Jeremiah 48:36
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The verse uses "pipes" not just for sorrow, but specifically for the mournful music played at funerals, highlighting the utter devastation and death that has befallen Moab. This lament extends to the city of Kir-hareseth, emphasizing that even their accumulated wealth, now lost, brings no solace and only adds to the tragedy.
Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah is lamenting the impending destruction of Moab, a neighboring nation that had often been an enemy to Israel. This passage continues the prophecy against Moab, detailing the utter devastation that will come upon them, leading to widespread mourning and the loss of all their accumulated wealth and security. The lament is so profound that Jeremiah describes his own heart moaning like a funeral pipe, reflecting the deep sorrow that will overwhelm the nation as their riches are stripped away.
Why does Jeremiah compare his inner sorrow to the sound of pipes? What does this ancient instrument tell us about deep grief?
Jeremiah uses the imagery of pipes to express profound sorrow. This wasn't just any instrument; historical context suggests these pipes were commonly used for funerals and lamentations.
A Sound of Death
Moab had gained riches, yet these did not save them. What does this reveal about what truly matters?
The verse links Moab's profound sorrow directly to the loss of their wealth: 'Therefore the riches they gained have perished.' This isn't accidental; it points to a critical flaw in Moab's foundation.
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Wealth as a False God
Understand the original words
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The center of a person's emotional, intellectual, and moral life; the seat of one's inner being and will. In biblical usage, it often denotes the deepest part of a human where feelings of grief, joy, or conviction reside.
anachah · Hebrew Noun
The formal act of mourning or expressing deep sorrow, often involving wailing or outward signs of grief. Biblically, it signifies the painful recognition of judgment, loss, or the consequences of sin.
yithrah · Hebrew Noun
Material wealth, substance, or possessions. Biblically, these are seen as temporal blessings from God, which can be fleeting or lost due to divine judgment or human folly.
This verse uses the imagery of funeral dirges to express the prophet Jeremiah's deep sorrow over Moab's complete ruin. The mourning instruments and the loss of accumulated wealth highlight the totality of the devastation brought about by Nebuchadnezzar's conquest, fulfilling prophecies made centuries earlier.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy Against Moab
The prophet Isaiah delivers a prophecy condemning Moab, referencing its pride and predicting its destruction. This prophecy serves as a literary and thematic precursor to Jeremiah's later pronouncements.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, begins deporting Jewish nobles and skilled workers to Babylon, setting the stage for future imperial dominance over the region, including Moab.
c. 582 BC— this verse
Destruction of Moab
Following Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Judah, he turns his attention to surrounding nations. Historical and archaeological evidence suggests a significant Babylonian campaign against Moab around this time, leading to widespread devastation and the loss of Moab's wealth and independence.
Post-Exilic Period
Moab's Diminished State
After the Babylonian exile, Moab exists as a much smaller, subjugated entity, often under Persian or later Hellenistic influence. Its former prominence and wealth are long gone.
This passage is directly echoed in Jeremiah 48:36, showing a consistent prophetic lament for Moab's destruction, highlighting the shared imagery of mourning sounds like pipes.
Matthew 9:23This New Testament passage references the practice of hired mourners playing pipes at funerals, illuminating why Jeremiah uses the sound of pipes to describe the deep, public mourning for Moab's demise.
Jeremiah 48:38This verse describes Moab being broken 'like a vessel wherein is no pleasure,' reinforcing the theme of utter ruin and worthlessness that explains why their accumulated riches have perished and brought no lasting comfort.
Isaiah 15:7This verse from Isaiah's prophecy against Moab speaks of the 'abundance' or 'that which is left over' perishing, directly paralleling the idea in Jeremiah 48:36 that their ill-gotten riches would ultimately be lost.
Ezekiel 27:33This passage describes the lament over the destruction of Tyre, emphasizing how great wealth, when a nation falls, becomes a source of sorrow and loss, similar to Moab's situation where their riches have perished.
cambridgeJeremiah 48:36: "Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished."
36 . soundeth for Moab like pipes ] Their use was connected with funerals, so that the word is appropriate as expressing mourning. Isaiah’s word is “an harp” ( Jeremiah 16:11 ).
barnesJeremiah 48:36: "Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished."
Like pipes - A wind instrument, used at funerals Matthew 9:23 . The riches that he hath gotten - literally, "that which remains over, a superfluity."
The verse uses "pipes" not just for sorrow, but specifically for the mournful music played at funerals, highlighting the utter devastation and death that has befallen Moab. This lament extends to the city of Kir-hareseth, emphasizing that even their accumulated wealth, now lost, brings no solace and only adds to the tragedy.
The prophet Jeremiah is lamenting the impending destruction of Moab, a neighboring nation that had often been an enemy to Israel. This passage continues the prophecy against Moab, detailing the utter devastation that will come upon them, leading to widespread mourning and the loss of all their accumulated wealth and security. The lament is so profound that Jeremiah describes his own heart moaning like a funeral pipe, reflecting the deep sorrow that will overwhelm the nation as their riches are stripped away.
The prophet Jeremiah is lamenting the impending destruction of Moab, a neighboring nation that had often been an enemy to Israel. This passage continues the prophecy against Moab, detailing the utter devastation that will come upon them, leading to widespread mourning and the loss of all their accumulated wealth and security. The lament is so profound that Jeremiah describes his own heart moaning like a funeral pipe, reflecting the deep sorrow that will overwhelm the nation as their riches are stripped away.
"Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished." — The verse uses "pipes" not just for sorrow, but specifically for the mournful music played at funerals, highlighting the utter devastation and death that has befallen Moab. This lament extends to the…
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Last reviewed October 2026
