Chapter 49 – FAMILIA MUNDIAL
1 [1] Milcom: chief god of the Ammonites. The Transjordan tribe of Gad bordered on Ammon, and after the collapse of the northern kingdom the Ammonites occupied its territory.
2 [2] Rabbah of the Ammonites: or Rabbath-Ammon, capital of the Ammonite kingdom. The modern Amman is the capital of the kingdom of Jordan.
3 [7-22] Edom: this implacable enemy from ancient times profited from Judah’s downfall; cf Ob 11f.
4 [7] Teman: a district of Edom, used here for the whole country; it was famous for its wise men; cf ⇒ Job 2:11.
5 [8] Esau: Jacob’s brother, the traditional ancestor of the Edomites; cf Genesis 36.
6 [13] Bozrah: capital of Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea.
7 [23] Hamath and Arpad: independent Aramean states to the north of Damascus; the invasion is conceived as coming from the north. The situation is of the eighth century B.C. Cf ⇒ Isaiah 10:9-10.
8 [27] The palaces of Ben-hadad: the royal palaces in Damascus where at least three kings bore this name; cf ⇒ 1 Kings 15:18; 20.
9 [34] Elam: the ancient kingdom to the east of Babylonia.