Jeremiah 22:18 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 22:18 kjv
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
Jeremiah 22:18 nkjv
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "They shall not lament for him, Saying, 'Alas, my brother!' or 'Alas, my sister!' They shall not lament for him, Saying, 'Alas, master!' or 'Alas, his glory!'
Jeremiah 22:18 niv
Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: "They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!' They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!'
Jeremiah 22:18 esv
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Ah, my brother!' or 'Ah, sister!' They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Ah, lord!' or 'Ah, his majesty!'
Jeremiah 22:18 nlt
Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah: "The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another,
'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!'
His subjects will not mourn for him, crying,
'Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!'
Jeremiah 22 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 22:19 | "He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey..." | Directly continues the prophecy, describing his disgraceful disposal. |
| Jer 36:30 | "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah..." | Prophesies Jehoiakim will have no one to sit on David's throne and his body exposed. |
| 2 Chr 35:24-25 | "All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah." | Contrasts the widespread lament for righteous Josiah. |
| Jer 8:2 | "...they shall not be lamented or gathered or buried." | General prophecy of unmourned deaths as a sign of judgment. |
| Jer 16:4 | "They shall die of deadly diseases... they shall not be mourned." | Prophecy against the people for their idolatry, mirroring the king's fate. |
| Jer 25:33 | "And those pierced by the LORD on that day..." | The slain by the LORD will be unmourned across the earth. |
| Jer 26:23 | "He was killed with the sword and cast into the graves of the common people." | Fate of another prophet executed by Jehoiakim, though for different reasons. |
| 1 Ki 13:28-29 | "And he laid his corpse in his own grave. And they lamented over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’" | Example of "Alas, my brother" lament for the man of God, even by his killer. |
| Amos 8:10 | "I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation." | Prophecy of divine judgment turning joy into sorrow and lamentation. |
| Isa 14:18-20 | "All the kings of the nations, all of them... have lain in glory, each in his own tomb; but you are cast out, unburied..." | Judgment against the king of Babylon, unburied, deprived of royal honor. |
| Ps 79:3 | "They have poured out their blood... with none to bury them." | Lament for God's people suffering judgment with no burial rites. |
| Eccl 6:3 | "If a man fathers a hundred children... yet he has no burial..." | Highlights the perceived misfortune of not having a proper burial. |
| Prov 10:7 | "The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot." | Reinforces the lasting shame of unrighteousness versus lasting honor. |
| 2 Sam 1:17 | "And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan." | Example of a profound royal lament by David for Saul and Jonathan. |
| Lk 23:27-28 | "And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting him. But Jesus turning to them said..." | Jesus directs sorrow away from Him to their own future suffering. |
| Zech 12:10 | "...they will look on me whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child..." | Prophecy of future national lament for the pierced Messiah. |
| Matt 27:57-58 | "When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph... He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus." | Jesus, though executed as a criminal, received a burial, contrasting Jehoiakim. |
| Acts 8:2 | "Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him." | Example of significant mourning for a righteous man. |
| Rev 11:9 | "Nor will their bodies be laid in a tomb." | Refusal of burial for the two witnesses, signaling great contempt. |
| Ezek 19:10-14 | "Your mother was like a vine... but she was plucked up in fury..." | Lament over the demise of the Judean kingship, foreshadowing the fate. |
| Jer 7:32-33 | "So that it will no longer be called Topheth... but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth because there is no room elsewhere." | Future dire conditions where dead bodies would not even be properly buried. |
| Ps 34:16 | "The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth." | Divine judgment includes removing remembrance, aligning with the lack of lament. |
Jeremiah 22 verses
Jeremiah 22 18 meaning
Jeremiah 22:18 pronounces a divine judgment specifically against King Jehoiakim of Judah. It foretells that upon his death, there will be no traditional or customary mourning. Neither the deeply personal, familial lament of "Alas, my brother!" or "Alas, my sister!" nor the public, reverential lament of "Alas, lord!" or "Alas, his majesty!" will be offered for him. This complete absence of lament signifies his unworthiness, the ignominy of his end, and the divine rejection of his reign and character, standing in stark contrast to the mourning expected for a respected ruler.
Jeremiah 22 18 Context
Jeremiah 22 focuses on the LORD's judgment against the kings of Judah who succeeded Josiah, specifically Shallum (Jehoahaz), Jehoiakim, and Coniah (Jehoiachin). This chapter acts as a divine challenge to their unrighteous reigns. Jeremiah 22:18, specifically about Jehoiakim, follows a harsh rebuke (Jer 22:13-17) that directly contrasts his opulent, unjust, and self-serving rule with the righteous reign of his father, Josiah, who cared for the poor and administered justice (Jer 22:15-16). Jehoiakim ascended to the throne as a puppet king installed by Pharaoh Necho II after Josiah's death. His reign (609-598 BC) was characterized by heavy taxation, forced labor, and idolatry. He showed extreme disdain for God's word, famously burning Jeremiah's prophetic scroll (Jer 36). In ancient Near Eastern culture, a proper burial and elaborate public mourning rites were crucial for a king's honor, legacy, and perceived divine favor. To be denied such mourning was the ultimate humiliation and a clear sign of divine rejection.
Jeremiah 22 18 Word analysis
- Therefore thus says the LORD: (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, Koh amar Yahweh) A classic, authoritative prophetic formula indicating a direct divine oracle. It underscores that this pronouncement is not Jeremiah's personal opinion but a binding word from God.
- concerning Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah: (עַל־יְהוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, ‘al-Yehowyaqim ben Yoshıyahu melekh Yehudah) Identifies the specific target of the prophecy. Highlighting him as "son of Josiah" serves as a stark reminder of his father's righteous reign, emphasizing Jehoiakim's profound failure and degeneracy in contrast. Jehoiakim (Yehowyaqim) means "Yahweh raises up," ironic given his downfall.
- They shall not lament for him, saying, (לֹא יִסְפְּדוּ לוֹ הֽוֹי־אָחִי, Lo yisphədu lo Hoy-’achi)
- lament (סָפַד, safad): To beat the breast, to mourn audibly with wailing and sorrow. This verb implies a formal, ritualized expression of grief common in ancient funerals. Its absolute denial signifies a total absence of honor.
- ‘Alas, my brother!’ (הוֹי־אָחִי, Hoy-’achi) This is a deeply personal and familial lament, usually expressed by a close relative or a fellow Israelite, suggesting a bond of kinship or national solidarity. Its denial means no one will mourn him as a fellow man or countryman, implying no personal attachment or sympathy.
- or ‘Alas, my sister!’ (וְהוֹי אָחוֹת, weHoy ’achot) Further emphasizes the absence of personal, kinship mourning, often referring to close familial ties or a poignant expression of grief over any person of Judah, even figuratively.
- They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, lord!’ (הוֹי אָדוֹן, Hoy ’adon)
- ‘Alas, lord!’ (Hoy ’adon): This is a formal lament used for a master, superior, or a respected figure, especially a king. Its denial indicates a rejection of his authority and dignity, even by his subjects or court.
- or ‘Alas, his majesty!’ (וְהוֹי הֹדֹו, weHoy hodo)
- ‘Alas, his majesty!’ (Hoy hodo): Refers to the king's glory, splendor, or imperial dignity. This specific lament is typically reserved for monarchs and expresses regret over the loss of royal magnificence and authority. Its denial signifies that Jehoiakim's reign will end in disgrace, utterly devoid of the royal respect usually accorded to a deceased king, implying his glory will vanish.
Jeremiah 22 18 Bonus section
The specific prophecy in Jer 22:18-19 finds its historical fulfillment, indicating the severity of God's word. Jehoiakim did not receive a proper royal burial; instead, he died a contemptible death, his body cast out unceremoniously, perhaps even exposed to the elements or dragged outside Jerusalem, like a donkey (Jer 22:19, 36:30). This particular judgment regarding burial and lamentation was a deeply profound insult in ancient Near Eastern society, considered one of the worst fates, signifying utter contempt and rejection, effectively erasing a king's legacy in shame. The detailed nature of the denied laments highlights the comprehensiveness of this judgment, covering every imaginable sphere of human grieving—from the common people's sorrow to the elite's formal tributes. It implicitly teaches that a king's 'glory' (הֹדֹו) is ultimately in God's hands, not in human praise or power.
Jeremiah 22 18 Commentary
Jeremiah 22:18 delivers a cutting and absolute divine decree, serving as an indictment against King Jehoiakim's unrighteous leadership. By denying him any form of lament—from the intimate cries of family and countrymen to the formal eulogies for a sovereign—God strips him of every vestige of honor, both personal and regal. This judgment underscores that true royalty is not defined by power or pomp, but by righteousness and justice, a lesson Jegoakim utterly failed to learn from his father, Josiah. His lack of concern for justice and the oppressed sealed his fate, leading to an ignominious end that mirrored his corrupted life. The prophecy emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty over even the mightiest kings, demonstrating that earthly status and traditional observances are nullified in the face of divine judgment against profound wickedness. This warning served not only Jehoiakim but also subsequent Judean leadership, though largely unheeded. The consequence is clear: a life lived in injustice leads to a death without honor, abandoned by both God and man.
- Example 1: A leader prioritizing personal wealth over national well-being might face public scorn and disinterest, reflecting Jehoiakim's lack of true respect.
- Example 2: An individual consistently mistreating family members or colleagues might find themselves isolated in times of need, without the deep bonds required for genuine lament.