“For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 48:7 Mean?
"For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together." Moab's judgment targets two false trusts: works (military achievements) and treasures (accumulated wealth). Both fail when God acts. And the final indignity: their god Chemosh — the deity Moab trusted above all — goes into captivity. Not just the people. Their god. Carried off by the conquerors along with his priests and princes. The god who was supposed to protect them is now a prisoner alongside them.
The image of a god going into captivity is the ultimate proof of powerlessness: your deity is now luggage. The conquerors carry him as a trophy, and his priests march beside him in chains.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'Chemosh' are you trusting that would go into captivity with you rather than saving you?
- 2.How does the image of a god being carried as luggage reveal the powerlessness of false worship?
- 3.Where are you trusting in works and treasures instead of the living God?
- 4.What would it look like if your entire 'religious system' was exposed as captive rather than powerful?
Devotional
Your works failed. Your treasures failed. And your god is now a prisoner of war. Jeremiah describes Moab's triple humiliation: everything they trusted — achievement, wealth, religion — collapses simultaneously.
Chemosh goes into captivity. The god of Moab — the deity they sacrificed children to, the divine protector they called upon in every crisis — is carried off as a trophy. Not destroyed. Captured. Made into luggage. The conquerors don't even bother to smash him. They just pack him up and carry him home as a souvenir. The god isn't worth destroying. He's worth displaying as proof that he never had any power.
With his priests and his princes together. The entire religious establishment of Moab marches into exile alongside their captive deity. The priests who served Chemosh. The princes who funded his temples. The whole system — god, clergy, leadership — in chains together. The infrastructure that was supposed to provide protection becomes a procession of prisoners.
Trusted in thy works and in thy treasures. The root cause of the collapse isn't military failure. It's misplaced trust. Moab trusted what they'd built (works) and what they'd accumulated (treasures) instead of the living God. And when the living God sent judgment, the works couldn't fight and the treasures couldn't buy a defense.
The lesson is about what you trust when the crisis arrives. Your works — your accomplishments, your track record, your résumé of achievements? They go when God says go. Your treasures — your savings, your investments, your material security? They're confiscated when the conqueror arrives. Your religion — the god you've been serving, whatever form it takes? If it's not the living God, it's going into captivity with you. Not protecting you. Accompanying you into exile as a fellow prisoner.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For because thou hast trusted in thy works,.... The strong works and fortifications they had made about their cities,…
Works - Possibly the products of labor. The versions render fortifications. Chemosh - As the national god of Moab Num…
We may observe in these verses,
I. The author of Moab's destruction; it is the Lord of hosts, that has armies, all…
in thy works and in thy treasures "works" perhaps meaning results of work, gains. This is suggested by the word…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture