Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

49:1 Ammonites. People living north of Moab. Their capital was Rabbah, present-day Amman. During Jehoiakim's reign they raided Judah (2 Kings 24:2), and they conspired with Judah and others against Babylon in Zedekiah's reign (Jer. 27:3). Milcom. Or Molech, Ammon's chief god (1 Kings 11:5, 7). Milcom means "their king." dispossessed Gad. In the aftermath of the Assyrian invasion of 734-732 b.c., Ammon occupied some territory belonging to the Israelite tribe Gad.

49:2 Like Jerusalem (38:18, 23), Rabbah (49:1) will be burned by invaders. Israel shall dispossess. Israel will retake the cities lost in 734-732 b.c. (v. 1).

49:3 Heshbon. See 48:2. Ai. Location unknown; not the Ai of Josh. 7:1-9. Rabbah. See Jer. 49:2. Milcom shall go into exile. See 48:7.

49:4 boast of your valleys. Perhaps a fertile part of the Jabbok River Valley. trusted in her treasures. See 48:7. Like Moab, Ammon believed that her wealth insulated her from trouble. Perhaps this wealth was used to pay tribute money.

49:5 I will bring terror. God is sovereign over all nations; he will send an invader. every man straight before him. The Ammonites will flee by the quickest route possible, and there will be none to gather the fugitives. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Ammon c. 582 b.c.

49:6 God will restore Ammon's fortunes, just as he will for Israel and Moab. See 29:14 and 48:47.

49:7-22 There is much overlap between this prophecy against Edom and the book of Obadiah.

49:7 Edom. Descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:1-19) who lived south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba. Obadiah 10-14 indicates that Edom benefited from Jerusalem's fall. wisdom . . . in Teman. Teman was in northern Edom. Obadiah 8 indicates Edom was famous for its "wise men"; they will soon vanish.

49:8 Dedan. A site southeast of Edom. The warning is either for Dedanites living in Edom to return home or for Dedan to cease relations with Edom to avoid trouble with Edom's conqueror.

49:9-10 Unlike grape-gatherers and thieves, who leave something behind, God has stripped Esau bare of protection and hiding places.

49:11-12 God may protect Edom's fatherless children and widows, but the nation as a whole will drink the cup of destruction (25:28-29; Lam. 4:21).

49:13 Bozrah. Capital of Edom, 25 miles (40 km) southeast of the Dead Sea. Moab also had a city by this name (48:24). Like Jerusalem (15:4; 24:9), Bozrah shall become a horror to other nations.

49:14 Once Edom sent envoys to Judah to plot against Babylon (27:3); now God sends an envoy to gather nations against Edom (Obad. 1).

49:15 small. See Obad. 2.

49:16 Edom was in mountainous terrain and her citadels were well fortified, so she felt safe. But no topography can protect Edom from the invaders that God sends.

49:17 a horror. See 15:4; 29:18; 49:13; Lam. 1:12; 2:15.

49:18 God utterly destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, Admah and Zeboiim (Gen. 14:2; 19:23-29), and he will do the same to Edom.

49:19 the jungle of the Jordan. An area of the Jordan Valley where the Asiatic lion and other wild animals roamed (12:5). perennial pasture. Lush grazing ground for sheep. These sheep run away when the lion approaches. God will devour Edom's sheep (people) and appoint new shepherds (leaders) over them.

49:20 See 50:45. God's plans never fail, so Edom's whole flock--even its little ones--will be dragged away.

49:21 See 50:46. Edom's cry will be heard at the Red Sea, or as far as the Egyptian border.

49:22 The invader will be like an eagle swift to pursue prey. See 48:40. Bozrah. Location uncertain. See 48:24. a woman in her birth pains. See 4:31 and 48:41.

49:23 Damascus. See Isa. 17:1-6 and Amos 1:3-5. The chief Aramean city, home to kings Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20) and Hazael (2 Kings 8:7-15). Assyria dominated Damascus from 732 to 609 b.c., and Babylon did so after 605. Hamath and Arpad. Hamath was 115 miles (185 km) north of Damascus, and Arpad was 95 miles (153 km) north of Hamath. heard bad news. About Damascus and from a great distance.

49:24 Damascus's distress is so great she is too terrified to flee. She is like a woman in labor. See 4:31 and 48:41.

49:26 See 50:30. Damascus is left with no defenders.

49:27 See Amos 1:4-5, where similar phraseology is applied to Damascus.

49:28 Kedar. A significant Arab clan (2:10; Isa. 21:16-17). Kedar engaged in sheep breeding (Isa. 60:7) and traded with Phoenicia (Ezek. 27:21). kingdoms of Hazor. Probably a term designating several nomadic tribes in northern Arabia (Ps. 120:5; Isa. 42:11). Nebuchadnezzar . . . struck down. Babylonian records indicate that Nebuchadnezzar raided Arabia in 599 b.c., but another (unknown) event could be intended. people of the east. A general term for people living east of Judah, perhaps the Midianites and Amalekites (Judg. 6:2-3).

49:29 "Terror on every side!" See 6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5.

49:30 plan . . . purpose. See v. 20. God devises plans that Nebuchadnezzar implements (27:1-15).

49:31-32 These tribes did not have walled, fortified cities, so they were as vulnerable as the sheep in v. 19.

49:33 Hazor. See v. 28. These metaphors for desolation occur in 9:11 to describe Jerusalem and in 10:22 to describe Judah's cities. See also Isa. 13:19-22.

49:34 Elam. East of Babylon in the lower Tigris River Valley. Conquered by Assyria in 640 b.c. beginning of the reign of Zedekiah. c. 597 b.c.

49:36-38 God will send invaders against Elam and destroy it. set my throne. Most likely the throne of Nebuchadnezzar (27:1-15). Babylonian records indicate Nebuchadnezzar may have campaigned against Elam in 596-595 b.c.

49:39 For the same promise to other nations, see 33:26; 49:6; and note on 48:47. These verses predict a future salvation for Gentiles.