Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 49:16
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, [and] the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
16. As for thy terribleness ] The text is probably corrupt, but no certain emendation has been suggested. If it stands, we must take the sense to be O thy trembling, i.e. either ( a) how wilt thou tremble at the greatness of thy fall! or ( b) how will the lookers on tremble at the horror of this sight! The Hebrew noun is absent from Ob. and is not found elsewhere.
the rock ] mg. Sela. See 2Ki 14:7. Sela was perhaps identical with Petra, which “lay in an amphitheatre of mountains, accessible only through the narrow gorge, called the Sik, winding in with precipitous sides from the W.; and the mountain sides round Petra, and the ravines about it, contain innumerable rock-hewn cavities, some being tombs, but others dwellings, in which the ancient inhabitants lived.” Dr. See also G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, II. 179. Petra was fifty miles S. of the Dead Sea.
the eagle ] See on Jer 4:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jer 49:16
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart
On the deceitfulness of the heart, in the abuse of prosperity
The words afford us the following doctrine, That worldly prosperity is often abused by the heart, as the occasion of self-deceit; or, that the heart often discovers its deceit in the abuse of prosperity.
All that is intended here is to illustrate the actions of this corrupt principle in abusing prosperity.
1. By ingratitude.
(1) Sinners receive all Gods mercies with an unthankful heart. They sit down to their table and rise from it, they eat and drink like the brutes that perish; without considering, that whether they eat or drink, or whatsoever they do, they should do all to the glory of God. Many are the spiritual mercies which the unregenerate receive from God. He gives them His Word and ordinances, wherein the Bread of Life is exhibited. He warns them by His servants. He strives with them by His Spirit. They reject and despise the heavenly manna. Their souls loathe this light food.
(2) Ingratitude is a sin eminently chargeable even against the children of God. When they are anxious for any mercy, they resolve, and perhaps solemnly vow, that if God will be pleased to bestow it, they will ever retain a grateful sense of His kindness. He condescends to grant their request. But often they remember not the multitude of His mercies, but provoke Him, like His ancient people, at the sea, even at the Red Sea. This conduct towards our gracious Benefactor is productive of bitter consequences. Our ingratitude for mercies received often provokes Him to deny us others which He would otherwise bestow, sometimes to recall those already given, and frequently, to blast them in the enjoyment.
2. By disposing us to make a God of our mercies. The deceitfulness of the heart, so violent is its opposition to the living God, works by contraries, and often by extremes. If it do not tempt us to despise His mercies altogether, it will excite us to put them out of their proper place. By either of these methods, although directly opposite, it gains its wicked purpose, in making us forget the God of our mercy. He will suffer no rival in thy heart, O Christian, for it all belongs to Him; and when thy love to worldly comforts ceases to be secondary and subordinate, it is an encroachment on His prerogative. Therefore must the usurper of the throne of God be cast down, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence. When precious comforts are thus converted into severe crosses, how great is the trial! There is a double bitterness attending it; not only that of the distress presently felt, but the painful recollection of the happiness formerly enjoyed.
3. By consuming Divine mercies on lust. The wicked ask that they may consume it on their lusts. They neither desire mercies, nor improve those which are bestowed, for the glory of God; but only as making provision for their inordinate or unlawful affections.
4. By ascribing their prosperity to some other cause than God. Even the Lords people, from the prevalence of deceit, are in great danger of ascribing their mercies to some other cause than God, or to something besides Him. They will not wholly deny the praise to the God of their salvation; but they do not ascribe it entirely to Him. When they receive signal mercies from Him, they are apt to imagine that these are in some degree deserved by their holiness and integrity of conversation; that He could not justly deny them such tokens of His favour, when they are so faithful and diligent in His service.
5. By denying God the use of those mercies which He hath Himself bestowed. When, in the course of His providence, He confers on one a greater portion of common blessings than on another; it is for this end, that he may use them for His glory, and in the manner of laying them out, return them to the Lord. No talent is to be laid up in a napkin. According to the measure of temporal benefits received from God, we are stewards for Him.
6. By unsatisfied desires and immoderate longings for a greater degree of temporal prosperity. When the heart hath tasted of mercies of this nature, it is not satisfied; it craves more. If its desires be fulfilled, instead of being content with these, it flatters itself, that if such another mercy were bestowed, it would ask nothing further. But this only argues its deceit; for even though this be granted, it is still as importunate as ever. The more it receives, its desires are enlivened and enlarged the more.
7. By hardening itself under prosperity. No mercy whatsoever can leave us as it finds us. It must either prove a blessing or a curse. It will either have a mollifying, or a hardening influence on our hearts. (J. Jamieson, M. A.)
Deceitfulness of pride
How nimbly does that little lark mount up, singing towards heaven in a right line, whereas the hawk, which is stronger of body and swifter of wing, towers up by many gradual compasses to its highest pitch. That bulk of body and length of wing hinder a direct ascent, and require the help both of air and scope to advance his flight; while the small bird cuts the air without resistance, and needs no outward furtherance of her motion. It is no otherwise with the souls of men. Some are hindered by those powers which would seem helps to their soaring: great wit, deep judgment, quick apprehension, send about men, with no small labour, for the recovery of their own incumbrance, while the good affections of plain and simple souls raise them up immediately to the fruition of God. Why should we be proud of that which may slacken our way to glory? (Bishop Hall.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 16. O thou that dwellest] All Idumea is full of mountains and rocks, and these rocks and mountains full of caves, where, in time of great heats, and in time of war, the people take shelter.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart: Obadiah in his prophecy against Edom useth much the same expressions, Oba 1:3,4. The word that is here used being of the number of those which are but once found in Scripture, hath given interpreters liberty to abound in their senses of it; some translating it arrogance, some, thine idol; but the best interpreters understand by it their terribleness to others, their being so potent that others were all afraid of them; this deceived them, making them to conclude themselves secure, and out of danger; to which is also added the pride of the heart. The country of Edom being mountainous, they are said to
dwell in the clefts of the rocks, that is, in places impregnable, and inaccessible as they thought, in the heights of the hill. But the Lord lets them know no place was to his power inaccessible or impregnable, for if they dwell as
high as the eagle, which the Scripture tells us, Job 39:27,28, maketh her nest on high, and dwelleth and abideth upon the rock, upon the crag of the rock, yet he would bring them down.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. terriblenessthe terrorwhich thou didst inspire into others.
deceived theerenderedthee proudly confident, as if none would dare to assail thee.
dwellest in . . . rockPetra,the chief of Idumea, was cut in the rocks; its ruins are veryremarkable. The whole south of Idumea abounds in cave dwellings androcks.
though . . . nest . . .eagle (Job 39:27; Oba 1:3;Oba 1:4). The eagle builds itsnest in the highest craggy eyry.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, [and] the pride of thine heart,…. Some render it, “thine idol” o; see 1Ki 15:13; which, being terrible to them, they thought it might be so to others, and protect them. In the place referred to the word “miphlezeth” is used, and comes from the same root with this, which signifies to be terrible and formidable, and cause to tremble, as the idols of the Gentiles were to their worshippers, and others. The Vulgate Latin version of the above place interprets it of Priapus, which was an idol set up in gardens to frighten birds and thieves from coming thither p. So Kimchi observes, that some interpret it here of idolatrous worship or superstition; but it is to be understood either of the roughness and terribleness of their country, abounding with rocks and mountains, which made it inaccessible; or rather of that terror which they struck into their neighbouring nations, by their wealth and riches, their power and strength, their courage and valour, and skill in military affairs; and having such strong cities, fortresses, and fastnesses, natural and artificial, of which they were proud; and, on account of all which, fancied that none would dare to invade them; or, if they did, their attempts would be fruitless; and this deceived them, making them careless and secure:
O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock; the land of Idumea being very hilly and rocky. Jerom q says, who lived near it, that all the southern part of Idumea, from Eleutheropolis to Petra and Hailah, had their habitations in caves cut out of rocks:
that holdest the height of the hill; that dwelt on the tops of hills and mountains, and in towers and fortified places built upon them, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; who think respect is had particularly to Mount Seir. The Targum is,
“for thou art like to an eagle that dwells in the clefts of the rock, whose high habitation is inn strong place;”
hence it follows:
though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord; signifying, though they might think themselves as safe and as much out of the reach of men as an eagle’s nest, and were as high and as secure in their own imaginations; yet they should be come at by their enemies, be fetched out of their strong holds, and reduced to the lowest and most miserable state and condition; of which they might be assured, since the Lord had spoken it, who would do it by the hand of the Chaldeans. The allusion to the eagle is very pertinent to illustrate the self-exaltation and self-security of the Edomites; the eagle being a bird that flies higher than any other, as Kimchi on the place observes, even up to the clouds, and out of sight; hence Homer r calls it the high flying eagle; and which builds its nest in high places, in the tops of rocks; so Aristotle s says, they make their nests, not in plains, but in high places, especially in cragged rocks; and Pliny t relates that they build their nests in rocks; and he also says u of the vultures, who seem to be meant by the eagles in Mt 24:28; that they build their nests in the highest rocks, and which no man can reach.
o “simulacrum tuum”, Pagninus, Vatablus; “idolum”, Grotius. So R. Sol. Urbin Ohel Moed, fol. 12. 1. p “——–Deus, inde ego furum, aviumque Maxima formido.” Horat. Sermon. l. 1. Satyr. 8. ver. 3, 4. “Et custos furum atque avium cum falce saligna Hellespontiaci servet tutela Priapi”. Virgil. Georgic. l. 4. ver. 110, 111. q Comment. in Obad. fol. 52. C. r Iliad. 22. v. 308. s De Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 32. t Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3. u Ibid. c. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Some render the first words thus, “Thine idol hath deceived thee;” and others, “Thy folly hath deceived thee.” The verb has, indeed, this meaning, though there is a different reading, for some put a point over the right side of the letter, and others on the left. But the most suitable meaning is thus conveyed, Deceived thee has thy terror, the pride of thy heart Those who render the first word “idol,” consider that superstition is referred to, that the false confidence which the Edomites placed in their idols had deceived them. But this seems to be a forced explanation. Why others have rendered the word “folly,” I know not. The word properly means terror. The verb פלף, pelets, means to terrify, and from this the noun is derived. And when the word is taken for an idol, it is so metaphorically, because idols terrify men, or because a terrible end awaits their worshippers. But I retain the proper meaning of the word. At the same time terror here is to be taken actively, because the Idumeans were a terror to other nations, and were thus blinded with pride on account of their conceit as to their power.
And the following words are explanatory, the pride of thy heart; for they who despise others fill themselves with empty pride, and thus elevate their own hearts. As then the Idumeans had gained for themselves the repute of being a warlike people, the terror entertained for them inflated their own hearts with pride: but the Prophet says, that they were deceived, as they arrogated to themselves too much power. At the same time he continues the subject which I have stated, as though he had said, “How comes it, that as God has designed thee to be contemptible, thou takest to thyself such authority among the nations? Thou fightest against nature, for thou hast hitherto in vain terrified thy neighbors: hence it is, that thou art swollen with pride; but it is a mere delusion; thou art greatly mistaken, and deceivest thyself in thus thinking of thy strength, since thy condition ought, on the contrary, to make thee humble.” We now see how well the whole passage runs, and how aptly the words agree together. He then says that it was a foolish confidence, by which the people of Edom, whom God had made contemptible, were deceived.
He now adds, by way of concession, Thou who dwellest in the fissures of rocks, and occupiest the heights of mountains In these words the Prophet concedes something to the Idumeans; but he afterwards adds, that the fortresses, by which they thought themselves to be protected, would come to nothing; though thou raisest high thy nest as the eagle, thence will I, says God, draw thee down We hence see that the Prophet concedes to the Idumeans some reason for boasting on account of their mountains, because they presented on every side a defense against enemies; and yet he shews that all this would be useless to them; for he says, though thou raisest high thy nest as the eagle, that is, though thou ascendest, as they commonly say, above the very clouds, thence will I draw thee down
Now this passage teaches us first, that all who trust in their own earthly defences deceive themselves; and, secondly, that all who arrogate to themselves more than what is just and right, contend, as it were, against God, and that it cannot, therefore, be otherwise but that God will lay them prostrate. We are then taught by this doctrine to cultivate humility. Humility has its roots fixed deeply within; so that the state of those who willingly submit themselves, becomes firm and permanent; for the root, which appears not on the surface, sustains the tree. So also that humility, which is not known by men, is our real and solid prop and support. Whosoever takes the wing and flies, and seeks, through his own presumption, to raise up himself, provokes God as it were designedly: and here the Prophet shews what end awaits all those who thus raise themselves on high, seeking to set their nest on a summit like the eagle; for God will draw them down and lay them prostrate, as he did to the Idumeans. It now follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Thy terribleness hath deceived thee.The substantive does not occur elsewhere. Etymo-logically it may mean terror of, or object of terror; but a cognate word is found in 1Ki. 15:13; 2Ch. 15:16 in the sense of an idol, probably of the Phallic or Priapus type, and that is probably the meaning. Such an idol is called scornfully the horror of Edom, just as the God of Israel was the fear of Isaac (Gen. 31:42). So Milton speaks of Chemosh as the obscene dread of Moabs sons (Par. Lost, I. 406.)
O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock.Better, perhaps, in the fortresses of Sela. The words describe with a wonderful vividness the aspect of the rock-fortresses of Edom, the cities built into a ravine. The remains of Petra (the Sela of 2Ki. 14:7; Isa. 16:1), commonly referred to as illustrating this description, are, it must be remembered, of Roman origin; but there can be little doubt that it occupied the site of an earlier city, and that there were other fortresses, even more like the eagles nest, perched upon the summit of the crags. In Job. 39:27-30 we have a picture of the eagles nest drawn by a writer who was probably familiar with these rock fortresses.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Thy terribleness The terror which thou dost inspire. The original word is used nowhere else, and has been variously translated, but this sense stands most fully commended. Dwellest in the clefts of the rock
holdest the height of the hill nest as high as the eagle. These very characteristic and intelligible descriptions apply not only to Bozrah, but especially to Petra, which was literally cut in the rocks.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 49:16. Thy terribleness, &c. “Thou hast been formerly terrible to all about thee; the confidence thou hast in thy strength, hath rendered thee careless and secure, and given thine enemies an advantage over thee.” We learn from St. Jerome, who lived in the neighbourhood, that Idumaea was a rocky mountainous country, and that many of the inhabitants dwelt in caves dug out of the rocks and hills. See chap. Jer 1:53. Amo 9:2.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 49:16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, [and] the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
Ver. 16. Thy terribleness, ] i.e., Thine insolence and cruelty wherewith thou frighten folk. Or thine idol, that terrible business, so called in contempt.
Though thou shouldest make thy nest.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
terribleness = monstrous thing: i.e. an Edomite Asherah. App-42.
pride = insolence.
the rock. Probably Sela.
nest. Compare Oba 1:4.
eagle = vulture.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
terribleness: Jer 48:29, Pro 16:18, Pro 18:21, Pro 29:23, Isa 25:4, Isa 25:5, Isa 49:25, Oba 1:3
dwellest: Son 2:14, Isa 2:21
though: Jer 48:28, Job 39:27, Isa 14:13-15, Eze 28:11-19, Amo 9:2, Oba 1:4
Reciprocal: Job 29:18 – I shall die Isa 42:11 – let the inhabitants Jer 21:13 – Who Jer 22:23 – makest Jer 48:14 – We Jer 49:4 – Who Jer 50:31 – O thou Jer 51:53 – mount Eze 17:3 – A great Hab 2:9 – set Mal 1:3 – laid Rom 7:11 – deceived Eph 4:22 – deceitful
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 49:16. God had predicted (Gen 27:40) that Edom was to be a ruffian sort of people and would assume a hostile attitude toward others. This very condition was abused and they had come to feel so independent they “feared not God nor regarded Man. But the Lord declared their self-exaltation would not place them beyond the reach of Him.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Edom had deceived herself by thinking that other nations would be too afraid of her apparently impregnable location to attack her. But the Lord promised to bring her down and to humble her arrogance (cf. Oba 1:1-4). "The rock" is a translation of Sela, a site near the city carved out of rock near Bozrah, later called Petra (in Greek).