Jeremiah 49:16

The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, O occupiers of the mountain summit. Though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses the fortified inhabitants of Edom, speaking immediately after promising to reduce them to insignificance among nations and before pronouncing their future desolation.

The words — The Hebrew terms זְדוֹן (ze.Don) and תִּפְלַצְתָּךְ (tif.latz.te./kha) denote the arrogance of the heart and the terror caused by the addressed group. These concepts are linked by הִשִׁיא (hi.Shi'), indicating that their own pride and reputation for intimidation have functionally deceived them into false security.

The thread — The motif of inescapable judgment against those who trust in high places appears in Amos 9:2, where climbing to heaven or digging to Sheol cannot evade divine pursuit. The eagle imagery echoes Job 39:27, contrasting human claims of untouchable refuge with the sovereign limitation imposed by the LORD.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that fortified positions and reputations of power provide no protection against divine decree. Readers must acknowledge that self-deception born of pride inevitably collapses when confronted with absolute sovereignty.

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

תִּֽפְלַצְתְּךָ֞tif.latz.te./Khahorror/ your הִשִּׁ֤יאhi.Shi'it has deceived אֹתָךְ֙'o.to/Kh<obj.>/ you זְד֣וֹןze.Don[the] arrogance of לִבֶּ֔ךָli.Be./khaheart/ your שֹֽׁכְנִי֙sho.khe.NiO dweller בְּחַגְוֵ֣יbe./chag.Veiin/ [the] clefts of הַסֶּ֔לַעha./Se.la'the/ rock תֹּפְשִׂ֖יto.fe.SiO occupant of מְר֣וֹםme.Rom[the] height[s] of גִּבְעָ֑הgiv.'Aha hill כִּֽי־ki-for תַגְבִּ֤יהַtag.Bi.hayou will make high כַּנֶּ֙שֶׁר֙ka./Ne.sherlike <the>/ eagle קִנֶּ֔ךָki.Ne./chanest/ your מִשָּׁ֥םmi./Shamfrom/ there אֽוֹרִידְךָ֖'o.ri.de./KhaI will bring down/ you נְאֻם־ne.'um-[the] utterance of יְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehYahweh

King James Version

Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.

Cross-references

Job 39:27 Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
Isaiah 49:25 Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
Amos 9:2 Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
Isaiah 14:13 You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.
Obadiah 1:3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
Proverbs 18:21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Song of Solomon 2:14 O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.
Isaiah 2:21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.