Jeremiah 48:27
New International Version
Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her?

New Living Translation
Did you not ridicule the people of Israel? Were they caught in the company of thieves that you should despise them as you do?

English Standard Version
Was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him you wagged your head?

Berean Standard Bible
Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.

King James Bible
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

New King James Version
For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, You shake your head in scorn.

New American Standard Bible
Now was Israel not a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For whenever you speak about him you shake your head in scorn.

NASB 1995
“Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn.

NASB 1977
“Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn.

Amplified Bible
For was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Was he caught among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head in scorn.

Christian Standard Bible
Wasn’t Israel a laughingstock to you? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wasn’t Israel a laughingstock to you? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.”

American Standard Version
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head.

Contemporary English Version
You made fun of my people and treated them like criminals caught in the act.

English Revised Version
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
People of Moab, didn't you laugh at the people of Israel? Were they caught among thieves? Whenever you talk about them you shake your heads in contempt.

Good News Translation
Moab, remember how you made fun of the people of Israel? You treated them as though they had been caught with a gang of robbers.

International Standard Version
Wasn't Israel an object of mocking for you? Wasn't he treated like a thief, so that whenever you spoke about him you shook your head in contempt?

Majority Standard Bible
Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.

NET Bible
For did not you people of Moab laugh at the people of Israel? Did you think that they were nothing but thieves, that you shook your head in contempt every time you talked about them?

New Heart English Bible
For wasn't Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head.

Webster's Bible Translation
For was not Israel a derision to thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou hast spoken of him, thou hast leaped for joy.

World English Bible
For wasn’t Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And was Israel not the derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For since your words concerning him, "" You bemoan yourself.

Young's Literal Translation
And was not Israel the derision to thee? Among thieves was he found? For since thy words concerning him, Thou dost bemoan thyself.

Smith's Literal Translation
And if Israel was not a derision to thee? if he was found among thieves? for after thy speaking of him thou wilt move to and fro.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For Israel hath been a derision unto thee: as though thou hadst found him amongst thieves: for thy words therefore, which thou hast spoken against him, thou shalt be led away captive.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For Israel had been a derision to them. It was as if you had discovered him among thieves. Because of your own words, then, which you have spoken against him, you will be led away captive.

New American Bible
Has Israel not been a laughingstock to you? Was he caught among thieves that you wag your heads whenever you speak of him?

New Revised Standard Version
Israel was a laughingstock for you, though he was not caught among thieves; but whenever you spoke of him you shook your head!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Was not Israel a derision to you? He was found among thieves when you fought against him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if Israel was not for ridicule to you, also he found among thieves when you were making war with him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? Was he found among thieves? For as often as thou speakest of him, Thou waggest the head.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For surely Israel was to thee a laughing-stock, and was found among thy thefts, because thou didst fight against him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Moab
26“Make him drunk, because he has magnified himself against the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock. 27 Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head. 28Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave.…

Cross References
Isaiah 16:6
We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his overflowing arrogance. But his boasting is empty.

Isaiah 15:1-9
This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night! / Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off. / In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping. ...

Ezekiel 25:8-11
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,” / therefore I will indeed expose the flank of Moab beginning with its frontier cities—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the glory of the land. / I will give it along with the Ammonites as a possession to the people of the East, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. ...

Amos 2:1-3
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Moab, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because he burned to lime the bones of Edom’s king. / So I will send fire against Moab to consume the citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die in tumult, amid war cries and the sound of the ram’s horn. / I will cut off the ruler of Moab and kill all the officials with him,” says the LORD.

Zephaniah 2:8-11
“I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders. / Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.” / This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts. ...

Numbers 21:29
Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He gave up his sons as refugees, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites.

Isaiah 25:10-12
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trodden into the dung pile. / He will spread out his hands within it, as a swimmer spreads his arms to swim. His pride will be brought low, despite the skill of his hands. / The high-walled fortress will be brought down, cast to the ground, into the dust.

Isaiah 24:8-11
The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent. / They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it. / The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry. ...

Isaiah 26:5-6
For He has humbled those who dwell on high; He lays the lofty city low. He brings it down to the ground; He casts it into the dust. / Feet trample it down—the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor.

Isaiah 34:8-10
For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. / Edom’s streams will be turned to tar, and her soil to sulfur; her land will become a blazing pitch. / It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.

Isaiah 13:19-22
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. / She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there. / But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. ...

Isaiah 14:4-6
you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! / The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. / It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.

Isaiah 14:29-31
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg. / Then the firstborn of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety, but I will kill your root by famine, and your remnant will be slain. / Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

Isaiah 47:1-3
“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. / Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

Isaiah 48:20-22
Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare it with a shout of joy, proclaim it, let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!” / They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out. / “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”


Treasury of Scripture

For was not Israel a derision to you? was he found among thieves? for since you spoke of him, you skipped for joy.

was not

Psalm 44:13
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

Psalm 79:4
We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

Proverbs 24:17,18
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: …

was he found

Jeremiah 2:26
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

Matthew 26:55
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

Matthew 27:38
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

skippedst.

Jump to Previous
Bemoan Caught Derision Found Head Israel Joy Leaped Object Oft Often Ridicule Shake Shaking Spakest Speak Speakest Sport Talking Thieves Thyself Time Wag Wasn't Whenever Words
Jump to Next
Bemoan Caught Derision Found Head Israel Joy Leaped Object Oft Often Ridicule Shake Shaking Spakest Speak Speakest Sport Talking Thieves Thyself Time Wag Wasn't Whenever Words
Jeremiah 48
1. The judgment of Moab
7. for their pride
11. for their security
14. for their carnal confidence
26. and for their contempt of God and his people
47. The restoration of Moab














Was not Israel a derision to you?
The word "derision" in Hebrew is "שְׂחֹק" (sechoq), which implies mockery or scorn. Historically, Moab, the nation addressed in this chapter, often looked down upon Israel, seeing them as inferior or laughable. This attitude of derision is a reflection of pride and arrogance, which is consistently condemned throughout the Bible. The rhetorical question posed by God through Jeremiah highlights Moab's disdainful attitude towards Israel, which is ironic given that Israel is God's chosen people. This serves as a reminder of the dangers of pride and the importance of humility, as God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Was he ever found among thieves
The phrase "found among thieves" suggests an accusation or association with wrongdoing. In the context of Israel, this rhetorical question implies that Israel was not guilty of the crimes or moral failures that would justify such scorn from Moab. Historically, Israel had its failings, but they were not characterized by the kind of lawlessness that would warrant being labeled as thieves. This serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and the danger of false accusations. It also reflects the biblical principle that God's people are called to be set apart and to live lives of righteousness, even when others may unjustly accuse or deride them.

for whenever you speak of him you shake your head?
The act of shaking one's head is a gesture of scorn or disbelief. In the Hebrew culture, it was a physical expression of contempt or derision. This phrase indicates that Moab not only mocked Israel but did so consistently, as indicated by "whenever you speak of him." This persistent scorn is a reflection of a hardened heart and a refusal to recognize God's hand upon Israel. In a broader biblical context, this serves as a warning against the dangers of harboring contempt for others, especially those whom God has chosen. It also underscores the biblical theme of God's faithfulness to His people, despite the scorn or disbelief of others. This passage encourages believers to remain steadfast in their faith, knowing that God's opinion is what ultimately matters, not the derision of the world.

(27) Was not Israel a derision unto thee?--The "derision" had been shown at an earlier stage in the history of Judah (Zephaniah 2:8; comp. Ezekiel 25:6), but was, we may well believe, reproduced when the Moabites heard of the disasters that fell on Israel in the days of Josiah and his successors. The question that follows "Was he found among thieves?" implies an answer in the negative. Israel had not been among the lawless, aggressive nations, the robbers of the earth. Compare 2Samuel 3:33, where the question, "Died Abner as a fool dieth?" implies that he had not deserved his death as guilty of any crime. By some critics, however, the Hebrew interrogative is taken as meaning "when," and so involving the admission that Israel had been guilty of unjust invasion, and been led to that guilt by her alliance with the robber nations of the heathen.

Thou skippedst for joy.--The gesture described. like the wagging of the head of Jeremiah 18:16, or the shrugging of the shoulders, is one of triumphant malice. The symbolism of Oriental gesture is, it may be noted, specially rich in expressions of this form of evil. (Comp. Isaiah 57:4; Psalm 22:7.) . . .

Verse 27. - Was he found among thieves? for, etc.; rather,... that, as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest thy head. What giveth thee the right to show such scorn and insolent triumph towards Israel, as if he were one who had been arrested in the very act of robbery (comp. Jeremiah 2:26)?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Was
הָיָ֤ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

not
ל֣וֹא (lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

your object of ridicule?
הַשְּׂחֹ֗ק (haś·śə·ḥōq)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7814: Laughter, derision, sport

Was he ever found [among thieves]?
נִמְצָ֑א (nim·ṣā)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

whenever
מִדֵּ֧י (mid·dê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1767: Sufficiency, enough

you speak of him
דְבָרֶ֥יךָ (ḏə·ḇā·re·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

you shake your head.”
תִּתְנוֹדָֽד׃ (tiṯ·nō·w·ḏāḏ)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5110: To nod, waver, to wander, flee, disappear, to console, deplore, taunt


Links
Jeremiah 48:27 NIV
Jeremiah 48:27 NLT
Jeremiah 48:27 ESV
Jeremiah 48:27 NASB
Jeremiah 48:27 KJV

Jeremiah 48:27 BibleApps.com
Jeremiah 48:27 Biblia Paralela
Jeremiah 48:27 Chinese Bible
Jeremiah 48:27 French Bible
Jeremiah 48:27 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Jeremiah 48:27 For wasn't Israel a derision to you? (Jer.)
Jeremiah 48:26
Top of Page
Top of Page