What is the meaning of Jeremiah 49:5? Behold, I am about to bring terror upon you • The verse opens with a startling announcement of coming dread. God Himself initiates the action, underscoring that this is not mere circumstance but divine judgment (Jeremiah 25:15-17). • “Terror” means sheer panic sweeping through the people. Similar language is used of Moab just one chapter earlier—“Terror and pit and snare await you” (Jeremiah 48:43). • The Ammonites had rested in the security of their fortified city, Rabbah (49:2), yet God’s warning echoes Deuteronomy 32:25, where terror stalks both “inside and outside.” In other words, false refuges collapse when the Lord speaks. declares the Lord GOD of Hosts • The title emphasizes absolute authority. “LORD” points to His covenant faithfulness; “GOD of Hosts” (Yahweh Sabaoth) reveals command over angelic armies and earthly forces alike (Psalm 46:11; Isaiah 6:3). • By attaching His name to the prophecy, God guarantees its fulfillment. Similar seals appear in Isaiah 44:6 and Jeremiah 10:16, reminding us that when He declares, it happens. • For the Ammonites—and for every nation—this shuts the door on debate. Human power structures buckle before the One who marshals all hosts. from all those around you • Judgment will rise “from all those around,” turning neighboring peoples into instruments of discipline (Jeremiah 25:9; 2 Kings 24:2). • The circle imagery removes escape routes. Like Israel under the judges, they will face oppression “on every side” (Judges 2:14). • God sometimes uses surrounding nations to chastise pride (Habakkuk 1:6-10). Here He gathers those very neighbors the Ammonites once trusted for trade or alliances. You will each be driven headlong • Panic becomes stampede. “Driven headlong” paints a crowd fleeing so fast they stumble forward, a picture echoed in Isaiah 22:3 where defenders “fled together” without order. • Deuteronomy 28:25 warns covenant breakers that enemies will rout them; Jeremiah applies the same principle to a foreign nation that exalted itself against God’s people (49:1). • The wording shows personal impact: every individual feels the dread, just as Jeremiah 4:29 describes city dwellers running to thickets when the enemy approaches. with no one to regather the fugitives • Once scattered, the fugitives find no shepherd, no leader, no ally willing to bring them home (Lamentations 1:2; Hosea 13:10). • Ancient warfare often allowed a remnant to regroup, but this judgment removes even that mercy. The Ammonites prided themselves on alliances; now abandonment reigns (Isaiah 49:24-26 describes only the Lord’s ability to rescue captives). • The phrase underscores totality: displacement without restoration—until God later promises a future restoration in verse 6, proving that only He can regather what He has scattered. summary Jeremiah 49:5 delivers a sober, literal warning to Ammon: God Himself will unleash terror through surrounding nations, causing a frantic, unstoppable flight with no human rescue in sight. Each phrase layers certainty—declared by the LORD of Hosts—completing a picture of comprehensive judgment that humbles pride, validates God’s sovereignty, and ultimately points to His sole authority to scatter or restore. |
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