Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 48:41
Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
41. Kerioth ] See on Jer 48:20-24. But, because of the parallel expression “strong holds” in the next clause, the word may simply mean cities.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Surprised – captured by force.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Whether
Kerioth here be the proper name of a city, as it is Jer 48:24, or an appellative noun signifying cities, is doubtful. The latter seems best to agree to this place: The cities and the strong holds are all taken; and though Moab hath in it many mighty and valiant men, yet their hearts will be full of fear, or ready to fail them, like a womans who is in her travail and hath great and sore pains.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
41. as . . . woman in . . . pangs(Isa 13:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Kerioth is taken,…. The name of a city in Moab, as in
Jer 48:24; so Jarchi, and others; but Kimchi and Abarbinel observe, that it may be taken for an appellative, and be rendered “the cities”; everyone of the cities of Moab, which were as easily and quickly taken as one city; these may intend the cities in the plain, as the strong holds those in high places:
and the strong holds are surprised; everyone of them; so that there was not a city, or a fortified place, but what came into the enemies’ hands:
and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs; even the hearts of the soldiers, and the most courageous generals, shall sink within them; and they be not only as timorous as women in common, but as low spirited as a woman when she finds her pains are coming upon her, and the time of her delivery is at hand.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I have already reminded you, that the Prophet is not using too many words in this extended discourse, for it was necessary to confirm at large what all would have otherwise rejected. He then says, that the cities of Moab were taken, that strongholds were seized He mentions these things expressly, because the country of Moab thought that it was defended by cities and strongholds; and they thus thought, “Should the Chaldeans come and make an irruption, there are many cities who will oppose them; they will then have to spend much time in overcoming these obstacles. It may then so happen, that being broken down with fatigue they will return to their own country, and we shall recover what we may have lost.” With this confidence then the Moabites deceived themselves, when they looked on their well fortified cities and strongholds. For this reason the Prophet now says, Taken are the cities, and seized on are the strongholds (23)
There was another thing of which the Moabites boasted, that they possessed military valor; and yet they had not of late made a trial of their strength, as they had been indulging themselves in sloth and pleasures. But as they had formerly performed deeds worthy of being remembered, they despised, as I have said, their enemies, arrogating to themselves the credit of great valor. The Prophet, on the other hand, declares that their courage would vanish away: The heart, he says, of the men of Moab shall become effeminate in that day, softer than the heart of a woman, when oppressed with evils. It might have appeared a complete comparison, when he said that the men of Moab would be soft and effeminate; but he wished to express something more, and hence he added, that they would become softer than women when in great trouble. And by these words he intimates, that it is in God’s power to melt the hearts of men, and to break down their fierceness, so that they who were like lions are made like does. And this ought to be carefully noticed; because courage is not only a special gift, but it is also necessary that God should daily and constantly strengthen those whom he has once made brave; otherwise they who are courageous above others will soon lose their valor. It follows, —
(23) The literal rendering of the verse is as follows, the nominative case to the two verbs being Moab, taken here as the country, —
41. Taken it is, — the cities; And the strongholds, — it is seized: And become shall the heart of the valiants of Moab, In that day, like the heart of a woman in distress.
In our language it would be, “as to its cities,” and, “as to its strongholds.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(41) Kerioth.(See Note on Jer. 48:24.) Here the word is used with the article, and should probably be translated, as in the margin, the cities, as painting the wide-spread devastation that was to come on all the fortresses.
As the heart of a woman in her pangs.See Notes on Jer. 30:6; Isa. 13:8; Isa. 21:3. The precise phrase, however, occurs only here and in Jer. 49:22.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
41. Kerioth The capital.
Is taken Captured. The use of the present term denotes the certainty of the event predicted.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 48:41 Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Ver. 41. Kerioth is taken. ] Of this city, some say, was Judas Iscariot.
As the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mighty men’s. Hebrew. geber. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Kerioth: or, The cities, Jer 48:24
as the heart: Jer 4:31, Jer 6:24, Jer 30:6, Jer 49:22, Jer 49:24, Jer 50:43, Jer 51:30, Isa 13:8, Isa 21:3, Isa 26:17, Isa 26:18, Mic 4:9, Mic 4:10, 1Th 5:3
Reciprocal: Jer 13:21 – shall not Jer 49:5 – I will Jer 50:37 – as women Lam 1:6 – her princes Hos 10:14 – and all Amo 2:2 – Kirioth Amo 2:16 – courageous Zep 1:14 – the mighty
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 48:41, Kerioth was a town of Moab and it was to suffer the same fate as her sisters. When a woman is In the pangs of childbirth her entire nervous system is in a slate of terror (Joh 16:21). That circumstance is used to illustrate the state of mind that will overcome the men of Moab when they see the trouble in their gates.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The hearts of even mighty men in the nation would fail, like the heart of a woman in labor, at the news that Kerieth, one of the strongest of Moab’s cities, and other strongholds, had fallen.