Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

JEREMIAH 48:1KJV
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Jeremiah 48:1 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 48:1 mean?

Jeremiah 48:1 announces a message from God against the nation of Moab, declaring trouble and defeat for its cities—Nebo, Kiriathaim, and Misgab—because they are about to be conquered and shamed. The verse signals the beginning of a prophecy describing Moab’s downfall and the distress of its people.

The prophet Jeremiah is speaking on behalf of the LORD (God of Israel) to warn Moab, a neighboring nation east of Israel, that its strongholds will fall. The verse uses the names of specific Moabite cities to show that the coming judgment is both certain and widespread. This sets the tone for the rest of the chapter, which details the reasons for Moab’s coming disaster and the extent of its suffering.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 48:1

  • "Woe" (הוֹי, hoy): This word expresses a strong cry of grief or warning, often used by prophets to announce disaster or judgment. Here, it signals that something terrible is about to happen to Moab.
  • "Spoiled" (שָׁדַד, shadad): This verb means to be laid waste, destroyed, or plundered. Saying Nebo is "spoiled" emphasizes that the city has been thoroughly defeated and stripped of its strength.
  • "Confounded" (בּוֹשׁ, bosh): This word means to be put to shame or disgraced. The verse repeats it for both Kiriathaim and Misgab, stressing that Moab’s defenses and pride will be publicly humiliated.

Why Jeremiah 48:1 matters

  • Jeremiah 48:1 makes it clear that God’s message is directed not just at Moab as a whole, but at specific, well-known cities, showing that the prophecy is concrete and not just symbolic.
  • The verse uses strong language of shame and defeat, highlighting that Moab’s downfall will be both physical (cities conquered) and emotional (people dismayed and disgraced).
  • This opening sets the stage for the rest of Jeremiah 48, which explains why Moab is being judged and describes the consequences in detail, helping the reader understand the seriousness of the coming judgment.

Where else these words appear

“Kiriathaim” Hebrew H7156 · used in 6 verses

  • Numbers 32:37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
  • Joshua 13:19 And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley,
  • Jeremiah 48:23 And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

“Nebo” Hebrew H5015 · used in 13 verses

  • Numbers 32:3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
  • Deuteronomy 34:1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,
  • Nehemiah 7:33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.

“Misgab” Hebrew H4869 · used in 16 verses

  • 2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
  • Psalms 48:3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
  • Psalms 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

“spoiled” Hebrew H7703 · used in 47 verses

  • Judges 5:27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
  • Jeremiah 4:20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
  • Jeremiah 49:3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.