Jeremiah 48 15

Jeremiah 48:15 kjv

Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 48:15 nkjv

Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities; Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter," says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 48:15 niv

Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty.

Jeremiah 48:15 esv

The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 48:15 nlt

But now Moab and his towns will be destroyed.
His most promising youth are doomed to slaughter,"
says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

Jeremiah 48 verses

Jeremiah 48 15 meaning

This verse announces the definitive and devastating judgment against Moab. It depicts a comprehensive ruin, starting with the land and its urban centers being completely destroyed and reduced to smoldering ashes. Furthermore, the very future and strength of Moab—represented by its finest and strongest young men—are irrevocably lost, destined for brutal and undignified slaughter. This declaration underscores the irreversible and total nature of God's judgment against a proud and defiant nation.

Jeremiah 48 15 Context

This verse is situated within a lengthy prophetic oracle (Jer 48:1-47) primarily announcing the total destruction of Moab. Jeremiah’s prophecy against Moab parallels similar oracles found in Isaiah 15-16 and Ezekiel 25:8-11, indicating a consistent prophetic understanding of Moab's ultimate fate. Chapter 48 details the pervasive nature of this destruction, lamenting the downfall of various Moabite cities, the capture of their treasures, and the demise of their idol god, Chemosh. The historical backdrop for this prophecy places it during a time when major powers, like Babylon, were asserting dominance in the ancient Near East, serving as God's instrument of judgment against disobedient nations. Moab, historically a perennial enemy of Israel, was characterized by its immense pride, its taunting of God’s people, and its worship of false deities, particularly Chemosh. Verse 15 highlights a key aspect of this judgment: the swift, overwhelming loss of military strength and the promising next generation. The immediate chapter context speaks of Moab’s perceived invincibility being shattered (vv. 7, 11), its reliance on human power and wealth being utterly vain.

Jeremiah 48 15 Word analysis

• Moab (מֹאָב - Mo’av): The name of the ancient kingdom east of the Dead Sea, often hostile to Israel. Its identification at the outset clearly names the subject of God's direct judgment, leaving no doubt about the target.
• is devastated (שֻׁדְּדָה - shuddĕdâh): A passive form, emphasizing that Moab is acted upon, underlining the divine agency behind the destruction. It conveys violent plundering and ruination, indicating a complete and unrecoverable state of loss, not just defeat.
• and his cities (וְעָרֶיהָ - wə‘āreihā): The Hebrew possessive suffix ("her cities," though English often translates "his" when referring to a country/people) signifies the totality of the national infrastructure being impacted. It points to a societal collapse beyond mere military loss.
• have gone up in smoke (עָלְתָה עַשְׁמָהּ - ‘ālĕtâ ‘ashmâh): Literally, "her smoke has gone up." The smoke rising signifies total conflagration, often the aftermath of military conquest where settlements are burned. It vividly illustrates destruction so severe that only ashes and smoke remain, a visual emblem of utter ruin and desolation. This is also an indirect polemic against Moab's reliance on their fortifications, implying even their strongholds would burn.
• and his chosen young men (וּבַח֣וּרָיו - uvachurâw or בְּחוּרֶיהָ - bᵉchurayeha in some texts): "Her chosen ones" or "picked men." This term refers to the prime of Moab's male population, its strongest and most capable warriors, the elite or the hope for the nation's future. Their demise means not only military defeat but also the obliteration of future generations, leadership, and national vitality.
• have gone down (יָרְדוּ - yârᵉdû): Denotes a downward movement, implying a final, irreversible descent. This signifies a movement into Sheol, the grave, or to a place of utter defeat and ignominy. It conveys finality and helplessness.
• to the slaughter (לַטָּבַח - laṭṭâvaḥ): This term is specifically used for the slaughter of animals, not dignified combat. Its application here to "chosen young men" highlights the ignoble, brutal, and wholesale killing, reducing human lives to mere meat. This is deeply humiliating and dehumanizing, an extreme form of divine judgment that strips them of all honor and even human respect.

Words-group analysis:

• "Moab is devastated and his cities have gone up in smoke": This phrase combines the ruin of the nation itself with the physical destruction of its urban centers. It emphasizes the sweeping, all-encompassing nature of the judgment that affects both the people's collective identity and their physical habitations, leaving nothing untouched or inhabitable. The smoke signifies an end, reducing a once-proud civilization to mere smoldering remnants. This also serves as a polemic against the supposed strength of Moabite fortresses, showing them to be powerless against divine wrath.
• "and his chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter": This section zeroes in on the human cost, specifically the most valuable segment of society for perpetuation and defense. The contrast between "chosen young men"—implying strength and potential—and "gone down to the slaughter"—implying humiliation and total loss—is stark. It illustrates the loss of future, national defense, and the grim reality of a war that completely extinguishes the promise of an entire generation, sealing the nation’s fate with no hope of resurgence.

Jeremiah 48 15 Bonus section

The specificity of the judgment against "chosen young men" indicates that the very vitality and future potential of Moab are targeted. In ancient societies, the loss of this demographic cohort had long-term, crippling effects, ensuring the nation's inability to recover militarily or socially. This prophecy not only speaks of destruction but of the extinction of Moab's national identity as it stood. The agents of this destruction, primarily the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar (as indicated in broader prophetic fulfillment contexts), are merely instruments in God's sovereign hand, fulfilling a long-decreed sentence against a people who consistently manifested pride and hostility toward Yahweh and His people. This aligns with a recurring biblical theme that the fate of nations rests not solely on their military might but on their relationship and obedience to God.

Jeremiah 48 15 Commentary

Jeremiah 48:15 stands as a chilling declaration of divine, unmitigated judgment against the nation of Moab. It succinctly encapsulates the full spectrum of impending destruction: the physical ruin of its land and cities, evidenced by the rising smoke, and the devastating loss of its human capital, especially its finest warriors and future generations, condemned to an undignified slaughter. This pronouncement shatters any illusion of Moab's self-reliance or the efficacy of its gods (like Chemosh), as both their fortifications and their most capable defenders prove powerless against God's appointed judgment. The vivid imagery, from smoldering cities to slaughtered youth, underscores the totality and irreversible nature of their downfall. It's a testament to God's sovereignty over nations, revealing that even those seemingly secure in their pride and wealth eventually face His reckoning.

• Example 1: Like a once-majestic building reduced to rubble and smoke after a devastating fire, Moab's entire societal structure would collapse.
• Example 2: Similar to an army's most elite units being utterly annihilated, leaving a nation without its strongest protectors and future leaders, Moab faced existential demographic ruin.