John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 48:20-24

"Moab is put to shame; for it is broken down: wail and cry; tell ye it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. And judgment is come upon the plain country, upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath, and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim, and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon, and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near." — Jeremiah 48:20-24 (ASV)

We have stated why the Prophet describes so fully the ruin of the Moabites and dwells so long on a subject that is in no way obscure. It was not, indeed, enough merely to teach and to show what was useful to be known, but it was also necessary to add goads, so that the Jews might pay attention to these prophecies.

In fact, it was necessary to drive, as it were, with a hammer into their minds what would have been otherwise incredible, for they considered it a fable that the Moabites could be broken, laid waste, and reduced to nothing in this way.

The Prophet, then, would have labored in vain or spoken ineffectively if he had described in simple and plain words what we read here. But he added vehemence to his words, as if he would drive his words in with a hammer and fasten them in the minds of the people.

He then says that Moab was ashamed, because he was smitten. Then he turns again to address their neighbors: Howl, cry, and declare in Aroer. But the Prophet ironically exhorted others to howl and cry, for, as we have said, it was not his purpose to show that those who had been the most cruel enemies of God’s Church deserved pity, but to show that God’s vengeance would be so dreadful as to call forth crying and howling throughout the whole neighborhood.

Then he adds, Declare it in Aroer; and afterwards he names many cities, as if he had said that no corner of the land would be free from fear and anxiety. This was because the enemies, after having made an inroad into one part, would turn to another, so as to make no end to ravaging until they had destroyed the whole country and all the people.

There is no need to say much about these cities and their situation, for it would be a useless labor. For finally, the Prophet sufficiently shows that what he had in view was what I have stated.

For he says, on all the cities of Moab, remote as well as near: he intimates that no part of the land would be exempt from destruction. The enemies, having begun to attack it, would not cease until they had gone through every part, and desolation had spread everywhere, as if the whole country had been burned with fire.