What does Jeremiah 48:2 mean?
What is the meaning of Jeremiah 48:2?

There is no longer praise for Moab

- Moab’s proud self-confidence is publicly stripped away; its fame and reputation collapse overnight (Jeremiah 48:29; Isaiah 16:6).

- God’s judgment targets the heart of national identity: the “praise” that once echoed through neighboring lands is silenced (Psalm 9:5; Proverbs 16:18).

- The verse affirms the literal certainty of divine retribution: what God decrees in His Word inevitably happens (Numbers 23:19).


In Heshbon they devise evil against her

- Heshbon—formerly an Ammonite stronghold (Numbers 21:26)—now becomes the staging ground for Moab’s downfall, illustrating Proverbs 21:30 (“There is no wisdom... against the LORD”).

- God often uses one nation’s council chambers to bring justice upon another (Isaiah 10:5-6).

- The plotting in Heshbon highlights that even powerful cities are instruments in the Lord’s hand (Jeremiah 27:6).


‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’

- The intent is total erasure: Moab is not merely to be weakened but removed “from nationhood,” echoing Psalm 83:4 and Obadiah 1:10.

- Such language underscores the seriousness of opposing God’s covenant people (Genesis 12:3).

- The statement fulfills earlier prophetic warnings (Isaiah 15:1-9) and shows that God’s timetable may be long yet unfailingly exact.


You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you.

- Madmen, a smaller Moabite town, shares the same fate, proving that no pocket of rebellion escapes the Lord’s notice (Amos 9:2-4).

- “Silenced” ties back to verse 2’s loss of praise—both speech and life are extinguished (Psalm 31:17-18).

- The pursuing sword illustrates relentless judgment (Leviticus 26:33; Revelation 19:15), reinforcing God’s righteous consistency.


summary

Jeremiah 48:2 presents a four-fold announcement: Moab’s reputation ends, enemy plotting arises in Heshbon, a call is issued to erase Moab as a nation, and even smaller towns like Madmen fall under the sword. The passage declares, with literal finality, that every layer of Moabite pride, security, and population will succumb to God’s sovereign judgment.

What is the significance of Moab in biblical history according to Jeremiah 48:1?
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