Jeremiah 49:9

9 If gatherers of grapes had come [up]on thee, they should have left (at least) a cluster; if thieves in the night, they should have ravished that that sufficed to them (if thieves in the night, they should have robbed, or taken, only what sufficed for themselves).

Jeremiah 49:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 49:9

If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave [some]
gleaning grapes?
&c.] If gatherers of grapes, at the time of the vintage, should come into thy fields to gather the grapes, being ripe, would not they leave some for the poor to glean? certainly they would, and not take every cluster. The Targum renders it,

``if thy spoilers, as grape gatherers, should come to thee,'' &c.

if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough;
who break into houses by night, these will eat and drink as much as is sufficient, and carry off what serves their turn; but they seldom take away everything they find in a house; they leave some things behind them; but it is suggested that the Chaldeans should take away all from the Edomites, and leave them nothing; see ( Obadiah 1:5 Obadiah 1:6 ) .

Jeremiah 49:9 In-Context

7 To Idumea, the Lord of hosts saith these things. Whether wisdom is no more in Teman? Counsel perished from sons, the wisdom of them is made unprofitable. (About Edom, the Lord of hosts saith these things. Is wisdom no more in Teman? hath counsel, or good advice, perished from its people? is their wisdom made worthless?)

8 Flee ye, and turn ye the backs; go down into a swallow, ye dwellers of Dedan, for I have brought the perdition of Esau on him, the time of his visitation. (Flee ye, and turn ye the backs; go down into a hollow, ye inhabitants of Dedan, for I have brought the perdition of Esau upon him, yea, the time of his punishment.)

9 If gatherers of grapes had come [up]on thee, they should have left (at least) a cluster; if thieves in the night, they should have ravished that that sufficed to them (if thieves in the night, they should have robbed, or taken, only what sufficed for themselves).

10 Forsooth I have uncovered Esau, and I have showed the hid things of him, and he may not be able to be hid; his seed is destroyed, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and it shall not be. (But I have uncovered Esau, and I have shown his hidden things, and he cannot hide himself; his children, or his descendants, be destroyed, and also his kinsmen, and his neighbours, and now he is not.)

11 Forsake thy fatherless children, and I shall make them to live, and thy widows shall (have) hope in me.