A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.

JEREMIAH 48:3KJV
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Jeremiah 48:3 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 48:3 mean?

Jeremiah 48:3 describes a loud cry coming from the town of Horonaim, announcing that the city is being attacked and experiencing great destruction. The verse paints a picture of distress and disaster spreading through this place.

In this part of Jeremiah, the prophet is speaking about the coming judgment on Moab, a neighboring nation of Israel. The verse captures a moment when news of violence and ruin reaches Horonaim, one of Moab’s cities, signaling that the whole land is under threat. The focus is on the terror and upheaval that the people will feel as their city faces devastation.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 48:3

  • "voice" (קוֹל, qol): This word often means a sound, voice, or noise. Here, it emphasizes the intensity and urgency of the outcry coming from the city.
  • "crying" (צְעָקָה, tze‘aqah): This word means a cry for help or a wail of distress, highlighting the desperation of the people in Horonaim.
  • "Horonaim" (חֹרֹנַיִם, Horonayim): This is the name of a Moabite city. Its mention grounds the prophecy in a real location, making the warning specific and concrete.
  • "spoiling" (שֹׁד, shod): This word refers to violence, plundering, or destruction. It underlines that the city is not just suffering but is being thoroughly devastated.
  • "great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): This word means large or significant. It stresses the scale of the destruction.
  • "destruction" (שֶׁבֶר, shever): This word means breaking or ruin, reinforcing the sense of total collapse and disaster.

Why Jeremiah 48:3 matters

  • Jeremiah 48:3 makes clear that the destruction is not abstract or distant; it is personal and immediate for the people of Horonaim, helping readers feel the weight of the prophecy.
  • The verse shows that the judgment on Moab is thorough, affecting even its cities and people, not just its leaders or armies.
  • By naming Horonaim and describing the cries and destruction, Jeremiah 48:3 connects the prophecy to real places and events, anchoring the warning in history rather than vague threats.

Where else these words appear

“Horonaim” Hebrew H2773 · used in 4 verses

  • Isaiah 15:5 My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.
  • Jeremiah 48:5 For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
  • Jeremiah 48:34 From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

“crying” Hebrew H6818 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
  • Exodus 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
  • Job 34:28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

“spoiling” Hebrew H7701 · used in 24 verses

  • Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
  • Isaiah 22:4 Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
  • Hosea 9:6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

“destruction” Hebrew H7667 · used in 41 verses

  • Leviticus 21:19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
  • Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
  • Jeremiah 30:12 For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.