Jeremiah 22 20

Jeremiah 22:20 kjv

Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.

Jeremiah 22:20 nkjv

"Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry from Abarim, For all your lovers are destroyed.

Jeremiah 22:20 niv

"Go up to Lebanon and cry out, let your voice be heard in Bashan, cry out from Abarim, for all your allies are crushed.

Jeremiah 22:20 esv

"Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed.

Jeremiah 22:20 nlt

Weep for your allies in Lebanon.
Shout for them in Bashan.
Search for them in the regions east of the river.
See, they are all destroyed.
Not one is left to help you.

Jeremiah 22 verses

Jeremiah 22 20 Meaning

This verse signifies a plea to God concerning the desolation and abandonment of Zion and Jerusalem. It highlights the ongoing suffering and the perception that God has forgotten His people and His land. It’s an expression of deep lament and a cry for divine intervention and remembrance in a time of great distress.

Jeremiah 22 20 Context

Jeremiah chapter 22 addresses the kings of Judah, specifically focusing on Jehoiakim and his corrupt leadership. This chapter details prophecies of doom and destruction that will befall Jerusalem and its inhabitants due to their persistent sinfulness, idolatry, and injustice. Verse 19, immediately preceding this one, speaks of the ignominious burial of Jehoiakim. Verse 20, therefore, arises in the wake of this judgment upon the king, reflecting the dire situation of the nation, which is presented as vulnerable and seemingly forgotten by God, leading to a lamentation. The broader context is the impending Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of Judah's unfaithfulness.

Jeremiah 22 20 Word Analysis

• "Sorrow" (tsarah - צָרָה): Literally means distress, adversity, affliction, trouble, or anxiety. It captures a deep sense of pain and suffering.
• "Is heard" (nishme'ah - נִשְׁמְעָה): From the root shama (שָׁמַע), meaning to hear, listen, or obey. Here it signifies that the sound or report of Zion's distress reaches someone, or that the people themselves are heard crying out.
• "Her crying" (ze'akah - זְעָקָה): Denotes a loud cry, a shriek, or a cry of distress or alarm. It is a sound of intense suffering.
• "Cry" (tsad'aqah - צַעֲקָה): Similar to ze'akah, emphasizing a cry, especially a cry for help or out of pain. The repetition highlights the intensity of their suffering and appeals.
• "In Jerusalem" (birushalayim - בִּירוּשָׁלָיִם): Specifically points to the capital city, the center of religious and political life, making its distress particularly poignant.
• "Hath blown" (hapan - הָפַן): The word here is yafeṣ (יָפֵץ), which means to scatter, disperse, or spread abroad. The sense is that distress has been widely spread over Jerusalem.
• "Trumpet" (shofar - שׁוֹפָר): A ram's horn, often used for warning, signaling, or calling to arms. The sound implies imminent danger or a call for alertness to the calamity.
• "Of lamentation" (tza'aq - צַעַק): Reinforces the idea of crying or lament. The combined imagery of blowing a trumpet of lamentation conveys a widespread, official, and dire warning of impending doom and mourning.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Zion's sorrow is heard": This phrase depicts the pervasive suffering of God's people and their city, suggesting their distress is not only felt but also noticeable or audible to others, and perhaps even to God.
• "Hath blown the trumpet of lamentation": This metaphor indicates a public and urgent declaration of deep mourning and impending disaster. It signals that the situation has become so dire that it is announced as a period of widespread grief and peril.

Jeremiah 22 20 Bonus Section

This verse employs personification, giving Zion the ability to express sorrow and cause a trumpet of lamentation to be blown. It reflects a deep theological understanding of national identity and shared suffering under God's covenant. The cry is not merely personal but representative of the entire community. This plea echoes many of the Psalms of lament, highlighting a biblical pattern of honest expression of pain to God in times of trial. The concept of God seeming to "forget" or "hide His face" is a common theme in the Old Testament, serving as a prelude to God's actions of remembrance and deliverance. It speaks to the human perception of divine absence during difficult times, yet implicitly trusts that God will, in His time, respond to His people's distress.

Jeremiah 22 20 Commentary

The verse expresses a profound sense of despair and abandonment. Zion (representing Jerusalem and its people) is described as being in deep sorrow, with its cry for help being heard. The trumpet of lamentation blown across the city signifies public mourning and the recognition of extreme peril, suggesting that the national situation is dire, potentially leading into or during exile. This lament reflects a spiritual condition where the people feel God has turned away. However, prophetic language often uses such expressions of current suffering to contrast with future hope and restoration, calling God to remember His promises despite the apparent forsakenness. The verse is a poignant cry from the heart of a suffering nation, a cry that resonates throughout Scripture in moments of collective despair, ultimately pointing towards God's faithfulness and eventual intervention.