Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 49:24
Damascus is waxed feeble, [and] turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on [her]: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
And turneth – Omit and. The original is a rapid sequence of unconnected sentences. Damascus is unnerved; she turned to flee, and a trembling seized her; anguish and writhings took hold of her etc.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Syria, whose head is Damascus, hath lost her old courage and valour; it was wont to be a formidable country to its neighbours, but now they flee before their enemies.
Fear hath seized on her; they are seized, and overpowered by their own fears.
Anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail; great sorrows are ordinarily in Scripture expressed by the similitude of the pains of a woman in travail; we have met with it often in this prophecy, Jer 6:24; 22:23; so Psa 48:6; Mic 4:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Damascus is waxed feeble,…. Or, “is become remiss” g; her hands hang down, not being able through fear and fright to lift them up against the enemy; that is, the inhabitants of Damascus, as the Targum:
[and] turneth herself to flee; instead of going out to meet the enemy, the inhabitants of this city meditated a flight, and turned their backs upon him in order to flee from him, and escape falling into his hands:
and fear hath seized on [her]: or, “she seized on fear” h; instead of seizing on arms, and laying hold on them to defend herself with, she seized on that; or however that seized on her, and made her quite unfit to stand up in her own defence:
anguish and sorrows have taken her as a woman in travail;
[See comments on Jer 49:22]; A phrase often used to express the sudden and inevitable destruction of a people, and their distress and inability to help themselves.
g “remissa erit”, Junius Tremellius “remissa est”, Cocceius, Piscator; “remissa facta est”, Schmidt. h “et apprehendit tremorem”, Munster; “et horrorem apprehendit”, Schmidt; “et horrorem febrilem prehendet”, Junius Tremellius “apprehendet”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet goes on with the same subject, for as the kingdom of Syria had flourished, and had been eminent in wealth and power, it was hardly credible that it could so soon be overthrown. This, then, is the reason why the Prophet, according to his usual manner, describes at large the ruin of that kingdom in order to confirm what he said.
He then says, relaxed, or weakened, is Damascus This verb, indeed, sometimes means to cease: he means that she was broken in strength. But under the name of this city, he includes, as it was stated yesterday, the whole kingdom of Syria, which was celebrated for its riches, largeness, and number of men. She turns, he says, to flight By these words he intimates that no safety remained for the Syrians except by fleeing into other countries. And it is a miserable safety when men cannot otherwise secure it than by a voluntary exile. He adds the reason, Trembling has laid hold on her, anguish and pangs have seized her as a woman in travail Whenever this comparison occurs in Scripture, some sudden and unexpected evil is intended. The Prophet then no doubt means that the ruin of Syria would be sudden; and he says this, that it might not trust in its own power, and that others might not think her to be beyond danger, because they saw that it was fortified by the number of its men, and by the abundance of all other things. It now follows, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
In the prophecies of Zechariah we have a similar threatening against Damascus. Zec 9:1-8 . The Lord is visiting his enemies, and the enemies of his Church, and therefore the day is awful.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 49:24 Damascus is waxed feeble, [and] turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on [her]: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
Ver. 24. And fear hath seized on her. ] Horrorem febrilem apprehendit; a she shaketh as in a fit of an ague.
a Piscat.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sorrows = pangs. Hebrew. hebel, as in Jer 13:21.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
anguish: Jer 49:22
Reciprocal: Gen 3:16 – in sorrow Jer 4:31 – I have heard Jer 6:24 – anguish Jer 30:6 – every Jer 48:41 – as the heart Jer 49:29 – Fear Jer 49:37 – to be Jer 50:43 – pangs Hos 13:13 – sorrows Mar 13:8 – sorrows
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 49:24, Specific attention is given to Damascus because it was the metropolis of the country. But this mighty city was warned that it would be waxed feeble and would attempt to escape from the doom settling upon it.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 49:24-27. Damascus is waxed feeble That is, the inhabitants of Damascus. They have lost their ancient courage and valour; they were wont to be formidable to their enemies, but now they flee before them. Fear, or rather, trembling, or, horror, as , properly signifies, hath seized on her, distress and pangs, Hebrew, , have taken her, as a woman in travail Great anguish and sorrow are ordinarily expressed by this similitude in the Scriptures. How is the city of praise That is, a city of fame and renown; not left Namely, not spared, or left untouched by the enemy. This is thought to be spoken in the person of the king, or some other inhabitant of Damascus. Therefore her young men Or, surely her young men, as the particle is rendered Jer 5:2; shall fall in her streets Or, broad places, as the Hebrew word signifies. A fire shall consume the palaces of Benhadad The name of several kings of Syria.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
49:24 Damascus hath become feeble, [and] turneth herself to flee, {z} and fear hath seized on [her]: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
(z) When she heard the sudden coming of the enemy.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The bad news was that Damascus had panicked and fled before an enemy. She would behave like a woman in childbirth, namely, fearfully and helplessly.