John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 48:45

"They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones." — Jeremiah 48:45 (ASV)

He confirms what is said in the last verse: that the Moabites would in vain resort to their strongest cities, even Heshbon and Sihon; because a flame would break forth from there, which would consume the whole land. We thus see that God took away from the Moabites all their vain confidences and showed that no defenses could stand against His power when once He rose up for judgment.

The fleers, he says, shall stand under the shadow of Heshbon, thinking that there would be a safe refuge in that city and in others. But the particle כי, ki, does not seem to me to be causal here, but rather an affirmative, or even an adversative: but, or surely a fire has gone forth from Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon. The Prophet, I doubt not, borrowed these words from Moses, for he says in Numbers 21:28, that a fire had gone forth from Heshbon; and there the expression is given as an old proverb.

There is no doubt that enemies had triumphed over that city when it was taken, for that whole song spoken by Moses is ironical. In saying that fire had gone forth, he referred to their plans, for they thought that city sufficiently strong against enemies. Now the Prophet says that what had been formerly said of Heshbon would be again fulfilled: that it would be, as it were, the beginning of the fire.

The meaning then, as I think, is that the Moabites indeed thought they would have a quiet and agreeable shadow under the protection of the city Heshbon and of the city Sihon; but what was to happen? That these two cities would become, as it were, the beginnings of the fire. How, or in what way? It is because the probability is that there those plans were made which provoked the Chaldeans.

We indeed know that riches and power always produce haughtiness and false confidence in men, for in villages and small towns wars are not contrived. Instead, the great cities gather the wood and kindle the fire, and the fire afterwards spreads and pervades the whole land.

This, then, is what our Prophet means when he says that fire went forth from Heshbon, even contrary to the expectation of the people, for they thought that if all things were to go to ruin, there would still be safety for them in that city: Go forth, he says, shall fire from the city Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and it shall consume the corner of Moab, and all its extremities.

For by קרקר, kadkad, he means all parts. "Extremity" is elsewhere understood as a part, but he does not mean that fire would come to all parts or extreme corners only to touch them slightly, as it were. Instead, he intimates that the whole land would be consumed by this fire; it would thus spread itself to its very extremities.

But as I have already said, the Prophet alludes to that old saying mentioned by Moses (Numbers 21:27–28). Furthermore, there is no doubt that Heshbon and Sihon were then in the possession of that nation, for they had taken away many cities from the Israelites, and thus the children of Israel had been reduced to narrower limits.

Eventually, the tribe of Judah alone remained after the overthrow of the kingdom of Israel. When they were driven into Chaldea, it was an easy thing for the Moabites to make their own what belonged to no one. Besides, as they had helped the Chaldeans and betrayed that miserable people, and had thus acted perfidiously towards their brothers, a reward was given to them.

But when at length they themselves dreaded the power of the Babylonian monarchy, they began to change their minds and endeavored to obstruct the further progress of the Chaldeans. Thus, a war was contemplated, and the occasion for it was given. He then speaks of Heshbon and Sihon as chief cities.

There is no doubt that Sihon derived its name from a king who ruled there. For we know that there was a king bearing this name; but as he speaks here of a place, it is probable that the king’s name was given to the city in order to commemorate him.

Finally, he adds that this fire and flame would devour the top of the head of the sons of Saon, or tumult. But he calls the Moabites tumultuous because they previously made a great noise and were dreaded by their neighbors. As, then, all their neighbors had been frightened, in a manner, by their voice alone, he calls them sons of tumult, or tumultuous men, from the effect produced.