Jeremiah 49:1

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 49:1 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Of the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth Malcam possess Gad, and his people well in the cities thereof?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Of the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth Malcam possess Gad, and his people well in the cities thereof?
Jeremiah 49:1 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 49

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1Of the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth Malcam possess Gad, and his people well in the cities thereof?

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the Lord, etc.] Or, “to the Ammonites”f909; or, “against” themf910; it will bear to be rendered either way, and all is true; for what is said by the Lord, as follows, is concerning them, their sins, and their punishment, and is directed to them, and is a threatening against them: hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? certainly he has, and who ought to possess the land; this is to be understood not of the ten tribes, sometimes called Israel, as distinct from the other two; for these had been long ago carried captive, and left no heirs of their tribes; but of all Israel, including the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; who, though their brethren of the ten…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“PREDICTIONS AS TO AMMON, IDUMEA, DAMASCUS, KEDAR, HAZOR, AND ELAM. (Jer. 49:1-39) Hath Israel . . . no heir?--namely, to occupy the land of Gad, after it itself has been carried away captive by Shalmaneser. Ammon, like Moab, descended from Lot, lay north of Moab, from which it was separated by the river Arnon, and east of Reuben and Gad (Jos 13:24-25) on the same side of Jordan. It seized on Gad when Israel was carried captive. Judah was by the right of kindred the heir, not Ammon; but Ammon joined with Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem (Kg2 24:2) and exulted over its fall (Psa 83:4-7-8; Zep 2:8-9). It had already, in the days of Jeroboam, in Israel's affliction, tried to "enlarge…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Hath Israel no sons? - i. e., the Ammonites in seizing Gilead have acted as if the country had no rightful owner. The sons of Israel were to return from captivity, and the land was their hereditary property. Their king - Milcom (and in Jeremiah 49:3), see the margin. The Ammonite god stands for the Ammonites just as Chemosh Jeremiah 48:7 is the equivalent of the Moabites. Inherit - i. e., take possession of. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“No heir - During the long tract of time that there were wars between the Jews and Ammonites, the land of Gad and Reuben which lay beyond Jordan, fell into the hands of the Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. Hence it is that the prophet saith, Hath Israel no sons? God had given that country of Gilead to Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad; and as mens estates ought to descend to their heirs, so this land should have descended to their posterity, but the Ammonites had taken and possessed it. Jeremiah 49:3”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“49:1-6 Ammon was the next nation brought to trial in the Lord’s courtroom. Ammon was the second of Lot’s descendants (see study note on 48:1-47); its territory was north of Moab and east of Israel. The destruction of Ammon occurred shortly after the fall of Jerusalem. 49:1 After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, the Ammonites moved into territory that had been vacated by the tribe of Gad. • The Ammonites worshiped a fertility god named Molech (“ruler”), who was a lot like Baal (“master”).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“am 3421, bc 583 Concerning: or, Against, Jer 49:7, Jer 49:23, Jer 49:28, Jer 48:1 Ammonites: Jer 25:9, Jer 25:21, Jer 27:3; Gen 19:38; Deu 2:19, Deu 23:3; Ch2 20:1, Ch2 20:23; Psa 83:7; Eze 21:28-32, Eze 25:2-10; Amo 1:13-15; Zep 2:8-11 their king: or, Melcom, Jdg 10:7, Jdg 10:8, Jdg 11:13-15; Sa1 11:1-3; Kg2 10:33, Kg2 24:2; Neh 2:19, Neh 4:7; Neh 13:1, Neh 13:2 cities: Psa 9:6 Jeremiah 49:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“"Concerning the children of Ammon, thus saith Jahveh: Hath Israel no sons, or hath he no heir? Why doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? Jer 49:2. Therefore, behold, days are coming, saith Jahveh, when I will cause to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon a war-cry; and it shall become a heap of ruins, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: and Israel shall heir those who heired him, saith Jahveh. Jer 49:3. Howl, O Heshbon! for Ai is laid waste. Cry! ye daughters of Rabbah, gird yourselves with sackcloth; lament, and run up and down among the enclosures: for their king shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together. Jer 49:4. Why…”
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Sources and verification