Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

JEREMIAH 48:31KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 48:31 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 48:31 mean?

Jeremiah 48:31 expresses deep sorrow for Moab, with the speaker saying he will "howl" and "cry out" for the nation and mourn especially for the men of Kirheres. The verse shows a heartfelt lament over the coming judgment and suffering that Moab will experience.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking, voicing his grief over the fate of Moab, a neighboring nation often at odds with Israel. The mention of "howling" and "crying out" uses strong language to show the intensity of the sorrow, while "Kirheres" refers to a key city in Moab, highlighting the personal and national scale of the loss. The verse is part of a larger prophecy where Jeremiah announces God's judgment on Moab but also reveals genuine compassion for those who will suffer.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 48:31

  • "howl" (יָלַל, yalal): This word means to wail or lament loudly, often used in the context of mourning or disaster. Jeremiah uses it to show the depth of his emotional response to Moab's coming destruction.
  • "cry out" (זָעַק, za‘aq): This word carries the sense of a loud, desperate cry, usually for help or in distress. Its use here adds to the picture of overwhelming grief.
  • "mourn" (הָגָה, hagah): While often translated as "meditate" or "mutter," here it is used in the sense of soft, sorrowful murmuring or grieving, suggesting a quieter, ongoing pain.
  • "men" (אֱנוֹשׁ, enosh): This word refers to people, often with an emphasis on their frailty or mortality, underlining the vulnerability of those in Kirheres.
  • "Kirheres" (קִרְחֶרֶשׂ, Qir-cheres): This is the name of a significant city in Moab, sometimes called Kir-hareseth, emphasizing that the sorrow is not just general but touches specific communities.

Why Jeremiah 48:31 matters

  • Jeremiah 48:31 shows that even when announcing judgment, the prophet expresses genuine sorrow, reminding readers that God's warnings are not cold or detached.
  • The verse highlights the personal impact of national disaster, focusing on real people and places rather than just abstract ideas of punishment.
  • This lament connects to the broader theme in Jeremiah 48, where the prophet alternates between pronouncing judgment and expressing compassion, giving a fuller picture of the relationship between justice and mercy.

Where else these words appear

“Kirheres” Hebrew H7025 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Kings 3:25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
  • Isaiah 16:7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.
  • Isaiah 16:11 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.

“mourn” Hebrew H1897 · used in 24 verses

  • Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
  • Psalms 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
  • Isaiah 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

“howl” Hebrew H3213 · used in 29 verses

  • Isaiah 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
  • Isaiah 52:5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
  • Ezekiel 21:12 Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

“out” Hebrew H2199 · used in 73 verses

  • Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
  • 1 Samuel 28:12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
  • Isaiah 26:17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.