ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Jeremiah 49

Jer. 49:1 Ammonites. People living north of Moab. Their capital was Rabbah, present-day Amman, Jordan. During Jehoiakim’s reign they raided Judah (2 Kings 24:2), and they conspired with Judah and others against Babylon during Zedekiah’s reign (Jer. 27:3). Milcom. Or Molech, Ammon’s chief god (1 Kings 11:5, 7). Milcom means “their king.” dispossessed Gad. In the aftermath of the Assyrian invasion of 734–732 b.c., Ammon occupied some territory belonging to the Israelite tribe Gad.

Jer. 49:2 Israel shall dispossess. Israel will retake the cities lost in 734–732 b.c. (v. 1).

Jer. 49:3 Heshbon. See 48:2. Ai. Location unknown; not the Ai of Josh. 7:1–9. Rabbah. See note on Jer. 49:1. Milcom shall go into exile. See 48:7.

Jer. 49:5 I will bring terror. God is sovereign over all nations; he will send an invader. every man straight before him. The Ammonites will flee by the quickest route possible. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Ammon c. 582 b.c.

Jer. 49:6 God will restore Ammon’s fortunes, just as he will for Israel and Moab. See 29:14 and 48:47.

Jer. 49:7 Edom. Descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:1–19) who lived south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba. Obadiah 10–14 indicates that Edom benefited from Jerusalem’s fall. wisdom . . . in Teman. Teman was in northern Edom. Obadiah 8 indicates Edom was famous for its wise men; they will soon vanish.

Jer. 49:8 Dedan. A site southeast of Edom.

Jer. 49:11–12 God may protect Edom’s fatherless children and widows, but the nation as a whole will drink the cup of destruction (25:28–29; Lam. 4:21).

Jer. 49:13 Bozrah. Capital of Edom, 25 miles (40 km) southeast of the Dead Sea. Like Jerusalem (15:4; 24:9), Bozrah shall become a horror to other nations.

Jer. 49:23 Damascus. See Isa. 17:1–6 and Amos 1:3–5. The chief Aramean city, home to kings Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20) and Hazael (2 Kings 8:7–15). Assyria dominated Damascus from 732 to 609 b.c., and Babylon did so after 605. Hamath and Arpad. Hamath was 115 miles (185 km) north of Damascus, and Arpad was 95 miles (153 km) north of Hamath. heard bad news. About Damascus, from a great distance.

Jer. 49:24 Damascus’s distress is so great she is too terrified to flee. She is like a woman in labor. See 4:31 and 48:41.

Jer. 49:28 Kedar. A significant Arab clan (2:10; Isa. 21:16–17). Kedar engaged in sheep breeding (Isa. 60:7) and traded with Phoenicia (Ezek. 27:21). kingdoms of Hazor. Probably a term designating several nomadic tribes in northern Arabia (Ps. 120:5; Isa. 42:11).

Jer. 49:30 plan . . . purpose. See v. 20. God devises plans that Nebu­chadnezzar puts into practice (27:1–15).

Jer. 49:34 Elam. East of Babylon in the lower Tigris River Valley. Conquered by Assyria in 640 b.c. beginning of the reign of Zedekiah. c. 597 b.c.

Jer. 49:36–38 God will send invaders against Elam and destroy it. set my throne. Most likely the throne of Nebuchadnezzar (27:1–15).

Jer. 49:39 For the same promise to other nations, see 33:26; 49:6; and note on 48:47. These verses predict a future salvation for Gentiles.