Jeremiah 49:23

Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet. CONCERNING DAMASCUS - prophecy as to Damascus, etc. (Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 10:9.) The kingdom of Damascus was already destroyed by Assyria, as Isaiah had long ago prophesied; but the city revived, and it is as to the latter Jeremiah now prophesies. The fulfillment was probably about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Josephus, 10: 9, 7). HAMATH IS CONFOUNDED - at the tidings of the overthrow of the neighbouring Damascus HAMATH IS CONFOUNDED - at the tidings of the overthrow of the neighbouring Damascus....

Jeremiah speaks here of the kingdom of Syria, which he means by _Damascus_, where the kings, as it is well known, resided. The Syrians had been from the beginning very hostile to the Israelites; and histories, well known, record that they had continual wars for many years. At length the kings of Israel confederated with the Syrians for the purpose of attacking their brethren the Jews. Hence it was, that the Syrians caused great troubles to the Jews, and were friends to the Israelites until both kingdoms were subverted by the Chaldeans. It is hence probable that this prophecy was announced while the kingdom was yet standing, or at least before its final overthrow; for it was much weakened before it was wholly cut off, as it has been stated elsewhere. It was necessary to make this preface, in order that we might know the design of God in proclaiming this prophecy against the Syrians, even...

23-27 How easily God can dispirit those nations that have been most celebrated for valour! Damascus waxes feeble. It was a city of joy, having all the delights of the sons of men. But those deceive themselves who place their happiness in carnal joys....

Verse Jeremiah 49:23. _CONCERNING DAMASCUS._] This is the _head_ or _title_ of another prophecy. _Damascus_ was one of the principal cities of Syria. It was taken by David, 2 Samuel 8:6, was retaken in the reign of Solomon, 1 Kings 11:24, c., and regained its independence. Its kings were often at war with the ten tribes, and once it joined with them for the destruction of Judah. To defend himself against these powerful enemies Ahaz made a league with the king of Assyria, who besieged Damascus, took, and demolished it. From that time we hear nothing of Damascus till we meet with it in this prophecy. It appears to have been rebuilt and restored to some consequence. It made an obstinate resistance to...

Though the superscription is confined to Damascus, the prophecy relates to the whole of Aram, called by us Syria, which was divided into two parts, the northern, of which Hamath was the capital, and the southeastern, belonging to Damascus. HAMATH IS CONFOUNDED - Or, is ashamed. For Hamath see Isaiah 10:9 note. Arpad lay about fourteen miles north of Aleppo, at a place now called Tel Erfad. FAINTHEARTED - The sinews are relaxed unknit, through terror. THERE IS SORROW ON THE SEA - In the sea. As the sea is used (marginal reference) of the agitation of the thoughts of evil men, its sense here also probably is, there is sorrow, or rather anxiety, in the agitated hearts of the Syrians....

EXPOSITION On Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazer, and Elam. JEREMIAH 49:1 The violence of the Ammonites shall be severely punished. JEREMIAH 49:1 HATH ISRAEL NO SONS! The violent seizure, perpetrated before his eyes, of parts of the sacred territory, forces the indignant question from the prophet, "How can these things be?" It was so on a former occasion (see Jeremiah 2:14), and it is so again, now that the Ammonites are occupying the land of the Gadites. True, the present generation has lost its property, but the next is the heir to all its rights and privileges. THEIR KING; rather, _their King—_the

CONCERNING DAMASCUS,.... Or, "unto Damascus" d; or, "against Damascus" e; that is, "thus saith the Lord"; which is to be repeated from the foregoing instances, Jeremiah 49:1. This is to be understood, not only of the city of Damascus, but of the whole kingdom of Syria, of which Damascus was the metropolis; see Isaiah 7:8; HAMATH IS CONFOUNDED, AND ARPAD; two cities in Syria; the first is generally thought to be Antioch of Syria, sometimes called Epiphania; and the other the same with Arvad, inhabited by the Arvadim, or Aradians; see 2 Kings 18:34; these, that is, the inhabitants of them, as the Targum, were covered with shame, thrown into the utmost confusion and consternation: for they hav

CHAPTER 49 Concerning Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, and Elam _ 1. Concerning the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:1) _ 2. Concerning Edom (Jeremiah 49:7) 3. Concerning Damascus (Jeremiah 49:23) 4. Concerning Kedar and Hazor (Jeremiah 49:28) 5. Against Elam (Jeremiah 49:34) Ammon was the younger brother of Moab, and, like the Moabites, the Ammonites were a wicked people, though they had no cities like Moab, but were restless wanderers; they were also the enemies of Israel. The predic

DAMASCUS. The prophecy refers to the Aramæ ans; Hamath, 110 miles N. of Damascus, and Arpad, 95 m. N. of Hamath, never belonged to the Damascene kingdom. They were absorbed into the Assyrian empire c. 720 B.C.; _cf._ Isaiah 10:9. There is no mention of these cities in the list of foreign prophecies, Jeremiah 25:18 ff. The prophecy announces the invasion of certain Aramæ an cities in conventional terms drawn from other prophecies. Jeremiah 49:23. _Cf._ Isaiah 57:20; read, after tidings, partly with LXX, they surge as the sea; they are anxious and cannot be quiet....

THE FORTY-SEVENTH PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH (see book comments for Jeremiah). Damascus. The prophecy concerns Syria generally, of which Damascus was the principal city. HAMATH. Now _Hama,_ in the valley of the Greekntes, north of Damascus. ARPAD. Now _Tell Erfad,_ thirteen miles north of Aleppo. Compare 2 Kings 18:34; 2 Kings 19:13.Isaiah 10:9; Isaiah 36:19; Isaiah 37:13. EVIL TIDINGS. calamitous report. Hebrew. _ra'a'_. App-44. SORROW. anxiety, or trouble. Hebrew. ra'a