◄ Jeremiah 48:3 ►
A voice cries out from Horonaim: 'Devastation and great destruction!'
Study Bible
“A voice cries out”
The phrase "A voice cries out" signifies an urgent proclamation or warning. In the Hebrew text, the word for "voice" is "קוֹל" (qol), which often denotes a sound that demands attention, such as a shout or a cry. This is not a mere whisper but a loud, clear call that signifies the seriousness of the message. In the context of biblical prophecy, such a voice often heralds impending judgment or significant events. The urgency of this voice reflects the immediacy of the threat facing Moab, emphasizing the need for the people to heed the warning.

“from Horonaim”
Horonaim is a location in Moab, mentioned several times in the Bible, particularly in the context of judgment against Moab. The name "Horonaim" is derived from the Hebrew root "חור" (hor), meaning "cave" or "hollow," suggesting a place that is low or hidden. Historically, Moab was situated east of the Dead Sea, and Horonaim was likely a city or region within Moab. The mention of Horonaim here is significant as it localizes the prophecy, indicating that the devastation is not just a general threat but a specific calamity targeting a known place within Moab. This specificity underscores the certainty and precision of God's judgment.

“‘Devastation and great destruction!’”
The words "Devastation and great destruction" convey the severity of the impending judgment. The Hebrew word for "devastation" is "שֹׁד" (shod), which implies violence, ruin, or havoc. It is often used in the context of military conquest or divine judgment. The term "great destruction" further amplifies the intensity of the devastation, with "שֶׁבֶר" (sheber) meaning a breaking or shattering. Together, these words paint a picture of complete and overwhelming ruin. This prophecy serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. It reflects the biblical theme that God is just and will not allow wickedness to go unpunished. The destruction of Moab serves as a warning to all nations and individuals to turn from sin and seek God's mercy.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
The prophet who conveyed God's messages to the people of Judah and surrounding nations, including Moab.

2. Moab
A nation east of Israel, often in conflict with Israel. Moab is the subject of God's judgment in this chapter.

3. Horonaim
A city in Moab mentioned in the context of destruction and lamentation.

4. Voice
Represents the cry of distress and warning coming from the city of Horonaim.

5. Devastation and Destruction
The impending judgment and calamity that God is pronouncing upon Moab through the prophet Jeremiah.
Teaching Points
The Certainty of God's Judgment
God's pronouncements through His prophets are certain and will come to pass. The devastation of Moab serves as a reminder of the seriousness of God's warnings.

The Consequences of Pride and Sin
Moab's destruction is a result of their pride and sin. This serves as a warning to individuals and nations about the dangers of arrogance and disobedience to God.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets like Jeremiah are God's messengers, tasked with delivering difficult truths. Their role is crucial in calling people to repentance and warning of impending judgment.

The Call to Repentance
While the message is one of destruction, it also implicitly calls for repentance. Recognizing the voice of warning should lead to a change of heart and turning back to God.

The Universality of God's Sovereignty
God's judgment on Moab, a nation outside of Israel, demonstrates His sovereignty over all nations. His moral standards and justice apply universally.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the cry from Horonaim signify about the emotional and spiritual state of Moab during this time of judgment?

2. How does the judgment of Moab in Jeremiah 48:3 reflect the broader biblical theme of God's justice against sin?

3. In what ways can the warnings given to Moab be applied to our personal lives today?

4. How do the prophecies against Moab in Jeremiah and other books of the Bible demonstrate God's sovereignty over all nations?

5. What lessons can we learn from the role of prophets like Jeremiah in delivering God's messages, and how can we apply these lessons in our own lives as we share God's truth with others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 15
This chapter also speaks of the burden against Moab, echoing the themes of lamentation and destruction.

Amos 2:1-3
Amos prophesies against Moab, highlighting God's judgment due to their transgressions.

Zephaniah 2:8-11
Zephaniah speaks of Moab's pride and the resulting judgment, similar to Jeremiah's message.

Lamentations 2:11
The theme of crying out in distress is mirrored in the lament over Jerusalem, showing a parallel in the response to divine judgment.
Sermons
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
Cries, Cry, Crying, Desolation, Destruction, Devastation, Hark, Havoc, Horonaim, Horona'im, Outcry, Spoiling, Voice, Wasting
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 48:2

     4930   end
     5817   conspiracies
     5950   silence

Jeremiah 48:1-2

     9250   woe

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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