What is the meaning of Jeremiah 48:43? “Terror” Jeremiah piles up frightening images, starting with overwhelming dread. In God’s righteous judgment, fear itself becomes a weapon—paralyzing, disorienting, and leaving the sinner exposed (Leviticus 26:36; Psalm 73:19). For Moab, whose false security rested in wealth and high places (Jeremiah 48:7), terror would rip away every pretense of safety, just as it did for Egypt in Exodus 14:24–25. “You will not fear the terror of the night” (Psalm 91:5) is a promise for the godly—but for the unrepentant, terror is exactly what arrives. “and pit” Next comes the image of a deadly drop. “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it” (Proverbs 26:27), and Moab is about to experience that principle. The “pit” speaks of unavoidable disaster—possibly literal traps dug by enemies, but certainly the deep calamities God ordains (Psalm 7:15; Isaiah 24:17–18). What they once prepared for others now waits for them, reinforcing Galatians 6:7: “God is not mocked.” “and snare” A snare is an unseen loop that snaps shut when it is too late to escape. Here God warns that the judgment will come from angles Moab never expected (Psalm 124:7). The nation’s idols (Jeremiah 48:13) lured them into complacency; now unseen snares will close around them. Isaiah uses the same trio—terror, pit, snare—to describe end-times judgment (Isaiah 24:17–18), stressing how total and inescapable it is. “await you” These calamities are not random possibilities; they are appointed. The verbs point forward with certainty, echoing Amos 4:12: “Prepare to meet your God.” Once God’s decree is spoken, the outcome is settled (Numbers 23:19). The fulfillment came historically when Nebuchadnezzar invaded (Jeremiah 48:41), proving that every word of divine warning stands. “O dweller of Moab” By addressing Moab’s inhabitants directly, God personalizes the judgment. It is not merely a nation on a map but people who trusted Chemosh rather than the living God (Jeremiah 48:7). National identity cannot shield them; only repentance could have (Jeremiah 18:7–8; Jonah 3:10). “declares the LORD” The closing signature underlines authority. This is not Jeremiah’s opinion, but the immutable word of the covenant-keeping God (Isaiah 55:11). Because “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8), Moab’s fate is sealed unless they heed the warning. summary Jeremiah 48:43 delivers a triple image—terror, pit, and snare—to portray a judgment that is fearful, deep, and inescapable. Directed to Moab yet displaying God’s consistent character, the verse reminds every reader that misplaced confidence invites divine discipline, while humble trust in the Lord alone provides safety from the terror, the pit, and the snare. |
    |