Jeremiah 48:27 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 48:27 kjv
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
Jeremiah 48:27 nkjv
For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, You shake your head in scorn.
Jeremiah 48:27 niv
Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her?
Jeremiah 48:27 esv
Was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him you wagged your head?
Jeremiah 48:27 nlt
Did you not ridicule the people of Israel?
Were they caught in the company of thieves
that you should despise them as you do?
Jeremiah 48 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 22:6-7 | But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; they open wide their mouths, they shake their heads... | Israel (and Messiah) as objects of scorn |
| Ps 44:13-16 | You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those around us... a derision to those around us. | Israel facing reproach and derision |
| Ps 79:4 | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. | Israel as an object of contempt to nations |
| Ps 80:6 | You make us a reproach to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. | Neighbors gloating over Israel's state |
| Ps 123:3-4 | Have mercy on us, O Lord... For we are greatly filled with contempt. Our soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. | God's people enduring the scorn of the proud |
| Isa 16:6 | We have heard of the pride of Moab, how very proud he is... | Moab's well-known excessive pride |
| Jer 48:29 | We have heard of the pride of Moab, he is very proud... | Reiteration of Moab's great pride |
| Jer 48:42 | And Moab will be destroyed as a people because he has defied the Lord. | Moab's ultimate destruction for its arrogance |
| Ez 25:8-11 | Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,'... therefore, behold, I will open the flank of Moab... and I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.” | Moab's derision of Judah leads to judgment |
| Zeph 2:8-10 | “I have heard the taunting of Moab and the revilings of the sons of Ammon, with which they have taunted My people and become arrogant against their territory. Therefore... Moab will become like Sodom and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah.” | Divine judgment on nations for taunting God's people |
| Lam 2:15-16 | All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?” | Similar head-shaking gesture as mockery against Jerusalem |
| Prov 24:17-18 | Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; or the Lord will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him. | Warning against gloating over an enemy's downfall |
| Job 16:4-5 | I also could speak like you... I could also shake my head at you and strengthen you with the comfort of my lips. | Head-shaking as a gesture of mockery/false comfort |
| 2 Kgs 19:21 | This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: ‘She has despised you and mocked you, the virgin daughter of Zion. She has shaken her head behind you.’ | Mockery with head-shaking against an enemy (Assyria) |
| Isa 37:22 | This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you, she has scorned you; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind you.’ | Parallel passage to 2 Kgs 19:21, mocking Assyria |
| Mt 27:39 | And those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads... | Head-shaking mockery towards Jesus on the cross |
| Mk 15:29 | Those who passed by derided Him, shaking their heads... | Mark's account of head-shaking at Jesus |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Principle of reaping what is sown (Moab's judgment) |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” | God's role in judging nations like Moab |
| Hos 8:7 | For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind. | The consequence of perverse actions like Moab's |
| Mal 3:18 | Then you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. | God's ultimate discernment and justice |
Jeremiah 48 verses
Jeremiah 48 27 meaning
Jeremiah 48:27 critiques Moab's persistent and disdainful attitude towards Israel. It points out that Moab had always treated Israel with contempt and scorn, ridiculing them as if they were a nation of thieves or outcasts, inherently deserving of shame. Whenever Israel's circumstances were discussed, Moab demonstrated its derision through a physical gesture of head-shaking, expressing open mockery and a gloating pleasure in Israel's misfortunes or perceived weakness.
Jeremiah 48 27 Context
Jeremiah chapter 48 is an oracle against Moab, proclaiming God's severe judgment upon this nation. The chapter details the complete destruction and humiliation of Moab, enumerating its cities and predicting their downfall. This particular verse (Jer 48:27) acts as a theological justification or explanation for the intensity of this impending judgment. God is calling Moab to account for its long-standing history of contempt, ridicule, and malicious pleasure derived from Israel's misfortunes. Historically, Moab and Israel were distant relatives through Lot (Gen 19:37) but often antagonists, with Moab showing persistent enmity and a refusal to acknowledge Israel's covenant relationship with God. The immediate literary context shows Moab's pride (Jer 48:29) and its opposition to the Lord, with their judgment reflecting a direct consequence of their actions and attitudes.
Jeremiah 48 27 Word analysis
- For was not Israel (הֲלֹא־לִשְׂחֹק יִשְׂרָאֵל):
- הֲלֹא (hălōʾ): "Is not...?" "Indeed." A rhetorical interrogative expecting an affirmative answer, confirming an undeniable fact. It emphasizes the truth of the following statement.
- לִשְׂחֹק (liśḥōq): "a derision," "a mockery," "an object of scorn." From the root śāḥaq (שׂחק), meaning "to laugh, to mock." This term carries strong connotations of scorn, making fun of someone, and treating them as an object of ridicule.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrāʾēl): "Israel." Refers to God's chosen people, the covenant nation. Moab's derision was not merely of a rival nation, but of the people Yahweh had chosen, thus implying an affront to God Himself.
- a derision to you (לָךְ):
- לָךְ (lāk): "to you" (feminine singular). The "you" here refers to Moab, often personified as a woman (daughter of Moab). It makes the accusation personal and direct, highlighting Moab's individual culpability. The direct address underscores the specific target of the judgment.
- as if he were found among thieves (אִם־בְּגַנָּבִים נִמְצָא):
- אִם־ (ʾim-): "as if," "indeed," "surely." Introduces a conditional or hypothetical situation that highlights the unjust comparison.
- בְּגַנָּבִים (bəgannāvîm): "among thieves." Gannāv (גַּנָּב) means "thief." This phrase suggests Israel was treated like criminals, common offenders, or outcasts, implying unjust accusation, devaluing, and contempt by Moab.
- נִמְצָא (nimṣāʾ): "he were found," "discovered." The passive verb implies Israel was "caught" or perceived in such a disgraceful state by Moab, as if they inherently belonged in the company of the despised. This is Moab's false perception, not reality.
- For whenever you speak of him (מִדֵּי דַּבְּרֶךָ בּוֹ):
- מִדֵּי (middê): "whenever," "as often as." Denotes frequency and consistency. It suggests a habitual and ingrained pattern of behavior from Moab, not an isolated incident.
- דַּבְּרֶךָ (dabberekā): "you speak." Dabber (דבר) means "to speak, to say." The implication is that even in casual conversation or reporting, Moab's disdain for Israel surfaced.
- בּוֹ (bō): "of him," "concerning him." The "him" refers to Israel.
- you shake your head (תְּנוּדֵד רֹאשׁ):
- תְּנוּדֵד (tənûḏēḏ): "you shake," "you wag." From the root nûd (נוד), meaning "to wag, shake, totter, wander." The Hiphil form emphasizes the active and intentional nature of the gesture.
- רֹאשׁ (rōʾš): "head." "Shaking the head" (נוּדֵד רֹאשׁ) is a widely recognized biblical gesture of contempt, mockery, derision, or triumph over a defeated enemy or one in distress. It's an expression of disdainful satisfaction.
Jeremiah 48 27 Bonus section
The consistent derision of Israel by nations like Moab, Ammon, and Edom (also condemned in Jeremiah for similar attitudes, e.g., Jer 49) reveals a profound theological truth: how nations treat God's covenant people is often an indicator of their stance toward God Himself. In a way, Moab’s contempt for Israel functioned as an implicit mockery of the Lord who had chosen them and revealed His power through them. This verse serves as a divine standard by which all nations, both then and now, are implicitly judged concerning their attitudes towards those aligned with God's purposes. The same gesture of head-shaking derision directed at Israel and Judah in their times of suffering (Lam 2:15-16) also appeared when the ultimate Anointed One, Jesus, suffered on the cross (Mt 27:39). This highlights a pattern of human opposition and scorn against God's chosen representatives throughout redemptive history, ensuring that those who show contempt will themselves face an inescapable judgment from the sovereign God.
Jeremiah 48 27 Commentary
Jeremiah 48:27 provides a stark and compelling reason for the fierce judgment descending upon Moab: their deeply entrenched, habitual, and visible contempt for Israel. The rhetorical question, "For was not Israel a derision to you?", expects an undeniable 'yes,' establishing Moab's persistent malice. They viewed Israel, God's chosen, not just as a rival, but as an object of scorn, effectively accusing them of being inherently corrupt and despicable ("as if he were found among thieves"). This was not a passing emotion but a characteristic attitude that surfaced "whenever you speak of him," a continuous stream of mockery. The ultimate expression of this disdain was the act of "shaking your head," a common ancient Near Eastern gesture symbolizing ridicule, triumphant scorn, and schadenfreude over the misfortune of another. This action, mirroring the mockery faced by sufferers in the Psalms and even by Christ on the cross, indicates Moab's profound disrespect not only for Israel but implicitly for the God of Israel. God, who hears and sees all, cannot overlook such consistent insolence towards His covenant people. Thus, Moab's eventual humiliation, prophesied throughout Jeremiah 48, becomes a direct and just consequence of its own derisive behavior. This verse reminds us that contempt for God's people is taken personally by God Himself and will be met with divine retribution.