lord; As my wrath has dropped upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath drop upon you, when ye have entered into Egypt: and ye shall be a desolation, and under the power of others, and a curse and a reproach: and ye shall no more see this place.

19 which the Lord has spoken concerning you the remnant of Juda; Enter ye not into Egypt: and now know ye for a certainty,

20 that ye have wrought wickedness in your hearts, when ye sent me, saying, Pray thou for us to the Lord; and according to all that the Lord shall speak to thee we will do.

21 And ye have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord, with which he sent me to you.

22 Now therefore ye shall perish by sword and by famine, in the place which ye desire to go into to dwell there.

Jeremias 49 Commentary

Chapter 49

Prophecies relative to the Ammonites. (1-6) The Edomites. (7-22) The Syrians. (23-27) The Kedarenes. (28-33) The Elamites. (34-39)

1-6. Might often prevails against right among men, yet that might shall be controlled by the Almighty, who judges aright; and those will find themselves mistaken, who, like the Ammonites, think every thing their own on which they can lay their hands. The Lord will call men to account for every instance of dishonesty, especially to the destitute.

Verses 7-22 The Edomites were old enemies to the Israel of God. But their day is now at hand; it is foretold, not only to warn them, but for the sake of the Israel of God, whose afflictions were aggravated by them. Thus Divine judgments go round from nation to nation; the earth is full of commotion, and nothing can escape the ministers of Divine vengeance. The righteousness of God is to be observed amidst the violence of men.

Verses 23-27 How easily God can dispirit those nations that have been most celebrated for valour! Damascus waxes feeble. It was a city of joy, having all the delights of the sons of men. But those deceive themselves who place their happiness in carnal joys.

Verses 28-33 Nebuchadnezzar would make desolation among the people of Kedar, who dwelt in the deserts of Arabia. He who conquered many strong cities, will not leave those unconquered that dwell in tents. He will do this to gratify his own covetousness and ambition; but God orders it for correcting an unthankful people, and for warning a careless world to expect trouble when they seem most safe. They shall flee, get far off, and dwell deep in the deserts; they shall be dispersed. But privacy and obscurity are not always protection and security.

Verses 34-39 The Elamites were the Persians; they acted against God's Israel, and must be reckoned with. Evil pursues sinners. God will make them know that he reigns. Yet the destruction of Elam shall not be for ever. But this promise was to have its full accomplishment in the days of the Messiah. In reading the Divine assurance of the destruction of all the enemies of the church, the believer sees that the issue of the holy war is not doubtful. It is blessed to recollect, that He who is for us, is more than all against us. And he will subdue the enemies of our souls.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 49

This chapter contains prophecies concerning the judgments of God on several nations and kingdoms, chiefly bordering on the land of Israel; on the Ammonites, Jer 49:1-6; on the Edomites, Jer 49:7-22; on the kingdom of Damascus, or the Syrians, Jer 49:23-27; on the Kedarenes or Arabians, Jer 49:28-33; and on the Elamites or Persians, Jer 49:34-39.