Jeremiah 48:35 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 48:35 kjv
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
Jeremiah 48:35 nkjv
"Moreover," says the LORD, "I will cause to cease in Moab The one who offers sacrifices in the high places And burns incense to his gods.
Jeremiah 48:35 niv
In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 48:35 esv
And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the LORD, him who offers sacrifice in the high place and makes offerings to his god.
Jeremiah 48:35 nlt
"I will put an end to Moab," says the LORD, "for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods.
Jeremiah 48 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 20:3-5 | You shall have no other gods before me... You shall not bow down... | God forbids idolatry |
| Deut 13:1-5 | If a prophet... urges you to follow other gods... you shall not listen... | Warning against leading to idolatry |
| Lev 26:30 | I will destroy your high places... and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols. | God's judgment on high places |
| Num 21:29 | Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! | Identifies Moab's chief god, Chemosh |
| 1 Ki 11:7 | Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab... | Israel's King Solomon built high place for Moabite god |
| 2 Ki 23:8 | He broke down the high places of the gates... from Beersheba to Geba. | King Josiah destroying high places in Israel |
| Isa 17:8 | They shall not look to the altars, the work of their hands... | Prophet Isaiah denounces idolatrous altars |
| Jer 1:16 | For all their wickedness in forsaking me, and burning incense to other gods. | Israel's sin of burning incense to other gods |
| Jer 7:9-10 | Will you steal, murder, commit adultery... and burn incense to Baal... | Jeremiah condemns worshipping false gods |
| Jer 11:13 | For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah... | Parallels Israel's widespread idolatry |
| Jer 16:11-12 | Because your fathers have forsaken me... and gone after other gods... | Legacy of idolatry among God's people |
| Jer 19:13 | And the houses of Jerusalem... shall be defiled like the place of Topheth— all the houses upon whose roofs incense has been burned to all the host of heaven. | Judgment on specific acts of pagan worship |
| Jer 32:29 | And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire... | God's use of foreign nations as instruments of judgment |
| Jer 44:17-19 | But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goes forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven. | Persistent idolatry despite warnings |
| Eze 6:3-6 | I will scatter your bones about your altars... I will lay your high places waste. | Total desolation of idolatrous sites |
| Eze 8:11 | Seventy men... stood before them, and every man had his censer in his hand. | Priests of Israel committing idolatry with incense |
| Hos 10:8 | The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. | Judgment on high places of Israel |
| Pss 115:4-7 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands... | Futility and lifelessness of idols |
| Hab 2:18 | What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it...? | Worthlessness of man-made gods |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality... and covetousness, which is idolatry. | Modern application: Covetousness as spiritual idolatry |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable... idolaters... their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. | Eternal judgment on idolaters |
| Isa 46:9-10 | For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me... declaring the end from the beginning. | God's unique sovereignty and declarative power |
| Gen 19:24 | Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire... | Direct divine judgment in the past |
Jeremiah 48 verses
Jeremiah 48 35 meaning
Jeremiah 48:35 declares the Lord's absolute resolve to utterly dismantle all forms of pagan worship within Moab. This means a complete cessation of their specific religious practices, including burnt offerings and the burning of incense, which were conducted in their traditional cultic sites known as "high places" and directed towards their multitude of false deities. The verse underscores God's active, decisive judgment against idolatry and asserts His ultimate sovereignty over all nations and their gods.
Jeremiah 48 35 Context
Jeremiah chapter 48 is a comprehensive prophecy detailing the divine judgment and destruction of Moab. Throughout the chapter, Jeremiah vividly describes the devastation that will befall Moab, citing their pride (Jer 48:29), their contempt for the Lord's people (Jer 48:27), and their persistent idolatry as reasons for their downfall. This particular verse (48:35) is part of a lament or dirge (kinah) over Moab's destruction, focusing specifically on the religious aspect of their sin. It directly attacks the core of Moabite spiritual identity: their worship of Chemosh and other gods on the pervasive "high places." Historically, Moab was a powerful, prideful nation, descendants of Lot (Gen 19:37), situated east of the Dead Sea. Their worship practices involved various forms of sacrifice and ritual performed in open-air sanctuaries on elevated ground. The prophecy is a stark polemic against Moabite polytheism, contrasting the inertness and powerlessness of their "gods" with the living, active, and judgmental power of YHWH, the God of Israel. It declares that YHWH will not tolerate rival deities or their worship in the territories He judges.
Jeremiah 48 35 Word analysis
- Moreover (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ - wəhišbatî): A conjunction introducing an additional or reinforcing statement, signifying that this divine action is another consequence of Moab's fate. It ties this specific judgment on idolatry to the broader desolation already pronounced.
- I will cause to cease (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ - wəhišbatî): Derived from the root šābat (שָׁבַת), meaning to stop, to desist, to bring to an end, or to rest. Here, it is in the Hiphil stem, indicating an active causation: "I will cause to cease." This highlights the direct, intentional, and sovereign intervention of the Lord. It signifies a complete, forceful termination of these activities.
- in Moab (מִמֹּאָ֔ב - mimmoʾāb): The preposition "min" (מִ) can mean "from" or "in"/'among'. Here it defines the location and the people upon whom this cessation of worship will occur, indicating that within Moab itself, these practices will vanish.
- saith the LORD (נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה - nəʾum Yahweh): This is a standard prophetic formula, asserting that the words are not merely human pronouncements but a direct declaration from YHWH, the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes divine authority, veracity, and the certainty of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
- him that offereth (מַעֲלֶ֥ה - maʿăleh): Participle from the verb ʿālāh (עָלָה), meaning "to go up" or "to bring up." In a cultic context, it specifically refers to "one who offers sacrifices," particularly burnt offerings (olah), where the offering is "brought up" in smoke to the deity.
- in the high place (בַבָּמָה - babbāmâ): From bāmâ (בָּמָה), meaning "high place" or "sacred shrine." These were elevated open-air altars or sanctuaries, common in the ancient Near East, often associated with Canaanite, Moabite, and other pagan worship. Even Israel regrettably adopted them for idol worship (1 Ki 11:7).
- and him that burneth incense (וּמַקְטִ֣יר - ûmaqṭîr): Participle from qāṭar (קָטַר), meaning "to send up in smoke" or "to burn incense." Incense burning was a common act of worship, used to create an aromatic offering believed to appease or attract deities. It signifies another specific ritual practice central to Moabite cult.
- to his gods (לֵאלֹהָ֑יו - lēʾelōhāyw): From ʾelōhîm (אֱלֹהִים), the generic word for "gods" or "God," here in the plural possessive ("his gods"). This contrasts starkly with YHWH, the singular God. It highlights the polytheistic nature of Moabite religion, specifically pointing to their numerous deities, chief among them Chemosh (Numbers 21:29).
Words-group analysis
- "I will cause to cease... him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods": This phrase meticulously outlines the complete cessation of all specific Moabite idolatrous practices. It is a comprehensive declaration targeting both the practitioners ("him that offereth/burneth") and their activities ("offerings/incense"), as well as the locations ("high place") and the recipients ("his gods"). This means not only will the structures of worship be destroyed, but the actual acts of worship will stop, implying either the death or conversion of the worshippers or a complete cessation of their religious institutions. It reflects God's deep abhorrence of idolatry and His decisive action against it.
Jeremiah 48 35 Bonus section
- The specificity of targeting both the "offeror" and the "incense burner" signifies that the judgment is comprehensive, touching both the individual agents of worship and their ritualistic expressions. This suggests a total disruption of their religious system, not merely a superficial suppression.
- The pronouncement "saith the LORD" places this destruction within the framework of covenantal justice, where God's promises and warnings are unfailingly realized. It transforms the historical fate of Moab into an object lesson of God's character and power.
- This verse illustrates a recurring theme in prophetic literature: God uses external powers, or in this case, direct divine intervention via judgment, to dismantle cults that rival His exclusive claim to worship. It echoes the commands against idolatry given to Israel in Deuteronomy, projecting those principles onto a foreign nation.
Jeremiah 48 35 Commentary
Jeremiah 48:35 is a potent declaration of divine judgment, emphasizing the Lord's absolute intolerance for idolatry. This verse moves beyond the physical devastation of Moab to address the spiritual roots of their offense against God. By proclaiming an end to "him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods," YHWH targets the very heart of Moabite religious life. The "high places" were symbols of their autonomous worship, rejected by God (Lev 26:30), while incense burning to "his gods" signifies their devotion to false deities, chief among them Chemosh.
The phrase "I will cause to cease" signifies an irreversible and divinely initiated destruction of these practices. It underscores God's sovereignty over pagan deities, asserting that their altars and rituals are futile against His decree. This judgment serves as a profound statement that only YHWH is worthy of worship and that all devotion to rival gods will ultimately be extinguished by His hand. This prophetic statement serves not only as a warning to Moab but also as a powerful reminder for all nations, and for believers today, that idolatry in any form – whether worshipping physical idols or setting anything above God in our hearts (Col 3:5) – incurs divine displeasure and will ultimately face God's just cessation.