Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 48:37
For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands [shall be] cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
37. All shall have the usual indications of mourning. See on ch. Jer 16:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
37, 38. Cp. Isa 15:2 f. From “for I have broken” ( Jer 48:38) to “upon Moab” ( Jer 48:44) is either wholly or in a large part the work of a supplementer.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Cuttings – Compare Jer 16:6, and marginal references.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 37. For every head shall be bald] These, as we have seen before, were signs of the deepest distress and desolation.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
These phrases are expounded in the beginning of the following verse, There shall be lamentation generally upon all the house-tops of Moab. Shaving of the hair, and clipping the beards, and cutting themselves, were rites and ceremonies of mourning used by these heathens.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
37. (See on Jer47:5; Isa 15:2; Isa 15:3).
upon all . . . handsthatis, arms, in which such cuttings used to be made in token of grief(compare Zec 13:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped,…. Men, in times of mourning, used to pluck off the hairs of their head till they made them bald, and shaved their beards; which, as Kimchi says, were the glory of their faces; see Isa 15:2;
upon all the hands shall be cuttings: it was usual with the Heathens to make incisions in the several parts of their bodies, particularly in their hands and arms, with their nails, or with knives, in token of mourning; which are forbidden the Israelites, De 14:1;
and upon the loins sackcloth; this is a well known custom for mourners, to put off their clothes, and put on sackcloth; all these things are mentioned, to show how great was the mourning of Moab for the calamities of it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet describes at large a very great mourning. They were wont in great sorrow to pull off their hair, to shave their beard, and to put on sackcloth, or to gird it round their loins, and also to cut their hands with a knife or with their nails. As these things were signs of grief; Jeremiah puts them all together, in order to show that the calamity of Moab would not be common, but what would cause to the whole people extreme lamentation. They shall make bald, he says, their heads, their beard they shall pull off, or shave; for the word, to diminish, may signify either. Then he adds, the incisions in the hands; they shall tear their faces and their hands with their nails, or as some say, with a knife or a razor. As to sackcloth, it was also a sign of mourning. It is indeed certain that it was formerly the practice for men, as though it was innate in human nature, in great calamities to spread ashes on the head and to put on sackloth. But he has added other excesses which are not very congenial to nature, for it is not agreeable to humanity to pull off the beard, to make bald the head, or to tear the hands and the face with the nails. These things show excesses, suitable neither to men nor to women, — not to women on the ground of modesty, nor to men on the ground of manliness and strength of mind.
But mankind never control themselves, and whether they mourn or rejoice, they are ever led away to excesses, observing no moderation. There was also another evil connected with sackcloth and ashes; for when it was God’s design to lead men by these symbols to humble themselves, to consider their sins and to flee to his mercy, they were diverted to another end, even that he who mourned might appear miserable to others, and make a display of his weeping and tears. In short, besides excess, there was also this common evil, even hypocrisy. For men ever turn aside to what is vain, and dissemble in all things. But in this place there is no reason to dispute about mourning, for the Prophet means only that the Moabites would become most miserable, exhibiting all the symptoms of sorrow. It follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
37. Head bald, beard clipped, upon the hands cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth, are signs of abject grief and desolation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 48:37 For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands [shall be] cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
Ver. 37. For every head shall be bald. ] This was the doings among the Easterlings, in times of mourning.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
every head. Some codices, with four early printed editions (one margin), read “For upon every head”.
bald = baldness. The symbol of mourning. Compare Jer 47:5.
upon the loins. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read “and upon all loins”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
every head: Jer 16:6, Jer 41:5, Jer 47:5, Isa 3:24, Isa 15:2, Isa 15:3, Eze 7:18, Eze 27:31, Amo 8:10, Mic 1:16
clipped: Heb. diminished
cuttings: Lev 19:28, 1Ki 18:28, Mar 5:5
upon the loins: Gen 37:29, Gen 37:34, 1Ki 21:27, 2Ki 6:30, Isa 20:2, Isa 37:1, Rev 11:3
Reciprocal: Lev 19:27 – General Lev 21:5 – not make baldness 1Ch 19:4 – shaved them Ezr 9:3 – off Jer 7:29 – Cut Jer 49:3 – gird
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 48:37. In ancient times a strange custom prevailed in cases of great distress or anxiety. People would mutilate their bodies and disarrange their hair and beards in the manner described in this verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
When the nation fell, there would be people expressing their grief in traditional ways everywhere. They would shave their heads, cut their beards short, cut their hands, and wear sackcloth around their hips (cf. Jer 4:8; Jer 16:6; Jer 41:5; 1Ki 18:28; Amo 8:10; Mic 1:16). People would be lamenting on their housetops and in the streets, namely, everywhere. Yahweh would destroy Moab like a person smashed an earthenware vessel that he or she no longer desired.