Jeremiah 48:36 · Bible study
Jeremiah 48:36 Commentary: The Sound of Flutes and the Perishing of Abundance
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah's heart sounds like flutes for Moab as its wealth perishes. A study on divine judgment, grief, and the folly of trusting in riches.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prophet’s heart mourns for Moab with the sound of flutes because their accumulated surplus wealth has been destroyed in divine judgment.
- Key words: Sounds (H1993 hamah, groan, murmur, roar), flutes (H2485 chalil, pipe), abundance (H3502 yitrah, surplus, riches), perished (H0006 avad, destroyed, lost).
- Main debate: Whether the prophet’s mourning is his own genuine grief or a dramatic personification of Moab’s lament (Calvin vs. Keil/Delitzsch).
- Theological theme: The tension between God’s righteous judgment and His compassionate sorrow over the destruction of the wicked.
- Best use: Preaching on the folly of trusting in earthly riches and the depth of God’s emotional involvement in human history.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like flutes, and my heart sounds like flutes for the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the abundance that he has gotten has perished.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir–heres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore my heart for Moab as pipes doth sound, And my heart for men of Kir-Heres As pipes doth sound, Therefore the abundance he made did perish.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres; because the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of the brick wall: because he hath done more than he could, therefore they have perished.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto, mi corazón resonará como flautas por causa de Moab, asimismo resonará mi corazón á modo de flautas por los hombres de Kir-heres: porque perecieron las riquezas que había hecho.
Portanto meu coração ressoará como flautas por causa de Moab; também meu coração ressoará como flautas pelos homens de Quir-Heres; pois as riquezas que tinham acumulado se perderam;
Aussi mon cœur gémit comme une flûte sur Moab,
Darum seufzt mein Herz über Moab wie Flöten, und über die Leute zu Kir- Heres seufzt mein Herz wie Flöten; denn das Gut, das sie gesammelt, ist zu Grunde gegangen.
Daarom zal Mijn hart over Moab getier maken als de fluiten; ook zal Mijn hart over de lieden van Kir-heres getier maken als de fluiten, omdat het overschot, dat hij gemaakt had, verloren is.
Perciò il mio cuore geme per Moab come gemono i flauti, il mio cuore geme come gemono i flauti per quei di Kir-Heres, perché tutto quello che aveano ammassato è perduto.
Przetoż serce moje nad Moabem jako piszczałki piszczeć będzie; także nad obywatelami w Kircheres serce moje jako piszczałki piszczeć będzie, i dlatego, że i zboże zgromadzone wniwecz się obróci.
Оттого сердце мое стонет о Моаве, как свирель; о жителях Кирхареса стонет сердце мое, как свирель, ибо богатства, ими приобретенные, погибли:
我心腹 為摩押 哀鳴 如簫，我心腸 為吉珥•哈列設 人 也是如此，因 摩押人所得的 財物 都滅沒了。
So my heart is sounding for Moab like the sound of pipes, and my heart is sounding like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: for the wealth he has got for himself has come to an end.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 48:36
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 flute (chalil) in this verse is a plaintive instrument used at funerals (Matthew 9:23; Barnes; Gill). The prophet's heart sounds, the Hebrew verb hamah (H1993) means to groan, murmur, or roar, like these flutes, expressing deep grief. There is consensus that this lament is set within the context of divine judgment on Moab, and that the second clause, “the abundance that he has gotten has perished”, underscores the theme of judgment on Moab’s pride and accumulated wealth. Calvin sees the prophet “assuming the character of others,” representing Moab’s own feelings rather than expressing his personal sorrow. Others, including Keil and Delitzsch, read the verse as the prophet’s genuine lament, echoing the earlier lament of Isaiah 16:11. Yet all agree: the flute’s mournful sound and the perishing of abundance together make the point that human prosperity cannot stand against the judgment of God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic persona (Calvin): The prophet assumes the character of Moab’s mourners, representing their grief rather than his own.
- Genuine lament (Keil/Delitzsch): The prophet truly mourns for Moab, as in Isaiah 16:11, reflecting God’s own sorrow over judgment.
- Combined reading: The prophet both genuinely grieves and dramatically portrays Moab’s response, with no sharp separation.
What is clear: The verse depicts a combination of deep mourning and divine judgment, with the flute’s sound and the perishing of abundance both pointing to the futility of trusting in earthly wealth.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the prophet's mourning | The mourning is expressed through the sound of flutes, a known instrument of funeral dirges (Barnes, Gill, Wesley). | Calvin reads it as the prophet assuming the character of Moab’s mourners; Keil and Delitzsch see it as the prophet’s own genuine lament. |
| Meaning of 'abundance perished' | Most commentators agree it refers to Moab’s stored wealth or surplus being destroyed (Barnes, Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). | Grotius (via JFB) interprets it as 'they who have been left remaining shall perish', i.e., the survivors of the sword also die by famine and disease. |
| Authorship and date | The verse is part of Jeremiah’s prophecy against Moab in chapter 48, which draws on earlier material from Isaiah 15, 16. | Cambridge Bible sees the passage as largely late and borrowed from Isaiah; others (Keil) treat it as Jeremiah’s original composition using familiar prophetic language. |
| Theological significance of the flute | The flute is a symbol of mourning, used at funerals and times of distress (Matthew 9:23; all commentators). | Some (Calvin) are uncertain whether it is a specific type of bagpipe or another wind instrument, but all agree on its mournful function. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Moab, descended from Lot (Genesis 19:37), was a longtime adversary of Israel. Though Israel was forbidden to oppress Moab (Deuteronomy 2:9), Moab often acted with hostility, even leading Israel into idolatry (Numbers 31:16). The two nations had a turbulent history: Moab was subjugated by David (2 Samuel 8:2), later revolted after Ahab’s death (2 Kings 1:1; 3:4-5), and by the time of Jeremiah, Moabite troops fought alongside Judah’s enemies (2 Kings 24:2). Lange notes four periods of Israel-Moab relations, with the final period marked by prophecies from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah against Moab.
The flute (chalil) in ancient Near Eastern mourning was a wind instrument whose sound was associated with lamentation and funeral processions (Matthew 9:23; Wesley; Gill). The city Kir Heres (or Kir-hareseth) was one of Moab’s chief strongholds (H7025). The surrounding verses (vv. 37-38) describe visible signs of grief, shaved heads, cut beards, incisions on hands, and sackcloth, common mourning rituals in that culture. The phrase “the abundance he has gotten” (Hebrew yitrah, H3502) refers to surplus wealth, what is “over and above the necessaries of life” (Barnes; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). This verse echoes Isaiah 15:7 and 16:11, where the prophet also laments over Moab with a similar musical metaphor. The judgment itself, an invasion like an eagle spreading its wings (v. 40), points to Babylon’s campaign under Nebuchadnezzar, who subjugated Moab around the fifth year after Jerusalem’s fall (Lange).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic manuscripts, and the translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) show only minor differences in phrasing, such as 'pipes' vs. 'flutes', none affecting the meaning.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have long been struck by the prophet’s grief in this verse, seeing in it a reflection of God’s own heart, a God who does not delight in judgment but grieves over destruction. Early church writers used the passage to illustrate that divine justice is never cold or detached; it carries a weight of sorrow. Medieval commentators compared the sound of the flutes to the mourning of Christ over Jerusalem. During the Reformation, Calvin emphasized the rhetorical nature of the prophet’s persona, while others saw it as a model for pastoral lament over the lost. In modern preaching, this verse is often used to address the false security of wealth, echoing Proverbs and the words of Jesus about treasures on earth. The verse has been set to music in hymns of penitence and sung during Lent in some traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sound of Grief: The prophet's heart groans like flutes, a visceral, audible lament. This shows that judgment does not erase compassion. God’s heart is not indifferent even as He carries out justice.
- The Wealth That Perishes: The abundance Moab had accumulated is lost. The Hebrew word yitrah means surplus, what is stored up. No stockpile can withstand the day of the Lord (Proverbs 11:4).
- The Heart of God in Judgment: The prophet speaks as God’s representative. The grief is real. This verse invites readers to see that God’s judgments are never gleeful, but heavy with the sorrow of loss.
Five-point outline
- Flutes: A mournful instrument sets the tone, this is not celebration but lament.
- Kir Heres: Naming this chief city grounds the grief in a specific place and people.
- The Abundance Perished: Moab’s surplus wealth is gone. What they trusted in has failed.
- Contrast with Eternal Treasure: Earthly riches cannot secure life; righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 11:4).
- Hope Beyond Judgment: The chapter ends with a promise to restore Moab’s fortunes (v. 47). God’s grief is not the final word.
Illustration hooks
- A funeral where no one can comfort: The sound of a bagpipe or flute at a graveside captures the raw ache of loss. That is the sound of this verse, not stoic, but openly grieving.
- A house fire that takes everything: Imagine a family losing their home, savings, heirlooms, all that they worked for gone in hours. Moab’s abundance perishes with that same sudden finality.
- A successful business owner facing collapse: The wealth that seemed solid vanishes through misfortune or judgment. The prophet’s question echoes: what do we rely on when the bottom falls out?
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God grieve when He judges? This verse says yes. Some struggle to reconcile judgment with love, here we see both.
- Is it wrong to have wealth or to mourn its loss? The text mourns the loss; the issue is not wealth itself but the trust placed in it.
- What makes wealth so dangerous for faith? It builds a false sense of security, like an “unscalable wall in the rich man’s imagination” (Proverbs 18:11).
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 48:36 paints a picture of grief in the middle of judgment. The prophet’s heart sounds like flutes, the instruments of mourning. And the reason given is that the abundance Moab had acquired has perished. This small-group guide helps you explore the emotional depth of God’s judgment and the ultimate worth of earthly wealth.
Discussion questions
- What strikes you as unusual about the prophet’s heart sounding like flutes for a nation God is judging? (Observation)
- Why do you think the flute was associated with mourning in ancient Israel? How does that shape the tone of this verse? (Interpretation)
- Read the surrounding verses (vv. 37-38). What mourning rituals are described? What do these outward signs tell us about the inner state of the people? (Observation)
- Calvin suggested the prophet here “assumes the character of others,” representing Moab’s own grief rather than his own. Others see it as the prophet’s genuine lament. Which view resonates more with you, and why? (Interpretation)
- The verse says “the abundance that he has gotten has perished.” What does this loss reveal about the security of wealth? Consider Proverbs 11:4: “Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath.” (Interpretation)
- How does this passage challenge the way you (or your culture) view financial success and material possessions? (Application)
- If God’s heart sounds like flutes even as He judges, what does that teach us about His character? How might that shape our prayers for those who oppose Him, or for ourselves when we face loss? (Application)
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)
| Proverbs 11:4 | Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. |
| Proverbs 13:22 | A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous. |
| Proverbs 18:11 | The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination. |
| Ecclesiastes 5:13 | There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. |
| Ecclesiastes 5:14 | Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand. |
| Isaiah 15:5 | My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for on the way to Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction. |
| Isaiah 15:7 | Therefore they will carry away the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have stored up, over the brook of the willows. |
| Isaiah 16:11 | Therefore my heart sounds like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts for Kir Heres. |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the "pipes" mentioned in this verse were wind instruments used specifically at funerals, not ordinary musical flutes. He also points out that the phrase "the riches that he hath gotten" actually means leftover wealth or a superfluity.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the prophet is not personally grieving Moab's fate but temporarily adopting the role of a Moabite. Because Moab's great wealth made God's coming judgment seem impossible to envision, the prophet speaks in their voice, describing their heart-pounding terror with the image of pipes sounding.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary notes that this passage in Jeremiah appears to be a later composition, drawing heavily from Isaiah 15 and 16. It suggests that those Isaiah chapters may themselves be earlier than Isaiah's time, possibly republished by him. The overall point is that the material is borrowed and not original to Jeremiah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The prophet's grief for Moab is so intense that he compares his heart's wailing to the mournful sound of a shawm, a funeral instrument. This deep lament arises because Moab's hard-earned riches have utterly perished, leaving nothing but sorrow where pride once stood.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that the prophet speaks in the voice of the Moabite people, whose hearts produce a doleful sound like funeral pipes for their whole country and especially for the inhabitants of Kir-heres. The grief comes because all the wealth they had gathered has perished at the enemy's hands.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that "like pipes" refers to a plaintive instrument used at funerals and times of mourning, while "riches gotten" means abundance beyond life's necessities. He also offers Grotius's alternative reading: those who escaped the enemy will still perish by disease and famine.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that Jeremiah deliberately changes Isaiah's harp to the pipes used in funeral dirges, intensifying the sense of grief. They also stress that the two "therefore" clauses are parallel: the prophet mourns because all Moab's wealth perishes, and the mourning is shown in shaven heads, cut beards, and sackcloth.
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 notes that the "pipes" in this verse refer specifically to the instruments used at funerals and times of mourning, not ordinary musical pipes. He clarifies the prophet’s meaning by connecting the word to its cultural context of sorrow and lamentation.