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.
Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes (עַל־כֵּן לִבִּי לְמוֹאָב כַּחֲלִלִים יֶהֱמֶה)—The word chalilim (חֲלִילִים) refers to flutes or pipes used in mourning rituals. The heart 'sounds' (hamah, הָמָה—to murmur, roar, moan) like these mournful instruments. God's (or the prophet's) heart resonates with grief like a funeral dirge. This repeats the lament theme from verse 31, intensifying the emotional expression of sorrow over judgment.
Mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres—Kir-heres (Kir-hareseth), Moab's capital, receives special mention again (see v. 31). Because the riches that he hath gotten are perished (עַל־כֵּן יִתְרַת עָשָׂה אָבָדוּ). The Hebrew yitrah (יִתְרָה) means abundance, excess, what remains—accumulated wealth. All Moab's prosperity (asah, עָשָׂה—what they made/acquired) has avad (אָבַד—perished, been destroyed). Temporal wealth proves impermanent under divine judgment.
Historical Context
Pipes (flutes) were standard instruments in ancient Near Eastern funerals and mourning rituals (Matthew 9:23). Their wailing sound accompanied public lamentation. Moab had accumulated significant wealth through agriculture (vineyards), trade routes, and tribute from subject peoples. Archaeological evidence shows Moab's material prosperity during the 8th-7th centuries BC. But Babylon's conquest destroyed this wealth—cities were plundered, populations deported, agricultural land devastated. Material prosperity without covenant relationship with the true God ends in loss.
Questions for Reflection
How does the imagery of mourning pipes express the reality that even necessary judgment grieves God's heart?
What does the perishing of Moab's accumulated riches teach about the temporary nature of wealth not grounded in righteousness?
In what ways might we accumulate 'riches' that could perish if not built on relationship with God?
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Analysis & Commentary
Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes (עַל־כֵּן לִבִּי לְמוֹאָב כַּחֲלִלִים יֶהֱמֶה)—The word chalilim (חֲלִילִים) refers to flutes or pipes used in mourning rituals. The heart 'sounds' (hamah, הָמָה—to murmur, roar, moan) like these mournful instruments. God's (or the prophet's) heart resonates with grief like a funeral dirge. This repeats the lament theme from verse 31, intensifying the emotional expression of sorrow over judgment.
Mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres—Kir-heres (Kir-hareseth), Moab's capital, receives special mention again (see v. 31). Because the riches that he hath gotten are perished (עַל־כֵּן יִתְרַת עָשָׂה אָבָדוּ). The Hebrew yitrah (יִתְרָה) means abundance, excess, what remains—accumulated wealth. All Moab's prosperity (asah, עָשָׂה—what they made/acquired) has avad (אָבַד—perished, been destroyed). Temporal wealth proves impermanent under divine judgment.