Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 48:14–end
The destruction is here further prophesied of very largely and with a great copiousness and variety of expression, and very pathetically and in moving language, designed not only to awaken them by a national repentance and reformation to prevent the trouble, or by a personal repentance and reformation to prepare for it, but to affect us with the calamitous state of human life, which is liable to such lamentable occurrences, and with the power of God's anger and the terror of his judgments, when he comes forth to contend with a provoking people. In reading this long roll of threatenings, and meditating on the terror of them, it will be of more use to us to keep this in our eye, and to get our…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 48:40
he--Nebuzara-dan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar.
as . . . eagle--not to bear them "on eagles' wings" (Exo 19:4; Deu 32:11-12), as God does His people, but to pounce on them as a prey (Jer 49:22; Deu 28:49; Hab 1:8).
John Gill on Jeremiah 48:40
For thus saith the Lord, behold, he shall fly as an eagle,.... The enemy, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with his army; who is compared to an eagle for his strength, swiftness, and greediness after the prey:
and shall spread his wings over Moab; as an eagle spreads its wings, which are very large, over the little birds it seizes upon as its prey; so the king of Babylon would bring a numerous army against Moab, and spread it over his country. The Targum is,
"behold, as all eagle which flies, so a king shall come up with his army, and encamp against Moab.''
John Calvin on Jeremiah 48:40
Jeremiah 48:40
40. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
40. Quia sic dicit Jehova, Ecce tanquam aquila volabit, et expandet alas suas super Moab.
Here again he introduces God's name, for it was necessary to confirm an incredible prophecy by his authority. "God is he," he says, "who declares that enemies will come, who will fly through all the land of Moab." He now compares the Chaldeans to eagles; and there is here a name understood which is not expressed. Fly will he like an eagle, that is, the king of Babylon with his army.
The sum of what is said then is, that however widely extended might be the country of Moab, yet there wo…
