Jeremiah 48:27 · Bible study
Jeremiah 48:27 Commentary: God Takes Mockery of His People Personally
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God identifies with Israel when Moab mocks them. Study the meaning of Jeremiah 48:27 with commentary, grammar, and application.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Moab mocked Israel without cause, so God will make Moab the object of derision in turn.
- Key words: se.choq (derision, laughingstock), gan.nav (thief), nud (shake, wag, here Hithpolel: shake oneself in scorn).
- Main debate: Whether the gesture (shake head) is purely contemptuous or could also imply grief; most commentators read contempt.
- Theological theme: God's identification with his people, he takes mockery of them as mockery of himself.
- Best use: Comfort for believers facing ridicule; a warning against gloating over others' suffering.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For wasn’t Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head.
KJV King James Version 1769
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And was not Israel the derision to thee? Among thieves was he found? For since thy words concerning him, Thou dost bemoan thyself.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? Was he found among thieves, that as oft as thou didst speak of him, thou didst shake the head?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For Israel hath been a derision unto them: as though thou hadst found him amongst thieves: for thy words therefore, which thou hast spoken against him, thou shalt be led away captive.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Y no te fué á ti Israel por escarnio, como si lo tomaran entre ladrones? porque desde que de él hablaste, tú te has movido.
Pois para ti não foi Israel por escárnio? Por acaso ele foi achado entre ladrões, para que balances a cabeça quando falas dele?
Israël n’ a-t-il pas été pour toi un objet de raillerie?
Denn Israel hat dein Gespött sein müssen, als wäre es unter den Dieben gefunden; und weil du solches wider dasselbe redest, sollst du auch weg müssen.
Want is u niet Israel ter belaching geweest? Was hij onder de dieven gevonden, dat gij u zo bewoogt, van den tijd af, dat uw woorden van hem waren?
Israele non è egli stato per te un oggetto di scherno? Era egli forse stato trovato fra i ladri, che ogni volta che parli di lui tu scuoti il capo?
Bo azaż w pośmiewisku nie był u ciebie Izrael? Izali go między złodziejami zastano? że, ilekroć mówisz o nim, wyskakujesz.
Не был ли в посмеянии у тебя Израиль? разве он между ворами был пойман, что ты, бывало, лишь только заговоришь о нем, качаешь головою?
摩押啊， 你 不曾 嗤笑 以色列嗎？她豈 是在賊 中查出來的呢？ 你每逢 提到 她 便搖頭。
For did you not make sport of Israel? was he taken among thieves? for whenever you were talking about him, you were shaking your head over him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 48:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the rhetorical questions in this verse expose Moab's unjust mockery of Israel. The first question, Wasn't Israel a derision to you?, refers back to verse 26, where Moab themselves are destined to become a laughingstock. The second question, Was he found among thieves?, expects a firm no, Israel had done nothing to deserve contempt from Moab (Clarke, Barnes). As Calvin notes, Moab treated God's people scornfully, so God regards the injury as done to himself. Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown add that the gesture of shaking the head (Hebrew titnoded, a Hithpolel form of nud) expresses contempt and triumph at a neighbor's downfall. The lexical form ha.s'choq uses the definite article, the laughingstock, linking directly to the derision mentioned in the previous verse. All major traditions read this as a divine indictment: because Moab exalted itself against God by mocking his people, judgment is certain.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Moab derided Israel without justification, and God will repay that derision with judgment, because he takes the treatment of his people personally.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Moab's justification for mockery | Moab had no cause to deride Israel; the rhetorical question 'was he found among thieves?' expects a 'no'. | A few early Jewish interpreters (cited in Gill) read the 'thief' phrase as implying Israel was indeed caught in theft, but this is a minority view. |
| God's identification with Israel | God treats mockery of his people as mockery of himself. | Whether this applies only to the covenant people of Israel or extends to the church has been debated. Calvin and others apply it to the faithful, while some restrict it to the Old Testament theocratic nation. |
| Meaning of 'shake the head' | The gesture expresses contempt and derision. | The Hebrew root <em>nud</em> can also mean 'to wander' or 'to show sympathy' (compare Job 42:11). Some English versions (YLT) render it as 'thou dost bemoan thyself,' implying mock grief or self-pity. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Moab and Israel were related peoples, both descended from Abraham's nephew Lot, yet their history was marked by hostility. After Moses (following God's command not to attack Moab, Deuteronomy 2:9) led Israel past their territory, the Moabites hired Balaam to curse Israel and later seduced them into idolatry (Numbers 31:16; Lange's Commentary). Under David, Moab was subdued (2 Samuel 8:2), but after Ahab's death they rebelled (2 Kings 1:1; 2 Kings 3:4-5).
By Jeremiah's time, Israel was in crisis. The northern ten tribes had been deported by Assyria (2 Kings 17:6), and Judah was reeling from Babylonian invasions. In this context, Moab saw an opportunity to mock and scorn their traditional rival (Keil & Delitzsch). They shook their heads, a cultural gesture of contempt (Psalm 64:8; Matthew 27:39), and treated Israel as though they had been caught in theft. But the prophet's question exposes the lie: Israel had done no harm to Moab. They were not thieves deserving of ridicule.
Behind Moab's mockery lay deep pride. Verses 29, 30 describe their arrogance and wrath, which the Lord declares is empty. The judgment that follows, drunkenness, wallowing in vomit, desolation, is the direct consequence of their treatment of God's people. This context shows that nations who rejoice over the faithful's suffering are storing up wrath for themselves.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 48:27. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts. Differences in English translation (e.g., 'shake your head' vs. 'skip for joy') stem from interpretation of the verb titnoded and the context, not from variant readings.
Reception History
Jeremiah 48:27 has been read throughout church history as a text of divine solidarity with the persecuted. John Calvin, in his commentary, used it to argue that God so identifies with the faithful that any injury against them is counted as done to him. This verse also appears in discussions of the sin of schadenfreude, taking joy in a neighbor's downfall. Early Reformed annotations (Geneva Bible, Matthew Henry) connect it to Proverbs 24:17, 18, warning against gloating. In modern pastoral theology, the verse is cited to comfort Christians facing ridicule for their faith, especially in contexts of cultural hostility.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sin of mockery, Moab's derision of Israel was not just cruelty; it was pride against God himself.
- God's identification with his people, The Lord takes mockery of the faithful as mockery of himself (Calvin).
- Divine justice is certain, What Moab sowed, they would reap: the cup of wrath that makes drunk and humiliates (Jeremiah 48:26).
Five-point outline
- Moab's unjust mockery, The rhetorical question exposes a groundless contempt.
- The thief analogy, Israel was not caught stealing; they were innocent toward Moab.
- The head-shaking gesture, A cultural sign of scorn that God notices.
- God's personal stake, He links his people's cause with his own honor.
- The turning of the tables, The mocker becomes the mocked: Moab is made drunk and falls (v. 26).
Illustration hooks
- A student unfairly ridiculed by classmates for a mistake they didn't make, the bully's glee is exposed when the truth comes out.
- A worker mocked by a supervisor for a failure that was not their fault, the boss's pride is later shown to be baseless.
- Online mockery of believers, the verse reminds us that God takes such scorn personally.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean God blesses everything his people do, even when they sin?
- How do I respond when I am mocked for my faith, should I defend myself or stay silent?
- Is it ever right to mock those who oppose God?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in the middle of a fierce judgment oracle against Moab. It shows that God does not overlook the way nations, or people, treat his children. The rhetorical questions force us to ask: was Israel actually guilty of harming Moab? No. And that is exactly the point. God knows the difference between just criticism and cruel mockery.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 48:27 aloud. What tone do you hear in the prophet's voice, anger, sorrow, or both?
- Why does the text compare Israel to a thief who is caught? What does this reveal about Moab's attitude?
- How does this passage change the way you think about mockery, whether directed at you or at others?
- In what situations might we be guilty of the same kind of scorn as Moab, laughing at someone's pain because they are not on our side?
- Calvin wrote that God identifies so closely with his people that an injury to them is an injury to him. How does that truth affect your prayer life when you face ridicule?
- Verse 26 says Moab will wallow in vomit, a graphic picture of divine judgment. Is it uncomfortable to imagine God responding this way? Why or why not?
- If you knew someone was mocking a fellow Christian, what would be the most loving way to respond, based on this passage?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 16:4 | I also could speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul’s place, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you, |
| Psalms 44:13 | You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us. |
| Psalms 79:4 | We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those who are around us. |
| Proverbs 24:17 | Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown, |
| Proverbs 24:18 | lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. |
| Jeremiah 2:26 | As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so the house of Israel is ashamed— they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, |
| Jeremiah 18:16 | to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and shake his head. |
| Lamentations 2:15 | All that pass by clap their hands at you. They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, “Is this the city that men called ‘The perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth’?” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the unfairness of Moab's mockery: Israel had not robbed or plundered them, yet Moab rejoiced over their downfall. God particularly resents this unjust scorn because it was not provoked by any wrongdoing on Israel's part.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads this as a scornful rhetorical question, not a literal statement. The speaker asks sarcastically whether this man was caught among thieves, since others wag their heads at him in contempt as though he were a common criminal.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God identifies so completely with His people that any injury done to them is counted as done to Him. The Moabites’ mockery of Israel was actually pride against God Himself, because God has adopted the Church as His own and regards her cause as His.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes that the rhetorical question about being found among thieves implies Moab treated Israel with the utmost contempt, as if catching him in a shameful act. The head-wagging is a gesture of scorn, not sympathy. This draws a connection to similar expressions in Jeremiah and Psalms.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note points out that the speaker derides Israel as though Israel had been caught among thieves. The commentator further observes that the speaker is emotionally stirred when speaking this way, revealing that the contempt comes from a deeply agitated heart.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Moab had no cause to mock Israel. Israel never harmed Moab, yet Moab rejoiced and shook with laughter at Israel's ruin. Since they broke the common bonds of neighbour and kin, Gill sees it as just that Moab would now suffer the same derision themselves.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that Moab faces judgment for two separate acts of gloating: first over the ten tribes' fall to Assyria, and now over Judah's fall to Babylon. God treats insults against His people as insults against Himself. Moab mocked Israel as if he were a thief caught in the act, yet Israel had never wronged Moab.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch read the command to make Moab drunk as God's agents pouring out the cup of divine wrath. They stress the vivid Hebrew word for falling with a splash into one's own vomit, and the double question that presses the point: Israel was a laughingstock to Moab, and now Moab will be the same.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange shows that Jeremiah builds his prophecy against Moab by consciously weaving together older oracles from Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah and Numbers. Rather than offering a new revelation, the prophet reuses and adapts these earlier words to create a powerful composite judgment, emphasizing that God's judgment on Moab reaffirms what He has already declared.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Moab's mocking of Israel's suffering becomes the measure of their own judgment. The same pride that made them skip for joy over Israel's troubles now leaves them wallowing in shame, and God's justice ensures that those who deride others will themselves become a derision.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the stark comparison: God treats Israel like a thief caught in the act and brought to shame. The question implies that Israel's suffering feels like public exposure and dishonor rather than loving correction, leaving them humiliated without relief.