What is the meaning of Jeremiah 48:24? Kerioth • Jeremiah 48:24 begins, “on Kerioth…”. By naming Kerioth first, the Spirit highlights one of Moab’s chief population centers (see also Jeremiah 48:41; Amos 2:2). In earlier days Kerioth had been proud of its fortifications and military significance, yet God announces that even this strategic city will fall. • Cross-references show a pattern: whenever the LORD singles out a capital or garrison town (e.g., Nineveh in Nahum 1–3; Babylon in Jeremiah 51), He is exposing the false security people place in earthly power. • Practical takeaway: – Human strength is never a match for divine judgment. – The fall of Kerioth reminds believers to anchor trust in the LORD alone (Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalm 20:7). Bozrah • The verse continues, “on Bozrah…” Though another Bozrah existed in Edom (Jeremiah 49:13), this Bozrah lay within Moab’s borders. Its name came to symbolize wealth stored behind walls. Yet wealth cannot buy exemption from God’s righteous wrath (compare Proverbs 11:4; Ezekiel 7:19). • Jeremiah 25:21 places Moab alongside Edom and Ammon in receiving the cup of the LORD’s fury. By repeating the word Bozrah in both regions, God emphasizes that judgment is impartial—geography cannot shield sin. • Practical takeaway: – Material resources, however impressive, are temporary. – Steward everything as belonging to the LORD, ready to let it go if He so wills (Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). All the towns of Moab, those far and near • Finally, the prophet widens the lens: “and on all the towns of Moab, both near and far.” Nothing is overlooked—every village, outpost, and rural settlement lies under the same sentence (Isaiah 15:1-9; 16:6-14). • The double phrase “far and near” underscores totality. God’s judgment reaches: – Far: the remote corners people imagine are beyond His notice (Psalm 139:7-12). – Near: the centers of culture, commerce, and worship, where rebellion often feels respectable (Jeremiah 48:7). • Practical takeaway: – Sin has a community impact; no pocket of society stands immune when God calls a nation to account. – Believers are urged to intercede for their own communities, “near and far,” while there is still time (1 Timothy 2:1-4; 2 Peter 3:9). summary Jeremiah 48:24 lists Kerioth, Bozrah, and every other Moabite town to declare that the coming judgment will be thorough, unavoidable, and just. Proud strongholds, wealthy store-cities, and outlying hamlets alike fall under the same righteous standard. The verse invites us to abandon false securities, trust fully in the LORD, and remember that His sovereign oversight extends to every place—far and near. |
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