Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 49:23

"Of Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad; for they have heard evil tidings, they are melted away: there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet." — Jeremiah 49:23 (ASV)

Although the superscription is confined to Damascus, the prophecy relates to the whole of Aram, known to us as Syria, which was divided into two parts: the northern, of which Hamath was the capital, and the southeastern, belonging to Damascus.

Hamath is confounded—or, is ashamed. For Hamath, see the note on Isaiah 10:9. Arpad lay about fourteen miles north of Aleppo, at a place now called Tel Erfad.

Fainthearted—the sinews are relaxed, unstrung by terror.

There is sorrow on the sea—in the sea. As the sea is used (as a marginal reference indicates) to represent the agitation of the thoughts of evil men, its meaning here is also probably that there is sorrow, or rather anxiety, in the agitated hearts of the Syrians.