Bible Strands
Jeremiah 48:17
Mourn for him, all you who surround him, everyone who knows his name; tell how the mighty scepter is shattered—the glorious staff!
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses surrounding nations and Moab's allies, commanding them to observe the imminent collapse of Moab's political power. The moment follows the declaration that Moab's calamity is rushing swiftly and precedes the command to descend from its former glory.
The words — The Hebrew נֻדוּ (Nudu) literally means "show sympathy" or "mourn," while אֵיכָה (Eikhah) translates to "how!" or "how is it." These terms frame the verse as a public proclamation of shattered authority rather than private grief.
The thread — The shattered staff imagery reappears in Isaiah 9:4 where God breaks the oppressor's rod, Isaiah 10:5 where Assyria serves as the rod of divine wrath, and Isaiah 14:4 where the fallen king of Babylon faces a song of contempt. These passages trace a consistent pattern of God dismantling human instruments of oppression.
Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment of terminated power and forces readers to recognize that political might is subject to divine judgment. It requires the audience to verbally confirm the reality of the fallen ruler's defeat.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!
Cross-references
- Isaiah 9:4 For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.
- Isaiah 10:5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.
- Isaiah 14:4 you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended!
- Isaiah 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea.
- Jeremiah 9:17 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Take note, and summon the wailing women; send for the most skillful among them.
- Jeremiah 48:31 Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
- Jeremiah 48:39 “How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.”
- Ezekiel 19:11 It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage.
- Zechariah 11:10 Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.
- Revelation 18:14 And they will say: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.”