Jeremiah 48:36 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 48:36 kjv
Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
Jeremiah 48:36 nkjv
Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, And like flutes My heart shall wail For the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished.
Jeremiah 48:36 niv
"So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe; it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone.
Jeremiah 48:36 esv
Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished.
Jeremiah 48:36 nlt
My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared.
Jeremiah 48 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Sorrow/Lament over Judgment | ||
| Isa 16:9-11 | "Therefore I will weep as Jazer weeps for the vines of Sibmah; I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh... My heart laments for Moab like a harp..." | God's shared lament over Moab (parallel passage). |
| Hos 11:8 | "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender." | God's deep pain and compassion even in judgment. |
| Lk 19:41-42 | "And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!'" | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's impending destruction. |
| Mat 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How often would I have gathered your children together... and you were not willing!" | Jesus' expressed longing and sorrow over their rejection. |
| Jer 9:1 | "Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" | Jeremiah's deep personal identification with divine sorrow. |
| Futility of Trusting in Wealth/Worldly Strength | ||
| Pro 11:28 | "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf." | A general principle about the outcome of trusting wealth. |
| Psa 49:6-7 | "those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches... can never redeem anyone..." | Inability of wealth to save or protect from death/judgment. |
| Lk 12:16-21 | The Parable of the Rich Fool: "So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." | Wealth accumulation is futile without eternal perspective. |
| 1 Tim 6:7-10 | "For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world... For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." | Ephemeral nature of wealth and dangers of materialism. |
| Jas 5:1-3 | "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted..." | A warning and lament over the perishable nature of ill-gotten wealth. |
| Eze 7:19 | "They will fling their silver into the streets... their gold will be an abomination... it will not satisfy their hunger." | Despised value of wealth in times of judgment. |
| Hab 2:9 | "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high..." | Warning against seeking security in material gain. |
| Mourning Customs/Lamentation (Sound of Flutes) | ||
| Mat 9:23 | "When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion..." | Flute players were standard at Jewish mourning rites. |
| 2 Chr 35:25 | "Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah... until this day the lamenting men and lamenting women speak of Josiah in their dirges..." | Professionals (including musicians) for official lamentations. |
| Ecc 12:5 | "...when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails—because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets..." | Refers to professional mourners active in public spaces. |
| Jer 9:17-18 | "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come; let them make haste and raise a wail over us...'" | Calling for skilled mourners to intensify public lament. |
| Job 21:12 | "They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe." | Contrasts joyous music with the lamenting flute here. |
| Judgment against Moab | ||
| Jer 48:7, 13, 29, 46 | References within Jer 48 about Moab's false gods, pride, and eventual captivity/destruction. | Specific context for the judgment leading to this lament. |
| Isa 15-16 | "An oracle concerning Moab... In the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and ruined. In the night Kir of Moab is laid waste and ruined..." | Parallel prophecy of Moab's destruction. |
| 2 Ki 3:25 | "And the cities they overthrew, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone... they destroyed Kir-hareseth and made it a heap of stones..." | Historical account of Kir-hareseth's destruction by Israel/Judah/Edom alliance. |
| Zeph 2:9 | "Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah..." | A prophecy declaring severe judgment upon Moab and Ammon. |
Jeremiah 48 verses
Jeremiah 48 36 meaning
Jeremiah 48:36 conveys God's (or the prophet's) profound, visceral sorrow over the impending utter devastation of Moab, lamenting it with a sound like mournful flutes. This deep lament is directed specifically toward Moab as a nation and particularly its stronghold, Kir-heres. The ultimate reason for this grief is the destruction of Moab's great wealth and accumulated possessions, in which they had placed their trust.
Jeremiah 48 36 Context
Jeremiah chapter 48 is an extensive and detailed prophecy against Moab, one of several oracles against foreign nations found in Jeremiah 46-51. This particular chapter details Moab's complete desolation and destruction at the hands of an invading army, acting as God's instrument of judgment. The prophecy highlights Moab's pride, self-sufficiency, and reliance on their wealth, fortresses, and idol god Chemosh (Jer 48:7, 13, 29). The chapter graphically describes the downfall of Moabite cities, the weeping of their people, and the shame brought upon their idol.
Verse 36 stands out as a moment of divine lament, where God Himself expresses deep sorrow over the catastrophe befalling Moab. This is significant because Moab was a long-standing adversary of Israel, descended from Lot (Gen 19:37), but also notoriously proud and idolatrous. The lament follows descriptions of destroyed cities (vv. 34-35) and precedes further declarations of Moab's fate. It reflects the prophetic tradition of God's sorrow, even over the judgment of unrighteous nations, illustrating that His judgment is not an act of gleeful vengeance but a solemn consequence.
Historically, Moab was located east of the Dead Sea, a fertile land known for its wine and agricultural produce, leading to significant wealth. Kir-heres (or Kir-hareseth, Kir of Moab) was one of Moab's most prominent and fortified cities, sometimes acting as its capital or a major stronghold. Its fall signified a profound blow to Moab's security and national identity.
Jeremiah 48 36 Word analysis
- Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): This word functions as a logical consequence connector. It ties the lament directly to the preceding descriptions of Moab's widespread desolation and destruction. It signifies that the intense sorrow expressed is a direct result of the events unfolding in Moab.
- my heart (לִבִּי, libbi): This is a powerful anthropomorphism, attributing human emotional capacity to God. In Hebrew thought, the "heart" signifies the very core of a being, encompassing intellect, will, emotion, and conscience. Here, it denotes profound, inward, and deeply felt sorrow, implying divine pathos—God's capacity for intense feeling and empathy, even for an enemy nation experiencing judgment.
- laments (הוּמֶה, humeh): Derived from the verb הָמָה (hamah), meaning "to roar," "to make a great noise," "to moan," or "to hum." It conveys a deep, guttural, resounding expression of distress or grief. This is not a quiet sadness but a powerful, resonant sound of anguish, likened immediately to flutes.
- for Moab (אֶל-מוֹאָב, ʾel-Moʾav): Directly identifies the object of this intense lamentation. Moab, a long-time enemy of Israel but also a related nation, is shown to be worthy of divine compassion in its ruin, not simply scorn.
- like flutes (כַּחֲלִלִים, kaḥăliylim): This simile is highly evocative. Flutes (חָלִיל, ḥālîl) were instruments often used in ancient Near Eastern mourning rituals and funeral processions to accompany wailing and lamentation. The sound was distinctively sorrowful and haunting. This image reinforces the deep, public, and ritualistic nature of the expressed grief. (e.g., Mat 9:23).
- and my heart laments for the people of Kir-heres like flutes. (וְאֶל-אַנְשֵׁי קִיר-חֶרֶשׂ יְהוֹם לִבִּי כַּחֲלִלִים, wəʾel-ʾanshê Qîr-Ḥereś yəhôom libbî kaḥăliylim):
- Repetition: The prophet employs a literary device of repetition, echoing the lament for Moab specifically for the "people of Kir-heres." This emphasizes the profound and total nature of the destruction.
- Kir-heres (קִיר-חֶרֶשׂ, Qîr-Ḥereś): Also known as Kir-hareseth (Isa 16:7, 11) or Kir of Moab, this was a heavily fortified Moabite city, strategically important. Its mention specifies that not just the abstract entity of "Moab" but its strongholds and the people within them are falling, heightening the tragedy. The lament for its people underscores the human suffering involved.
- For the riches he acquired have perished. (עַל-כֵּן יֶתֶר עָשָׂה אָבָדוּ, ʿal-kên yeter ʿaśâ ʾāḇāḏū):
- For (עַל-כֵּן, ʿal-kên): "Because of this," or "on account of this." This clause provides the core reason for the preceding lament.
- riches he acquired (יֶתֶר עָשָׂה, yeter ʿaśâ): Yeter means "remainder," "abundance," "surplus," often referring to wealth or possessions. ʿAśâ means "to do," "to make," or "to acquire." The phrase collectively refers to all the accumulated prosperity, resources, and material wealth that Moab had amassed, perhaps signifying its proud self-sufficiency. This wealth was likely gained through trade, agriculture, and military spoils.
- have perished (אָבָדוּ, ʾāḇāḏū): From the verb אָבַד (ʾāḓaḏ), "to perish," "to be lost," "to be destroyed." This denotes a complete and irreversible destruction or loss. The objects of Moab's trust and pride—their material abundance—are utterly gone, which is the immediate cause of the intense, flute-like divine sorrow.
Jeremiah 48 36 Bonus section
The intense, anthropomorphic expression of divine sorrow in Jer 48:36 (God's heart lamenting "like flutes") is a powerful example of what is often called "divine pathos" in theological study. This concept, extensively explored by scholars like Abraham Heschel, emphasizes God's emotional engagement with creation and humanity. It shows a God who is not stoic or indifferent, but who genuinely feels pain, sorrow, and compassion, even when exercising justice against those who have spurned Him. This is a recurring theme in the prophets, such as Hosea 11:8, where God agonizingly ponders giving up Ephraim. It indicates that God's justice is always tempered by mercy and that judgment itself is a form of painful separation for Him.
Furthermore, the naming of Kir-heres specifically underscores a literary and strategic understanding of Moab. Kir-heres was not just any city; it was one of the last and most fortified bastions. Its inclusion emphasizes the utter, complete, and crushing nature of the destruction—that even the most secure and proud elements of Moabite power would be utterly eradicated, making the lament for the 'perished riches' all the more tragic and complete.
Jeremiah 48 36 Commentary
Jeremiah 48:36 unveils a powerful theological truth: divine judgment, though just and necessary, is never an act of sadistic pleasure for God. Instead, it is accompanied by deep sorrow, a pathos expressed in the most poignant of human terms—the lamenting heart compared to the mournful sound of flutes at a funeral. This verse shatters any perception of God as a distant or vengeful deity. Rather, it reveals a God whose heart is moved even by the downfall of a nation, like Moab, that was notoriously proud, idolatrous, and an enemy of His people.
The lament is particularly significant because it points to the underlying reason for Moab's ruin: "the riches he acquired have perished." Moab had placed its confidence in its material wealth and formidable strongholds, represented by Kir-heres, rather than in the living God. Their prosperity had fueled their pride and made them resistant to God's warnings. When their humanly acquired security and abundance were stripped away by the invading armies, their core identity and source of boast collapsed. The lament, therefore, serves as a poignant reminder of the futility of trusting in ephemeral earthly possessions and powers. It implicitly contrasts God's eternal riches and security with the fleeting nature of human wealth, emphasizing that true and lasting treasure is found only in Him (1 Tim 6:7-10, Mat 6:19-21). This divine grief over Moab's self-destruction, rooted in misplaced trust, holds a timeless lesson for all who might find security in their own strength or possessions, inviting a reevaluation of what truly endures.