Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 48:43KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 48:43 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 48:43 mean?

Jeremiah 48:43 warns the people living in Moab that disaster is coming upon them from every direction—fear, a pit, and a snare—declares the LORD. The verse paints a picture of unavoidable danger and judgment for Moab, with no way to escape what is coming.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the nation of Moab, a neighbor and sometimes enemy of Israel. The language is vivid and poetic, using three different images—fear, a pit, and a snare—to show that trouble will surround the people of Moab wherever they turn. This warning comes as part of a longer prophecy where Jeremiah announces judgment on Moab for its pride and actions against Israel.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 48:43

  • "Fear" (פַּחַד, pachad) refers to terror or dread. The word suggests not just a feeling, but a real threat that causes people to panic.
  • "Pit" (פַּחַת, pachat) means a literal hole or trap in the ground. It often describes a hidden danger that someone might fall into unexpectedly.
  • "Snare" (פָּח, pach) is a type of trap, usually for catching animals, but here it means something that catches people off guard. The use of all three words together emphasizes that every possible escape leads to another danger.
  • "Inhabitant" (יָשֵׁב, yoshev) means someone who lives or dwells in a place. Addressing the "inhabitant of Moab" makes the warning personal and direct.

Why Jeremiah 48:43 matters

  • Jeremiah 48:43 clarifies that the coming judgment on Moab is total and inescapable, not just a single event but a series of troubles from which there is no safety.
  • The verse uses strong, concrete images to show that God’s warning is not vague or general, but specific and unavoidable for those living in Moab.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of the larger passage, where Jeremiah lists the reasons for Moab’s downfall and describes the thoroughness of God’s judgment.

Where else these words appear

“pit” Hebrew H6354 · used in 8 verses

  • 2 Samuel 17:9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
  • Isaiah 24:17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
  • Jeremiah 48:28 O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

“snare” Hebrew H6341 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
  • Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
  • Isaiah 8:14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

“Fear” Hebrew H6343 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
  • Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
  • Psalms 105:38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.