Jeremiah 49 · Verse 3

Jeremiah 49:3

Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.
Jeremiah 49:3, King James Version

Jeremiah 49:3 in other translations

BSBWail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; run back and forth within your walls, for Milcom will go into exile together with his priests and officials.
WEB“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah! Clothe yourself in sackcloth. Lament, and run back and forth among the fences; for Malcam will go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
ASVWail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste; cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth: lament, and run to and fro among the fences; for Malcam shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
YLTHowl, Heshbon, for spoiled is Ai, Cry, daughters of Rabbah, gird on sackcloth, Lament, and go to and fro by the hedges, For Malcam into captivity doth go, His priests and his princes together.
DARBYHowl, Heshbon! for Ai is laid waste; cry, daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth, lament and run to and fro within the enclosures: for Malcam shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
BBEMake sounds of grief, O Heshbon, for Ai is wasted; give loud cries, O daughters of Rabbah, and put haircloth round you: give yourselves to weeping, running here and there and wounding yourselves; for Milcom will be taken prisoner together with his rulers and his priests.
WebsterHowl, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

What does Jeremiah 49:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. Heshbon ... Ai--Nebuchadnezzar, coming from the north, first attacked Ammon, then its brother and neighbor, Moab. As Ai of Ammon had already suffered destruction, Heshbon of Moab being near it might well fear the same fate. hedges--Their cities being destroyed, the outcasts have no place of shelter save behind the "hedges" of vineyards and gardens; or else the enclosures of their villages. their king--Melchom, the idol, as the mention of "his priests" shows (compare Jr 48:7).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Run to and fro by the hedges - It is supposed that this may refer to the women making lamentations for the dead, that were in general buried by the walls of their gardens; but others think that it refers to the smaller cities or villages, called here the daughters of Rabbah, the metropolis; the inhabitants of which are exhorted to seek safety somewhere else, as none can be expected from them, now that the enemy is at hand.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 49:1-6

Prophecies relative to the Ammonites. (Jr 49:1-6) The Edomites. (Jr 49:7-22) The Syrians. (Jr 49:23-27) The Kedarenes. (Jr 49:28-33) The Elamites. (Jr 49:34-39) Verses 1-6 . Might often prevails against right among men, yet that might shall be controlled by the Almighty, who judges aright; and those will find themselves mistaken, who, like the Ammonites, think every thing their own on which they can lay their hands…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 49:1-6 →

Jeremiah 49:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֵילִ֨ילִיhei.Li.liwailH3213
חֶשְׁבּ֜וֹןchesh.BonO HeshbonH2809
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
שֻׁדְּדָה\־shu.de.dah-it has been devastatedH7703
עַ֗י'AiAiH5857
צְעַקְנָה֮tze.'ak.Nahcry outH6817
בְּנ֣וֹתbe.NotO daughters ofH1323
רַבָּה֒ra.BahRabbahH7237
חֲגֹ֣רְנָהcha.Go.re.nahgird yourselvesH2296
שַׂקִּ֔יםsa.Kimsackcloth<s>H8242
סְפֹ֕דְנָהse.Fo.de.nahmournH5594
וְהִתְשׁוֹטַ֖טְנָהve.hit.sho.Tat.nahand run to and froH7751
בַּגְּדֵר֑וֹתba.ge.de.Rotamong the wallsH1448
כִּ֤יkiforH3588
מַלְכָּם֙mal.KamMilcomH4428
בַּגּוֹלָ֣הba.go.Lahin <the> exileH1473
יֵלֵ֔ךְye.Lekhhe will goH1980
כֹּהֲנָ֥יוko.ha.Navpriests hisH3548
וְשָׂרָ֖יוve.sa.Ravand officials hisH8269
יַחְדָּֽיו\׃yach.DavtogetherH3162

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 49:3

  • Jeremiah 48:7

    For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

  • Isaiah 15:2

    He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.

  • Jeremiah 48:37

    For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

  • 1 Kings 11:5

    For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

  • 1 Kings 11:33

    Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

  • 2 Kings 23:13

    And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

  • Jeremiah 46:25

    The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

  • Jeremiah 4:8

    For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us.

  • Jeremiah 51:8

    Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

  • Joshua 8:28

    And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

  • Amos 1:15

    And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 16:7

    Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kir–hareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Howl.
48:20; 51:8; Isa 13:6; 14:31; 15:2; 16:7; 23:1,6; Jas 5:1
gird.
4:8; 6:26; 48:37; Isa 32:11,12
run.
Job 30:3-7; Isa 15:2
their king. or, Melcom.
1; 1Ki 11:5,33; 2Ki 23:13
Milcom.
Zep 1:5
Malcham.
shall go.
46:25; 48:7; Am 1:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 49:2

    Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 49:3

    Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

  • Jeremiah 49:4

    Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?

Read all of Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 49:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Aulla, oh Hesbón, porque destruída es Hai; clamad, hijas de Rabba, vestíos de sacos, endechad, y rodead por los vallados, porque el rey de ellos fué en cautiverio, sus sacerdotes y sus príncipes juntamente.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Hurle, Hesbon! car Aï est dévastée. Criez, filles de Rabba, ceignez-vous de sacs, lamentez-vous, et courez çà et là entre les clôtures, car leur roi ira en captivité, ses sacrificateurs et ses princes ensemble.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Heule, Hesbon, denn Ai ist verwüstet! Schreiet, ihr Töchter von Rabba, gürtet euch Sacktuch um; klaget und laufet hin und her in den Einzäunungen denn ihr König wird in die Gefangenschaft gehen, seine Priester und seine Fürsten allzumal.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ulula, Hesebon, quoniam vastata est Hai; clamate, filiæ Rabbath: accingite vos ciliciis, plangite et circuite per sepes, quoniam Melchom in transmigrationem ducetur, sacerdotes ejus et principes ejus simul.