Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 48:38
[There shall be] lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein [is] no pleasure, saith the LORD.
38. vessel, etc.] See on Jer 22:28.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Generally – Rather, entirely.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
We met with the same phrase applied to Coniah, Jer 22:28. The meaning is, I have broken Moab all to pieces, as people use to do vessels they care not for; they never go about to mend such a vessel, but dash it in pieces against some stones or walls.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
38. vessel . . . no pleasure(Seeon Jer 22:28); a vessel castaside by the potter as refuse, not answering his design.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[There shall be] lamentation generally,…. Or, “all of it [is] mourning” n; the whole country of Moab is in mourning; or all is full of mourning; all persons, places, and things, express nothing but mourning; go where you will, it is to be seen:
upon all the house tops of Moab, and in the streets thereof; the mourning, as it was general, it was public; it was seen by all, and everywhere; [See comments on Isa 15:3];
for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein [is] no pleasure, saith the Lord; as an earthen vessel, which the potter does not like, and which is useless and unprofitable to any, and which he takes and dashes into pieces; into a thousand shivers, as the word o here signifies, and can never be put together again; or as a filthy unclean vessel a man cannot bear in his sight: Moab is by the Lord called his wash pot,
Ps 60:8. The Moabites were vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction by their own this; and now the time of it was come.
n “totus luctus (est) vel omnia luctus (sunt)”, Schmidt; “totus erit planctus”, Junius Tremellius “per omnia erit planctus”, Piscator. o “totalis confractio praedicitur”, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet at the beginning of the verse continues the same subject, that the Moabites would weep and lament throughout all their houses and in all their streets The reason is added in the second clause, because God would bring a severe judgment on that nation.
By saying that there would be lamentation on all the roofs, he refers to what was customary at that time, for they had their walks on the roofs or tops of their houses. Then he says, that the Moabites, in order to be more seen and to excite pity, would ascend on the roofs, and cry, howl, and lament there. But we must observe what is added, that the calamity would come from God; for it would not have been sufficient to foretell adversity, except this was added, that God ascended his tribunal to execute his judgments when he thus chastised the people. He also compares the people of Moab to a despised vessel, in order to make a distinction between God’s children and aliens; for God does also chastise his own people when they sin, but he ceases not to love them and to regard them as precious. Now he says that Moab would be a vessel despised and rejected. (21) It now follows, —
(21) All the versions and Targ. read, “as a useless vessel;” but the Hebrew is, “as a vessel without delight in it,” i.e., as a vessel which has nothing pleasing or agreeable in it. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(38) Upon all the housetops of Moab.The flat roof of Eastern houses was the natural gathering place of men in a time of panic and distress, as it was, in a time of peace, for prayer or meditation, or even for festive meetings. So in Isa. 22:1, the city described as the valley of vision (Samaria or Jerusalem) is represented as gone up to the house tops.
I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure.The image is one with which the prophet had made men familiar by his symbolic act in Jer. 19:10. So Coniah was a vessel wherein is no pleasure (Jer. 22:28).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 48:38 [There shall be] lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein [is] no pleasure, saith the LORD.
Ver. 38. There shall be lamentation. ] See Isa 15:3 .
Like a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the housetops. Where they prayed to their gods. Compare Jer 19:13.
streets = broadways.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
upon: Isa 15:3, Isa 22:1
broken: Jer 22:28, Jer 25:34, Psa 2:9, Isa 30:14, Hos 8:8, Rom 9:21, Rom 9:22, 2Ti 2:20, 2Ti 2:21, Rev 2:27
Reciprocal: Lev 11:33 – ye shall break it Num 22:4 – Now shall Ezr 9:3 – off Psa 60:2 – broken Isa 15:2 – all Jer 48:12 – empty
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 48:38. Houses had Hat roofs in the eastern countries so that people used them as places of prayer and other activities. (See Act 10:9.) Moab was destined to engage in mourning programs on the tops of their houses as well as in the streets, when the threatened punishment came upon the country.