Jeremiah 48:27

27 Now [was] not Israel the laughingstock to you? Or was he found among thieves? For {as often as} you spoke over him you shook [your head].

Jeremiah 48:27 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 48:27

For was not Israel a derision unto thee?
&c.] In the time of his calamity, when the ten tribes were carried captive by the Assyrians some years ago; and of late the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin by the Chaldeans; the Moabites rejoiced at this, which they ought not to have done, upon the common principles of humanity; and especially since they were not only neighbours, but akin; and therefore, according to the law of retaliation, it was but just that they should be had in derision themselves: was he found among thieves?
that is, Israel; that he should be a derision to any, as thieves are when they are taken; men rejoice at it, insult them, and deride them; but was this the case of Israel? had he robbed any? had he done any injury to Moab, or any other? no, verily: why this derision then? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy;
or, "shookedst thyself" ^F3; whenever the Moabites spoke of the distresses and calamities of Israel, and of their captivity, they laughed till they shook themselves; not only shook their heads, but their whole bodies. The Vulgate Latin version is, "therefore, because of thy words which thou hast spoken against him, thou shall be carried captive"; and Jarchi mentions such a sense of the words, as given by some of their Rabbins; and to this agrees the Targum,

``and because ye have multiplied words against them, therefore ye shall go into captivity.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (ddwntt) "commovisti te", Vatablus, Calvin; "commoves te", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "motitas te", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 48:27 In-Context

25 The horn of Moab is cut off and his arm is broken," {declares} Yahweh.

26 "Make him drunk, because he magnified himself against Yahweh, and let Moab wallow in his vomit. And he also will become a laughingstock.

27 Now [was] not Israel the laughingstock to you? Or was he found among thieves? For {as often as} you spoke over him you shook [your head].

28 Leave [the] towns and dwell on the rock, O inhabitants of Moab, and be like [the] dove, it nests on [the] sides of [the] mouth of a ravine.

29 We have heard [of] the pride of Moab --[he is] very proud-- his height, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "from enough"