Jeremiah 48:38
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The verse emphasizes that Moab is broken like a vessel "wherein is no pleasure," suggesting not just that they are useless but that they have become an object of God's distaste. This isn't about a vessel accidentally broken, but one deliberately discarded as unwanted by its maker.
On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is the climax of Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab, detailing the utter devastation and widespread grief that will befall them. Following numerous specific judgments against Moab's cities and its people, this declaration emphasizes the totality of the ruin. The LORD proclaims that Moab will be shattered beyond repair, like a common clay pot discarded and broken, signifying their complete rejection and the end of their nation.
Imagine a city where sorrow echoes from every rooftop and street. What makes this lamentation so all-encompassing?
The prophet declares that 'on all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation.' This wasn't just a few people grieving; it was a total, pervasive sorrow blanketing the entire nation. The flat roofs common in that era were places for public gathering and expression. So, this imagery paints a picture of Moab's utter despair, visible and audible everywhere. The critical point is that this wasn't random tragedy. Jeremiah emphasizes, 'I have broken Moab like a vessel... declares the LORD.' The profound devastation is traced directly to God's sovereign action. His judgment is not a distant force but an active, breaking power upon a nation that had defied Him.
Why would God compare a nation to a broken, discarded pot? What does this saying reveal about His view of Moab?
The core of the judgment is this striking comparison: 'I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares.' This isn't just about being broken; it's about being broken because of utter worthlessness. Think of a potter who makes a vessel. If it's flawed, or if he simply has no further use for it, he casts it aside. It has 'no pleasure' or 'no delight' in it – it's not desired, it's not valued, it's become refuse. This is God's severe judgment on Moab. Their defiance, their pride, their alienation from God has rendered them valueless in His eyes, like a broken pot that can never be mended or repurposed. They are fit only for destruction.
Understand the original words
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misped · Hebrew Noun
A state of mourning, wailing, or expressing intense grief, typically for the dead or as a response to calamity. It serves as a public acknowledgment of judgment or irreparable loss.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the Creator God of Israel, signifying His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name through which He reveals His holiness, justice, and mercy.
Jeremiah's prophecy in this verse depicts the complete devastation of Moab, portraying the nation as a broken, useless vessel. This imagery likely refers to the severe judgment brought upon Moab by the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar, a judgment that would have been keenly felt by the Israelites after their own exile.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, begins deporting Jewish captives and treasures to Babylon, initiating a period of growing Babylonian dominance over the region.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling the remaining population to Babylon. This event profoundly impacts Judah and its neighbors, including Moab.
c. 582 BC— this verse
Babylonian Campaign Against Moab
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar leads a military campaign against the remaining kingdoms in the region, including Moab. This is the likely context for Jeremiah's prophecy of Moab's utter destruction.
c. 538 BC
Cyrus the Great's Decree
After Persia conquers Babylon, Cyrus allows exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands. This marks a shift in regional power and the beginning of the post-exilic period.
This passage describes Jeremiah breaking a clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom, directly illustrating the same imagery of irreversible destruction used to describe Moab's fate.
Jeremiah 22:28This verse refers to King Coniah (Jehoiachin) as a 'vessel in which there is no pleasure,' providing a parallel instance of this specific prophetic metaphor being applied to a nation or ruler facing God's judgment.
Psalm 2:9This psalm speaks of nations being 'broken with a rod of iron' and 'dashed to pieces like a potter's vessel,' echoing the violent and complete destruction depicted for Moab and underscoring God's sovereign power over nations.
Isaiah 30:14Isaiah uses the image of shattering a potter's vessel so completely that not a shard remains useful for hearth or basin, reinforcing the finality and thoroughness of the judgment described for Moab.
barnesJeremiah 48:38: "There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD."
Generally - Rather, entirely.
calvinJeremiah 48:38: "There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD."
- Super omnia tecta Moab, et in compitis ejus omnino planctus (hoc est, ubique; klh sumitur adverbialiter,) quoniam confregi Moab tanquam vas quod non est in pretio (ad verbum, non desiderium in ipso, tanquam vas quod contemnitur, quod non appetitur,) dicit Jehova.
The Prophet at the beginning of the ve…
The verse emphasizes that Moab is broken like a vessel "wherein is no pleasure," suggesting not just that they are useless but that they have become an object of God's distaste. This isn't about a vessel accidentally broken, but one deliberately discarded as unwanted by its maker.
This verse is the climax of Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab, detailing the utter devastation and widespread grief that will befall them. Following numerous specific judgments against Moab's cities and its people, this declaration emphasizes the totality of the ruin. The LORD proclaims that Moab will be shattered beyond repair, like a common clay pot discarded and broken, signifying their complete rejection and the end of their nation.
This verse is the climax of Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab, detailing the utter devastation and widespread grief that will befall them. Following numerous specific judgments against Moab's cities and its people, this declaration emphasizes the totality of the ruin. The LORD proclaims that Moab will be shattered beyond repair, like a common clay pot discarded and broken, signifying their complete rejection and the end of their nation.
"On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the LORD." — The verse emphasizes that Moab is broken like a vessel "wherein is no pleasure," suggesting not just that they are useless but that they have become an object of God's distaste. This isn't about a ve…
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Last reviewed October 2026
