Jeremiah 49:7-22

Edom. For the land, and the relations of this people to Israel, see on Obadiah, from Jeremiah 49:1 of which the present prophecy has taken verbally Jeremiah 49:9; Jeremiah 49:14. This does not, in itself, disprove the Jeremianic authorship of other parts of this prophecy, e.g. Jeremiah 49:7 f., Jeremiah 49:10 f., Jeremiah 49:22. The Edomites are paralysed by disaster. Let the Dedanites (their southern neighbours, Ezekiel 25:13) flee to some inaccessible refuge (dwell deep, Jeremiah 49:8). The foe will destroy Edom utterly (Jeremiah 49:9 mg.; in different sense from that of its source, Obadiah 1:5). Yahweh Himself (I is emphatic in Jeremiah 49:10) searches out Edom, and cannot be escaped, but He will care for the orphans and widows (of the slaughtered Edomites). Israel undeservedly has drunk the cup (of Yahweh's wrath, Jeremiah 25:15 ff.), and now it is Edom's turn; Bozrah and other Edomite cities shall be laid waste (Jeremiah 49:13). The nations are combining against Edom, and she shall be humiliated; her pride in being inaccessible to the invader shall be shaken (Jeremiah 49:14, see on Obadiah 1:1; as for thy terribleness, not found there, should be O, thy shuddering!). Desolated Edom shall become an object of wonder (Jeremiah 19:8), like the cities of the plain (Genesis 19:24; Deuteronomy 29:23). The foe comes up like a lion from the Jordan jungle (Jeremiah 12:5); through him, Yahweh will drive them forth (mg. 3) as He chooses, for who can withstand Yahweh? The helpless Edomites shall be dragged off (cf. Jeremiah 15:3, mg.); their calamity is known far and wide (Jeremiah 49:21). Vulture-like will the foe swoop down (Jeremiah 48:40) and Edom be in dire extremity (Jeremiah 49:22).

Jeremiah 49:7. Teman: the northern district of Edom. vanished: better, spoilt.

Jeremiah 49:13. Bozrah: capital of Teman, Isaiah 34:6, perhaps Busaireh, 20 m. SE. of Dead Sea.

Jeremiah 49:19. strong: should be permanent, as mg.; Jeremiah 49:19 recur in Jeremiah 50:44, applied to Babylon. appoint me a time: i.e. for trial or contest, Job 9:19. shepherd: fig. for ruler, Jeremiah 25:34 ff.

Jeremiah 49:20. Read 2nd and 3rd mg.