Jeremiah 49:21

It is an elliptical phrase, as it has often been observed; such an obtestation as this is understood, "Believe me not hereafter," or, "Regard me not as God." In short, it is a form of an oath, which is a stronger affirmation than if he had simply said, "Draw them forth shall the least of the flock." Some render the last clause, "If not, set shall they," etc.; as though the verb came from svm, shum, to put, to set; but it is from smm, shemem, or ymm, imem, as some think, though rather smm, shemem The Prophet, I have no doubt, means, that they would destroy, or lay waste over them their dwellings. It follows -- Jeremiah 49:21 21. The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea. 21. A voce ruinae ipsorum contremuit terra; clamor vocis

49:7-22 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.

The earth is moved at the noise of their fall,.... Of the Edomites; whose fall was from the height of greatness and glory to a very low condition indeed; and as things, the higher they are from whence they fall, the greater noise they make, so it was with the Edomites; perhaps there may be some allusion to the falling of rocks and hills, with which Edom, abounded: this may respect either the noise and shout of the conquerors, when they fell; or the cry of the Edomites, when taken and destroyed; or the report of their destruction, when it came into the world; which struck the inhabitants of the whole earth with terror and amazement, so that they trembled at it; an hyperbolical expression, as Kimchi observes: at the cry, the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea, or, "sea of Suph", or "weeds"; where weeds and rushes grew in great abundance, from whence it had its name. This is the Arabian gulf, which washed the shores of Edom, and was called the Red sea from thence, Edom signifying red. The meaning is, that the cry of the slain, or of the conquerors at the slaughter of them, should be heard to the borders of the land, to the sea shore, and by those in ships there; who should carry the report of it to each of the parts of the world.

Verse 21. - Is moved; rather, quaketh (as Jeremiah 8:16 ). It is a pity that the Authorized Version has not preserved the present tense throughout the verse. The prophet seems to see his prediction realized before him. In the Red Sea; rather, beside the Bed Sea ; comp. 1 Kings 9:26 , "Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom." Jeremiah 49:21

(21) The noise thereof was heard in the Red sea. —Literally, as in the margin, the Weedy, or Reed sea. The crash of the fall of Edom, the cries of the slaughtered people, were to be heard far off on the waters of the sea that washed its shores. Elath, on the Gulf of Akaba, was the sea-port of Edom ( 2Chronicles 26:2 ).

21. was heard in—that is, shall be heard at. Red Sea—a considerable distance from Idumea; though the district at the Elantic bay of the Red Sea originally belonged to Idumea, and the sea itself was called from Edom, that is, "red" (Ge 25:30, Margin). Others translate, "the weedy sea" (Margin), and derive the name, "Red Sea," from its red weeds; the former view is preferable.

The fall of Edom will be so fearful, that the earth will tremble, and the cry of anguish from the perishing people will be heard on the Red Sea. נפלם is the inf. Kal with suffix. The threatening concludes, in Jeremiah 49:22 , with the same though through which destruction is threatened to the Moabites, Jeremiah 48:40 . The comparison of the enemy to an eagle is continued in the expression, "he shall come up;" the coming up, however, does not mean the rising of the eagle into the air, but refers to the enemy: to march as an enemy against Edom. With reference to the fulfilment of this prophecy, we have already pointed out, on Numbers 24:18, and at the close of the exposition in Obadiah, that the threatened devastation of the land of Edom was brought about by the Chaldeans, as is clear from Malachi 1:3; but the annihilation of the people was commenced by the Maccabeans, and completed by the Romans, about the time of the Jewish war.

:20 Edom and Teman in this verse signify both the same thing; God calls to men to hear the resolutions he had taken up against the Edomites, resolutions as wise and steady as if they had been taken upon the wisest counsels and deliberation. ## Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; God is resolved to drive out the Edomites, and the least of Nebuchadnezzar’s forces shall drag them out of their lurking- places; a nd God will make the place where they dwell a desolation. Jeremiah 49:21 That is, the ruin of the Edomites shall be so great, that all nations round about it shall be affect ed at the noise of their fall; and though the Red Sea, or the weedy sea, be at a great distance from them, yet their noise shall reach thither. ## Jeremiah 49:22 See Poole " Jer_48:40 " , See Poole " Jer_48:41 " , where the very same thing, and under the same phrases, was spoken against Moab. That which i s threatened is the enemies coming swiftly upon the Edomites and preying upon them, and the fear that should surprise them, which should make their hearts faint as the heart of a woman that hath a hard labour. Jeremiah 49:23 The prophet comes to denounce the judgments of God against Syria, another nation of the Gentiles. ## Damascus was the head city of Syria, Isa_7:8 17:3 , or Aram, (as in the Hebrew,) because it was a country inhabited by the posterity of Aram, one of the sons of Shem; part of it

rds of the prophet, lamenting the havoc which he by the eye of the prophecy saw was like to be made amongst the Philistines by the Chaldeans (for good men are affected with the miseries even of the worst of men). The latter verse must be expounded according to the former; for if the words of the former verse be understood as the words of the Philistines, those of this verse must be understood as the words of the prophet putting them out of hopes of the sword’s stopping, because what it did was by commission from God, which it must execute. If the words of the former verse be to be understood as the prophet’s words, the words of this verse are either the prophet’s words correcting himself, and concluding that this sword could not be quiet, because it was edge d by God himself, who had given it his commission, which it must execute; or the words of God, letting the prophet know that he had given this sword its commission, and therefore it could not stop till Ashkelon and the people on the sea-shore were destroyed by it. ## Jeremiah 48:1 JEREMIAH CHAPTER 48 The judgment of Moab, Jer_48:1-6, for their pride, Jer_48:7-10; for their security and human confidence, Jer_48:11-25; especially for their contempt of God, and insolence towards his people, Jer_48:26-46. Their restoration, Jer_48:47. ## The prophet having, Jer 46 ; denounced God’s judgment against Egypt, and against the Philistines, Jer 47 , i n this chapter he cometh to do the like agains