the renown of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’ You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophecy plays on the names of Heshbon and Madmen, weaving a pun into the judgment: Heshbon, a place of "devising," becomes the site where ruin is plotted, while Madmen, suggesting silence, will literally be silenced by the sword. This linguistic twist underscores how Moab's own strengths and identity will be turned against it in judgment.
the renown of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’ You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah is declaring God's judgment against Moab, detailing the utter destruction that awaits them. This passage follows pronouncements against other nations and sets the stage for a detailed account of Moab's downfall, highlighting their former pride and the imminent plans of their enemies to eradicate them as a nation. The text uses wordplay on city names like Heshbon and Madmen to emphasize the complete devastation and silencing of Moab.
Moab was known for its pride and glory. But this verse announces a stark end to all that bravado.
The opening of Jeremiah 48:2 declares, "the renown of Moab is no more." This isn't just about a military defeat; it's about the complete dismantling of Moab's identity and self-worth. For centuries, Moab likely boasted of its strength, its cities, and its independence. This prophecy rips away that pride, declaring that their reputation and all the reasons they had to exalt themselves would be utterly extinguished. Think of it like a nation's entire history and legacy being wiped clean – no more songs sung about their victories, no more monuments to their greatness, just silence.
The destruction of Moab isn't random; it's a planned 'evil' originating from a key city, leading to the silencing of another.
The prophecy zeroes in on Heshbon, a significant Moabite city, stating, 'In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’' This is a chilling detail: the very heart of Moab's power was where its demise was plotted. What’s more, the name 'Heshbon' itself sounds like the Hebrew word for 'to devise' or 'to plan.' So, the place of planning becomes the place from which destruction is devised. Then, the prophecy turns to 'Madmen,' a name that sounds like the word for 'silence.' The message is clear: the plotting in Heshbon leads directly to the silencing of Madmen. The enemies wouldn't just conquer; they aimed to erase Moab as a nation, and the sword would ensure that its people, represented by Madmen, would be utterly silenced.
Understand the original words
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ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
A calamity, ruin, or evil plot. In this context, it refers to the calculated destruction planned by enemies, serving as an instrument of divine judgment against a nation.
cherebh · Hebrew Noun
An instrument of war, frequently used in the Bible as a symbol of divine judgment, wrath, and the execution of justice upon those who have rebelled against God.
The prophecy against Moab in Jeremiah 48:2 unfolds against the backdrop of the all-consuming Babylonian Empire. The specific mention of Heshbon, a strategically important and historically contested city, and the lesser-known Madmen, highlights the thoroughness of the impending destruction. The wordplay on these names underscores the utter devastation: Heshbon, the 'place of plotting,' becomes the site of its own downfall, and Madmen, perhaps meaning 'silence' or 'destruction,' foreshadows the complete silencing of Moabite boasting and life.
c. 800s-700s BC
Moabite and Israelite Conflict
There were ongoing territorial disputes and conflicts between Moab and the Israelites, particularly over cities like Heshbon, which had a complex history of possession.
730s BC
Assyrian Domination of the Region
The Neo-Assyrian Empire exerted significant influence and control over the Levant, impacting the political landscape and potentially limiting the independence of nations like Moab.
c. 620s-600s BC
Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Following the decline of Assyria, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, under rulers like Nebuchadnezzar II, became the dominant power in the region, directly influencing Judah and its neighbors.
c. 590s BC— this verse
Babylonian Campaigns in the Levant
During this period, Babylonian armies conducted military campaigns throughout the Levant, including against Moab, as part of their consolidation of power and suppression of rebellion.
This passage also speaks of the devastation of Moab, using similar language of silence and destruction that resonates with the fate of Madmen in Jeremiah 48:2.
Psalm 83:4This psalm describes a conspiracy against Israel to 'cut them off from being a nation,' mirroring the very plot against Moab that Jeremiah records in this verse.
Isaiah 16:6This verse references Moab's pride and boasting, which Jeremiah 48:2 declares will be no more, highlighting the divine judgment against such arrogance.
Numbers 21:26-30This passage recounts how Heshbon, a key city mentioned in Jeremiah 48:2, was taken from Moab by the Amorites, illustrating a historical context of territorial loss and conflict preceding Jeremiah's prophecy.
pulpitJeremiah 48:2: "There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee."
Verse 2. - There shall be no more praise of Moab; rather, Moab's glory (or, glorying) is no more (comp. ver. 29). In Heshbon they have devised evil, etc. There is a word play in the Hebrew, which may be reproduced thus: "In Plot-house they plot evil against it" (so J. F. Smith's…
calvinJeremiah 48:2: "There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee."
- Nulla amplius gloriatio Moab in Chesbon; cogitaverunt super eam malum, Venite et excidamus eam, ne sit gens; etiam Madmen, (alloquitur urbem ipsam,) excisa es (ad verbum, in solitudinem redacta, sed metaphorice accipitur pro interitu, interiit ergo Madmen;) post to proficiscet…
The prophecy plays on the names of Heshbon and Madmen, weaving a pun into the judgment: Heshbon, a place of "devising," becomes the site where ruin is plotted, while Madmen, suggesting silence, will literally be silenced by the sword. This linguistic twist underscores how Moab's own strengths and identity will be turned against it in judgment.
The prophet Jeremiah is declaring God's judgment against Moab, detailing the utter destruction that awaits them. This passage follows pronouncements against other nations and sets the stage for a detailed account of Moab's downfall, highlighting their former pride and the imminent plans of their enemies to eradicate them as a nation. The text uses wordplay on city names like Heshbon and Madmen to emphasize the complete devastation and silencing of Moab.
The prophet Jeremiah is declaring God's judgment against Moab, detailing the utter destruction that awaits them. This passage follows pronouncements against other nations and sets the stage for a detailed account of Moab's downfall, highlighting their former pride and the imminent plans of their enemies to eradicate them as a nation. The text uses wordplay on city names like Heshbon and Madmen to emphasize the complete devastation and silencing of Moab.
"the renown of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’ You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you." — The prophecy plays on the names of Heshbon and Madmen, weaving a pun into the judgment: Heshbon, a place of "devising," becomes the site where ruin is plotted, while Madmen, suggesting silence, will…
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Last reviewed October 2026