Jeremiah 48:6
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
Original Language Analysis
נֻ֖סוּ
Flee
H5127
נֻ֖סוּ
Flee
Strong's:
H5127
Word #:
1 of 6
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
מַלְּט֣וּ
save
H4422
מַלְּט֣וּ
save
Strong's:
H4422
Word #:
2 of 6
properly, to be smooth, i.e., (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth youn
נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם
your lives
H5315
נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם
your lives
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
3 of 6
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה
and be
H1961
וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה
and be
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
4 of 6
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Cross References
Jeremiah 17:6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.Jeremiah 51:6Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.
Historical Context
The Moabite plateau bordered the eastern wilderness, the same desert where Israel wandered for forty years. For prosperous Moabites accustomed to fertile highlands and fortified cities, becoming desert nomads represented complete humiliation. Yet this was God's mercy—survival for those willing to humble themselves.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'cities' (status, reputation, comfort) might God be calling you to flee in order to save your life?
- How does the image of becoming a wilderness shrub challenge cultural values of success and significance?
- When has humiliation been God's path to your preservation?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Flee, save your lives (נֻסוּ מַלְּטוּ נַפְשְׁכֶם nusu maletu nafshechem)—two imperative verbs: nus (flee, escape) and malet (deliver, save). The urgency is unmistakable: abandon everything and run. Be like the heath in the wilderness (וִהְיֶינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵר בַּמִּדְבָּר vihyeynah ka'aro'er bamidbar)—the Hebrew aro'er refers to a scraggly desert shrub, likely juniper or tamarisk, that survives in barren wasteland through deep, hidden roots.
This simile is paradoxical: flee to become like a worthless wilderness plant? The point is survival through humility and obscurity. Better to live as nothing in the desert than to cling to proud cities and perish. Jesus would later echo this principle: 'Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it' (Luke 17:33). Moab must embrace degradation to survive.