Jeremiah 49:18 · Bible study
Jeremiah 49:18 Commentary: Edom's Judgment Like Sodom's
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'no man will dwell there' mean? Commentators explain Edom's end as a nation, not a permanently empty land.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Edom's destruction will be as total and irreversible as Sodom's, ending its existence as a nation despite later habitation by others.
- Key words: מַהְפֵּכָה (overthrow, used only of Sodom/Gomorrah), יָשַׁב (dwell/permanent residence) and יָגוּר (sojourn/temporary stay).
- Main debate: Whether the prophecy requires literal permanent uninhabitation or describes the national end of Edom as a people.
- Theological theme: God's judgment on persistent pride and cruelty; the certainty of divine retribution against those who harm God's people.
- Best use: As a sobering example of the finality of judgment, or as a proof-text for the canonical pattern of divine justice against covenant-breakers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown along with their neighbors,” says the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there.
WEB World English Bible 2000
As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein.
KJV King James Version 1769
As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith Jehovah, no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
As the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, And its neighbours, said Jehovah, No one doth dwell there, Nor sojourn in her doth a son of man.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and their neighbour cities, saith Jehovah, no one shall dwell there, neither shall a son of man sojourn therein.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
As Sodom was overthrown and Gomorrha, and the neighbours thereof, saith the Lord: there shall not a man dwell there, and there shall no son of man inhabit it.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Como el trastornamiento de Sodoma y de Gomorra, y de sus ciudades vecinas, dice Jehová, no morará allí nadie, ni la habitará hijo de hombre.
Tal como a destruição de Sodoma e de Gomorra, e de suas cidades vizinhas,diz o SENHOR, ninguém habitará ali, nem filho de homem morará nela.
Comme Sodome et Gomorrhe et les villes voisines, qui furent détruites,
gleichwie Sodom und Gomorra samt ihren Nachbarn umgekehrt ist, spricht der HERR, daß niemand daselbst wohnen noch kein Mensch darin hausen soll.
Gelijk de omkering van Sodom en Gomorra en haar naburen, zal het zijn, zegt de HEERE; niemand zal daar wonen, en geen mensenkind daarin verkeren.
Come avvenne al sovvertimento di Sodoma di Gomorra e di tutte le città a loro vicine, dice l’Eterno, nessuno più abiterà quivi, non vi dimorerà più alcun figliuol d’uomo.
Jako podwrócona jest Sodoma i Gomora z przyległościami swojemi, mówi Pan, tak się tam nikt nie osadzi, ani w niej syn człowieczy mieszkać będzie.
Как ниспровергнуты Содом и Гоморра и соседние города их, говорит Господь, так и там ни один человек не будет жить, и сын человеческий не остановится в нем.
耶和華 說：必無 人 住 在那裡，也無 人 在其中 寄居，要像所多瑪、蛾摩拉，和鄰近 的城邑傾覆的時候一樣。
As at the downfall of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbouring towns, says the Lord, no man will be living in it, no son of man will have a resting-place there.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 49:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that verse 18 predicts the end of Edom as a distinct people, not necessarily an eternally empty landscape. Calvin stresses that “none of the Idumeans would survive to possess the land, so as to become a nation”; later inhabitants such as a Roman garrison are irrelevant to the prophecy's target. Gill specifies “no Idumean should inhabit it; otherwise those who conquered it should, and doubtless did.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown similarly notes “no man shall abide there, that is, of the Idumeans. The Romans had a garrison there.” Clarke takes a more absolute reading, “so desolate as not to be habitable”, but even he allows that travelers might lodge overnight. The common thread: the overthrow is total for Edom's national identity. The comparison to Sodom is chosen because it was the Old Testament's paradigm for irreversible, divine destruction. On the question of literal depopulation vs. national extinction, the consensus leans toward the latter: the land may have been reoccupied by others, but Edom as a people was swept away forever.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Permanent uninhabitation: The literal wording 'no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man sojourn therein,' supported by Clarke's statement that the land would be 'so desolate as not to be habitable.'
- National end for Edom: The prophecy targets Edom's survival as a people, not the permanent emptiness of the territory; Calvin and Gill note later non-Edomite habitation (e.g., Roman garrison).
What is clear: Edom will suffer a judgment as complete and irreversible as that of Sodom and Gomorrah, ending its existence as a nation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Literal permanent uninhabitation vs. national extinction | The verse pronounces total and irreversible destruction on Edom, using Sodom as the ultimate example of divine judgment. | Some traditions (e.g., Clarke, reading the plain sense) take it as a permanent physical desolation; others (Calvin, Gill) stress that the prophecy targeted Edom's national survival, allowing later settlement by non-Edomites. |
| Edom's final end in history | Edom disappeared as a distinct nation by the first century AD, fulfilling the prophecy's core. | The exact timing and manner of disappearance is debated; some see fulfillment in the Nabatean takeover (c. 4th century BC), others in the Jewish Hasmonean conquest (c. 125 BC). |
| Relationship to Obadiah | Jeremiah 49:14, 16 shares material with Obadiah 1, 4, indicating a common prophetic tradition or literary dependence. | Scholars differ on priority: some hold Obadiah as the source, others that both draw from an older oracle. The Cambridge Bible notes that Jeremiah's version avoids references to Jerusalem's fall, suggesting caution in dating. |
| Identity of 'its neighbor cities' | The neighbor cities are likely Admah and Zeboiim, mentioned in Deuteronomy 29:23 as part of the same judgment. | A minority view holds that the phrase refers generally to the other cities of the plain destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah, without naming them specifically. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 49:18 sits within an oracle against Edom (49:7, 22), a nation that shared a close kinship with Israel through the patriarchs Esau and Jacob. Despite this bond, Edom repeatedly acted as an enemy, most memorably, according to Obadiah and Psalm 137, cheering the fall of Jerusalem and slaughtering refugees. This historical grievance gave the prophet's pronouncements an edge of bitter justice. The verse compares Edom's fate to the “overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbor cities”, likely Admah and Zeboiim, named in Deuteronomy 29:23. Those cities were obliterated by fire from heaven and turned into a perpetually barren, salt-encrusted region around the Dead Sea.
Edom's own geography made the comparison jarring. The Edomites lived in the high, rocky wilderness of Seir, with fortresses like Bozrah and Sela carved into cliffs that seemed impregnable (v.16). The prophet's image of a lion from the Jordan thicket (v.19) suggests an invasion from the north, a route that bypasses Edom's natural defenses. The oracle shares language with Obadiah, verses 14, 16 correspond closely to Obadiah 1, 4, suggesting either that Jeremiah drew on an older prophecy or that both were shaped by a common source. The Cambridge Bible notes that the bitterness of the tone reflects a post-exilic setting where Edom's treachery was still fresh. In any case, the oracle's message is clear: no amount of pride, rock walls, or eagle-high nests could shield Edom from the same kind of wrath that fell on Sodom.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 49:18. The verse is stable across the major manuscript traditions, with only minor differences in prepositions or conjunctive particles (e.g., the BSB omits “and” before “its neighbor cities”). These do not affect the meaning.
Reception History
Jeremiah 49:18 has been read across Christian history as a vivid illustration of God's final judgment. Early church fathers such as Tertullian and Jerome used the Sodom comparison to argue for the reality of eternal punishment for the unrepentant, though they typically applied the verse to Edom's historical fate rather than to individual eschatology. Medieval commentators, including the Glossa Ordinaria, treated Edom as a type of the reprobate, with the desolation symbolizing the soul abandoned by grace. Reformation-era writers like Calvin and Luther kept the interpretation grounded in history, emphasizing that the prophecy was fulfilled in the extinction of the Edomites. In modern preaching, the verse is often cited alongside Isaiah 13 and Deuteronomy 29 to demonstrate the biblical pattern of divine judgment described through the Sodom motif. Its stark language also appears in hymns about judgment, such as ones that speak of “overthrow” and “desolation,” though specific hymn texts are not directly traceable to this single verse.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Pride invites total collapse. Edom’s confidence in its mountain fortress and perceived wisdom (v.7) deceived it into thinking judgment would never come. The same pride that blinded the cities of the plain blinds nations and individuals today.
- God’s judgment follows the pattern of Sodom. The Sodom comparison is not exaggeration; it is a template for irreversible divine action. When God sets a judgment in motion, its effects cannot be reversed by human effort or political alliance.
- National identity can be permanently erased. The prophecy was fulfilled: after the exile, Edomites gradually disappeared from history, replaced by Nabateans, then Romans. A people that once boasted of its ancient lineage became a cautionary tale. This is a sobering reminder that God’s patience has limits when evil becomes entrenched.
Five-point outline
- God summons the nations against Edom (vv.14, 15).
- Edom’s pride and idolatry are exposed as the root cause (v.16).
- The land will become an astonishment and a mockery (v.17).
- Total desolation is guaranteed by the Sodom analogy (v.18).
- No one will escape; the destruction is final (vv.19, 22).
Illustration hooks
- A once-thriving company town where the factory closed and everyone left, not because the buildings fell, but because the community identity dissolved. The place still exists on a map, but the people who made it what it was are gone.
- A family farm that passed out of the family after generations. The land is still farmed by new hands, but the original name, memory and legacy vanished as completely as if the soil itself had been salted.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean God can wipe out a whole nation today? How do we understand God’s judgment on modern countries?
- If Edom’s judgment was so final, why does Scripture also speak of a remnant being saved (Amos 9:12)? How do we reconcile total judgment with hope?
- How does this apply to us as individuals? Are we safe from God’s judgment just because we are not as obvious sinners as Edom or Sodom?
Leading a Discussion
This verse uses the most famous example of divine judgment in the Old Testament to underscore the finality of Edom's destruction. As you study, note how the prophet pairs two Hebrew verbs, “dwell” (יָשַׁב) and “sojourn” (יָגוּר), to exclude even temporary residence. The land would not just be empty; it would be an anti-habitation. Keep in mind that later history saw the area resettled by others, so the prophecy focuses on Edom's national disappearance rather than a literal, endless wasteland.
Discussion questions
- What does the comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah tell you about the severity of God’s judgment on Edom? Why did the prophet choose these cities instead of others?
- Verse 16 says pride deceived Edom. In what ways do individuals or groups today deceive themselves into thinking they are beyond judgment?
- Calvin and Gill both argue that the prophecy was fulfilled when Edomites ceased to exist as a nation, even though others later lived in the area. Does this interpretation change how you understand prophetic language about “utter desolation”?
- The oracle against Edom shares lines with Obadiah. How does the fact that God’s judgment was announced through multiple prophets affect your confidence in its certainty?
- If the land of Edom was not literally empty forever, what does the verse teach us about God’s justice and the nature of historical judgment?
- How should Christians today read a passage that depicts God orchestrating the extinction of a people? What does it reveal about God’s character?
- In light of verse 18, what does it mean for you personally to “dwell” securely? Where does true safety lie?
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)
| Genesis 19:24 | Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky. |
| Genesis 19:25 | He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground. |
| Deuteronomy 29:23 | that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath. |
| Job 18:15 | There will dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur will be scattered on his habitation. |
| Job 18:18 | He will be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. |
| Psalms 11:6 | On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. |
| Isaiah 13:19 | Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. |
| Isaiah 13:22 | Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged. |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws a sharp contrast: travelers might pass through and lodge overnight, but the land will never support settled life again. The utter desolation of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as the measure for God's judgment — a place forever uninhabitable.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that Edom's destruction was as total and irreversible as Sodom and Gomorrah's. Even if individuals or foreign settlers later lived in the land, the Idumeans themselves ceased to exist as a nation with no future restoration. Their calamity was uniquely severe, deserved by their cruel treatment of Israel.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary examines the close parallels between this passage and Obadiah, noting two main scholarly views: both may depend on an older prophecy, or Obadiah represents the original work later expanded. The bitterness against Edom stems from the kinship bond between the two nations, making Edom's gloating over Judah's fall especially offensive.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes that Edom's destruction will match Sodom and Gomorrah in its completeness. Just as those cities were overthrown with their surrounding areas, Edom will become permanently uninhabitable, with no one dwelling or staying there.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Edom's destruction will be as total and sudden as Sodom and Gomorrah's, leaving the land uninhabitable for any Edomite. He notes a subtle distinction: the curse applies to the original inhabitants, not to the foreign conquerors who later settle there, and draws an allusion to the Dead Sea as a picture of this permanent desolation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB specifies that the prophecy of no one dwelling there applies to the Idumeans, not to all people in every age. The Romans later stationed a garrison in that territory, so the land was not literally empty; it meant the Edomites themselves would no longer inhabit it.