Jeremiah 48 18

Jeremiah 48:18 kjv

Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

Jeremiah 48:18 nkjv

"O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds.

Jeremiah 48:18 niv

"Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground, you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon, for the one who destroys Moab will come up against you and ruin your fortified cities.

Jeremiah 48:18 esv

"Come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant of Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you; he has destroyed your strongholds.

Jeremiah 48:18 nlt

"Come down from your glory
and sit in the dust, you people of Dibon,
for those who destroy Moab will shatter Dibon, too.
They will tear down all your towers.

Jeremiah 48 verses

Jeremiah 48 18 meaning

Jeremiah 48:18 prophesies the complete humiliation and downfall of Dibon, a significant Moabite city. It commands the city's inhabitants, representing its essence, to abandon their pride and former splendor ("glory") and descend to a state of abject despair and desolation ("sit on the parched ground"). This drastic reversal of fortune is presented as an imminent reality, for the instrument of God's judgment—the "spoiler of Moab" (Babylon)—has already begun its destructive advance, utterly demolishing their fortified defenses ("strongholds"). The verse signifies the loss of dignity, security, and everything Moab prided itself upon.

Jeremiah 48 18 Context

Jeremiah chapter 48 is an extensive prophecy specifically directed against Moab. Throughout this chapter, Jeremiah details the impending, widespread destruction that will befall all Moabite cities, signifying a national judgment. This particular verse addresses Dibon, a historically and politically significant Moabite city, famously known from the Mesha Stele, which glorified King Mesha's victories over Israel. The prophecy highlights Moab's pride (e.g., Jer 48:7, 29), its long-standing prosperity, and its idolatrous worship of Chemosh (Jer 48:13, 46) as reasons for its downfall. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled through the Babylonian invasions led by Nebuchadnezzar, who served as God's instrument to execute judgment on nations hostile to Judah and on those filled with arrogant self-reliance. This divine judgment underscores the ultimate authority of the LORD over all nations, challenging Moab's confidence in its military fortifications and perceived strength, and showing the futility of trust in anything but God.

Jeremiah 48 18 Word analysis

• O inhabitant of Dibon (יוֹשֶׁבֶת דִּיבוֹן - yosheveth Divon):

  • יוֹשֶׁבֶת (yosheveth): Feminine singular participle, literally "sitting" or "dwelling," here functioning as "inhabitant." Prophetic texts often personify cities in the feminine form, addressing them directly as "daughter of Zion" or, as here, an inhabitant. It conveys a personal address to the populace or the city's essence.
  • דִּיבוֹן (Divon): A significant Moabite city, also known as Dibon-gad. Its prominence (as seen in the Mesha Stele) made its destruction particularly symbolic of Moab's overall collapse.

• come down (רְדִי - ridi):

  • רְדִי (ridi): Second person feminine singular imperative of the verb יָרַד (yarad), "to go down" or "descend." This is a direct command to relinquish elevated status and move towards a position of abasement. It vividly contrasts with the city's previous pride and high-seated confidence.

• from your glory (מִכָּבוֹד - mikkavod):

  • מִ (mi-): Prefix meaning "from."
  • כָּבוֹד (kavod): "Glory," "honor," "dignity," "splendor," "wealth," "heavy," "important." Here it signifies all that Dibon and Moab cherished: their wealth, strength, fortified places, national pride, and established position. To "come down from your glory" is to lose all that contributes to one's honor and standing. This "glory" is worldly and temporal, distinct from divine glory.

• and sit (וְשְׁבִי - veshevi):

  • וְ (ve-): "And."
  • שְׁבִי (shevi): Second person feminine singular imperative of יָשַׁב (yashav), "to sit" or "dwell." To "sit" often denotes mourning, humiliation, defeat, or desolation in biblical texts. It's a posture of submission and sorrow.

• on the parched ground (בַּצָּמָא - ba'tsama):

  • בַּ (ba-): "On" or "in."
  • צָּמָא (tsama): "Thirst," "parched ground," "dryness." This isn't merely a place but a condition of extreme deprivation and discomfort. Sitting on parched ground amplifies the sense of desolation, hardship, and loss, suggesting a complete absence of life, comfort, or sustenance. It conveys absolute emptiness and distress.

• for the spoiler of Moab (כִּי־שֹׁדֵד מוֹאָב - ki shoded Moab):

  • כִּי (ki): "For," "because," indicating the reason for the command.
  • שֹׁדֵד (shoded): "Spoiler," "destroyer," "plunderer." This refers to the invading army, most likely the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, acting as God's instrument of judgment.
  • מוֹאָב (Moab): The nation itself, indicating that the spoiler targets all of Moab, and Dibon is part of that fate.

• has come up against you (עָלָה עָלֶיךָ - alah alekha):

  • עָלָה (alah): "Has come up," "ascended," or "attacked." It can imply an army marching into territory, often associated with a conquering force advancing upon a city.
  • עָלֶיךָ (alekha): "Against you" (feminine singular), directing the attack specifically at Dibon.

• and destroyed your strongholds (וְשִׁחֵת מִבְצָרָיִךְ - v'shiḥeth mivtzarayeikh):

  • וְ (ve-): "And."
  • שִׁחֵת (shiḥeth): "Destroyed," "ruined," "corrupted," "laid waste." A strong verb indicating complete obliteration.
  • מִבְצָרָיִךְ (mivtzarayeikh): "Your strongholds," "fortifications," "fortresses" (feminine singular suffix, referring to Dibon). These were the symbols of Moab's military power and security, the very things they trusted in, now utterly shattered.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "O inhabitant of Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground": This complete phrase forms an imperative, a direct prophetic command for symbolic and actual humiliation. It's a vivid rhetorical image of a city and its people being forcibly stripped of all status and forced into the deepest possible state of misery, mirroring the loss of everything held dear.
• "for the spoiler of Moab has come up against you and destroyed your strongholds": This clause provides the explicit divine justification and impending reality behind the command. It grounds the metaphorical humiliation in the concrete, destructive action of an invading force. It starkly reveals that human glory and strongholds are ultimately futile against the determined agent of God's judgment. The cause-and-effect relationship is central to the prophetic message.

Jeremiah 48 18 Bonus section

• The stark imagery of "sitting on the parched ground" is reminiscent of various biblical accounts where people in deep mourning, humiliation, or penitence would sit in dust or ashes, often stripping themselves of finery (e.g., Job 2:13; Isa 3:26; Lam 2:10). This emphasizes the severity of Dibon's fate.
• Dibon's historical significance, particularly highlighted by the Mesha Stele which boasts of Moabite victories and the power of their god Chemosh, provides a deeper layer to this prophecy. Jeremiah's message directly counters this narrative of Moabite strength, proclaiming that even their most celebrated cities and their strongholds (representing Chemosh's perceived protection) are vulnerable and subject to the LORD's greater power. This makes the prophecy a direct polemic against Moabite nationalistic and religious pride.
• The prophetic structure moves from a vivid, humiliating command to a concrete explanation of the impending disaster, showing God's judgment as both just retribution for pride and an unyielding force that dismantles all human-made securities.

Jeremiah 48 18 Commentary

Jeremiah 48:18 serves as a stark prophetic announcement of the complete and inescapable judgment awaiting Moab, with Dibon as a focal point. The divine command for Dibon to "come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground" is a powerful image of forced national abasement, a direct antithesis to Moab's entrenched pride and self-exaltation. This descent from a state of cherished honor and opulence to one of parched, desolate ground symbolizes the complete loss of wealth, dignity, and any shred of comfort. The "glory" of Moab was rooted in its fortified cities, its perceived military might, and its accumulated treasures (cf. Jer 48:7), all of which proved to be an illusion against God's sovereign decree. The "spoiler of Moab" is Babylon, presented here as the active instrument of divine wrath. Their devastating arrival against Dibon is depicted not just as a physical attack but as a destruction of its very security, as all "strongholds" – symbols of their reliance on human ingenuity and power – are dismantled. The verse thus underscores the transient nature of worldly might and the certainty of God's judgment against national arrogance and idolatrous trust in self-sufficiency. It illustrates a core biblical principle: those who exalt themselves will be humbled by God's justice.