Jeremiah 48:11 kjv
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
Jeremiah 48:11 nkjv
"Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.
Jeremiah 48:11 niv
"Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another? she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged.
Jeremiah 48:11 esv
"Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.
Jeremiah 48:11 nlt
"From his earliest history, Moab has lived in peace,
never going into exile.
He is like wine that has been allowed to settle.
He has not been poured from flask to flask,
and he is now fragrant and smooth.
Jeremiah 48 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 12:5 | Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? | General consequence of wickedness |
| Isaiah 32:11 | Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be shocked, you who are complacent. Strip yourselves and put on sackcloth. | Warning against complacency |
| Amos 6:1 | Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria. | Divine pronouncement against ease |
| Ezekiel 16:49 | Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: pride, plenty of food, and prosperous complacency. | Parallel with Sodom's judgment |
| Proverbs 6:4 | Give yourself no rest, nor your eyes no slumber. | Antidote to complacency |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:3 | For they will say, "Peace and security," when sudden destruction will come upon them. | Unforeseen judgment on the complacent |
| Jeremiah 48:12 | But now the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will send him renters who will vex him. | Continuation of judgment on Moab |
| Psalm 55:19 | God will hear and humble them, he who sits from of old. For they do not change and do not fear God. | Unchanging hearts before God |
| Deuteronomy 32:15 | But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked— you grew fat, thick, and sleek! And he forsook God. | Warning against prosperity's effects |
| Hosea 13:5 | I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. | God's presence and provision |
| Psalm 73:6 | Therefore pride is his necklace; violence covers him as a garment. | Pride associated with sin |
| Jeremiah 17:5 | Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm. | Contrast with self-reliance |
| Acts 17:30 | The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. | Universal call to repentance |
| Jeremiah 7:24 | But they did not listen or incline their ear, but walked according to the counsels and the stubborness of their evil hearts. | Rebellion against God's command |
| Amos 3:7 | Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets. | God's consistent revelation |
| Jeremiah 23:17 | They continually say to those who despise the word of the LORD, "It shall be well with you." | False security from false prophets |
| Jeremiah 49:31 | I will stir up a terrible calamity against you, declares the LORD of hosts. | Judgment on specific nations |
| Romans 2:5 | But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath. | Impenitence leading to wrath |
| Judges 9:4 | And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of ... their idol Baal-berith. | Idol worship and its consequences |
| Matthew 7:13 | "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction." | Contrasting paths |
Jeremiah 48 verses
Jeremiah 48 11 Meaning
Jeremiah 48:11 speaks of Moab's long-standing complacency and refusal to change their ways, resulting in a divinely ordained judgment. It highlights the spiritual state of being settled in one's ways without regard for God's warnings or call to repentance. This stillness leads to a devastating downfall.
Jeremiah 48 11 Context
This verse is found within the prophecy against Moab, detailed in Jeremiah chapter 48. The prophecy begins by announcing God's judgment on Moab, using imagery of devastation and ruin for their cities and people. Moab, historically, was a nation that often conflicted with Israel and generally defied God. Throughout their history, they remained entrenched in their idolatry and proud independence. This chapter lists specific instances and reasons for God's judgment on Moab, stemming from their historical rebellions and arrogance. The preceding verses describe Moab's downfall, and verse 11 sets the stage for the coming judgment, attributing it to their long-standing security and lack of repentance.
Jeremiah 48 11 Word Analysis
- "Moab has been at ease from his youth": This phrase points to a continuous state of comfort and complacency for the nation of Moab. "Ease" implies a lack of struggle or adversity that might otherwise prompt a change of heart or dependence on God.
- "and he has settled on his lees": The imagery of settling "on his lees" refers to wine that has not been disturbed or racked off. Lees are the sediment at the bottom, which can eventually ferment and spoil the wine. Metaphorically, it signifies stagnation, lack of purification, and the accumulation of corruption over time. It indicates no spiritual or moral cleansing has occurred.
- "and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel": This continues the wine metaphor. In winemaking, racking wine from one vessel to another is a process to separate the clear wine from the lees, thus improving its quality and preventing spoilage. Moab's failure to undergo such a process symbolizes their refusal to be refined, disciplined, or moved to repentance. They remained in their state of uncleanness.
- "nor has he gone into captivity": This emphasizes that Moab had not experienced significant exiles or upheavals that often serve as God's corrective discipline for nations or individuals. Lacking these strong forms of divine correction contributed to their undisturbed complacency.
- "therefore his taste remains in him": Because they avoided the processes of refinement and chastisement, their original, likely flawed or ungodly, nature (taste) persisted unchanged. Their ingrained habits and character remained, unpurified by suffering or redirection.
- "and his fragrance is not changed": Similar to the "taste," the "fragrance" refers to the characteristic quality or essence of the wine, which in this context represents Moab's fundamental spiritual and moral disposition. As it remained unchanged, it was likely an undesirable or corrupted aroma, signifying persistent sin and lack of righteousness.
Jeremiah 48 11 Bonus Section
The imagery of wine settling on its lees is a potent biblical metaphor for spiritual stagnation and the absence of purging or refinement. This is often linked to a spiritual pride or a refusal to submit to God’s chastening hand, which is meant for spiritual health rather than mere punishment. While Moab enjoyed relative stability, this stability bred a dangerous lack of spiritual vigilance, mirroring how temporal peace can sometimes lead to a dangerous detachment from God's will and the need for ongoing transformation. The prophecy against Moab, including this verse, underscores the divine principle that even national stability can be a precursor to judgment if it leads to an unbroken cycle of sin and defiance.
Jeremiah 48 11 Commentary
Jeremiah 48:11 serves as a powerful statement about the perils of spiritual complacency. Moab, like many nations and individuals, had become accustomed to its comfortable state, neglecting to undergo the necessary processes of purification, repentance, and reliance on God. This unexamined comfort bred a spiritual inertia, leading them to remain unchanged in their unrighteousness. God's judgment is pronounced because this state of self-satisfaction, devoid of trials or the willingness to be refined, meant they never experienced the necessary disciplines that could have led them to acknowledge their sin and turn to God. The verse warns that such persistent complacency, a refusal to be "racked off" or purified, ultimately leads to a corrupted and spoiled state, ripe for divine judgment.