John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 48:37

"For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth." — Jeremiah 48:37 (ASV)

The Prophet describes extensively a very great mourning. They were accustomed in great sorrow to pull off their hair, to shave their beard, to put on sackcloth or wear it around their waists, and also to cut their hands with a knife or with their nails. Since these things were signs of grief, Jeremiah puts them all together to show that the calamity of Moab would not be common, but one that would cause the whole people extreme lamentation.

They shall make bald, he says, their heads, their beard they shall pull off, or shave; because the word “diminish” can mean either. Then he adds, the incisions in the hands; they shall tear their faces and their hands with their nails, or as some say, with a knife or a razor.

As for sackcloth, it was also a sign of mourning. It is indeed certain that it was formerly the practice for people, as if it were innate to human nature, in great calamities to spread ashes on their heads and to put on sackcloth. But he has added other excesses which are not very natural, because it is not fitting for humanity to pull off the beard, to make the head bald, or to tear the hands and the face with the nails. These things show excesses, suitable neither to men nor to women—not to women for reasons of modesty, nor to men for reasons of manliness and strength of mind.

But people never control themselves, and whether they mourn or rejoice, they are always led away to excesses, observing no moderation. There was also another evil connected with sackcloth and ashes; for when it was God’s design to lead people by these symbols to humble themselves, to consider their sins, and to flee to his mercy, they were diverted to another end: namely, that the one who mourned might appear miserable to others and make a display of his weeping and tears. In short, besides excess, there was also this common evil: hypocrisy. For people always turn aside to what is vain and practice deceit in all things.

But in this context, there is no need to dispute about mourning, because the Prophet only means that the Moabites would become extremely miserable, exhibiting all the symptoms of sorrow.