Judgement on Gaza and Heshbon
- 47:1 “before Pharaoh struck down Gaza” - apparently back under Josiah (before
Baruch was hired - must have been going through Jeremiahs old jars).
Pharaoh went North through Judah and Gaza to fight the Chaldeans at
Carchemish.
- 47:4 “day has come to destroy all the Philistines” - Ezekiel gives us
the reason:
Ezekiel 25:15-17
- 47:5 “remnant of their valleys” - or “remnant of their Anakim” in RSV.
The Hebrew for “valleys” and “Anakim” differ by Mem vs Nun - very close.
The Septuagint transliterates “Anakim”.
Joshua 11:21
- 48:2 “in Heshbon they plot evil against her” - “Heshbon” sounds like “plot”
in Hebrew.
- 48:3 “Madmen will be silenced” - the Moabite town of “Madmen” sounds
like “silenced” in Hebrew.
- 48:10 “cursed is the one remiss in doing the work of the Lord” -
Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant, and it was his duty to carry out
the judgement on Moab thoroughly - as Israel had failed to do in
judging Caanan.
- 48:11 “settled like wine on its dregs” - wine poured into a clean vessel
leaving the dregs, and this is repeated for sweet and clean wine. If
left to sit on the dregs, the wine is flavored by them.
- 48:13 “Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh” - this judgement would cure
Moab of this type of idolatry, just as it cured Israel.
- 48:26 “because he has magnified himself against the Lord” - like many
other nations, judged for pride.
- 48:27 “ridiculed Israel” - and Moab will become a laughingstock.
- 48:30 “I know his insolence” - judged for arrogance.
- 48:47 “I will restore Moab from captivity” - Moab resisted Augustus Ceasar
at the birth of Christ. Daniel 11:41