Jeremiah 48:5
For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction:
For on the ascent to Luhith

Moab’s fugitives climb the route toward Luhith, seeking escape as enemy forces overrun the land.

Isa 15:5 My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee…
2Sa 15:30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives,…
Psa 126:6 He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed,…

they weep bitterly as they go,

Their grief reflects the loss of their cities, security, and national strength under God’s judgment.

Isa 15:2-3 Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places.…
Lam 1:2 She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks.…
Jer 9:1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water,…

and on the descent to Horonaim

Others flee by the road toward Horonaim, showing that distress has spread across Moab’s territory.

Jos 10:10-11 And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel,…
Jos 16:3 Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites…

cries of distress resound over the destruction:

The sound of panic and mourning rises from the ruined towns as the foretold devastation comes upon the nation.

Isa 15:4 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices…
Isa 15:8 For their outcry echoes to the border of Moab.…
Isa 16:7 Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab.…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Luhith
A location in Moab, mentioned in the context of a path of ascent. It is a place associated with weeping and lamentation due to impending destruction.

2. Horonaim
Another location in Moab, mentioned as a place of descent. It is characterized by cries of distress, indicating the severity of the calamity that has befallen Moab.

3. Moab
A nation east of Israel, often in conflict with Israel. In this context, Moab is facing judgment and destruction as prophesied by Jeremiah.

4. Jeremiah
A prophet of God who conveyed messages of judgment and hope to the nations, including Moab. His prophecies often called for repentance and warned of consequences for sin.

5. Destruction
The event of judgment upon Moab, symbolized by the weeping and cries of distress. It serves as a warning of the consequences of turning away from God.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sin
The destruction of Moab serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. Sin leads to sorrow and distress, as seen in the weeping and cries of Moab.

The Certainty of God's Judgment
The prophecy against Moab underscores the certainty of God's judgment. Just as Moab faced destruction, so too will all who persist in sin without repentance.

The Call to Repentance
The lamentation of Moab is a call to repentance for all nations. It is a reminder to turn back to God before facing similar judgment.

The Compassion of God
Even in judgment, God's heart is for restoration. The weeping and cries are not just signs of destruction but also an invitation to seek God's mercy and grace.

The Role of the Prophet
Jeremiah's role as a prophet was to convey God's message faithfully, regardless of its popularity. Believers are called to speak truth in love, warning others of the consequences of sin.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of weeping and cries of distress in Jeremiah 48:5 reflect the spiritual state of Moab, and what can we learn from this about the impact of sin in our own lives?

2. In what ways does the prophecy against Moab in Jeremiah 48:5 parallel the warnings given to other nations or individuals in the Bible, and how should this influence our understanding of God's justice?

3. How can the themes of judgment and repentance in Jeremiah 48:5 be applied to our personal walk with God, and what steps can we take to ensure we are living in alignment with His will?

4. Considering the role of Jeremiah as a prophet, how can we as believers today fulfill a similar role in our communities, warning others of the consequences of sin while offering hope through the gospel?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced sorrow or distress as a result of sin. How did you respond, and what did you learn about God's character and your relationship with Him through that experience?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 15
This chapter also speaks of the burden against Moab, describing similar scenes of lamentation and destruction, reinforcing the theme of divine judgment.

Lamentations 1
The book of Lamentations, attributed to Jeremiah, echoes the themes of weeping and distress over destruction, drawing a parallel to the sorrow expressed in Jeremiah 48:5.

Psalm 137
This psalm captures the weeping and lamentation of the Israelites in exile, similar to the weeping of Moab, highlighting the universal experience of sorrow due to sin and judgment.
The Departed Praise of MoabD. Young
People
Chemosh, Gamul, Jeremiah, Sihon, Zoar
Places
Arnon, Aroer, Beth-diblathaim, Bethel, Beth-gamul, Beth-meon, Bozrah, Dibon, Elealeh, Heshbon, Holon, Horonaim, Jahaz, Jahzah, Jazer, Kerioth, Kir-hareseth, Kiriathaim, Luhith, Madmen, Mephaath, Moab, Nebo, Nimrim, Sea of Jazer, Sibmah, Zoar
Topics
Adversaries, Anguish, Anguished, Ascend, Ascent, Bitterly, Continual, Cries, Cry, Descent, Desolation, Destruction, Distress, Distressing, Ears, Enemies, Horonaim, Horona'im, Luhith, Road, Slope, Weeping
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 48:4-5

     5801   brokenness

Jeremiah 48:4-6

     5178   running

Library
August 8. "Be Like the Dove" (Jer. Xlviii. 28).
"Be like the dove" (Jer. xlviii. 28). Harmless as a dove, is Christ's interpretation of the beautiful emblem. And so the Spirit of God is purity itself. He cannot dwell in an unclean heart. He cannot abide in the natural mind. It was said of the anointing of old, "On man's flesh it shall not be poured." The purity which the Holy Spirit brings is like the white and spotless little plant which grows up out of the heap of manure, or the black soil, without one grain of impurity adhering to its crystalline
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

How those are to be Admonished who Decline the Office of Preaching Out of Too Great Humility, and those who Seize on it with Precipitate Haste.
(Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age forbids to preach, and yet precipitancy impells. For those who, though able to preach with profit, still shrink back through excessive humility are to be admonished to gather from consideration of a lesser matter how faulty they are in a greater one. For, if they were to hide from their indigent neighbours money which they possessed
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how a star goeth out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how this sceptre smiteth Moab, by whose enmity the Seer had been brought from a distant region for the destruction of Israel. And not Moab only shall be smitten, but its southern neighbour, Edom, too shall be subdued, whose hatred against Israel had already been prefigured in its ancestor, and had now begun to display Itself; and In general, all the enemies of
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Meditations for the Sick.
Whilst thy sickness remains, use often, for thy comfort, these few meditations, taken from the ends wherefore God sendeth afflictions to his children. Those are ten. 1. That by afflictions God may not only correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruptions, and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit; like a good father, who suffers his tender babe to scorch his finger in a candle, that he may the rather learn to beware
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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