John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 48:9

"Give wings unto Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein." — Jeremiah 48:9 (ASV)

Give wings unto Moab that it may flee and get away That is, give wings to the inhabitants of Moab; signifying that they were in great danger, and there was no probability of escaping it, unless they had the wings of a swift bird, or were as swift as such, and even that would not do; though perhaps their fleeing, and passing away with wings, may signify not their fleeing from danger, and their attempt to escape; but their swift and sudden destruction, compared to the swift flight of a bird; for the last clause may be rendered, "for in flying it shall fly away" ^F15 .

Some render the first clause, "give a flower to Moab", as the Vulgate Latin version; and so the word sometimes signifies, (Isaiah 40:7); and the sense may be, hold up a flower to Moab, or a feather, such as is light, as the down of a thistle, as an emblem of its destruction; which shall pass away as easily and swiftly as so light a thing before the wind; but Jarchi and Kimchi interpret the word as we do, a wing.

The Targum is, ``take away the crown from Moab, for going it shall go away into captivity.'' The word is used of the plate of gold on the high priest's mitre, (Exodus 28:36);

for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein ; which expresses the utter destruction of them.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F15: (aut aun yk) "quia volando volabit", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "quia avolando avolabit", Schmidt; "nam avolabit", Piscator.