Jeremiah 22:6 kjv
For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.
Jeremiah 22:6 nkjv
For thus says the LORD to the house of the king of Judah: "You are Gilead to Me, The head of Lebanon; Yet I surely will make you a wilderness, Cities which are not inhabited.
Jeremiah 22:6 niv
For this is what the LORD says about the palace of the king of Judah: "Though you are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a wasteland, like towns not inhabited.
Jeremiah 22:6 esv
For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: "'You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.
Jeremiah 22:6 nlt
Now this is what the LORD says concerning Judah's royal palace: "I love you as much as fruitful Gilead
and the green forests of Lebanon.
But I will turn you into a desert,
with no one living within your walls.
Jeremiah 22 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 22 | "...I will make you like Gilead, like the head of Lebanon..." | Jer 22:6 (Base Verse) |
| Jeremiah 2 | "Is Israel a slave, or a homeborn servant? Why has he become a spoil?" | Jer 2:14 (Abuse of God's bounty) |
| Jeremiah 7 | "Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers...?" | Jer 7:11 (Corruption within the house) |
| Isaiah 5 | "The Lord Almighty will be exalted in righteous judgment, and the holy God will display his holiness in righteousness." | Isa 5:16 (Judgment for unrighteousness) |
| Micah 2 | "Woe to those who scheme and plot on their beds, who carry out their wicked intents at the morning light because their hands are strong." | Mic 2:1 (Specific wickedness) |
| Ezekiel 26 | "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Look, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, from the north, is about to attack Tyre..." | Ezek 26:7 (Judgment on proud cities) |
| Psalms 37 | "For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." | Psa 37:9 (Fate of the wicked) |
| Romans 2 | "God will repay each person according to what they have done." | Rom 2:6 (Divine retribution) |
| Galatians 6 | "A man reaps what he sows." | Gal 6:7 (Consequences of actions) |
| Revelation 18 | "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues." | Rev 18:4 (Call to separation) |
| 1 Corinthians 10 | "We must not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did..." | 1 Cor 10:8 (Consequences of sin) |
| Jeremiah 17 | "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablets of their hearts..." | Jer 17:1 (Iniquity's depth) |
| Jeremiah 18 | "He who troubles his own household will inherit the wind..." | Jer 18:6 (Consequences of domestic iniquity) |
| Deuteronomy 28 | "The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind." | Deut 28:28 (Curses for disobedience) |
| Amos 6 | "Woe to those who are complacent in Zion..." | Amos 6:1 (Judgment for complacency) |
| Nahum 3 | "Woe to you, O city of bloodshed..." | Nah 3:1 (Judgment on wicked cities) |
| Zephaniah 1 | "I will sweep away everything from the face of the land,' declares the Lord." | Zeph 1:2 (Total destruction) |
| Isaiah 3 | "The Lord is about to enter into judgment with the elders and leaders of his people." | Isa 3:14 (Judgment on leaders) |
| Jeremiah 4 | "O Lord, how long will you hear these cries for help? Will you not judge those who live in my tent?" | Jer 4:14 (God hears pleas) |
| 1 Samuel 15 | "The Lord sent you on a mission..." | 1 Sam 15:1 (Divine commission) |
| Jeremiah 23 | "My heart breaks within me; all my bones shudder. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine..." | Jer 23:9 (Prophetic distress) |
Jeremiah 22 verses
Jeremiah 22 6 Meaning
This verse signifies God's assessment of the royal house of Judah, likening them to Gilead's spacious forest, a place known for its vast timber. God declares this majestic forest, a symbol of their perceived strength and beauty, will be laid waste as a consequence of their iniquity and wickedness.
Jeremiah 22 6 Context
Jeremiah 22 addresses the kings of Judah, particularly Jehoiakim, criticizing their corrupt leadership, injustice, and pride. The preceding verses (22:1-5) call for righteousness in the king and his household. This verse (22:6) directly addresses the royalty, using the imagery of Gilead, a lush forest symbolizing potential and beauty, which will be reduced to desolation. The prophet is conveying God's judgment upon the nation's leadership for their moral and spiritual decay, specifically their oppressive practices and their failure to uphold justice. The impending Babylonian exile looms as the historical backdrop.
Jeremiah 22 6 Word Analysis
כֹּה (koh): "Thus," "So." Indicates the certainty and directness of God's pronouncement.
אָמַר (amar): "Said." The active voice of God's declaration.
יְהוָה (YHWH): The LORD. God's covenant name, emphasizing His relationship and promises towards His people, which His judgment underscores their breach of.
לָךְ (lakh): "To you." Directly addresses the current royal house.
הָיִיתָ (hayita): "You were," "You have been." Refers to their current state and past actions.
כְּגִלְעָד (ke'gilead): "Like Gilead." Gilead was a fertile region, often associated with lush forests and valuable timber. It suggests beauty, strength, and a place of prosperity or prominence.
כְּרֹאשׁ (ke'rosh): "As the head of." Implies being the finest, the most significant part.
לְבָנוֹן (levanon): "Lebanon." The region of Lebanon was famous for its tall, strong cedar trees, symbolizing grandeur, majesty, and beauty.
אִם (im): "If." A conditional particle, but in this context, it emphasizes the impending consequence that will be executed regardless of their perceived standing.
לֹא (lo): "Not." Introduces the negative consequence.
אַכְרִישֶׁךָּ (achrishennukha): "I will make you a wilderness," "I will make you barren," "I will turn you into a wasteland." This is a prophetic form of the verb "to cut off" or "destroy."
וְשַׁמּוֹתִ (veshammoti): "and a ruin," "and desolate." Reinforces the destruction.
Group Analysis: "Like Gilead, like the head of Lebanon": This poetic parallelism elevates the king and the house of Judah to a position of natural beauty and strength, but this very beauty and strength will be the focus of divine judgment because it has been corrupted and misused. It highlights the profound fall that awaits them.
Group Analysis: "If you do not make yourself like Gilead, like the head of Lebanon, I will make you barren and desolate": This is a rhetorical pronouncement of judgment. While phrased as a conditional "if," it's not truly optional. The implied message is: "You should have been fruitful and glorious as Gilead and Lebanon, but because you have not, I will make you barren and desolate." It’s a statement of assured divine action resulting from their failure.
Jeremiah 22 6 Bonus Section
The description of Gilead and Lebanon evokes the natural splendor of the Promised Land, gifted by God. For instance, Psalm 89 likens God's faithfulness to the heavens and mountains. Lebanon’s cedars were even used in the construction of Solomon’s glorious temple (1 Kings 7:2). This makes the imagery of God turning such a place into a barren wilderness even more poignant, as it signifies the inversion of God's intended blessing due to sin. The Hebrew root for "wilderness" or "desolate" in this verse connects to the concept of God's judgment upon a land that has become spiritually unfruitful due to sin.
Jeremiah 22 6 Commentary
Jeremiah 22:6 serves as a severe warning to the kings of Judah. The imagery of Gilead and Lebanon evokes their potential for splendor and prosperity, bestowed by God. However, their wickedness, specifically injustice and oppressive actions described elsewhere in the chapter and in Jeremiah's prophecy, renders them undeserving of such blessings. God pronounces that this natural beauty will be transformed into a wasteland, signifying complete ruin and destruction. This is not a random act of nature but a divine retribution for their failure to govern righteously, thus turning what should have been a source of strength and honor into a symbol of desolation.