For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a profound irony: Moab's reliance on their national god, Chemosh, is precisely what leads to their downfall. When their "works and treasures"—including their idol—are taken captive, it starkly reveals that their ultimate trust was misplaced, not in a divine protector, but in material things and a god who himself would be powerless.
For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a powerful oracle of judgment against the nation of Moab. This chapter focuses on Moab's downfall due to their pride and reliance on their own strength and idols, rather than on the Lord. Jeremiah lists specific cities that will be devastated and emphasizes the complete destruction and humiliation that awaits Moab, even to the point of their national god, Chemosh, being taken captive.
Moab's confidence wasn't in God, but in what they could build and hoard. What happens when our 'treasures' let us down?
Jeremiah calls out Moab for trusting in their 'works and treasures.' This wasn't just about physical wealth, though that was certainly part of it. The 'works' likely referred to their mighty fortifications and military might, the very things they believed would protect them. They had put their ultimate faith in human achievement and material possessions, not in the living God. This verse is a stark reminder that any security not founded on God is ultimately fragile. When we place our trust in our own strength, our bank accounts, our reputations, or even our religious rituals devoid of genuine devotion, we are building on sand.
When a nation falls, its gods often fall with them. What does the 'captivity' of Chemosh reveal about true power?
The most striking part of this verse is that Chemosh, Moab's chief idol, will 'go into exile with his priests and officials.' This wasn't just a defeat; it was a divine humiliation. The god who was supposed to protect his people and his priests is himself captured and taken away. This demonstrates the utter powerlessness of idols. Unlike the God of Israel, who is sovereign and can never be taken captive, the gods of the nations were merely creations of human hands or symbolic representations of natural forces, utterly subject to the conquering powers. Their 'captivity' was a public declaration that they offered no real protection and had no divine authority.
Understand the original words
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ma‘aseh · Hebrew Noun
A state of being in which an individual relies on their own efforts, material possessions, or human ingenuity rather than on God, often cited as a form of idolatry or pride.
owtsar · Hebrew Noun
Accumulated wealth or riches, often viewed in Scripture as a potential snare that leads to false security and reliance away from God.
Kemowsh · Hebrew Noun
The national deity of the Moabites, an idol whose worship frequently involved detestable practices and who is depicted in Scripture as powerless against the sovereignty of the LORD.
gowlah · Hebrew Noun
The state of being forcibly removed from one’s land, often as a judgment from God for sin, signifying total defeat, loss of divine protection, and displacement.
Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab in this verse reflects the broader regional instability and imperial dominance of empires like Babylon. The mention of Chemosh being taken into exile highlights the futility of trusting in idols or material security when facing powerful, divinely-sanctioned judgments, a theme amplified by the recent destruction of Jerusalem.
c. 840 BC
Moabite Rebellion Against Israel
Moab revolted against Israelite rule, an event recorded on the Mesha Stele, which prominently features the god Chemosh as the reason for their success.
c. 740-700 BC
Assyrian Domination of Moab
Moab, along with other Near Eastern kingdoms, fell under the influence and control of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, experiencing political subjugation and likely paying tribute.
c. 620 BC
Josiah Abolishes Idolatrous Worship
King Josiah of Judah cleansed the land of foreign religious practices, including the worship of Chemosh that had been introduced by Solomon, showing its negative association with surrounding nations.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportations of Judah
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon began his campaigns against Judah, deporting some of its elite citizens and treasures, setting a precedent for future conquests.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population. This event deeply impacted the surrounding nations, including Moab, as they witnessed Judah's devastation.
c. 550 BC
Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar II, was a dominant military power in the region, responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and posing a threat to neighboring kingdoms like Moab.
This passage highlights the futility of trusting in idols by showing how Babylonian gods like Bel and Nebo were carried off into captivity, directly paralleling Chemosh being taken captive with his people.
Jeremiah 49:3This verse describes the Ammonites, neighbors of Moab, facing a similar fate where their god Milcom is taken into exile, reinforcing the theme of national gods being powerless when their people fall.
Amos 1:15This verse directly echoes Jeremiah 48:7 by stating that the king of Ammon will go into exile with his princes, linking the destruction of nations to the downfall of their leadership and idols.
Judges 11:24This passage mentions Chemosh as the god of the Ammonites, showing the cultural significance and widespread worship of this deity in the region, which makes its depicted captivity even more profound.
Jeremiah 19:10Jeremiah's symbolic act of breaking a clay jar illustrates the complete destruction and worthlessness that awaits those who trust in their own strength or creations, mirroring the fate of Moab and its idols.
pulpitJeremiah 48:7: "For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together."
Verse 7. - In thy works; i.e. either "in thy evil deeds" (comp. Isaiah 28:15) or "in thy idols" (frequently called "the work of men's hands," e.g. Deuteronomy 4:28, and sometimes simply "works," e.g. Isaiah 41:29; Isaiah 57:12; comp. Isaiah L 31). Chemoah. In Numbers 21:29 Moab is called "people of Chemos…
clarkeJeremiah 48:7: "For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together."
Chemosh shall go forth into captivity - The grand national idol of the Moabites, Numbers 21:29 ; Judges 11:24 . Ancient idolaters used to take their gods with them to the field of battle. This was probably in imitation of the Israelites, who took the ark with them in such cases.
The verse highlights a profound irony: Moab's reliance on their national god, Chemosh, is precisely what leads to their downfall. When their "works and treasures"—including their idol—are taken captive, it starkly reveals that their ultimate trust was misplaced, not in a divine protector, but in material things and a god who himself would be powerless.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a powerful oracle of judgment against the nation of Moab. This chapter focuses on Moab's downfall due to their pride and reliance on their own strength and idols, rather than on the Lord. Jeremiah lists specific cities that will be devastated and emphasizes the complete destruction and humiliation that awaits Moab, even to the point of their national god, Chemosh, being taken captive.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a powerful oracle of judgment against the nation of Moab. This chapter focuses on Moab's downfall due to their pride and reliance on their own strength and idols, rather than on the Lord. Jeremiah lists specific cities that will be devastated and emphasizes the complete destruction and humiliation that awaits Moab, even to the point of their national god, Chemosh, being taken captive.
"For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials." — The verse highlights a profound irony: Moab's reliance on their national god, Chemosh, is precisely what leads to their downfall. When their "works and treasures"—including their idol—are taken capti…
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Last reviewed October 2026