Jeremiah 49:19

19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and who is the shepherd that will stand before me?

Jeremiah 49:19 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 49:19

Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of
Jordan
The Targum rightly interprets it of a king and his army, paraphrasing the words thus,

``behold, a king with his army shall come up against them, as a lion comes up from the height of Jordan;''
not the king of Edom that should come up against Judea, or to defend himself against those that invaded him; but Nebuchadnezzar and his army that should come up against the Edomites from the land of Judea, where Jordan was, having first subdued that; or should come with that strength, fury, and fierceness, as a lion when forced out of its covert near the river Jordan, by the overflowing of its banks, and obliged to betake himself to higher grounds; who, being enraged, roars and tears in pieces all in his way. Monsieur Thevenot F23 says, that Jordan is beset on both sides with little, thick, and pleasant woods; and Mr. Maundrell F24 observes, that
``there is a first and outermost bank to the river, about a furlong, upon a level, before you come to the second bank, to which it may be supposed the river did, and still does, overflow; and the second bank is so beset with bushes and trees, such as tamarisk, willows, and oleanders that you can see no water till you have made your way through them. In this thicket anciently (and the same is reported of at this day) several sorts of wild beasts were wont to harbour themselves, whose being washed out of the covert, by the over flowings of the river, gave occasion to the allusion, ( Jeremiah 49:19 ) .''
So Jerom F25 speaks of lions, in his time, taking up their abode by the river Jordan, near which were desert places, reeds, and sedges: against the habitation of the strong;
the land of Edom, a country well fortified, in which mighty men dwelt; particularly Mount Seir, where their king was, and which was "the fold of the mighty"; either of the mighty shepherd, as it may be rendered F26; or of the strong place F1; but what is this to a lion? but I will make him suddenly run away from her;
that is, either the mighty shepherd, the king of Edom, from his fold, upon the approach of the lion, the king of Babylon; or else, as it may be rendered, "and I will cause him to run upon it F2 suddenly": that is, cause the king of Babylon to come speedily into the land of Edom, and seize upon it, overrun it, prevail over it, and be master of it, as Jarchi interprets it: and who [is] a chosen [man that] I may appoint over her?
a choice person in Nebuchadnezzar's army, fit to be made a deputy governor over the land of Edom: for who [is] like me?
for wisdom and power; able to do whatever I please, and to furnish those with proper abilities to perform and accomplish whatever I give them in charge and commission to do: and who will appoint me the time?
set a time to dispute the matter with me, or engage in war against me? and who [is] that shepherd that will stand before me?
or king, as the Targum and Ben Melech; any king, prince, or potentate, who, both in Scripture and in other writings, are often called shepherds; the king of Edom is particularly pointed at, whose habitation or fold is before observed: alas! what could such a shepherd do? or how could he stand before the almighty God, or any lion he should send?
FOOTNOTES:

F23 Travels, par. 1. B. 2. ch. 41. p. 193.
F24 Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 82. Ed. 7.
F25 Comment. in Zech. xi. 3.
F26 (Ntya hwn la) "ad caulam fortis", i.e. "pastoris validi et fortis", Schmidt.
F1 "Sub. loci robusti", Vatablus; so Ben Melech.
F2 (hylem wnuyra heygra yk) "nam momento currere faciam cum (nempe Nebuchadanosarem) supra eam", De Dieu, Gataker.

Jeremiah 49:19 In-Context

17 And Edom shall become an astonishment: every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith Jehovah, no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.
19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and who is the shepherd that will stand before me?
20 Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall drag them away, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.
21 The earth trembleth at the noise of their fall; there is a cry, the noise whereof is heard in the Red Sea.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.