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

Jeremiah 22:20 is a prophetic lament and a divine summons for Judah, personified as an unfaithful woman or the city of Jerusalem, to mourn its impending and inescapable judgment. The verse calls for this lamentation to echo across the significant geographical boundaries of the land – from the northern mountains of Lebanon, through the eastern highlands of Bashan, and from the observation points of Abarim in the east. The reason for this widespread cry of despair is stated unequivocally: "for all your lovers are crushed," meaning the political and military alliances that Judah pursued instead of God have utterly failed and are themselves ruined, leaving Judah abandoned and exposed to divine wrath.

Jeremiah 22 20 Context

Jeremiah 22 falls within a section of Jeremiah (chapters 21-23) that primarily contains prophecies concerning the kings of Judah. Specifically, prior verses (22:1-19) deliver scathing denunciations and judgments against Shallum (Jehoahaz) and Jehoiakim, condemning their unjust reigns, covetousness, and oppression of the people, contrasting them with the righteous reign of Josiah. Verse 20 marks a shift from specific royal condemnations to a broader, direct address to Judah or Jerusalem itself, personifying the nation as a harlot who has betrayed God for foreign alliances. Historically, Judah, at this time, was caught between the waning power of Egypt and the rising might of Babylon, constantly vacillating in its political allegiances. Jeremiah 22:20 is set against this backdrop of Judah's persistent refusal to trust in God alone, instead making treaties with surrounding nations, which ultimately proved to be "broken cisterns" (Jer 2:13) that offered no lasting security. The verse anticipates the severe judgment of exile and destruction that will leave the nation utterly bereft and abandoned by its so-called "lovers."

Jeremiah 22 20 Word analysis

• Go up (עֲלִי, 'alî): This is an imperative verb, feminine singular, addressing Judah/Jerusalem as a woman. It implies urgency and a command to ascend to high, prominent locations, suggesting that the lamentation is to be made publicly and widely visible across the land, symbolizing a universally acknowledged catastrophe.

• Lebanon (לְבָנוֹן, ləbhā́nōn): A mountain range forming Judah's northern border. Known for its majestic cedar forests (Isa 2:13), often symbolizing strength, pride, or human glory. To "go up to Lebanon" to cry out signifies reaching the utmost northern extent of the land, an important political and natural boundary, indicating the comprehensive scope of the impending distress.

• cry out (צְעָקִי, tsə'āqî): Another feminine singular imperative verb, meaning to wail, lament, or scream in anguish. The repetition of this command (implied by "raise your voice," and another explicit "cry out") emphasizes the intense, public nature of the grief and distress. It's not a whisper but a loud, unrestrained expression of sorrow.

• raise your voice (תְּנִי קוֹלֵךְ, tənî qôléḵ): A more emphatic expression for wailing, often used for public proclamations or expressions of intense emotion. It serves to intensify the command to "cry out."

• Bashan (בָּשָׁן, bāshān): A fertile plateau region east of the Jordan River, famous for its strong bulls (Psa 22:12), majestic oak trees (Isa 2:13), and rich pastures. Geographically significant, it represents another extreme boundary of the perceived promised land or sphere of influence. The call to cry out here broadens the reach of the lament to the eastern frontier, emphasizing its omnipresence.

• Abarim (עֲבָרִים, 'abhārîm): A mountain range in Moab, east of the Jordan River, associated with Mount Nebo from which Moses viewed the Promised Land (Num 27:12). This location marks the easternmost point of significant geographical reference within the traditional understanding of the lands relevant to Israel. Crying from Abarim completes the geographical sweep, signifying that no corner of the land, from north to far east, will escape the impact of Judah’s judgment.

• for all your lovers (כִּי נִשְׁמְדוּ כָּל־מְאַהֲבָיִךְ, kî nišməḏû kol-mə’ahǎḇayīḵ): This crucial clause provides the reason for the widespread lamentation.

  • for (כִּי, kî): A causal conjunction, meaning "because" or "for this reason."
  • all your lovers (כָּל־מְאַהֲבָיִךְ, kol-mə’ahǎḇayīḵ): The Hebrew term מְאַהֲבָיִךְ (mə’ahǎḇayīḵ) literally means "those who love you." In the prophetic context, particularly in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, "lovers" is a metaphorical term referring to the foreign nations with whom Israel/Judah forged political and military alliances, effectively trusting them more than Yahweh. These included powerful entities like Egypt, Assyria, or even Babylon at different times. The phrase exposes Judah's spiritual idolatry in prioritizing human security over divine covenant.
  • are crushed (נִשְׁמְדוּ, nišməḏû): This is a Pual perfect verb from שָׁמַד (shāmad), meaning to be utterly destroyed, ruined, desolate, or annihilated. The passive voice implies that these "lovers" themselves have suffered devastating defeat or ruin, making them incapable of offering help. This emphasizes the folly of Judah's misplaced trust – their supposed saviors are themselves utterly vanquished.

• Go up to Lebanon and cry out, and raise your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim: This geographical litany highlights the complete and inescapable nature of the impending disaster. The sorrow is not confined to Jerusalem but extends to the very edges of the known world for Judah. The journey across these distant points implies that the message of judgment is a public, universal, and undeniable truth for the nation. It is a metaphorical procession of despair, marking the whole land for lamentation.

• for all your lovers are crushed: This phrase is the heart of the lament. It reveals the utter bankruptcy of Judah’s chosen strategy. Their faithlessness, expressed by pursuing alliances with nations (Egypt, Assyria, etc.) rather than God, has left them desolate. The crushing of these "lovers" implies that these nations themselves are either militarily defeated, strategically neutralized, or have turned against Judah, leaving them exposed and friendless. This is a powerful indictment of misplaced trust and a stark depiction of divine retribution.

Jeremiah 22 20 Bonus section

The geographical references (Lebanon, Bashan, Abarim) serve multiple literary and theological purposes beyond simply denoting extensive territory. They imply a full compass, from west (by implication, though not named, as Lebanon is usually approached from the west or north) to north, and east. This breadth is meant to amplify the horror and scope of the judgment, signaling that no corner of the land will be untouched by the impending disaster. The prophet often uses the land itself to underscore the spiritual state of the people. Furthermore, the selection of these high places ironically turns sites associated with majesty, fertility, or panoramic views into pulpits for public mourning, flipping their symbolic meaning from pride to pathos. This prophetic declaration echoes God's lament over Jerusalem's unfaithfulness, framing it as an exposed act of spiritual harlotry visible to all. The powerful personification of Judah as a disgraced woman whose unfaithful "lovers" cannot save her serves as a potent reminder of the exclusive covenant God desired with His people.

Jeremiah 22 20 Commentary

Jeremiah 22:20 is a profound prophetic cry announcing the widespread desolation and judgment facing Judah. Through vivid geographical imagery, God, speaking through Jeremiah, commands the nation, personified as a grieving woman, to proclaim her sorrow from its northernmost (Lebanon) to its easternmost (Bashan, Abarim) extremities. This "tour" of lament signifies that the calamity is universal and inescapable, affecting every part of the land and its people. The root cause of this national wailing is revealed: "all your lovers are crushed." These "lovers" represent the foreign political alliances Judah sought with nations like Egypt or Assyria, to which she spiritually prostituted herself instead of trusting in the Lord. Their "crushing" means these perceived allies have themselves been defeated, rendered powerless, or proven treacherous, thus utterly failing Judah in her hour of need. The verse dramatically highlights the folly and fatal consequences of abandoning divine covenant for human, transient security, leaving Judah not only bereft of her true protector but also deserted and ruined by her false dependencies.