Jeremiah 22 10

Jeremiah 22:10 kjv

Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

Jeremiah 22:10 nkjv

Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him; Weep bitterly for him who goes away, For he shall return no more, Nor see his native country.

Jeremiah 22:10 niv

Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss; rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled, because he will never return nor see his native land again.

Jeremiah 22:10 esv

Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land.

Jeremiah 22:10 nlt

Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss.
Instead, weep for the captive king being led away!
For he will never return to see his native land again.

Jeremiah 22 verses

Jeremiah 22 10 Meaning

This verse is a lament and a condemnation concerning Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, and the people who were exiled. It describes their fate and the resulting sorrow.

Jeremiah 22 10 Context

Jeremiah chapter 22 continues the prophecy against the kings of Judah, following the judgments on the nations. This particular passage, verse 10, directly addresses the fate of Shallum (also known as Jehoahaz) and Zedekiah, the kings, and the general populace that would be taken into exile. The prophecy was delivered during a time of severe national crisis for Judah, facing the threat and then the reality of Babylonian conquest. The people were being carried away, and there was likely widespread mourning. Jeremiah's message highlights the divine abandonment due to their unfaithfulness and sin.

Jeremiah 22 10 Word analysis

• Weep ye not for the dead:

  • "Weep ye not" (אַל־תִּבְכּוּ, al-tivkhu): A negative imperative from בָּכָה (bakhah), meaning "to weep" or "to cry." It's a command not to express the usual forms of grief.
  • "for the dead" (עַל־מֵת, al-met): Refers to deceased individuals, in this context, the people being taken into exile, who are metaphorically dead to their homeland.

• neither bemoan him:

  • "neither bemoan him" (וְאַל־תָּלִינוּ עָלָיו, ve'al-talinu alayv): From לוּן (lun), which can mean "to lodge," but in the Niphal or Hiphil conjugation, it can also mean "to complain," "to lament," or "to murmur." Here it carries the sense of prolonged, verbal grief or mourning over a specific person (referring to the king).

• but weep ye sore for him that is gone away:

  • "but weep ye sore" (כִּי־גַּם־בָּכֹ֚ה יִבְכֶּה, ki-gam-bakhōh yivkeh): Emphasizes intense, continuous weeping. The repetition of the root בכה (bakhah) intensifies the meaning of weeping.
  • "for him that is gone away" (אֶת־הַהוֹלֵךְ, et-haholēkh): From הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning "to go" or "to walk." It signifies someone who has departed or is going into exile, away from their homeland.

• for he shall return no more, nor see his native country again:

  • "for he shall return no more" (כִּי־שׁוּב לֹא יָשׁוּב, ki-shuv lo yashuv): The verb שׁוּב (shuv) means "to return" or "to turn back." The absolute negation signifies a permanent departure.
  • "nor see his native country again" (וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה־עוֹד אֶת־אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ, velo-yir'eh-'ōd et-'eretz moledtō): The phrase "eres moledet" (אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ) refers to the land of one's birth, the native country. Seeing it again implies no return to the homeland.

Jeremiah 22 10 Bonus section

The instruction "weep ye not for the dead" can be seen as a form of spiritual insight, differentiating between superficial sorrow and a deeper recognition of the consequences of sin. The permanent exile represents a deeper spiritual death than physical demise in one's homeland. This anticipates the NT teaching that some forms of spiritual death and separation from God are more devastating than physical death. Jesus' instruction to the women of Jerusalem in Luke 23:28, "weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children," echoes a similar sentiment of directing grief towards the more profound consequences of sin and judgment.

Jeremiah 22 10 Commentary

Jeremiah declares that the traditional expressions of mourning are to be withheld for those who have been deported because their departure is not like an ordinary death. For Shallum/Jehoahaz, who was taken captive by Pharaoh Necho and died in exile in Egypt (2 Kings 23:34), and by implication for Zedekiah and the others taken to Babylon, their going away into exile is a more profound and permanent loss than a simple death. They are permanently severed from their land and heritage, unable to return. Therefore, the lament should be directed towards the profound, ongoing reality of their exile and permanent separation from the covenant land, rather than the specific instance of death itself. This underscores the severity of God's judgment, which extends beyond physical death to a spiritual and national disconnection. The weeping should be for the consequence of their sins—the irreversible loss of their homeland.