Against Moab: woe to Nebo, for it is spoiled; Moab has been at ease from his youth, settled on his lees, emptied not from vessel to vessel; Chemosh shall go forth into captivity — 'therefore will I wail for Moab... like a flute My heart moans for the men of Kir-heres.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Of Moab. Thus says Hashem of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo! for it is spoiled; Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and dismayed.
verse value 4192
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Kiriathaim" (קִרְיָתָ֑יִם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 322: is·put·to·shame, is·put·to·shame. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·Nebo" (אֶל־נְבוֹ֙), "the·stronghold" (הַמִּשְׂגָּ֖ב), "and·is·dismayed" (וָחָֽתָּה). The root יבש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·says" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Kiriathaim', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 3 words.
Rashi
Ha-mishgab. A place name:
Radak
To Moab, the God of Israel. For He took vengeance for Israel upon them:
"Kiriathaim was taken." The city that is called Kiriathaim; and it is possible that there were two towers in the city, therefore it is called in the dual form:
“Hovishah HaMisgav [the stronghold is put to shame].” The city called HaMisgav. And Jonathan translated: “They were ashamed, from the house of their trust, and they were broken.”
Metzudat David
"To Moab." This means that it was concerning Moab that it said, "Thus says the Lord, etc."
"Ho, unto Nebo." There shall be a wailing over Nebo.
"And she was put to shame, etc." When Kiriathaim was captured, she was greatly ashamed.
Metzudat Zion
“Alas.” The matter is wailing:
Nebo, Kiriathaim, the stronghold. These are names of places.
“And dismayed.” The meaning is fear and ruin, as in “and be not dismayed” (above, 46).
Malbim
Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The destruction of Moab was because they did evil to Israel; therefore, "Woe unto Nebo, etc."
The praise of Moab is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation.’ You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you.
verse value 4485
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 67 letters. Verse gematria: 4485 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "nothing" (אֵ֣ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·let·us·cut·her·off" (וְנַכְרִיתֶ֣נָּה, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "in·Heshbon" (בְּחֶשְׁבּ֗וֹן), "and·let·us·cut·her·off" (וְנַכְרִיתֶ֣נָּה), "also·Madmen" (גַּם־מַדְמֵ֣ן). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "on" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "come" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah); "nothing" (root אין, 88x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root חשבון ("in·Heshbon") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·nation', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Heshbon." And Madmen is a place name, and according to their names, he mentions their calamity.
"You shall be silenced." [Meaning:] you shall be laid waste.
Radak
“[Moab's praise] is no more.” “In Heshbon they have plotted.” It is a case of one expression playing upon another — this is the eloquence of language. So too, “Madmen, tidomi [you shall be silenced]” and “Ekron te'aker [Ekron shall be uprooted].”
Metzudat David
"There is no more." Henceforth, there shall no longer be the praise and glory of Moab.
"In Heshbon." When the enemies were in Heshbon, they plotted evil against you; and this is an instance of a word playing on another word.
"Come." And they said, "Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation anymore."
"Madmen." The city of Madmen, too, shall be utterly cut off, and this too is an instance of one word playing upon another [i.e., a wordplay].
"After you. In every place to which you flee, the sword will go after you to kill you."
Metzudat Zion
Tadmi. The matter of “cutting off” is like [the verse] “Ashkelon is cut off” (above, 47).
Malbim
"There is no more praise of Moab" — meaning that because Nebo, Kiriathaim, and the stronghold, which had been greatly praised, were plundered, there is no longer, in reality, praise of Moab — the cities that used to be praised. And not only that, but at Heshbon the enemies plotted evil against her, for it was there that they conspired together to cut her off from being a nation. Also Madmen, which was at the end of their border, and to which the refugees of Moab fled — you [Madmen] too shall be silenced and cut off, for the sword shall go after you to kill the fugitives, as it is stated (Isaiah 15:9): "For the waters of Dimon are full of blood, for I will bring additions upon Dimon."
Hark! a cry from Horonaim, Spoiling and great destruction!
verse value 1610
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "destruction" (שֹׁ֖ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·Horonaim" (מֵחֹרוֹנָ֑יִם, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·Horonaim" (מֵחֹרוֹנָ֑יִם), "destruction" (שֹׁ֖ד). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "voice" (root קול, 81x in Jeremiah); "great" (root גדול, 48x in Jeremiah); "and·destruction" (root שבר, 42x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Horonaim', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: ק֥וֹל [voice] (136) + צְעָקָ֖ה [cry] (265) + מֵחֹרוֹנָ֑יִם [from·Horonaim] (354) + שֹׁ֖ד [destruction] (304) + וָשֶׁ֥בֶר [and·destruction] (508) + גָּדֽוֹל [great] (43) = 1610.
Metzudat David
"From Horonaim." It shall be heard from the city of Horonaim:
"Plunder." For there will be great plundering and destruction there.
Metzudat Zion
Robbery. The matter of oppression:
Malbim
“The voice of a cry from Horonim” — this is what the verse states (Isaiah, loc. cit.): “Their flight shall be to Zoar, for the ascent of Luhit shall go up in weeping, for on the road of Horonim they raise a cry of destruction.” And I explained there that the fugitives will flee as far as Zoar and will not fight, for it was at the descent of Horonim that they were struck in battle. And whoever escaped and ascended from the descent upon the ascent of Luhit had already ascended in weeping, weeping over the plunder and destruction that occurred at the descent of Horonim, which lies before the ascent. And this is what the verse says: that first a voice of a cry was heard from Horonim, for there was great plunder and destruction there. Consequently, Moab was broken, just as their young men raised a cry of distress. These are the men of Zoar, to whom the fugitives fled; they cried out publicly that Moab had already been broken. And it explains how this came to be, for “the ascent of Luhit shall go up in weeping” — they weep because at the descent of Horonim, before the ascent, they heard the cry of destruction, for there they were broken in battle.
Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
verse value 1985
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "Moab" (מוֹאָ֑ב, 4 letters) and the longest is "have·proclaimed" (הִשְׁמִ֥יעוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "younger·of" ((צעוריה)), "little" (צְעִירֶֽיהָ). The root צעיר appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "have·proclaimed" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "was·broken" (root שבר, 42x in Jeremiah); "Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Moab', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: נִשְׁבְּרָ֖ה [was·broken] (557) + מוֹאָ֑ב [Moab] (49) + הִשְׁמִ֥יעוּ [have·proclaimed] (431) + זְּעָקָ֖ה [cry] (182) + (צעוריה) [younger·of] (381) + צְעִירֶֽיהָ [little] (385) = 1985.
Rashi
"Her young ones." Targum Yonatan renders it 'her rulers' — the lesser ones among the kings.
Radak
“Nishberah” – “tze’oreha.” It is written with a vav and read as “tze’ireha” with a yod, and it is one [word]. Jonathan’s Targum translates it as “shaltanehon” [their rulers]. And it is possible that the Scripture referred to the great ones in the language of “young ones” as a term of contempt.
Metzudat David
"Her young ones." The small children who went into captivity:
Metzudat Zion
“Her young ones.” The term “katan” (small) has the same meaning as in the verse “they sent their young ones” (above, 4).
For by the ascent of Luhith With continual weeping shall they go up; For in the going down of Horonaim They have heard the distressing cry of destruction.
verse value 3732
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "he·will·go·up·weeping" (יַעֲלֶה־בֶּ֑כִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "Luhith" (הַלֻּחִ֔ית), "he·will·go·up·weeping" (יַעֲלֶה־בֶּ֑כִי), "in·descent·of" (בְּמוֹרַ֣ד). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "they·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "he·will·go·up·weeping" (root עלה, 74x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·will·go·up·weeping', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words.
Rashi
"The ascent of Luhith." It is the name of a place; it means the ascent of a mountain.
Radak
“For the ascent of Luhith.” It is written הלחות and read הלחית [i.e., Luhith]; vav and yod interchange, as is the rule. This verse also appears in the prophecy of Isaiah with a slight change of words: he said, “For Moab goes up the ascent of Luhith,” which is a high place; perhaps they think to find refuge there, and they go up, ascending and weeping.
"With weeping shall he go up with weeping." The repetition of "weeping" serves to emphasize the matter.
“Horonim.” There are two: the upper Horon and the lower Horon.
“Tzarei tza'akat shever sham'u” [their adversaries have heard a cry of breaking]. Their adversaries will hear from them a cry of breaking, that they will cry out over their own breaking. And “tzarei” is like “vetzarim” (adversaries), and similarly “chalonei shekufim atumim” (windows with recessed, sealed frames) is like “chalonot” (windows) [construct form, not possessive], and there are many similar cases, as we have written in the book Mikhlol.
Metzudat David
"For the ascent of Luhith." [Referring to the time] when he ascends the ascent of Mount Luhith to take refuge on the mountain:
"With weeping shall he ascend with weeping." "The weeping shall ascend with weeping" means that each time he shall raise his voice of weeping upward.
"For in the descent of Horonaim." Because in the descent of Horonaim, which was in a low place, the besiegers would make heard the cry of destruction, for they had slain its men, and they cried out with bitter anguish; therefore he went up by the ascent of Luhith, to take refuge on the mountain.
Metzudat Zion
“b’morad.” From the language of descent, meaning: in a valley.
Tzari. Like tzarim:
Flee, save your lives, And be like a tamarisk in the wilderness.
verse value 1991
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "flee" (נֻ֖סוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·will·be" (וְתִֽהְיֶ֔ינָה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "save" (מַלְּט֣וּ), "your·soul" (נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם), "like·naked" (כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "your·soul" (root נפש, 61x in Jeremiah); "in·the·wilderness" (root מדבר, 21x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֻ֖סוּ [flee] (116) + מַלְּט֣וּ [save] (85) + נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם [your·soul] (490) + וְתִֽהְיֶ֔ינָה [and·you·will·be] (486) + כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר [like·naked] (566) + בַּמִּדְבָּֽר [in·the·wilderness] (248) = 1991.
Rashi
"Like Aroer." A tower [called] Aroer is built in the wilderness, and there is no settled population around it, only tent-dwellers; and a tower standing where there is no settlement appears like a ruin. Thus did Targum Yonatan render it. And Menachem explained: "Like Aroer" refers to the name of a tree, one of the trees of the forest.
Radak
“Flee, save your lives, and let them be.” Your lives shall be in a place where they will be saved.
“Like the ar'ar-shrub in the wilderness.” Just as the ar'ar-shrub [is found] in the desert plain [Jeremiah 17:6], meaning: after you have departed from your cities and fled, your cities will be like the ar'ar-shrub in the wilderness. And it is a shrub that grows in the wilderness, in a parched land. And Jonathan translated: “And they shall be like a spreading ar'ar that dwells among the thickets in the wilderness.”
Metzudat David
“Flee.” As if the prophet is advising them to flee in order to save their lives.
"ותהיינה" – as if to say: abandon wealth, and even though you will be lacking in all good things, like the tamarisk tree that grows in the desert, lacking all moisture, nevertheless it is good to save one's soul.
Metzudat Zion
"Ka'aroer." It is the name of a desert tree; and similarly, "and he shall be like a terebinth in the desert" (above, 17).
Malbim
"Flee, therefore; do not fight, but only save your lives by fleeing, and you shall be like Aroer in the wilderness." Aroer was a city of Moab that dwelt in the wilderness, separate from settled habitation; so too shall you dwell in the wilderness.
For, because you have trusted In your works and in your treasures, You also shall be taken; And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.
verse value 3852
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 69 letters. Verse gematria: 3852 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֠י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·your·treasuries" (וּבְא֣וֹצְרוֹתַ֔יִךְ, 10 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "you·trusted" (בִּטְחֵ֤ךְ), "in·your·works" (בְּמַעֲשַׂ֙יִךְ֙), "and·in·your·treasuries" (וּבְא֣וֹצְרוֹתַ֔יִךְ). The root יחד appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "and·he·went·out" (root יצא, 73x in Jeremiah); "their·priests" (root כהן, 40x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root כמוש ("Chemosh") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·be·captured', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 8 words.
Radak
"For you have trusted in your works." [Meaning] in your livestock and your possessions. Likewise, "And the man was of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel" [1 Samuel 25:2] — Maon and Carmel being place names, where 'his possessions' likewise means his wealth. And the Targum [renders it]: "In your treasuries and your storehouses."
“And you also shall go into exile.” This means that you, too, [shall be captured] like the other nations who do not have treasures like yours and who were not at peace for as long as you were, as it says, “Moab has been secure from his youth” [cf. Jeremiah 48:11 below], therefore it says, “And you also,” for your treasures, in which you trusted, will not help you, nor will Chemosh, your god, help you, for he too will go into exile.
Metzudat David
"Because, since all your trust and desire were in your possessions—the flocks and herds and treasures that you gathered—therefore you did not wish to abandon them or flee from them."
"And you too shall be captured." Therefore, besides the fact that the enemy will take everything and you will have no power to protest against him, it is also that you yourself will be captured by his hand.
"And Chemosh went forth into exile": This is the god of Moab, and he too went forth into exile, for the enemy will take his idol, made of gold and silver, along with his priests and the princes of Moab.
Metzudat Zion
"In your deeds." Thus is livestock — cattle and flock — called, for one who deals in livestock, all his "deeds" are with them; and likewise, "and the man was in Maon, and his business was in Carmel" (I Samuel 25).
"Chemosh." So is the name of the idol of Moab.
Malbim
For behold, since your trust is in your deeds—that you will exert effort in the field and vineyard, and in your treasuries that you have already stored up—and because of this you will not wish to flee and abandon your works in the field and your treasuries in the city, in which all your trust resides; therefore, not only will your treasuries be taken, but you yourself will be captured, and also Chemosh and his princes and his priests will go into exile. Therefore, it would have been good for you to flee and abandon your possessions, so that at least you would save your lives. Do not think that the enemy will not come upon all the cities, for "a plunderer shall come upon every city," and the valley and the plain shall be destroyed. This is for the reason that the Lord said: "Give a blossom to Moab, for she shall surely go forth." The Lord said that only by this will they give a blossom and growth to Moab, so that it may grow again—if it goes out and flees. And by going out, it will put forth a shoot and blossom, and not by remaining in their cities as vinedressers and husbandmen, for "their cities shall be desolate," thus says the Lord. And since the Lord has thus decreed, then "cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully." Since it is the work of the Lord to bring them out of the country, so that thereby they will have a blossom, then whoever does not go out and flee, and wishes to remain in the place, is acting deceitfully in the work of the Lord, and he is deserving of death thereby, for he is cursed. And therefore, "cursed is he who withholds his sword from blood," so as not to kill those remaining in the cities, who are cursed.
And the spoiler shall come upon every city, And no city shall escape; The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; As Hashem has spoken.
verse value 3435
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "and·will·perish" (וְאָבַ֥ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·all·excitement" (אֶל־כׇּל־עִ֗יר, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·all·excitement" (אֶל־כׇּל־עִ֗יר), "and·city" (וְעִיר֙). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·level·ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְיָבֹ֨א [and·shall·come] (19) + שֹׁדֵ֜ד [dealing·violently·with] (308) + אֶל־כׇּל־עִ֗יר [to·all·excitement] (361) + וְעִיר֙ [and·city] (286) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תִמָּלֵ֔ט [will·slip·away] (479) + וְאָבַ֥ד [and·will·perish] (13) + הָעֵ֖מֶק [valley] (215) + וְנִשְׁמַ֣ד [and·will·be·destroyed] (400) + הַמִּישֹׁ֑ר [the·level·ground] (555) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [that] (501) + אָמַ֥ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3435.
Radak
"And he shall come, and no city shall escape. And no city from them shall escape, for the robber shall come upon every city."
“Which the Lord said.” Just as the word “when” (כאשר) is used in the phrase “and you shall eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you” (Exodus 34:18), so too here the term “which” (אשר) functions in the same manner as “when” (כאשר).
Metzudat David
"to every city": From the cities of Moab.
"None shall escape." Not even one of them:
The valley. Cities of the valley:
The Plain. The cities of the Plain:
"Which the Lord said." This means: Since the Lord has said so, it shall stand.
Give wings to Moab, For she must fly and get away; And her cities shall become a desolation, Without any to dwell therein.
verse value 3009
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "give·wings" (תְּנוּ־צִ֣יץ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "give·wings" (תְּנוּ־צִ֣יץ). The root יצא appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "they·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "dwelling" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'it·shall·go·out', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: תְּנוּ־צִ֣יץ [give·wings] (646) + לְמוֹאָ֔ב [to·Moab] (79) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + נָצֹ֖א [going·out] (141) + תֵּצֵ֑א [it·shall·go·out] (491) + וְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙ [and·her·cities] (291) + לְשַׁמָּ֣ה [to·astonishment] (375) + תִֽהְיֶ֔ינָה [they·will·be] (480) + מֵאֵ֥ין [without] (101) + יוֹשֵׁ֖ב [dwelling] (318) + בָּהֵֽן [in·them] (57) = 3009.
Rashi
“Give a fillet to Moab.” “Give a wing to Moab.” Any object that is suspended, hanging, and protruding from a person or an animal is called a *tzitz* (fillet), as it is said, “And it shall be for you as a *tzitzit*” (Numbers 15:39), and as it is said, “And He took me by the lock of my head” (Ezekiel 8:3).
"For she shall surely go forth." For in flight and haste you shall go out into exile; and the word 'נצא' is of the same pattern as 'נצה' [to flee], as Menachem also grouped it, and so too "for they fled, they also wandered" (Lamentations 4:15), where 'נצו' is paired with 'נעו'. And Targum Yonatan rendered: "אעדו כתרא ממואב" [they removed the crown from Moab] — meaning: give to others the diadem, the crown that belongs to Moab.
Radak
"Give a tzitz to Moab." [Meaning] a wing; and the Targum's [word for wing is] sanpir, tzitzin — and our Sages of blessed memory said: "These are the wing-feathers with which they fly." Thus, "Give a wing to Moab" means: give it a wing with which it will fly and depart quickly from its land. This is what is stated: "For she shall surely go out." Its meaning is: "as a bird shall fly." [This is derived] from "ki natzu gam na'u," whose meaning is "full of plumage," for by the strength of the plumage does the bird fly. Therefore, the metaphor for swift departure is expressed through the word "plumage." Ve-netz'a is an infinitive, with the aleph substituting for the he, and likewise tetze (she shall go out). Its grammatical form should be tetze with a dagesh, on the pattern of titeh, but here the quiescent [vowel] comes in place of the dagesh, as happens in many other places. Jonathan [ben Uzziel] interpreted tzitz as [referring to] "the golden tzitz" [the frontlet plate], and accordingly he translated: "Remove the crown from Moab, for she shall surely go into exile."
Metzudat David
"Give wings to Moab." Give wings to Moab, for it shall surely fly away. This is a matter of rhetorical flourish, meaning that it will go into exile hastily.
"With no one." [Meaning] from the fact that there will be no one who dwells in them.
Metzudat Zion
"Tzitz." This means "wing," for anything that protrudes from the body is called a tzitz, as it is stated: "He took me by the lock of my hair" (Ezekiel 38).
"Go out, go out." From the language of "feather" and "wing" — that is to say, she shall fly forth with feathers of wings.
Cursed be he that does the work of Hashem with a slack hand, And cursed be he that keeps back his sword from blood.
verse value 2427
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "doing" (עֹשֶׂ֛ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "occupation" (מְלֶ֥אכֶת, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "occupation" (מְלֶ֥אכֶת), "laxness" (רְמִיָּ֑ה), "and·cursed" (וְאָר֕וּר). The root ארר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "doing" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "his·sword" (root חרב, 87x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'laxness', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: אָר֗וּר [cursed] (407) + עֹשֶׂ֛ה [doing] (375) + מְלֶ֥אכֶת [occupation] (491) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + רְמִיָּ֑ה [laxness] (255) + וְאָר֕וּר [and·cursed] (413) + מֹנֵ֥עַ [he·who·withholds] (160) + חַרְבּ֖וֹ [his·sword] (216) + מִדָּֽם [blood] (84) = 2427.
Rashi
"The work of the Lord." The work of the destruction of Moab, which is the mission of the Omnipresent.
Radak
"Cursed." He will curse anyone who is in battle and slackens his hand from killing. He said this concerning Moab, which He did not say concerning the other nations, because the anger of the Lord is great against them, for God warned Israel and said, "Do not harass Moab," yet they sinned by doing so to them.
The work of the Lord. For this affliction will come upon them from the Name, because they acted wickedly toward Israel and because of their great arrogance, due to their excessive ease, until they exalted themselves against the Lord, as it says:
Ramiyah. One who is lenient in his hand from doing them harm, and doubled the curse to strengthen the matter.
Metzudat David
"Cursed be he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully." This was said in opposition to those who cause destruction: cursed is he who performs, with deceit, the work of the destruction of Moab, which is a mission from the Omnipresent.
"And cursed, etc." The matter is repeated in different words:
From blood. From shedding blood:
Metzudat Zion
"Melekhet." The meaning is agency/mission, as in "the work of the Lord" (Haggai 1).
Moab has been at ease from his youth, And he has settled on his lees, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Neither has he gone into captivity; Therefore his taste remains in him, And his scent is not changed.
verse value 3491
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 79 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·his·youth" (מִנְּעוּרָ֗יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: not, not. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "has·been·at·ease" (שַׁאֲנַ֨ן), "from·his·youth" (מִנְּעוּרָ֗יו), "to·lees" (אֶל־שְׁמָרָ֔יו). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "to·lees" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "therefore" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·went', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
"[His bouquet] has not changed." [Meaning:] it has not been altered.
Radak
"Shanan Moav." The nun is with a patach, for it is in the past tense.
“And he is tranquil upon his dregs.” This is like [the phrase] “upon his dregs”; and he [the prophet] compared him [Moab] to wine that rests upon its dregs, which is the good wine, for when wine is poured from vessel to vessel, its aroma and taste diminish. And Moab, too, has not yet gone into exile, and has remained tranquil in its land.
“It did not weaken (lo namar).” Its root is נמ״ר, on the pattern of מר״ד (‘rebelled’), and it is of the Nifal construction, and its meaning varies according to its context. Or, its sense is one of slackness and weakness, per its Targum: “it did not fade [lo fag].” Similarly: “Therefore the Torah slackens” [Habakkuk 1:4]; “Give yourself no respite” [Lamentations 2:18]; and “his heart fainted” [Genesis 45:26]. And likewise in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “and we fear lest the resolve of the community slacken,” meaning, perhaps the congregation's resolve will weaken. And likewise they said: “A tough body — wine saps it,” meaning, it weakens it and drains its strength. And so the interpretation of “it did not weaken” according to its Targum is: that the strength and aroma of the wine were not weakened.
Metzudat David
“Moab has been at ease from his youth.” From the time he became a nation, he dwelt in tranquility, remaining calm and undisturbed in his place, like wine left on its lees, which does not lose its flavor.
And it was not poured out. It is similar to wine that was not poured from the vessel in which it was initially placed into another vessel. And to add further clarification, he said that he never went into exile, for he dwelled in his land from the time he settled in it.
Therefore. Since it was not decanted from one vessel to another, therefore the taste remained in it and the scent did not change. This means: because he dwelt in tranquility, he was therefore filled with all good. And since he was compared to wine, the verse uses language applicable to wine: if wine remains in the vessel in which it was originally placed, the taste and scent remain in it; this is not so when it is decanted from one vessel to another.
Metzudat Zion
"Shaanan." The meaning is "peace," as in "and he was at peace, and there was no terror" (above, 15).
"His dregs." This refers to what falls from the liquid to the bottom of the vessel; and likewise, "but its dregs shall be exhausted" (Psalms 75:9).
"Horaq." The meaning is pouring, for when the liquid is poured out from the vessel it becomes empty; and likewise, "your name is oil poured forth" (Song of Songs 1).
"Namer." From the language of "substitution" and "exchange" — that is to say, from good to bad.
Malbim
“Shanan” — he explains the reason why the Lord decreed that he should go into exile, because Moab was complacent from his youth, having no terrorizer from without, and he was quiet without rebellion within, like wine upon its lees. For when wine is poured from one vessel to another, the lees remain in the first vessel, and the wine is without lees. But Moab remained upon his lees, because he was not poured from one vessel to another, and he is still in the first vessel. Therefore, his flavor remained in him, for wine that is removed from its lees loses some of its flavor and aroma, unlike wine that remains upon its lees. The metaphorical meaning is that a people who are exiled from place to place will change their customs and manners to the customs and manners of the country to which they come, and thereby their flavor and aroma will be changed — meaning their statutes and judgments and their conduct. But Moab was not poured from one vessel to another. And he explains the metaphorical meaning, namely, that he did not go into exile, and he dwelt in his land from ancient times, from the days of old.
Therefore, behold, the days come, Says Hashem, That I will send to him them that tilt up, And they shall tilt him up; And they shall empty his vessels, And break their bottles in pieces.
verse value 2384
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֞ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·send·to·him" (וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי־ל֥וֹ, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·send·to·him" (וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי־ל֥וֹ), "stooping" (צֹעִ֖ים), "and·they·will·tilt·him·up" (וְצֵעֻ֑הוּ). The root צעה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "going·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "behold·days" (root הן, 130x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ריק ("they·will·empty") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·will·tilt·him·up', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֞ן [therefore] (100) + הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֤ים [behold·days] (160) + בָּאִים֙ [going·in] (53) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי־ל֥וֹ [and·I·will·send·to·him] (790) + צֹעִ֖ים [stooping] (210) + וְצֵעֻ֑הוּ [and·they·will·tilt·him·up] (177) + וְכֵלָ֣יו [and·his·weapons] (72) + יָרִ֔יקוּ [they·will·empty] (326) + וְנִבְלֵיהֶ֖ם [and·their·bottles] (143) + יְנַפֵּֽצוּ [they·will·shatter] (236) = 2384.
Rashi
"Tzo'im." [Meaning:] those who empty [things] out. And likewise, "quickly the bound one shall be freed" (Isaiah 51:14) — [this] refers to the movement of the bowels in diarrhea.
"And their vessels." The casks of the Moabites.
"And they shall be smashed." [Meaning:] they shall be broken, like: "How they are reckoned as earthen jars" (Lamentations 4:2); "Every jar shall be filled with wine" (above, ch. 13).
Radak
Therefore, behold, days are coming, "tzo'im" and "tze'uhu." "Tzo'im" is from the light [kal] form, and "tze'uhu" is from the emphatic [heavy] form; and their meaning is: they uncover and move it [Moab] from its place, where it had been settled until now. And similarly [the root is used elsewhere], "tzo'eh birov kocho" [marching in the greatness of his strength — Isaiah 63:1]. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated [it] as "bizuzin" and "yivzunun" [plunderers, and they shall plunder it].
“And his vessels shall be emptied.” Because He compared it to wine that has not been poured from one vessel to another, He said, “And his vessels shall be emptied.”
"And their jars shall be smashed." "Their jars" are those that contain the wine, like "nevel yayin" [a jar of wine]. "They shall be smashed" [means]: they will smash them and break them. This is a metaphorical expression, as we have explained. The Targum of Jonathan renders it: "and their possessions shall be emptied out, and the best of their land shall be consumed." And my father, of blessed memory, explained that "they shall be smashed" is like "they shall be emptied," from the Targum's rendering of "and she emptied her jar" [Genesis 24:20] as "venaftzah." This is a repetition of the idea for emphasis.
Metzudat David
"And I will send..." – I will send upon it shakers and movers, and they will move it into exile.
"And their vessels shall be emptied." They will pour out the wine from their vessels, and the jars of wine will be broken. That is to say, the enemy will take their wealth and kill them by the sword. And since he compared them to wine, he used language that pertains to wine.
Metzudat Zion
"Tzo'im ve-tza'ehu." The meaning is carrying and moving from place to place; and likewise, "you have wandered like a harlot" (above, 2).
Yariku. From the language of "empty":
"And their jugs." Skins, as in "a jug of wine" (I Samuel 10).
ינפצו. The meaning is breaking and crushing, like "and the pitchers were broken" (Judges 7:19):
Malbim
Therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, and I will send to him tilters, and they will tilt him. The wine sealed in a vessel and tightly corked: sometimes, when it rises in fermentation and begins to bubble, it will burst the vessel in which it is contained and spill out. As it is written: "Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins, it is ready to burst." And the fermentation of the wine is called tzo'ah and za'ah, meaning it churns and storms within itself. And regarding this it says that He will send to him tzo'im [tilters], so that the wine will storm inside the vessel. This is an allegory for the rebellion that will arise within the nation itself, with the sword of a man against his brother, which will occur when the enemy comes upon them. And thereby he will tilt him, and the wine will spill out, and the vessels containing the wine will be emptied, and the jars that had absorbed the wine will be shattered — meaning that the cities will be destroyed and emptied of their people. And he explains the reason why the Lord will do thus: it is so that Moab may be shamed by Chemosh, just as the House of Israel was shamed by Bethel, and they will see that there is no substance in idolatry and that one cannot rely upon it.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed Of Beth-el their confidence.
verse value 3127
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "God" (אֵ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·were·ashamed" (כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֙שׁוּ֙, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·will·put·to·shame" (וּבֹ֥שׁ), "from·Chemosh" (מִכְּמ֑וֹשׁ), "as·were·ashamed" (כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֙שׁוּ֙). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as·were·ashamed" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "God" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah); "house·of" (root בית, 128x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Chemosh', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וּבֹ֥שׁ [and·will·put·to·shame] (308) + מוֹאָ֖ב [Moab] (49) + מִכְּמ֑וֹשׁ [from·Chemosh] (406) + כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֙שׁוּ֙ [as·were·ashamed] (829) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + מִבֵּ֥ית [from·Beth-el] (452) + אֵ֖ל [God] (31) + מִבְטֶחָֽם [their·trust] (99) = 3127.
Rashi
"Because of Chemosh." [Meaning:] which he trusted in.
From Bethel. The golden calf:
Radak
"And Moab is ashamed of Chemosh." For they placed their trust in Chemosh, their god.
"From Bethel, their trust." They trusted in the calf that was in Bethel; "their trust" [is vocalized] with a segol under the tet. And the reason he juxtaposed this to them, to Israel, was to inform them that the evil that befell Israel was not because of their righteousness, but because of the sin of Israel, who trusted in Bethel.
Metzudat David
And Moab shall be put to shame because of Chemosh. They shall be put to shame by Chemosh, their God, for then they shall see that there is no power in Him to save, and they have inherited emptiness.
"As it is said..." Just as the Israelites were shamed because they had placed their trust in the golden calf that stood in Bethel, for when they were exiled from their land, they saw that it had no reality.
How say you: ‘We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war’?
verse value 1622
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "how?" (אֵ֚יךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·men·of·strength" (וְאַנְשֵׁי־חַ֖יִל, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·men·of·strength" (וְאַנְשֵׁי־חַ֖יִל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "tell" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·men·of·strength" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "to·the·battle" (root מלחמה, 24x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'we', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֵ֚יךְ [how?] (31) + תֹּֽאמְר֔וּ [tell] (647) + גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים [mighty·men] (261) + אֲנָ֑חְנוּ [we] (115) + וְאַנְשֵׁי־חַ֖יִל [and·men·of·strength] (415) + לַמִּלְחָמָֽה [to·the·battle] (153) = 1622.
Metzudat David
"How can you say?" Directed against Moab it is said, "How can you say," etc., as if to say: "So then, where is your might?"
Malbim
How can you say, "We are mighty men by nature, and men of war, trained in the tactics of battle"? Has not Moab been ravaged? If so, you are not mighty men. And its cities went up (to slaughter), and the choice of its mighty men went down to slaughter. This is the reverse of the usual custom: the mighty men would go up to the city wall to fight, and the weak inhabitants of the city would go down and hide. But here, the inhabitants of the cities went up to the stronghold, and thereby became prey to slaughter. And the mighty men did not go up to fight at all, but rather went down to slaughter. If so, you are not men of war.
Moab is spoiled, and they are gone up into her cities, And his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, Says the King, Whose name is Hashem of hosts.
verse value 2567
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "was·dealt·violently·with" (שֻׁדַּ֤ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "utterance·of·the·king" (נְאֻ֨ם־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 49: Moab, to·the·slaughter. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·the·pick·of" (וּמִבְחַ֥ר), "their·young·men" (בַּחוּרָ֖יו). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "his·name" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah); "and·her·cities" (root עיר, 117x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·slaughter', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: שֻׁדַּ֤ד [was·dealt·violently·with] (308) + מוֹאָב֙ [Moab] (49) + וְעָרֶ֣יהָ [and·her·cities] (291) + עָלָ֔ה [went·up] (105) + וּמִבְחַ֥ר [and·the·pick·of] (256) + בַּחוּרָ֖יו [their·young·men] (232) + יָרְד֣וּ [they·went·down] (220) + לַטָּ֑בַח [to·the·slaughter] (49) + נְאֻ֨ם־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [utterance·of·the·king] (186) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + שְׁמֽוֹ [his·name] (346) = 2567.
Radak
"Shaddad Moav, ve'areha alah" [Moab is ravaged and her cities have been overthrown]. We have already explained that it is the custom of the language to speak sometimes in the masculine and sometimes in the feminine: it speaks in the masculine in reference to the people, and it comes in the feminine in reference to the community. And the meaning of "alah" is "was cut off," that is to say, the multitude of its cities was cut off. Similarly, "yetzu'ei alah" [my couches are gone up/removed] is like "ke'alot gadish" [as a stack of grain gathered in its season]. And Jonathan the Targumist translated: "and their cities are a ruin." And my father, of blessed memory, explained: "and against her cities came up the plunderer."
Metzudat David
"And its towns have been entered." The multitude of its towns has been cut off and removed.
"The decree of the king, etc." – This means that since it is a decree from the Omnipresent, it is as if it has already been carried out.
Metzudat Zion
"Alah." The matter of removal and separation, as in: "Do not take me away in the midst of my days" (Psalms 102:25).
And the choicest. From the language of "chosen" and "select."
The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hastens fast.
verse value 1388
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "very" (מְאֹֽד, 3 letters) and the longest is "distress·Moab" (אֵיד־מוֹאָ֖ב, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "distress·Moab" (אֵיד־מוֹאָ֖ב), "and·his·evil" (וְרָ֣עָת֔וֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·come" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "and·his·evil" (root רע, 90x in Jeremiah); "distress·Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·come', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: קָר֥וֹב [near] (308) + אֵיד־מוֹאָ֖ב [distress·Moab] (64) + לָב֑וֹא [to·come] (39) + וְרָ֣עָת֔וֹ [and·his·evil] (682) + מִהֲרָ֖ה [hastens] (250) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 1388.
Metzudat David
"Very quickly." It shall hasten very much to come, and the matter is doubled by what is stated.
Metzudat Zion
Ayd. A matter of breaking and evil occurrence, as it says, "Is not calamity for the unrighteous?" (Job 31:3).
Malbim
The time of Moab's calamity is near to come, for it stands in a place that is near; and also do not say that it will not hasten itself to come. This is what is meant by the verse: "And its ruin shall come very swiftly."
Bemoan him, all you that are round about him, and all you that know his name; Say: ‘How is the strong staff broken, The beautiful rod! ’
verse value 2554
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "for·him" (לוֹ֙) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for·him" (לוֹ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·around·him" (כׇּל־סְבִיבָ֔יו, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 36: for·him, where?. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·around·him" (כׇּל־סְבִיבָ֔יו), "knowing" (יֹדְעֵ֣י), "staff·strong" (מַטֵּה־עֹ֔ז). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·them·of" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah); "his·name" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·name', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: נֻ֤דוּ [shake] (60) + לוֹ֙ [for·him] (36) + כׇּל־סְבִיבָ֔יו [all·around·him] (140) + וְכֹ֖ל [and·them·of] (56) + יֹדְעֵ֣י [knowing] (94) + שְׁמ֑וֹ [his·name] (346) + אִמְר֗וּ [say] (247) + אֵיכָ֤ה [where?] (36) + נִשְׁבַּר֙ [was·broken] (552) + מַטֵּה־עֹ֔ז [staff·strong] (131) + מַקֵּ֖ל [rod] (170) + תִּפְאָרָֽה [beauty] (686) = 2554.
Rashi
"נודו לו" – This is the language of a dirge, akin to "אל תנוד לו" ("Do not lament for him").
Metzudat David
"Condole with him." It is the way of one who hears of the loss of something precious to shake the head, in the manner of lament and mourning.
"All those around him. Those who recognized Him:"
“Staff of strength.” In the matter of might, it was like a strong staff.
“A staff of glory.” In the matter of beauty and wealth:
Metzudat Zion
"Oz." The term denotes strength:
“Makel.” It is like a “matteh” (staff).
Malbim
"Condole with him, all who are around him" – you can already condole with him from now on, for he is as if already broken. They said: "Alas, broken is the staff of strength, the rod of splendor." The "staff" denotes the monarchy, and the "rod" refers to the officials who rule over the people. If the staff is not strong in itself, but merely splendid and ruled by a strong and forceful rod, this is not good. But in Moab, the monarchy was strong in its own right, and the rod was only for the splendor of the monarchy and did not rule with force.
O you daughter that dwell in Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab is come up against you, He has destroyed your strongholds.
verse value 3829
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "in·you" (בָ֔ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "daughter·of·Dibon" (בַּת־דִּיב֑וֹן, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "go·down" (רְדִ֤י), "from·glory" (מִכָּבוֹד֙), "and·shobi" (וּשְׁבִ֣י). The root ישב appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "dwelling" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah); "went·up" (root עלה, 74x in Jeremiah); "Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'daughter·of·Dibon', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: רְדִ֤י [go·down] (214) + מִכָּבוֹד֙ [from·glory] (72) + (ישבי) [dwelling] (322) + וּשְׁבִ֣י [and·shobi] (318) + בַצָּמָ֔א [in·the·thirst] (133) + יֹשֶׁ֖בֶת [dwelling] (712) + בַּת־דִּיב֑וֹן [daughter·of·Dibon] (474) + כִּֽי־שֹׁדֵ֤ד [for·spoiler·of] (338) + מוֹאָב֙ [Moab] (49) + עָ֣לָה [went·up] (105) + בָ֔ךְ [in·you] (22) + שִׁחֵ֖ת [he·destroyed] (708) + מִבְצָרָֽיִךְ [your·strongholds] (362) = 3829.
Radak
"Go down from honor." From the honor in which you were, in which you lacked nothing:
"And you shall sit in thirst." This means: "Sit in exile, so that you may be thirsty for all that is good." The written text is *yeshivi* (with a yod), while the vocalized reading is *ushevi* (with a vav). The written form implies that you shall be among those who sit in thirst.
Metzudat David
"Descend from honor." From the honor that was yours from of old, descend from it, and sit in thirst, like the exiles.
"For he has plundered Moab." The enemy who plundered all the land of Moab also rose up against you and destroyed your fortresses, and you were unable to take refuge in them because of the enemy.
Metzudat Zion
Bat Dibon. The congregation of Dibon, and it is the name of a city.
Malbim
“Depart from honor,” and afterward the enemy conquered Dibon and destroyed its fortresses.
O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch; ask him that flees, and her that escapes; Say: ‘What has been done?’
verse value 3186
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. Verse gematria: 3186 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "with" (עִמְדִ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "what·has·happened" (מַה־נִּֽהְיָֽתָה, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·watch" (וְצַפִּ֖י), "Aroer" (עֲרוֹעֵ֑ר), "ask·him·that·flees" (שַׁאֲלִי־נָ֣ס). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "to·way" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "what·has·happened" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Aroer', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֶל־דֶּ֛רֶךְ [to·way] (255) + עִמְדִ֥י [with] (124) + וְצַפִּ֖י [and·watch] (186) + יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת [dwelling] (718) + עֲרוֹעֵ֑ר [Aroer] (546) + שַׁאֲלִי־נָ֣ס [ask·him·that·flees] (451) + וְנִמְלָ֔טָה [and·her·that·escapes] (140) + אִמְרִ֖י [say] (251) + מַה־נִּֽהְיָֽתָה [what·has·happened] (515) = 3186.
Rashi
"Ask the fugitive and the escaped one." Ask of the fugitives and escapees from Moab what has happened, [and] whether anything escaped the destruction.
Radak
"El derekh" [to the way] — like "al derekh" [על דרך, by/beside the road]. And similarly, "el he-harim lo akhal" [he did not eat upon the mountains — Ezekiel 18:6].
"Ask him who flees and her who escapes." He says to the dweller of Aroer that she should stand on the road and ask the fugitives and escapees from the rest of the cities of Moab, to whom the enemy came first; she should ask, "what has happened," meaning what evil befell them. And it says "nas" [fleeing, masculine] and it says "nimletah" [escaped, feminine], meaning whether a man or a woman.
"And she escaped [nimletah]." [Accented] on the penultimate syllable [mil'eil], and it is a nifal, past tense, meaning: "and she who escaped."
Metzudat David
"To the road," etc. O you who dwell in Aroer, stand on the road and look out to see those who are coming; then ask the man fleeing from the war, or the woman who has escaped, and say to them by way of inquiry, "What has happened in the war? Have they left any remnant?"
Metzudat Zion
And "tzofi." The meaning is "gazing," like the phrase "tzapeh derech" (watch the road) in Nahum 2:
Aroer. A place name:
Malbim
"Stand by the road" – Aroer dwells at the edge of the wilderness, separated from settled civilization; it means that you should stand at the side of the road, not at the side of the wilderness. And ask the man or the woman who has escaped, what has happened there (for in this upheaval no man from Moab came there). And when you hear what happened there, then Moab is ashamed, for it is dismayed; wail and cry out. And you shall declare in Arnon that Moab has been plundered — for Arnon was on the border of Moab.
Moab is put to shame, for it is dismayed; wail and cry; tell you it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled.
verse value 2101
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "wail" ((הילילי, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 49: Moab, Moab. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "for·is·dismayed" (כִּי־חַ֖תָּה), "and·cry" (וזעקי)), "in·Arnon" (בְאַרְנ֔וֹן). The root מואב appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah); "tell" (root נגד, 30x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·cry', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: הֹבִ֥ישׁ [is·put·to·shame] (317) + מוֹאָ֛ב [Moab] (49) + כִּי־חַ֖תָּה [for·is·dismayed] (443) + (הילילי [wail] (95) + וזעקי) [and·cry] (193) + הֵילִ֣ילוּ [wail] (91) + וּֽזְעָ֑קוּ [and·cry] (189) + הַגִּ֣ידוּ [tell] (28) + בְאַרְנ֔וֹן [in·Arnon] (309) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + שֻׁדַּ֖ד [was·dealt·violently·with] (308) + מוֹאָֽב [Moab] (49) = 2101.
Radak
"Tell it at Arnon." For Arnon is the border of Moab, and the enemy is from the border across from it.
Metzudat David
“Moab is put to shame.” The city of Moab, the head of the place, was put to shame, for it too was terrified and broken; therefore, “make a lamentation and cry out bitterly.”
"Tell it at the Arnon." [Referring to the Arnon,] which stands on the border of the land of Moab:
Metzudat Zion
Chattah. It was broken:
"הילילו" – from the root of "יללה" (lamentation):
And judgment is come upon the country of the Plain; upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath;
verse value 2889
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "went·in" (בָּ֖א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·Mephaath" (וְעַל־(מופעת), 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·rampart" (אֶל־חֹל֥), "refuge" (וֹן), "and·upon·Jahzah" (וְאֶל־יַ֖הְצָה). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·land" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "went·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "and·upon·Mephaath" (root עול, 57x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·level·ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט [and·judgment] (435) + בָּ֖א [went·in] (3) + אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ [to·land] (322) + הַמִּישֹׁ֑ר [the·level·ground] (555) + אֶל־חֹל֥ [to·rampart] (69) + וֹן [refuge] (56) + וְאֶל־יַ֖הְצָה [and·upon·Jahzah] (147) + וְעַל־(מופעת) [and·upon·Mephaath] (702) + מֵיפָֽעַת [Mephaath] (600) = 2889.
Rashi
And judgment comes. And retribution comes:
Metzudat David
"And justice comes." The judgment of God comes upon the cities dwelling in the land of the plain, and it then specifies [them as] Holon, etc.—these being names of places.
Malbim
And "judgment" means that after the enemy had conquered the fortresses and defeated them in battle, he sat in judgment to decide which places to destroy, and the judgment came to destroy the cities in the tableland, which are enumerated in these verses.
and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim;
verse value 1346
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "and·upon·Nebo" (וְעַל־נְב֔וֹ, 6 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·Dibon" (וְעַל־דִּיב֣וֹן, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·upon·Dibon" (וְעַל־דִּיב֣וֹן), "and·upon·Nebo" (וְעַל־נְב֔וֹ), "Diblathaim" (דִּבְלָתָֽיִם). The root עול appears 3 times in this verse. 2 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·upon·Dibon" (root עול, 57x in Jeremiah). Full calculation: וְעַל־דִּיב֣וֹן [and·upon·Dibon] (178) + וְעַל־נְב֔וֹ [and·upon·Nebo] (164) + וְעַל־בֵּ֖ית [and·upon·Beth] (518) + דִּבְלָתָֽיִם [Diblathaim] (486) = 1346.
and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
verse value 3439
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "and·upon" (וְעַ֗ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·Kerioth" (וְעַל־קְרִיּ֖וֹת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 719: the·far, and·near. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·upon·Kerioth" (וְעַל־קְרִיּ֖וֹת), "and·upon·Bozrah" (וְעַל־בׇּצְרָ֑ה), "the·far" (הָרְחֹק֖וֹת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "and·upon·Kerioth" (root עול, 57x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root בצרה ("and·upon·Bozrah") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·upon·Bozrah', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְעַל־קְרִיּ֖וֹת [and·upon·Kerioth] (822) + וְעַל־בׇּצְרָ֑ה [and·upon·Bozrah] (403) + וְעַ֗ל [and·upon] (106) + כׇּל־עָרֵי֙ [all·cities·of] (330) + אֶ֣רֶץ [land] (291) + מוֹאָ֔ב [Moab] (49) + הָרְחֹק֖וֹת [the·far] (719) + וְהַקְּרֹבֽוֹת [and·near] (719) = 3439.
Radak
Kiryos. The name of a city:
“The distant ones and the near ones.” The distant ones are those on the borders, and the near ones are those within the land.
Metzudat David
“The distant and the near.” The distant from Arnon, and the near to it.
The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken, Says Hashem.
verse value 1494
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1494 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "horn·of" (קֶ֣רֶן, 3 letters) and the longest is "was·cut" (נִגְדְּעָה֙, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "was·cut" (נִגְדְּעָה֙), "horn·of" (קֶ֣רֶן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "is·broken" (root שבר, 42x in Jeremiah); "Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'is·broken', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: נִגְדְּעָה֙ [was·cut] (132) + קֶ֣רֶן [horn·of] (350) + מוֹאָ֔ב [Moab] (49) + וּזְרֹע֖וֹ [and·his·arm] (289) + נִשְׁבָּ֑רָה [is·broken] (557) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1494.
Radak
"The horn of Moab has been cut down." This refers to the kingdom of Moab. And since the horn is elevated above all the limbs of the animal, kingship is called a "horn," for it is elevated in rank above all the people. And so it is written in manuscripts: "kingdom."
"and his arm": his officers and soldiers, for they are the arm of the king and the people, and their strength is like that of "the arms of the Negev." And so Targum Yonatan translates: "and their dominions were broken."
Metzudat David
"Cut off." The dominion of Moab was cut off, and the strength of its arm was broken.
Metzudat Zion
"נגדעה" (They shall be cut off). The matter of "cutting off" is akin to the verse: "and their sacred posts you shall cut down" (Deuteronomy 7:5).
Keren. The matter of sovereignty, as it is written: "And He shall exalt the horn of His anointed" (1 Samuel 2:10).
Malbim
"The horn of Moab has been cut off"—this refers to the kingdom; "and its arm is broken"—this refers to the military forces and the fortresses.
Make you him drunken, For he magnified himself against Hashem; And Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he also shall be in derision.
verse value 1687
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "make·him·drunk" (הַשְׁכִּירֻ֕הוּ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "make·him·drunk" (הַשְׁכִּירֻ֕הוּ), "and·will·clap" (וְסָפַ֤ק), "in·his·vomit" (בְּקִיא֔וֹ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·magnified·himself', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: הַשְׁכִּירֻ֕הוּ [make·him·drunk] (546) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + עַל־יְהֹוָ֖ה [upon·Hashem] (126) + הִגְדִּ֑יל [he·magnified·himself] (52) + וְסָפַ֤ק [and·will·clap] (246) + מוֹאָב֙ [Moab] (49) + בְּקִיא֔וֹ [in·his·vomit] (119) + וְהָיָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + לִשְׂחֹ֖ק [to·laughter] (438) + גַּם־הֽוּא [also·he] (55) = 1687.
Rashi
"Make him drunk." [This means:] They gave him a cup of intoxicating poison to drink, until he became drunk.
Also he. Just as he had made Israel a laughingstock:
Radak
"Make him drunk." This is stated by way of a parable: He said to the enemies, "Make him drunk with the cup of wrath."
"For against the Lord they have magnified themselves." When they saw the distress of Israel, they enlarged their mouths against them and against the Lord, saying that He would not be able to save them. And the Targum of Jonathan translates: "Against the people of the Lord they have become arrogant." And similarly it is said in the prophecy of Zephaniah: "For they have taunted and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts."
"And he shall vomit his vomitings." Since it compared him to a drunkard, it says "and he shall vomit his vomitings," meaning: just as a drunkard rolls and turns from side to side when vomiting the wine he drank, and sometimes falls to the ground with his body, so too Moab will do because of the multitude of his troubles. And the Targum of Jonathan rendered it: "And the Moabites shall be sought out in their places." "Vomitings" is a noun. "In the balance of his contention, his judgment."
And he too shall become a laughingstock. Just as they will mock the drunkard and say, “He too,” meaning that he mocked and ridiculed Israel, so too will they mock and ridicule him.
Metzudat David
"Get him drunk." The words of the prophet, directed to the enemy: 'Give Moab much strong drink and wine, that he may become drunk' — meaning, bring upon him confusion of mind, so that he will be like a drunkard.
"For against the Lord he has magnified." This means that he spoke great things against the Lord, to belittle Him above, and to say that He was not able to save His people Israel.
"And he shall wallow." And when he becomes drunk, he will roll about and turn over, striking himself on the ground because of the food he vomited, in the manner of a drunkard. That is to say, ruin and destruction will overtake him on account of the confusion of mind; and since it likened him to a drunkard, it used a term fitting for a drunkard.
"He too." Just as they [Israel] were a laughingstock to him [Moab] at the time they were exiled to Babylonia, so too shall he [Moab] himself become a laughingstock.
Metzudat Zion
Make him drunk. From the word for "drunkard" (shikor):
And "safak." The meaning of "hakkah" (striking) and "chavatah" (beating) is like "vayisfok et kapav" (and he struck his hands) (Numbers 24:10).
Bikiai. This is the food that returns through the mouth:
Malbim
"Get him drunk with the cup of reeling"—for he vaunted himself against the Lord (as it says, "I have heard the reproach of Moab," Zephaniah 2:8). And Moab shall be in doubt about his own vomit: he pictures him as a drunkard who became very intoxicated and vomited up the wine, and afterward doubts about the vomit—whether it is his vomit or whether it is wine—and goes back and drinks his own vomit, and everyone mocks him. And the imagery is that the vomit is what one expels from the stomach, and this is a parable for the people who were exiled from their land into exile. And Moab, after they were exiled, returned secretly to his cities, and they were expelled from there a second time—this being, in the parable, that his land swallowed the vomit it had vomited, and spit it out again. Therefore he too became an object of mockery, just as Israel was an object of mockery to Moab regarding such a matter. And this is what it says, "Was not Israel a laughingstock to you?"—that is, did you not mock Israel, in that some of them returned secretly to their land after their exile? And you would portray them as coming secretly to their land and their houses and being found there like a thief who breaks into houses in the dark. And therefore it says, "Was he found among thieves?"—for whenever you speak of him, you shake [your head], over his having returned to his land, and having come to other people's houses like a thief.
For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, You wag the head.
verse value 2815
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·among·thieves" (אִם־בְּגַנָּבִ֖ים, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "laughter" (הַשְּׂחֹ֗ק), "if·among·thieves" (אִם־בְּגַנָּבִ֖ים), "was·found" (נִמְצָ֑א). The root מצא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·sufficiency" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "Lamed" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "your·words" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·found', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words.
Rashi
"Tittenoded." You were shaking your head and mocking our destruction; another interpretation: since whenever you spoke of it, you would rejoice over our destruction, you shall wander to go out into exile. And as Targum Yonatan [renders]: "Because you have multiplied words against them, therefore you shall be tossed about."
Radak
"And if not, you, Israel, would be a laughingstock." He stated this by way of a figure of speech [metaphor]: If you, Israel, had no one to mock, then you would be the one mocked.
"If it is found with the thieves." The meaning is: Was Israel ever found among thieves, that you should mock him — just as people mock and cry out against a thief, as it is stated, "and they cried out against him as a thief"?
"For from every word you speak concerning it, you will be shaken." For at every time that you were speaking concerning it regarding its exile, you were shaking like a person who is joyful over a matter and shaking on its account itself, and rejoicing; and Targum Yonatan [renders]: "And because you rejoiced over the ruin of Israel," etc., as in the column [of the Targum].
Metzudat David
"And if not." Was not Israel, in your eyes [Moab], a laughingstock? Was he ever found among a company of thieves, to be mocked on that account? For whenever you spoke of him, you would shake your head in derision, as if he were found among a company of thieves.
Metzudat Zion
"Madi" means "whenever," as in the phrase "madi dabri bo" used above (Jeremiah ch. 31).
"Tattenoded." From the language of "hanadah" (causing movement) and "hana'ah" (movement), meaning motion or shaking.
O you that dwell in Moab, Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock; And be like the dove that makes her nest In the sides of the pit’s mouth.
verse value 2900
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Verse gematria: 2900 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "forsake" (עִזְב֤וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·dwell" (וְשִׁכְנ֣וּ, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·dwell" (וְשִׁכְנ֣וּ), "in·the·crag" (בַסֶּ֔לַע), "as·dove" (כְיוֹנָ֔ה). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·be·you" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "dwelling" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah); "cities" (root עיר, 117x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פחה ("peh·governor") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Moab', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: עִזְב֤וּ [forsake] (85) + עָרִים֙ [cities] (320) + וְשִׁכְנ֣וּ [and·dwell] (382) + בַסֶּ֔לַע [in·the·crag] (162) + יֹשְׁבֵ֖י [dwelling] (322) + מוֹאָ֑ב [Moab] (49) + וִֽהְי֣וּ [and·be·you] (27) + כְיוֹנָ֔ה [as·dove] (91) + תְּקַנֵּ֖ן [nests] (600) + בְּעֶבְרֵ֥י [in·sides·of] (284) + פִי־פָֽחַת [peh·governor] (578) = 2900.
Rashi
"On the sides of the mouth of the pit." This is a place where the waters erode beneath the high banks of the river's edge, and when the river recedes, the hollow is found empty, and the dove nests in one of the sides of the hollow. And when the river swells, it sweeps away the nest, and she flees from there. Thus I have heard. And Jonathan did not translate it so; rather, he rendered it: "And it shall be like a dove that leaves the mouth of its nest, descends, and dwells at the bottom of the pit."
Radak
"Abandon [them], and be like the dove that nests in the sides of the pit." Just as the dove places its nest on the sides of pits so that people cannot take it and its young, for because of the pit they cannot reach it; and a "pit" is a dug-out hole, a deep excavation. And [Scripture's] "for they dug a pit" [שוחה] — the Targum renders it "for they dug a pit" [ארי כרו פחת], and Jonathan translates: "And you shall be like a dove that leaves the mouth of its dovecote, descends, and dwells at the bottom of the pit."
Metzudat David
“Abandon the cities.” Therefore, in recompense for this, you inhabitants of Moab: abandon the cities and flee from there, and hide yourselves to dwell on the rock.
"And you shall be like a dove." This means that there you shall be secure from the enemy, for he will not be able to approach you. And thus you shall be like a dove that makes for itself a nest on the sides of the mouth of the pit, so that people cannot approach it because of the pit.
Metzudat Zion
Tekanen. From the word "ken" (nest), which is the dwelling place of birds, as it is said: "And the swallow her nest" (Psalms 84:4).
"Be'evrei" (in the sides of). From the language of "ever" (side) and "tzad" (side).
"Pachat." A pit and an excavation, as in "one of the pits" (II Samuel 7).
Malbim
“Abandon the cities and dwell in the rock”—this refers to the Rock of the Desert, which was outside the border of Moab. And they were like a dove that builds its nest on the sides of a cleft in the rock; that is to say, in a place where there are two sides, so that if the enemy comes from one side, it can flee to the other side. (And in contrast to what is stated in Isaiah 15, that they will send a messenger from the Rock of the Desert to Mount Zion, that they will receive them in their land, it is said that now, since even the Land of Israel is desolate, they will be forced to dwell in the rock.)
We have heard of the pride of Moab; He is very proud; His loftiness, and his pride, and his haughtiness, And the assumption of his heart.
verse value 1423
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "proud" (גֵּאֶ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "exaltation·Moab" (גְאוֹן־מוֹאָ֖ב, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "exaltation·Moab" (גְאוֹן־מוֹאָ֖ב), "proud" (גֵּאֶ֣ה), "his·height" (גׇּבְה֧וֹ). The root גאון appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "we·have·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "his·heart" (root לב, 42x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'very', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ [we·have·heard] (466) + גְאוֹן־מוֹאָ֖ב [exaltation·Moab] (109) + גֵּאֶ֣ה [proud] (9) + מְאֹ֑ד [very] (45) + גׇּבְה֧וֹ [his·height] (16) + וּגְאוֹנ֛וֹ [and·his·pride] (72) + וְגַאֲוָת֖וֹ [and·his·pride] (422) + וְרֻ֥ם [and·height·of] (246) + לִבּֽוֹ [his·heart] (38) = 1423.
Radak
"We heard." This is a statement of the prophet in the language of the nations, that they will say concerning Moab: "Thus we heard," for Moab was exceedingly arrogant in his time of prosperity. And the language of arrogance is repeated several times due to the extent of his arrogance.
Metzudat David
We have heard. The statement of the prophet in the name of the idolaters: "Behold, we have heard the pride of Moab, that he has become exceedingly proud."
"His haughtiness," etc. The expression is doubled many times, corresponding to the abundance of arrogance.
Metzudat Zion
"Ga'on." And "ge'ono" [his pride] is from the language of "ga'avah" (pride).
Malbim
We heard: In contrast to what He said to them, that they should leave their cities and flee to the wilderness and be saved from the enemy, it says, "We heard the pride of Moab," and on account of his pride and arrogance, he did not flee to the wilderness, for in his arrogance it seemed to him that the enemy could not prevail against him.
I know his arrogancy, says Hashem, That it is ill-founded; His boastings have wrought nothing well-founded.
verse value 1956
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·not·so" (וְלֹא־כֵ֑ן). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·not·so" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "they·did" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·not·so', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲנִ֤י [I] (61) + יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ [I·know] (494) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + עֶבְרָת֖וֹ [his·wrath] (678) + וְלֹא־כֵ֑ן [and·not·so] (107) + בַּדָּ֖יו [his·boastings] (22) + לֹא־כֵ֥ן [not·so] (101) + עָשֽׂוּ [they·did] (376) = 1956.
Rashi
"His wrath, and it is not right." [Meaning:] His hatred for Israel was not based on truth and not on justice.
"Baddav." His mighty men:
"Not so did they act. Not as a recompense did they respond to the seed of Abraham, who fought against the kings and rescued Lot, their father."
Radak
"I know...his wrath." For he would become enraged and furious without cause against the nations his neighbors, because of his great arrogance.
"And not so are his boasts." I knew that the words of his lies, which he spoke in his arrogance, would not be fulfilled, and that he would not indeed do so.
“And I knew,” says the Lord. Explanation: The words of his lies, which he spoke in his arrogance, shall not be fulfilled, for evil shall come upon him.
"Ken" in "badav" [i.e., the word "so" before "his fabrications"] means "true," as in [Numbers 27:7], "the daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly" (כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת).
"They did not do so." [Meaning:] the children of Moab did not [do] as they had planned. And Jonathan translated: "Revealed before Me, says the Lord, are the deeds of their nobles; their honor is not established, and they have not acted as is proper." And we, in our commentary, connected the word "badav" with "ken" [reading them together], even though the atnach [cantillation pause] falls on the word "ken" — and such is also the view of Jonathan, and such is also the matter in the verse of Isaiah. But it may also be interpreted following the [cantillation] accent: "his wrath, not so" — [meaning] his wrath was not fulfilled.
Metzudat David
His wrath. That which, out of the greatness of his pride, he becomes filled with wrath against the nations, to destroy and annihilate.
And not so. But it shall not be so, for he lacks the power [to carry it out].
"His fabrications." The things that he invents from his own heart and exaggerates will not turn out so, for he will not succeed in them, nor will he fulfill his plan.
Metzudat Zion
"Evrato" (his wrath). From the language of "evrah" (wrath) and "za'am" (rage).
Regarding the word "baddav": It refers to a false matter, fabricated from the heart. And likewise, "asher bada milibo" (that he devised from his own heart) (I Kings 12).
Malbim
"I"—the Lord says that this is a punishment to him from Me. 1. Because I knew his wrath and his anger against Israel—therefore, "and not so" [i.e., they did not act rightly]—they did not flee. And also I knew his devices and his thoughts, for he would scheme falsehood in his heart and did not believe that an enemy could defeat him, and for this reason, they did not act rightly to flee to the wilderness.
Therefore will I wail for Moab; Indeed, I will cry out for all Moab; For the men of Kir-heres shall my heart moan.
verse value 1951
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "his·them" (כֻּלֹּ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·Moab" (עַל־מוֹאָ֣ב, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "upon·Moab" (עַל־מוֹאָ֣ב), "I·will·wail" (אֲיֵלִ֔יל), "and·for·Moab" (וּלְמוֹאָ֥ב). The root מואב appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·men·of" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "therefore" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "his·them" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·cry', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַל־כֵּן֙ [therefore] (170) + עַל־מוֹאָ֣ב [upon·Moab] (149) + אֲיֵלִ֔יל [I·will·wail] (81) + וּלְמוֹאָ֥ב [and·for·Moab] (85) + כֻּלֹּ֖ה [his·them] (55) + אֶזְעָ֑ק [I·cry] (178) + אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י [to·men·of] (392) + קִֽיר־חֶ֖רֶשׂ [Kir-heres] (818) + יֶהְגֶּֽה [will·moan] (23) = 1951.
Rashi
"Kir-heres." A city in the land of Moab:
Yehageh. Groaning like doves that coo:
Radak
Therefore, for Moab, I will wail. The prophet speaks in the language of the people of Moab:
Ker Harash: The name of a city among the cities of Moab, and in Isaiah it is written as Ker Harashet.
"He moans." [Meaning] "Moab moans"; and "yehgeh" refers to the puckering of the mouth with a sound of wailing. And so [too], "I will moan like a dove" [Isaiah 38:14]. And Jonathan translated "Kir-heres" as "the fortress of their strength" (כְּרַךְ תּוּקְפֵיהוֹן), and he translated "yehgeh" as "they wail" (דָּווֹן).
Metzudat David
"Al ken." Since he was exceedingly arrogant and his arrogance was humbled, therefore I will wail over Moab; and the prophet said in the language of the men of Moab, that they would wail:
And to Moab as a whole. "Upon all Moab I will cry out."
"He will moan." That is to say: my heart will moan and murmur.
Metzudat Zion
"Kir-heres." A place name.
"Yehgeh." The meaning is that of murmuring/moaning (hemyah), and similarly, "ehgeh kayonah" (I will moan like a dove) (Isaiah 38:14).
Malbim
Therefore, over Moab I will wail, for he was slain by the enemy; and for Moab, all of it, I will cry out, for they were all slain. "To the men of Kir-heres I will moan"—in contrast to what is stated in Isaiah, "for the foundations and fortresses of Kir-heres, you shall moan; surely they are stricken"—meaning that they would bring there those broken in battle; the hospital, or the place for the wounded in war, would be in Kir-heres. Jeremiah says that he will moan and bring out all of Moab to Kir-heres, because they will all be sick and injured. (And whereas Isaiah said, "Therefore Moab shall wail for Moab," meaning that Moab itself shall wail over Moab, because he himself is guilty for not having fled from the land, Jeremiah says, "Over Moab I will wail," meaning that He will wail over him—since he said that the Lord deceived him so that he would not flee, and therefore He will wail over him for having caused this to happen to him.)
With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah; Your branches passed over the sea, They reached even to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and upon your vintage The spoiler is fallen.
verse value 3805
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "sea" (יָ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·your·vintage" (וְעַל־בְּצִירֵ֖ךְ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 287: Jazer, Jazer. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·will·weep·for·you" (אֶבְכֶּה־לָּךְ֙), "Sibmah" (שִׂבְמָ֔ה), "your·branches" (נְטִישֹׁתַ֙יִךְ֙). The root יעזר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he·fell" (root נפל, 43x in Jeremiah); "passed·over" (root עבר, 31x in Jeremiah); "until" (root עד, 29x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·stroked', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
From the tears of Jazer, I will weep for you. When this prophecy was uttered, Jazer had already been destroyed, and it is adjacent to Moab.
"I will weep for you." I will weep on your behalf, analogous to that weeping, for you too will be destroyed just like it.
"The vine of Sibmah." It was a land of vineyards.
"Your tendrils" – Since He compared her to a vine, He compared her strong ones to the tendrils of the vine.
They crossed the sea. They went into exile:
Qitzcha. The language of "qitz" [meaning summer, or the gathering of figs], and "qatza" [meaning end], which is the language of "qetz" [end], has no yod, and the tsadi is dagesh.
Radak
"From weeping." This means that the rest of the people of the cities of Moab, when they hear the weeping of the people of Yazer.
"I will weep for you." That is to say, on your account, the vine of Sibmah. For I know that this will be your fate, just as it was for Jazer. And these cities that he mentioned regarding Moab—Israel had already taken them from the hand of the Amorites, as it is written in the Torah. But when Reuben and Gad went into exile, Moab returned and settled in them. "The vine of Sibmah" is like "the land of Canaan" — [an appositional construction] lacking the [expected] construct noun (נסמך). Its meaning is: the vine, [namely] the vine of Sibmah. And it has already been explained in the book of Isaiah that the vine is an allegory for the people, that the enemies will slaughter some of them and lead others into exile. This is what he said: "Your shoots have passed over the sea." And the "shoots" are the tendrils of the vine that spread out, and they are an allegory for the nations.
"Upon your summer fruit, upon your vintage, a destroyer has fallen." But in Isaiah it says: "upon your summer fruit and upon your vintage the shout has ceased" [not "a destroyer has fallen"]. "Your summer fruit" refers to the fruits of the summer, both moist and dry. And at the time of the harvest and the vintage, the enemies were plundering and looting them.
Metzudat David
"More than the weeping of Jazer." Like the weeping with which I wept over the loss of Jazer, in this very matter I shall weep for you over the loss of your vine of Sibmah, for it was a place abundant with vines.
"Your tendrils." The spreading of your branches crossed the sea. This means that the exiles were exiled to distant lands.
“Until they reached the Sea of Jazer.” They were struck with afflictions and calamities until they reached the sea adjacent to Jazer.
On your summer. On the fruits of the summer and the grapes of the vine, the plundering enemy has encamped.
Metzudat Zion
"Your tendrils." The matter [concerns] branches, as it is stated: "And the tendrils He removed, lopped off" (ibid. 18).
"Nag'u." From the language of "nega" (touch/plague), meaning "nigfu" (they were struck/routed), and likewise, "vayinag'u Yehoshua vechol Yisrael" (Joshua and all Israel were routed) (Joshua 8:15).
Your summer. The fruits of summer:
"Your vintage." So too is the plucking of the grapes from the vine called "vintage," as it is written: "And the grapes of your untrimmed vine you shall not gather" (Leviticus 25:5).
"Nafal." [This is] an expression of dwelling/encamping, as in "he settled before all his brothers" (Genesis 25:18):
Malbim
"From the weeping of Yazer, I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah." This means that when I weep for Yazer, I also weep for the vine of Sibmah. And he explains the reason: "Your tendrils have passed over the sea." The branches of the vine, which spread out widthwise, extended and crossed over the sea—that is, they fled across the sea and reached as far as the sea of Yazer. There, they were struck by the enemy together with Yazer. Therefore, he weeps for both of them together (and this expression is similar to the one in Isaiah 15).
And gladness and joy is taken away From the fruitful field, and from the land of Moab; And I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses; None shall tread with shouting; The shouting shall be no shouting.
verse value 2680
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·is·gathered" (וְנֶאֶסְפָ֨ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 202: and·is·gathered, from·wine·vats. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·is·gathered" (וְנֶאֶסְפָ֨ה), "and·rejoicing" (וָגִ֛יל), "from·plantation" (מִכַּרְמֶ֖ל). The root הידד appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·from·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "not·he·will·tread" (root דרך, 64x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Moab', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְנֶאֶסְפָ֨ה [and·is·gathered] (202) + שִׂמְחָ֥ה [joy] (353) + וָגִ֛יל [and·rejoicing] (49) + מִכַּרְמֶ֖ל [from·plantation] (330) + וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ [and·from·the·land·of] (337) + מוֹאָ֑ב [Moab] (49) + וְיַ֙יִן֙ [and·wine] (76) + מִיקָבִ֣ים [from·wine·vats] (202) + הִשְׁבַּ֔תִּי [I·have·caused·to·cease] (717) + לֹא־יִדְרֹ֣ךְ [not·he·will·tread] (265) + הֵידָ֔ד [a shout] (23) + הֵידָ֖ד [a shout] (23) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + הֵידָֽד [a shout] (23) = 2680.
Rashi
"And it was gathered." And it was finished, so that it would not be seen:
"He shall not tread." Grapes, to the sound of the joyous responsive shout of "hedad," in gladness, as they used to do.
"Heidad, not heidad." For the heidad of "they shall cry out" shall not be the first heidad, but rather the heidad of the flight from the sword.
Radak
"And they shall be gathered." And in Isaiah [it says] "and it shall be gathered" [a different grammatical form]. Its meaning is: it shall be gathered from them to one place; or its meaning is a matter of extinction, from [the same root as] "אָסֹף אֲסִיפֵם" (I will utterly sweep them away) [Jeremiah 8:13].
And from the farmland. A place of sown fields and fruit trees.
"Yidroch." The meaning is: "the treader shall not tread," as it is written in Isaiah.
"Hedad, hedad, lo hedad" [shout, shout, no shout] — this is the cry of those who tread [the grapes] at the time of treading; they would call out "hedad," for it was the custom of the treaders to call out; now they will not call out. And Targum Yonatan [renders]: "the treaders shall not tread, and they shall not raise their voice."
Metzudat David
"And it is withdrawn." From now on, joy has ceased from the Carmel, for nothing will grow there.
One may not tread with the cry of "Hidde." The verse states, "They shall not tread grapes with the cry of Hidde" (for it is the custom of those treading grapes to shout "Hidde" to spur one another on; and similarly it is written, "With the cry of Hidde, as those who tread grapes answer," as stated above in chapter 25).
"Hiddeh, not hiddeh." This means: Behold, from of old the sound of the [joyous] shout was heard, but from now on the sound of the shout will not be heard. The repetition of the word is for emphasis.
Metzudat Zion
"And they shall be gathered." The matter is one of destruction, like "I will utterly consume them" (above, 8).
And joy. The matter of rejoicing:
“HaKarmel.” So is called a place of fields and vineyards.
Miqqavim. So they call the vats into which the wine flows down, as it is said: “And he dug out a winepress” (Isaiah 5:2).
"I have caused to cease." The matter is one of nullification and prevention, like "the oppressor has ceased" (ibid., 14):
Yidroch. The way to tread grapes with the foot in order to extract the wine:
"Hiddeid." It is the cry of those who tread:
Malbim
Joy and gladness shall be removed from Carmel—that they shall not reap grain at all—and also the wine of the cellars shall not be trodden with the sound of "hidad." For during the treading, they would cry out the sound of "hidad" to urge themselves in their work. Henceforth, they shall not tread with the sound of "hidad." "Hidad, not hidad"—they will cry out there "hidad," but it is not [true] "hidad." That is to say, they will not cry out the "hidad" of joy, but rather the "hidad" of ruin and wailing, and the "hidad" of the men of war. (And see what is said on this word in Isaiah, loc. cit., verse 10.)
From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, Even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, From Zoar even to Horonaim, A heifer of three years old; For the Waters of Nimrim also Shall be desolate.
verse value 5294
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "until·Elealeh" (עַד־אֶלְעָלֵ֗ה, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "than·cry·of" (מִזַּעֲקַ֨ת), "until·Elealeh" (עַד־אֶלְעָלֵ֗ה), "until·Jahaz" (עַד־יַ֙הַץ֙). The root עד appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "they·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "they·gave" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'third', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Eglath-shelishiyah." A mighty province:
Radak
"From the outcry ... Eglath-shelishiyah." "Eglat" is like "eglah" [heifer]; the Tav is in place of the Heh. And so [too]: "v'to'evat la'adam letz" [and a scoffer is an abomination to man] (Proverbs 24:9), "af gilat veranen" [rejoice with joy and singing] (Isaiah 35:2), "al titteni fugat lakh" [give yourself no respite] (Lamentations 2:18), and others like them, which we have written in the book Mikhlol. And the explanation of "shelishiyah" is that it is large, or [that it is] a three-year-old [heifer], for it is the best. And so Moab was full of all good things when the famine came upon it; and it says, "from Zoar even unto Horonaim shall Moab go, going and crying out." And Jonathan translated "eglat shelishiyah" as "eglat talitita rabta" [a great three-year-old heifer].
“They shall become desolate.” And the Nemerim: there was a place in the land of Moab called Nemerim, and He said that they should become desolate, inasmuch as there are no inhabitants there, it is as if there were no waters there, and no green vegetation and grass there, for the inhabitants of the land, some of them were slain and some of them fled.
Metzudat David
"From the cry of Heshbon." This means: From the cry of Heshbon up to Elealeh, behold, they raised a loud voice to be heard as far as Jahaz.
“From Zoar.” This means: And likewise, from the cry of Zoar, as far as Horonaim, it could be heard as far as Jahaz.
“Egelat shelishiyah.” This means: Thus shall the cry grow great within you, “You, land of Moab, a distinguished nation, are like the third calf, the finest of the womb.”
"The Waters of Nimrim." The waters of the river Nimrim shall become a desolation; this means that its waters will dry up. And since all the praise of the land of Moab lies in its rich and lush pasture, therefore it says regarding its destruction that its waters will dry up and the pasture will be consumed.
Malbim
From the cry of Heshbon, they gave forth their voice as far as Elealeh and as far as Jahaz; and likewise (they gave forth their voice) from Zoar as far as Horonaim. And it explains: Who gave forth their voice? The chariots of the third rank, which are from the circle of the mighty men and the third division of Moab—they gave forth their voice in all these places. From the cry of Heshbon, because Heshbon began to cry out, for there the enemy arrived prior to these other places, as it had calculated, for even Mi-nemrim, which was there, a harbor for ships and great trade for the inhabitants, would be affected. (And similarly, this is found in Isaiah chapter 14, verses 4-5; see there.)
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, Says Hashem, Him that offers in the high place, And him that offers to his gods.
verse value 1558
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "high·place" (בָמָ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "high·place" (בָמָ֔ה), "to·his·gods" (לֵאלֹהָֽיו). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·his·gods" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah); "ascent" (root עלה, 74x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֥י [and·I·will·banish] (723) + לְמוֹאָ֖ב [in·Moab] (79) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + מַעֲלֶ֣ה [ascent] (145) + בָמָ֔ה [high·place] (47) + וּמַקְטִ֖יר [and·offers·incense] (365) + לֵאלֹהָֽיו [to·his·gods] (82) = 1558.
Radak
"And I will abolish—one who offers at a high place": [it means] one who offers an animal, a sacrifice, upon the high place.
Metzudat David
"One who offers at a high place." There will be no one who offers up a burnt offering on the high place and burns incense to his gods, for they will be preoccupied with their mourning.
Malbim
"And I will cause to cease" – this is in contrast to what it says (Isaiah 15:12): "And it shall be, when it is seen that Moab has wearied himself upon the high place, and he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he shall not prevail," for I will cause his ascent to the high place to cease.
Therefore my heart moans for Moab Like pipes, and my heart moans like pipes for the men of Kir-heres; Therefore the abundance that he has gotten is perished.
verse value 3523
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "they·perished" (אָבָֽדוּ) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). Verse gematria: 3523 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "my·heart" (לִבִּ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "like·pipes" (כַּחֲלִילִ֖ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: therefore, therefore. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "like·pipes" (כַּחֲלִלִ֣ים), "and·my·heart" (וְלִבִּי֙), "like·pipes" (כַּחֲלִילִ֖ים). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·men·of" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "therefore" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "did" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·murmur', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: עַל־כֵּ֞ן [therefore] (170) + לִבִּ֤י [my·heart] (42) + לְמוֹאָב֙ [for·Moab] (79) + כַּחֲלִלִ֣ים [like·pipes] (138) + יֶהֱמֶ֔ה [will·murmur] (60) + וְלִבִּי֙ [and·my·heart] (48) + אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י [to·men·of] (392) + קִֽיר־חֶ֔רֶשׂ [Kir-heres] (818) + כַּחֲלִילִ֖ים [like·pipes] (148) + יֶהֱמֶ֑ה [will·murmur] (60) + עַל־כֵּ֛ן [therefore] (170) + יִתְרַ֥ת [appendage] (1010) + עָשָׂ֖ה [did] (375) + אָבָֽדוּ [they·perished] (13) = 3523.
Rashi
"Therefore, that which he gained." Because he acted with pride, therefore they perished.
Radak
"Therefore my heart shall cry out for Moab." The prophet speaks concerning the language of the people, that each one of them said thus:
Therefore, the remainder of his deeds perished. The tav is written in place of a he, as we have written regarding the word "eglat" (heifer, construct form). He says, "Therefore my heart moans," because the remainder of the wealth and multitude that he gathered perished. He omitted the word "asher" (that), as if he said, "[the remainder] that he made..." And similarly, "to the people, upon it"—"upon which the road, they walk in it—which they walk in it."
Metzudat David
Therefore. Because of the magnitude of the destruction, and He spoke in the language of Moab:
"As the flutes moan, so does my heart moan over the destruction of Moab."
"El anshei" (To the men of) — on account of the loss of the men of Kir-heres.
Therefore. Because of the advantage of wealth and the abundance of capital that he gathered, all was lost.
Metzudat Zion
Like flutes. This is the name of a musical instrument; and similarly, “and they sing like flutes” (Psalms 87:7).
"Yitrat." From the root meaning "surplus," and it conveys the idea of abundance.
"Make." The matter refers to gathering and assembling. Likewise, "and Israel shall make a host" (Numbers 24:18).
Malbim
Thus, my heart is for Moab, where they were struck in battle, and my heart is for the men of Kir-Hareseth, where the sick and wounded lay (and see Isaiah, loc. cit., verse 11, and what is stated there), therefore, because they lost the battle, the remainder of their livelihood was lost; the profit they had and all the wealth of the country were lost from them.
For every head is bald, And every beard clipped; Upon all the hands are cuttings, And upon the loins sackcloth.
verse value 3056
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·loins" (וְעַל־מׇתְנַ֖יִם, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·head" (כׇל־רֹאשׁ֙), "and·every·beard" (וְכׇל־זָקָ֖ן), "clipped" (גְּרֻעָ֑ה). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "all·hands" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'clipped', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + כׇל־רֹאשׁ֙ [all·head] (551) + קׇרְחָ֔ה [baldness] (313) + וְכׇל־זָקָ֖ן [and·every·beard] (213) + גְּרֻעָ֑ה [clipped] (278) + עַ֤ל [upon] (100) + כׇּל־יָדַ֙יִם֙ [all·hands] (114) + גְּדֻדֹ֔ת [cuttings] (411) + וְעַל־מׇתְנַ֖יִם [and·upon·loins] (646) + שָֽׂק [sackcloth] (400) = 3056.
Rashi
Giddudot. Scratches:
Radak
"For every [head is bald]": it says 'baldness on the head,' for such is the way of people, that they pluck out the hair of their heads in mourning. And likewise it says, 'and every beard is impaired,' for the beard is the glory of the face, and at the time of mourning a person shaves it to remove the glory of his face. And likewise it says, 'those with shaven beards and torn garments.' And so did Targum Yonatan render: 'and all their beards are shaved.' And it did not say 'every beard is shaved' [the participle form], but said 'impaired,' as a term of disgrace.
"On all hands, gashes": [The form follows] the pattern of "melukhah" (kingship) [and] "chalushah" (weak), and its meaning is incisions in the flesh; and similarly, "you shall not cut yourselves."
Metzudat David
"Korchah." [Meaning:] the hairs of her head will be plucked out and a bald spot will remain.
Defective. The hairs are plucked out, and [the beard] becomes diminished as a result:
Gedudot: Cuts in the flesh due to grief and mourning.
Saq. A covering of sackcloth, and it too is a matter of distress and mourning.
Metzudat Zion
"Korchah." The matter of plucking out the hair:
Deficient. From the term for deficiency and lack:
Gedudot. The matter of scratching, as in: "Until when will you scratch?" (above, 47).
Malbim
(37-38) “For every head is bald,” etc., “and on the roofs, mourning,” etc. And similarly, Isaiah (14:2-3) states: “Mourning is ended, for I have broken Moab.” They are mourning because I have broken him, just as one breaks a vessel that is no longer desired and is no longer fit for use, breaking it with no intention of repairing it.
On all the housetops of Moab and in the broad places thereof There is lamentation every where; For I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, Says Hashem.
verse value 3319
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֣ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·her·broad·places" (וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֖יהָ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·roofs·of" (כׇּל־גַּגּ֥וֹת), "and·in·her·broad·places" (וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֖יהָ), "for·I·have·broken" (כִּי־שָׁבַ֣רְתִּי). The root כל appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "all·roofs·of" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wailing', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: עַ֣ל [upon] (100) + כׇּל־גַּגּ֥וֹת [all·roofs·of] (462) + מוֹאָ֛ב [Moab] (49) + וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶ֖יהָ [and·in·her·broad·places] (633) + כֻּלֹּ֣ה [his·them] (55) + מִסְפֵּ֑ד [wailing] (184) + כִּי־שָׁבַ֣רְתִּי [for·I·have·broken] (942) + אֶת־מוֹאָ֗ב [Moab] (450) + כִּכְלִ֛י [as·vessel] (80) + אֵֽין־חֵ֥פֶץ [no·pleasure] (239) + בּ֖וֹ [in·him] (8) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 3319.
Radak
“Upon all the roofs of Moab.” They will perform their mourning openly on the roofs, where people will see them; and likewise in the streets.
Metzudat David
"All of it, lamentation." In all of them [the roofs and squares], the voice of lamentation shall be heard.
"There is no desire in it."—This means that there is no need for it.
Metzudat Zion
Chafets. The meaning is "need," and similarly, "the desire of the Almighty, for righteousness" (Job 22:3).
’How is it broken down!’ wail you! ‘How has Moab turned the back with shame!’ So shall Moab become a derision and a dismay to all that are round about him.
verse value 2585
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "how?" (אֵ֥יךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·all·around·him" (לְכׇל־סְבִיבָֽיו, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 49: Moab, Moab. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "turned·the·back" (הִפְנָה־עֹ֥רֶף), "ashamed" (בּ֑וֹשׁ), "and·to·destruction" (וְלִמְחִתָּ֖ה). The root איך appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah); "to·all·around·him" (root סביב, 28x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ashamed', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: אֵ֥יךְ [how?] (31) + חַ֙תָּה֙ [was·shattered] (413) + הֵילִ֔ילוּ [they·wailed] (91) + אֵ֛יךְ [how?] (31) + הִפְנָה־עֹ֥רֶף [turned·the·back] (490) + מוֹאָ֖ב [Moab] (49) + בּ֑וֹשׁ [ashamed] (308) + וְהָיָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + מוֹאָ֛ב [Moab] (49) + לִשְׂחֹ֥ק [to·laughter] (438) + וְלִמְחִתָּ֖ה [and·to·destruction] (489) + לְכׇל־סְבִיבָֽיו [to·all·around·him] (170) = 2585.
Rashi
"How she is dismayed! Wail!" They shall wail over her and say, "How she is dismayed!"
Radak
"How he is dismayed": [It is accented] on the penult (mil'eil), [marked] by the two pashta [cantillation notes]; it is a past-tense verb form.
"Hililu." A command or a past tense verb:
How he turned his neck. How he turned his neck to flee from his enemies and did not stand firm against them:
"Bosh" [he was ashamed]: A past-tense verb on the pattern of "haboker or" (when morning grew light). When it turned its back, it was filled with shame, for it had become a laughingstock, and it had laughed at Israel in their exile.
Metzudat David
"How he is dismayed! Wail!" In their wailing they will say: "How he is dismayed! How has he turned his back before the enemy at the time of his flight, and behold, he has been shamed."
"For a laughingstock." All those around him will mock him, and he will be to them a cause of terror and fear, for they will fear lest what happened to him should happen to them.
Metzudat Zion
Chatah. The matter is one of breaking:
Hifnah. The matter of turning around:
"Occiput." It is opposite the face:
And for a terror. To fear:
Malbim
"How is he dismayed! Wail!" He says to them: Is it not that, aside from what was broken, you have cause to wail over the manner in which it was broken—that it was broken without any [human] hand and not through warfare—which is a sign that there was Divine Providence over their sins? "How has Moab turned his back, ashamed!" For even if a mighty warrior is defeated, he has no shame, for he dies the death of the mighty. But Moab, who turned his back immediately, like the fainthearted—this is a great shame, because thereby, 'Moab shall become a laughingstock and a horror to all his surroundings'—for they will mock them, [regarding them] as having been like women and like the weak; and a horror, for they will recognize that it was by the providence of the Lord. And it explains: 'For thus says the Lord: Behold, like an eagle he shall fly.' This means that the enemy will not need to delay and fight at the borders of the country until it enters within it; rather, it will be like an eagle that flies and spreads its wings in the middle of the country. So it will spread its wings over Moab, and immediately all of it will be under its wings, until immediately the cities that were very fortified were captured and the strongholds were seized—for the heart of the mighty men of Moab will be, on that day, like the heart of a woman in distress, since, in that she is a woman, she is weak in strength, and especially in that she is distressed within distress [i.e., doubly distressed, as in the pains of labor].
For thus says Hashem: Behold, he shall swoop as a vulture, And shall spread out his wings against Moab.
verse value 1804
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "said" (אָמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Moab" (אֶל־מוֹאָֽב, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "he·will·swoop" (יִדְאֶ֑ה), "and·he·shall·spread" (וּפָרַ֥שׂ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for·thus" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·will·swoop', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּי־כֹה֙ [for·thus] (55) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + כַנֶּ֖שֶׁר [as·the·eagle] (570) + יִדְאֶ֑ה [he·will·swoop] (20) + וּפָרַ֥שׂ [and·he·shall·spread] (586) + כְּנָפָ֖יו [his·wings] (166) + אֶל־מוֹאָֽב [to·Moab] (80) = 1804.
Rashi
"Like an eagle he soars." [Meaning] the enemy [flies] against Moab.
"Yid'eh" [he shall soar]. [It means:] he shall fly.
Radak
"For thus...like an eagle he soars"—the enemy will fly like an eagle and come swiftly upon them, and the enemy is Nebuchadnezzar.
Metzudat David
As an eagle soars. The enemy will fly like an eagle and spread his wings to come to Moab; that is to say, he will come swiftly, like an eagle in flight.
Metzudat Zion
Yid'eh. The matter of soaring, and likewise, "when the eagle shall soar" (Deuteronomy 28:49):
The cities are taken, And the strongholds are seized, And the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day Shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
verse value 3312
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְֽ֠הָיָ֠ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3312 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "heart·of" (לֵ֞ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·strongholds" (וְהַמְּצָד֖וֹת, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "the·cities" (הַקְּרִיּ֔וֹת), "and·the·strongholds" (וְהַמְּצָד֖וֹת). The root לב appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "in·the·day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "that" (root הוא, 69x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·caught', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: נִלְכְּדָה֙ [is·caught] (109) + הַקְּרִיּ֔וֹת [the·cities] (721) + וְהַמְּצָד֖וֹת [and·the·strongholds] (551) + נִתְפָּ֑שָׂה [was·caught] (835) + וְֽ֠הָיָ֠ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + לֵ֞ב [heart·of] (32) + גִּבּוֹרֵ֤י [the·mighty·men·of] (221) + מוֹאָב֙ [Moab] (49) + בַּיּ֣וֹם [in·the·day] (58) + הַה֔וּא [that] (17) + כְּלֵ֖ב [as·heart·of] (52) + אִשָּׁ֥ה [wife] (306) + מְצֵרָֽה [in·travail] (335) = 3312.
Rashi
"Kerioth." The name of the city:
Radak
"The towns were captured." The term "towns" is plural, yet it states "were captured" in the singular, because all the towns will be captured quickly, as if they were a single city. Similarly, "and the strongholds were seized" is to be understood in this manner. The "towns" are the cities located in the plain, while the "strongholds" are those situated in elevated places. It is also possible to interpret "the towns" as the name of a specific city among the cities of Moab. Indeed, we find this in the phrase "on Kerioth and on Bozrah." Even though the definite article "the" (he) is attached to it, there are similar cases, such as "in Karkor" and "in Sukkot." And the Targum renders it: "The fortified city shall be conquered, and the strongholds shall be seized."
"Like the heart of a woman in distress": For she is in distress at the time of her labor pains, when she crouches to give birth. And so did Targum Yonatan render it: "She is in distress from her labor pains." And "metzarah" (distress) is derived from the same root as in the phrase "u-vehatzer lo" (when he was distressed). It is an intransitive verb, meaning: she is in pain and remains in distress.
Metzudat David
"The cities are captured." Each and every one of the cities will be captured, and each and every one of the towers will be seized.
"Like the heart of a woman in distress" – just as the heart of a woman is when she is in distress, for then her heart is broken exceedingly.
Metzudat Zion
The "keriyot" (cities). The cities, as it is written: "the city shall rejoice" (Proverbs 11:10).
"and the fortresses." The meaning is towers and strongholds, as it is said: "And David dwelt in the fortress" (2 Samuel 5:9).
It was seized. The matter of capture:
Mitzarah. From the language of distress and duress:
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, Because he has magnified himself against Hashem.
verse value 807
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·Hashem" (עַל־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 6 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "with" (root עם, 86x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְנִשְׁמַ֥ד [and·will·be·destroyed] (400) + מוֹאָ֖ב [Moab] (49) + מֵעָ֑ם [with] (150) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + עַל־יְהֹוָ֖ה [upon·Hashem] (126) + הִגְדִּֽיל [he·magnified·himself] (52) = 807.
Metzudat David
"From the people." From being still a people:
"He magnified [himself]." He spoke great words of contempt toward the One above at the time that Israel went into exile, for he then said that there is no power in the Omnipresent to aid His people.
Malbim
And Moab shall be destroyed from among the peoples, because the people who fight and fall in battle will be remembered in future generations as having been a nation; but since they fell like women, it will be said that they were not a nation at all. And what was the cause of all their defeat? It was that he vaunted himself against the Lord, as it is stated in verse 26.
Terror, and the pit, and the trap, Are upon you, O inhabitant of Moab, Says Hashem.
verse value 1294
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "terror" (פַּ֥חַד, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·pit" (וָפַ֖חַת), "and·snare" (וָפָ֑ח). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "upon·you" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "dwelling" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·snare', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: פַּ֥חַד [terror] (92) + וָפַ֖חַת [and·pit] (494) + וָפָ֑ח [and·snare] (94) + עָלֶ֛יךָ [upon·you] (130) + יוֹשֵׁ֥ב [dwelling] (318) + מוֹאָ֖ב [Moab] (49) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 1294.
Rashi
“Fear and a pit.” These are two things that are difficult in relation to one another, for fear causes him to flee, and the pit is ready for him to fall into it.
"Pachat" (pit). "Puscha" in the vernacular.
Metzudat David
"Fear, etc." — Upon you, Moab, shall come fear, and pit, and trap; that is to say, strange and numerous troubles.
Metzudat Zion
And a pit. A cistern and an excavation, as it is stated: "in one of the pits" (ibid. 16).
And "pach" (trap). The meaning is "reshet" (net), as in, "the snare is broken" (Psalms 124:7).
Malbim
"Fear" (pachad), "pit" (pachat), and "snare" (pach): For hunting animals, they dig a pit (pachat) and a large cistern into which the animal will fall as it walks. And opposite the pit, on the other side, they place a snare (pach) with a trigger mechanism, so that if it wishes to escape, it will be caught in it. And in order that it fall into the pit, they frighten it with dogs; through the fear (pachad) it will fall into the pit (pachat), and through the pit (pachat) it will be caught in the snare (pach). And so it shall be for you, inhabitant of Moab: [as it says,] "until he who flees from the sound of terror [falls into the pit]," etc. And the meaning is that there will be many troubles, and each one will be the cause of the next. (And this wordplay also appears in Isaiah, chapter 24.)
He that flees from the terror Shall fall into the pit; And he that gets up out of the pit Shall be taken in the trap; For I will bring upon her, even upon Moab, The year of their visitation, says Hashem.
verse value 3675
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "something lifted up" (הַנָּ֞ס, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "that·flees" ((הניס)), "something lifted up" (הַנָּ֞ס), "terror" (הַפַּ֙חַד֙). The root נוס appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·the·pit" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "for·I·will·bring" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·snare', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Radak
"Haniys" is written with a yod, meaning: one who caused his sons and his livestock to flee, just as it says, "he caused his servants and his livestock to flee." And the qere is "hanas," speaking of himself [i.e., one who flees on his own]. And both [forms] contain within them [the senses of] those who flee and those who cause others to flee.
Pachat. It is a large and deep excavation.
"To her, to Moab." The pronoun precedes its identification, as in "and she saw him — the child."
Metzudat David
The fugitive. One who flees from a place of terror:
“He shall fall, etc.” This means that if he is rescued from one calamity, the second will attach itself to him, and if he escapes from the second, he will be caught in the third.
The year of their reckoning. The providential oversight of bringing upon them the evil that they deserved:
Metzudat Zion
Their reckoning. The matter concerns the providence that brings evil:
In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives Stand without strength; For a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, And a flame from the midst of Sihon, And it devours the corner of Moab, And the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. .
verse value 3578
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "in·shadow·of" (בְּצֵ֥ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·Heshbon" (מֵחֶשְׁבּ֗וֹן, 6 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "in·shadow·of" (בְּצֵ֥ל), "from·strength" (מִכֹּ֣חַ), "from·Heshbon" (מֵחֶשְׁבּ֗וֹן). The root חשבון appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·fire" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "between" (root בין, 146x in Jeremiah); "went·out" (root יצא, 73x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'fleeing', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 12 words.
Rashi
"Under the shadow of Heshbon." [Heshbon] is high and has a shadow.
"They stood." The fugitives [stood] to rest in the shade, since they no longer had the strength to flee.
"From the son of Sihon." [This means] from the city of Sihon, like [the place name] "Ben Reuven" (Joshua 9).
"And the crown [of the head]." "Atripirtsa" in the vernacular. Menachem grouped it under the term מקור (source/fountain), and Targum [Yonatan] renders it "veyakirei," from the language of "precious."
Bnei Sha'on. Those who raised their voices in glory.
Radak
"In the shadow of Heshbon they stood, from the strength of fugitives." Those fugitives from the cities of Moab, [fleeing] before the enemy, thought they would be saved in the shadow of Heshbon, because of the abundance of strength of the men of the city, and [because] the city was fortified — for already in ancient days fire had gone forth from Heshbon, when it belonged to the Amorites.
"And it consumed the edge of Moab." Therefore they thought to take refuge in it [Heshbon] now. And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained that the fugitives, because of the strength of their enemies, halted in the shadow of Heshbon. And Jonathan translated: "Because it was reported to the inhabitants of Heshbon, it became known that their forces were shortened — they fled."
“Fire went out.” In the masculine form; and similarly, “Fire is not blown.”
"Corner of Moab": That is, up to the edge, so that nothing remained in it; or it is a figurative expression for the great ones. And so did Jonathan translate: "and the nobles of Moab were slain."
"And the pate of the sons of Shaon." This too is a figurative expression for the leaders; therefore he called them by [the term] "pate." And the meaning of "sons of Shaon" is that they were men of tumult and uproar, who spoke haughty things. And so did Jonathan translate: "and the nobles of the sons of agitation."
Metzudat David
"In the shadow of Heshbon they stood, from lack of strength, the fugitives." That is to say, the fugitives from the war, because of lack of strength, stood to take refuge in the shadow of Heshbon, for they could no longer flee.
"For fire, etc." – This means: And behold, they fell there, for fire went out from Heshbon; that is to say, the enemy emerged from there to destroy them.
"From the midst of Sihon." This is Heshbon, which had belonged to Sihon, king of the Amorites, from of old, and the matter is repeated in what is stated.
“And she ate.” The enemy destroyed the remnant of Moab.
And "the crown." And it shall devour the crown of Moab, those who lift up a voice of tumult in pride and in haughtiness of heart; which means that the remnant and the leaders of the people were destroyed.
Metzudat Zion
And the flame. Flame:
"From the son of Sihon." From the city of Sihon. And similarly, it is written: "the stone of Bohan, son of Reuben" (Joshua 15:6).
Pe'at. It means "side" and "flank."
Qadqod: It is the top of the head.
Sha'on: A matter of tumult.
Malbim
"Under the shadow of Heshbon." When the fugitives came under the shadow of Heshbon, and sought to take refuge in the wall and fortress there, the enemy came against them with great strength, until the fugitives halted from exhaustion [lack of strength] — that is to say, because of the strength of the enemies, they stopped fleeing. The phrase "fire came out of Heshbon" is derived from the words of the Torah, as stated in the ancient parable: "Fire came out of Heshbon, a devouring fire," which refers to the enemy who consumed them; and "from Sihon came a flame," for a flame burns from afar, indicating that the enemy came from there. And it "devoured the corner of Moab." "Corner" refers to the corner of the head. The imagery suggests that the fire, which had caught hold of the corner of the head, also consumed the crown, which refers to the sons of Shaon — the inhabitants of great cities, where there is much tumult and noise.
Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh is undone; For your sons are taken away captive, And your daughters into captivity.
verse value 1976
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 1976 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "has·perished" (אָבַ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·Chemosh" (עַם־כְּמ֑וֹשׁ, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "woe·to·you" (אוֹי־לְךָ֣), "has·perished" (אָבַ֖ד), "with·Chemosh" (עַם־כְּמ֑וֹשׁ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·they·were·taken" (root לקח, 65x in Jeremiah); "your·sons" (root בן, 56x in Jeremiah); "Moab" (root מואב, 36x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·Chemosh', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: אוֹי־לְךָ֣ [woe·to·you] (67) + מוֹאָ֔ב [Moab] (49) + אָבַ֖ד [has·perished] (7) + עַם־כְּמ֑וֹשׁ [with·Chemosh] (476) + כִּֽי־לֻקְּח֤וּ [for·they·were·taken] (174) + בָנֶ֙יךָ֙ [your·sons] (82) + בַּשֶּׁ֔בִי [into·captivity] (314) + וּבְנֹתֶ֖יךָ [and·your·daughters] (488) + בַּשִּׁבְיָֽה [the·captives] (319) = 1976.
Radak
Woe to you. The matter is as it is written in the Torah, only the words are different:
Metzudat David
"The people of Chemosh are destroyed." The people who serve the idol Chemosh—behold, they are destroyed.
Malbim
Woe to you, Moab, for your sons have been taken captive. For in the ancient parable it was said that his sons fled, but now even the sons have gone into captivity before the enemy.
Yet will I turn the captivity of Moab In the end of days, says Hashem. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
verse value 2930
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "judgment" (מִשְׁפַּ֥ט, 4 letters) and the longest is "captivity·Moab" (שְׁבוּת־מוֹאָ֛ב, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "captivity·Moab" (שְׁבוּת־מוֹאָ֛ב). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "and·I·will·turn·back" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְשַׁבְתִּ֧י [and·I·will·turn·back] (718) + שְׁבוּת־מוֹאָ֛ב [captivity·Moab] (757) + בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית [in·end·of] (621) + הַיָּמִ֖ים [day] (105) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + עַד־הֵ֖נָּה [until·they] (134) + מִשְׁפַּ֥ט [judgment] (429) + מוֹאָֽב [Moab] (49) = 2930.
Radak
“And I will restore the captivity of Moab.” As soon as it is stated “in the latter days,” it indicates that this is destined for the future, and this will occur in the days of the Messiah. Likewise, the return of the children of Ammon, which is stated subsequently: “And afterward I will restore the captivity of the children of Ammon,” will also be in the future. And similarly, it is stated in the prophecy of Zephaniah concerning these two nations: “The remnant of My people shall plunder them, and the residue of My nation shall inherit them.” And He said this to them because of their arrogance, for they blasphemed and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts, as it is stated in this prophecy: “For against the Lord they have magnified themselves.” And it is stated there further: “For all the gods of the land shall be despised, and they shall bow down to Him, each from his place, all the isles of the nations.” And this will not occur until the days of the Messiah. And even though the nations are confused today, it is possible that they were scattered to places near their land, and even though they were intermingled with other nations, it is possible that some remembrance of them remains.
"In the latter days." Every nation and nation shall sit in its land, and all of them shall be under the dominion of Israel, as it is said: "Edom and Moab shall be subject to their hand, and the children of Ammon shall obey them."
Thus far is the judgment upon Moab. Since he elaborated at length on the account of the evil that will befall them, he says, “Thus far,” and “judgment” means the decree that will come upon them in accordance with justice and law.
Metzudat David
"And I will return." I will bring back the captives from Moab.
"In the latter days." This means: after a long period of time.
Thus far. This means: Thus far has the judgment of Moab’s calamity been stated:
Metzudat Zion
"And I will restore." From the language of restoration:
Shavut. From the language of the captivity of exile:
"At the end." At the conclusion:
Malbim
"Until here is the judgment of Moab" means that in the prophecy concerning the children of Ammon, the destruction of Ai and Heshbon, cities of Moab, is also found; however, there this matter is recounted in connection with the judgment of the children of Ammon, just as in Ezekiel the downfall of Moab is recorded at the time of the downfall of the children of Ammon. But "until here" refers to the judgment of Moab that came upon Moab specifically, for its own sake, not on account of others.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim