Jeremiah 49:23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23-27

The kingdom of Syria lay north of Canaan, as that of Edom lay south, and thither we must now remove and take a view of the approaching fate of that kingdom, which had been often vexatious to the Israel of God. Damascus was the metropolis of that kingdom, and the ruin of the whole is supposed in the ruin of that: yet Hamath and Arpad, two other considerable cities, are names (Jer. 49:23), and the palaces of Ben-hadad, which he built, are particularly marked for ruin, Jer. 49:27; see also Amos... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23

Concerning Damascus ,.... Or, "unto Damascus" F4 לדמשק "ad Damascum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus. ; or, "against Damascus" F5 "Contra Damascum", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. ; that is, "thus saith the Lord"; which is to be repeated from the foregoing instances, Jeremiah 49:1 . This is to be understood, not only of the city of Damascus, but of the whole kingdom of Syria, of which Damascus was the metropolis; see Isaiah 7:8 ; Hamath is confounded,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 49:23

Concerning Damascus - This is the head or title of another prophecy. Damascus was one of the principal cities of Syria. It was taken by David, 2 Samuel 8:6 , was retaken in the reign of Solomon, 1 Kings 11:24 , etc., and regained its independence. Its kings were often at war with the ten tribes, and once it joined with them for the destruction of Judah. To defend himself against these powerful enemies Ahaz made a league with the king of Assyria, who besieged Damascus, took, and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 49:23

Verse 23 Jeremiah speaks here of the kingdom of Syria, which he means by Damascus, where the kings, as it is well known, resided. The Syrians had been from the beginning very hostile to the Israelites; and histories, well known, record that they had continual wars for many years. At length the kings of Israel confederated with the Syrians for the purpose of attacking their brethren the Jews. Hence it was, that the Syrians caused great troubles to the Jews, and were friends to the Israelites... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23

Hamath . Still an important city under the name of Hamah, situated to the north of Hums (Emesa), on the Orontes. It formed nominally the boundary of the kingdom of Israel ( Numbers 34:8 ; Joshua 13:5 ), was actually a part of the empire of Solomon ( 2 Chronicles 8:4 ), and was conquered for a short time by Jeroboam II . ( 2 Kings 14:25 ). Under Sargon it was fully incorporated into the Assyrian empire (comp. Isaiah 10:9 ); rebellious populations were repeatedly transplanted into... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23

The unrest of the wicked. Isaiah ( Isaiah 17:12 , Isaiah 17:13 ; cf. Isaiah 57:20 , Isaiah 57:21 ) uses the same figure of Damascus, and Jeremiah must, therefore, have either borrowed it from him or from some common source. It is possible that the figure was a common expression amongst the Jews of the time. The neighbourhood of Damascus and its associated cities was always a populous one, with a varied nationality and conflicting interests and affinities. From its character there... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23

Lessons from the sea. "There is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet." We must remember that the sea to the Jew of old time was an object of almost unmixed terror. Nearly all the allusions in the Bible tell of its power and peril, never of its preciousness and value to man. The Jews were a non-seafaring people; they dreaded it. In Deuteronomy 28:68 the being taken back to Egypt in ships is held out as a great threatening. They had no seaport worth mentioning. For centuries their... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23

The perils of the sea. I. THE FEELING PRODUCED BY MARITIME DANGER . Sorrow is far too vague a word for the feeling here referred to. Fear, anxiety, constant watchfulness against close and sudden and increasing danger, a sense that utter destruction may come at any moment,—these are the feelings going to make up the complex state of mind with which Damascus is so profoundly disturbed. No discomposing effect produced by a land danger was enough to serve the prophet's purpose. Not... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 49:23-27

The heading Concerning Damascus is too limited (like that of the partly parallel prophecy in Isaiah 17:1-11 ); for the prophecy relates, not only to Damascus, the capital of the kingdom of southeastern Aram (or Syria), but to Hamath, the capital of the northern kingdom. (The third of the Aramaean kingdoms, that of Zobah, had ceased to exist.) Damascus had already been threatened by Amos ( Amos 1:3-5 ), and by Isaiah ( Isaiah 17:1-11 ). We may infer from the prophecy that Damascus had... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 49:23

Though the superscription is confined to Damascus, the prophecy relates to the whole of Aram, called by us Syria, which was divided into two parts, the northern, of which Hamath was the capital, and the southeastern, belonging to Damascus.Hamath is confounded - Or, is ashamed. For Hamath see Isaiah 10:9 note. Arpad lay about fourteen miles north of Aleppo, at a place now called Tel Erfad.Fainthearted - The sinews are relaxed unknit, through terror.There is sorrow on the sea - In the sea. As the... read more

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