Jeremiah 48:29 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 48:29 kjv
We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
Jeremiah 48:29 nkjv
"We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of the haughtiness of his heart."
Jeremiah 48:29 niv
"We have heard of Moab's pride? how great is her arrogance!? of her insolence, her pride, her conceit and the haughtiness of her heart.
Jeremiah 48:29 esv
We have heard of the pride of Moab ? he is very proud ? of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
Jeremiah 48:29 nlt
We have all heard of the pride of Moab,
for his pride is very great.
We know of his lofty pride,
his arrogance, and his haughty heart.
Jeremiah 48 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Warning against pride leading to ruin. |
| Isa 2:12 | For the LORD of hosts will have a day against all that is proud... | God's judgment targets all forms of pride. |
| Jas 4:6 | God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. | Direct statement of God's opposition to pride. |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | ...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | Echoes Jas 4:6, calls for humility. |
| Matt 23:12 | Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Principle of humility and exaltation. |
| Lk 1:51 | He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. | God's action against the proud. |
| Dan 4:37 | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven... those who walk in pride he is able to humble. | Example of a proud ruler humbled by God. |
| Obad 1:3-4 | The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock... | Judgment against Edom for similar pride. |
| Isa 16:6 | We have heard of the pride of Moab—how proud he is!—of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence... | Direct parallel, nearly identical wording from Isaiah. |
| Jer 50:31-32 | Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord GOD of hosts... | Judgment against Babylon, identifying pride as key sin. |
| Ezek 28:2 | Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god...' " | Judgment against Tyre for self-exaltation. |
| Prov 29:23 | A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. | Inevitable consequence of pride. |
| Ps 10:4 | In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him... | Pride blinds individuals to seeking God. |
| Ps 73:6-8 | Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment... They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. | Connection between pride and evil actions. |
| Job 40:11-12 | Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look at everyone who is proud and bring him low. | God's command to humble the proud. |
| Ps 75:5-7 | ...do not lift up your horn on high... For not from the east or from the west... comes exaltation. But it is God who executes judgment... | Exaltation comes from God, not human pride. |
| Mal 4:1 | For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble... | Ultimate judgment for all the proud. |
| Zeph 2:8-10 | I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites... Because they have taunted the people of the LORD of hosts and boasted against their territory... | Moab's pride manifesting as taunting God's people. |
| Rom 12:3 | For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think... | Call to humility in thought. |
| Hab 2:4 | Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. | Contrast between proud and righteous living. |
| Isa 13:11 | I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless. | Divine judgment against all pride. |
| Jer 13:15 | Hear and give ear; be not proud, for the LORD has spoken. | Warning against pride given by Jeremiah generally. |
| Zec 10:11 | The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. | Specific judgments on proud nations. |
Jeremiah 48 verses
Jeremiah 48 29 meaning
Jeremiah 48:29 conveys the widely known and deep-seated pride of Moab. The repetition of terms like "pride," "arrogance," "haughtiness," and "lofty heart" intensely emphasizes that self-exaltation was the defining characteristic of this nation. It indicates a spirit of arrogance that was not merely superficial but ingrained deeply in their national character and collective identity, an attribute universally recognized and ultimately offensive to God. This verse serves as a preamble to the specific judgments pronounced against them.
Jeremiah 48 29 Context
Jeremiah chapter 48 presents a detailed prophetic judgment against Moab, one of the many "oracles against the nations" found in Jeremiah 46-51. This specific chapter is a comprehensive declaration of Moab's utter devastation, which contrasts sharply with their long history of prosperity and perceived invincibility. Moab, a people descended from Lot (Gen 19:37), historically occupied the fertile plateau east of the Dead Sea, possessing significant strongholds. Their pride was fueled by their wealth, strategic location, apparent security from conquest, and often expressed in mockery of Israel and their God. The prophecy delineates how their cities, their fields, their people, and their false god Chemosh would all fall before divine judgment, with this verse (48:29) setting the stage by pinpointing the root cause of their downfall: their overwhelming and arrogant pride. This particular verse echoes Isaiah 16:6, highlighting a known, perennial characteristic of Moab acknowledged even by earlier prophets.
Jeremiah 48 29 Word analysis
We have heard: This phrase implies widespread knowledge and recognition, not just within Israel but potentially among other nations and, ultimately, by God Himself. It suggests the open and undeniable nature of Moab's character.
the pride: Hebrew: גָּאוֹן (ga'on). This term signifies loftiness, majesty, or excellency. While it can describe God's glory (e.g., Ps 96:6), when applied to humans or nations, it denotes excessive self-exaltation and arrogant defiance of God.
of Moab: A nation frequently at odds with Israel, known for its strongholds and wealth.
how proud he is: This parenthetical phrase or intensifier within the statement amplifies the preceding "pride of Moab," confirming that it's an enduring and extreme trait.
of his arrogance: Hebrew: גָּבְהוֹ (gov'ho). From the root גבה (gavah), meaning "to be high." It refers to height or loftiness, and metaphorically, to haughtiness or high-mindedness.
his pride: Hebrew: גֵּאוּת (ge'ut). Another noun for pride, often indicating majesty or excellency but here used to signify boastfulness and overbearing self-regard. It shares the same root as ga'on.
his haughtiness: Hebrew: גַּאֲוָה (ga'avah). This term emphasizes swelling, pomp, or majesty, directly correlating to boastful pride. Like the previous terms, it's frequently used to denote a spirit of rebellion against divine authority.
and his lofty heart: Hebrew: וְרוּם לִבּוֹ (wĕrum libbo). This is an idiomatic expression. רוּם (rum) means "to be high" or "exalted," and לִבּוֹ (libbo) means "his heart." A "lofty heart" explicitly means an arrogant, proud, or conceited mind. It describes an internal disposition that governs their outward behavior.
Words-Group analysis:
- "We have heard... his arrogance, his pride, his haughtiness, and his lofty heart." The successive listing of various synonyms for pride acts as a powerful rhetorical device (a figure called synonymia or polyptoton). This intensification highlights that Moab's pride was not a single facet but a pervasive, defining characteristic of the nation, permeating their thoughts ("lofty heart") and outward displays ("arrogance," "haughtiness"). It leaves no room for doubt about the extent and nature of their sin, which makes the impending divine judgment perfectly understandable and justified.
Jeremiah 48 29 Bonus section
The intense rhetorical piling up of synonymous terms for pride in this single verse (and its parallel in Isa 16:6) is highly significant. It's not mere redundancy but a literary device intended to create a cumulative effect, driving home the full weight and pervasiveness of Moab's arrogant disposition. This deliberate repetition underscores that pride wasn't an isolated failing but a characteristic that thoroughly saturated their national identity, actions, and very thoughts ("lofty heart"). The divine indictment is therefore irrefutable, leaving no ambiguity about the nature of the sin for which they would face such severe judgment. This echoes a fundamental biblical principle: pride, more than any other sin, positions the creature as rival to the Creator, inevitably drawing divine opposition and correction.
Jeremiah 48 29 Commentary
Jeremiah 48:29 provides the core spiritual diagnosis for Moab's judgment: extreme and pervasive pride. The repetition of multiple Hebrew terms, each subtly nuanceing "pride" (such as self-exaltation, arrogance, haughtiness, and a high-minded heart), emphasizes that this was not a fleeting sin but the deep-seated identity of the nation. It reflects a spirit of self-sufficiency and independence from God, coupled with disdain for others, especially His people. This profound arrogance, a characteristic noted throughout the prophetic tradition, inevitably set Moab in opposition to the Lord, who "opposes the proud." The verse serves as a crucial theological insight, demonstrating that God's judgments often target the heart of a people's rebellion, and for Moab, that heart was puffed up with unyielding self-exaltation, leading to their prophesied downfall.