Jeremiah 48:7 - Exposition

In thy works; i.e. either "in thy evil deeds" (comp. Isaiah 28:15 ) or "in thy idols" (frequently called "the work of men's hands," e.g. Deuteronomy 4:28 , and sometimes simply "works," e.g. Isaiah 41:29 ; Isaiah 57:12 ; comp. Isaiah 1:31 ). Chemoah . In Numbers 21:29 Moab is called "people of Chemosh," the patron-god being the king and lord of his people. In accordance with the strictly localizing theory of the nature of deity, current among primitive nations, Chemosh is said to go into captivity together with his worshippers (comp. Jeremiah 49:3 ; Amos 1:15 ). This helps us to understand the idolatry into which the Jews fell during the Exile ( Isaiah 42:17 ); they imagined that Jehovah himself was "in captivity," and restrained from putting forth his power on behalf of his worshippers. The text reading is not Chemosh, but Chemish; the latter form does not occur elsewhere, but has been thought to illustrate the name of the Hittite city Carchemish, i.e. "castle of Chemosh."