Jeremiah 48 13

Jeremiah 48:13 kjv

And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

Jeremiah 48:13 nkjv

Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

Jeremiah 48:13 niv

Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.

Jeremiah 48:13 esv

Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

Jeremiah 48:13 nlt

At last Moab will be ashamed of his idol Chemosh,
as the people of Israel were ashamed of their gold calf at Bethel.

Jeremiah 48 verses

Jeremiah 48 13 meaning

This verse declares that Moab will face profound humiliation and disappointment from trusting in its national god, Chemosh. This future disgrace is explicitly paralleled with the past experience of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which suffered shame because it placed its confidence in Bethel, a site corrupted by idol worship, rather than in the true God. The verse underscores the futility and ultimate failure of any misplaced trust outside of the Lord, whether in pagan deities or perverted forms of worship.

Jeremiah 48 13 Context

Jeremiah chapter 48 delivers a specific prophetic oracle against Moab, detailing its impending destruction by the Chaldeans (Babylonians). This oracle is part of a larger collection within Jeremiah (chapters 46-51) known as the "Oracles Against the Nations," demonstrating God's sovereign control over all nations. The judgment on Moab stems from its pride, its historical opposition to Israel, and, most critically, its devotion to its false god, Chemosh. Verse 13 draws a theological parallel to an event within Israel's own history—the Northern Kingdom's shame and downfall because of its confidence in the idolatrous worship centered at Bethel. This comparison serves to highlight a universal principle of divine judgment: placing confidence in anything other than the Lord God ultimately leads to disgrace and ruin, irrespective of whether the object of trust is a foreign pagan deity or a corrupted sacred site within God's own people.

Jeremiah 48 13 Word analysis

• Then Moab (וּבֹשׁ מוֹאָב - u-vosh mo'av): The conjunction וּ (u-, "then" or "and") links this shame directly to the preceding judgments on Moab. מוֹאָב (Mo'av) is the literal name of the ancient kingdom east of the Dead Sea, emphasizing the direct target of the prophecy.
• shall be ashamed (בֹּשׁ - bosh, appearing as וּבֹשׁ (uvosh) here meaning 'and was/shall be ashamed', or the Qal form יֵבֹשׁוּ (yevoshu) if translated with the parallel Israel). The Hebrew root בושׁ (bosh) signifies deep humiliation, disappointment, and public disgrace resulting from a failure to meet expectations or a false hope. It implies not merely embarrassment, but the crushing realization of reliance on a powerless object.
• of Chemosh (מִכְּמוֹשׁ - mik-kemosh): The preposition מִ (mi-, "from" or "of") clearly identifies Chemosh as the direct source or cause of Moab's impending shame. כְּמוֹשׁ (Kemosh) was the national god of Moab, a pagan deity associated with warfare and even child sacrifice. Moab's military and national identity were intrinsically tied to Chemosh; his failure to protect them against invasion means the complete shattering of their religious and national confidence.
• as the house of Israel (כַּאֲשֶׁר בֹּשׁוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל - ka'asher boshu beit yisra'el): כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka'asher, "as," "just as") introduces a critical comparative analogy. בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל (beit yisra'el, "house of Israel") refers primarily to the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) after the division, distinct from Judah.
• was ashamed (בֹּשׁוּ - boshu): This is the past tense form of בושׁ, indicating a historical, already experienced shame for Israel, confirming the outcome of misplaced trust.
• of Bethel (מִבֵּיתְ־אֵל - mib-bethel): The preposition מִ (mi-) again points to the source of shame. בֵּיתְ־אֵל (Bethel, "House of God") was originally a sacred place for patriarchs, but was corrupted by Jeroboam I into a prominent center for the idolatrous golden calf worship for the Northern Kingdom. It became a symbol of their apostasy.
• their confidence (מִבְטַחָם - mivtacham): מִבְטָח (mivtach) means "trust," "confidence," "security," or "refuge." The suffix ־ָם (-am, "their") explicitly identifies Bethel as the object of Israel's misplaced reliance, portraying it as what they believed would provide safety and blessing instead of YHWH.

Words-group analysis:

• "Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh": This phrase functions as a concise theological declaration that Moab's entire national identity and perceived strength, derived from its patron god, will crumble. The shame isn't just about military defeat, but a deep spiritual disgrace revealing the utter powerlessness of its idol.
• "as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel": This pivotal comparison establishes a universal principle across both pagan and seemingly 'religious' contexts. It highlights God's consistent judgment on false worship and trust, whether outside or within His covenant people, demonstrating that human-made systems of security or devotion, when replacing Him, inevitably lead to ruin.
• "Bethel, their confidence": This descriptive phrase highlights the deep irony and tragedy of Israel's apostasy. Bethel, a site meant for encountering God, became a stronghold of idolatry. It illustrates the human propensity to turn sacred things into idols by making them objects of self-dependent trust rather than avenues to the One True God.

Jeremiah 48 13 Bonus section

• The "house of Israel" here refers almost exclusively to the Northern Kingdom, which consistently embraced the calf worship established by Jeroboam I at Dan and Bethel. Hosea's frequent reference to Bethel as "Beth-aven" (house of iniquity) also points to this deep corruption.
• The judgment on Moab, spanning nearly the entire chapter (Jer 48), emphasizes the thoroughness and inevitability of the promised humiliation of Chemosh, leaving no doubt about his utter powerlessness in the face of the Lord's decrees.
• This verse serves as a timeless warning against any form of misplaced confidence, challenging believers to examine where their ultimate trust and security truly lie, whether in wealth, power, human systems, or even distorted religious practices.

Jeremiah 48 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 48:13 is a powerful, concise declaration of the ultimate futility of placing confidence in anything other than the true God. It announces Moab's impending humiliation, specifically from its national god, Chemosh. This is not just a prediction of military defeat but a theological statement about the disgrace that comes from idol worship when the idol proves incapable of delivering its promises of protection and blessing. The striking parallel to the "house of Israel" being ashamed of Bethel amplifies this message. Israel's northern kingdom, God's chosen people, turned Bethel from a holy place (meaning "House of God") into a center for the golden calf cult, making it "their confidence" instead of the Lord. Their subsequent defeat by Assyria exposed the worthlessness of their false gods and corrupt worship, leading to national shame. This parallel reveals God's consistent principle: trust placed in human constructs, pagan deities, or perverted forms of divine worship ultimately results in profound disappointment, public disgrace, and destruction. Both Moab and Israel experienced divine judgment precisely because their allegiance and confidence were misplaced, underscoring that the Lord alone is the trustworthy source of true security and deliverance.