Jeremiah 8 19

Jeremiah 8:19 kjv

Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?

Jeremiah 8:19 nkjv

Listen! The voice, The cry of the daughter of my people From a far country: "Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in her?" "Why have they provoked Me to anger With their carved images? With foreign idols?"

Jeremiah 8:19 niv

Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?" "Why have they aroused my anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?"

Jeremiah 8:19 esv

Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from the length and breadth of the land: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and with their foreign idols?"

Jeremiah 8:19 nlt

Listen to the weeping of my people;
it can be heard all across the land.
"Has the LORD abandoned Jerusalem? " the people ask.
"Is her King no longer there?"
"Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols
and their worthless foreign gods?" says the LORD.

Jeremiah 8 verses

Jeremiah 8 19 Meaning

Jeremiah 8:19 opens with a lament from the exiled or soon-to-be-exiled people of Judah, crying out from a "distant land" in despair and confusion. They question God's presence and kingship in Zion, expressing their profound feeling of abandonment. This desperate inquiry is immediately met with a divine retort, as God explains the root cause of their suffering and His perceived absence: their persistent and rebellious idolatry, which has provoked His righteous anger. The verse captures a painful disconnect: the people see only their plight, while God points directly to their sin as the just reason for it.

Jeremiah 8 19 Context

Jeremiah chapter 8 continues a somber passage where the prophet laments the spiritual blindness and imminent judgment upon Judah. The broader context of chapters 7-10 portrays Jeremiah delivering stern warnings about Jerusalem's impending destruction and exile due to its rampant idolatry, moral decay, and false sense of security in the Temple. The people cling to the mistaken belief that God would never allow His holy city to fall, despite their flagrant breach of His covenant. Jeremiah 8 details the extent of their sin, the refusal to repent, and the irreversible nature of the coming judgment. Verse 19 encapsulates this crisis, representing the anguished cry of a people facing the devastating consequences of their rebellion, still questioning God's presence rather than their own culpability. Historically, this period is prior to and during the Babylonian incursions, where exile to a "distant land" (Babylon) was becoming a harsh reality.

Jeremiah 8 19 Word analysis

• Behold (הִנֵּה֙, hinneh): This interjection demands immediate attention. It introduces a dramatic or significant utterance, here serving to vividly present the desperate sound of the people's cry as if Jeremiah is hearing it in real-time or from afar.
• the voice of the cry (קוֹל֙ שַׁוְעַ֤ת, qol shav'at): More than just "noise," `qol` refers to an audible expression, while `shav'at` signifies a cry for help, a plea for intervention. It conveys urgency, pain, and a desperate call for salvation.
• of the daughter of my people (בַת־עַמִּֽי, bat-`ammî): This is a tender and intimate poetic expression, reflecting Jeremiah's deep identification and sorrow with Judah. It personifies the nation as a beloved female figure in distress, emphasizing the profound emotional bond and shared pain.
• from a distant land (מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מֶרְחָ֔ק, me'erets merḥaq): Literally "from a land of distance." This explicitly points to the place of exile or captivity, specifically Babylon. It evokes images of separation from their homeland, displacement, and the severe geographical consequence of God's judgment.
• "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?" (הַאדֹנָ֥י אֵין֙ בְּצִיּוֹן֙ אִם־מַלְכָּ֥הּ אֵין־בָּֽהּ, ha'adonay ein b'tsiyon im-malkah ein-bah): These are rhetorical questions of despair, born from confusion and perceived abandonment. "Zion" represents God's dwelling place and His covenant presence among His people, where He is their "King." The questions challenge the very foundation of their faith and security, asking why their sovereign protector seems absent or unable to deliver them in their hour of need.
• "Why have they provoked me to anger (מַדּ֤וּעַ הִכְעִס֙וּנִי, madu'a hik`isuni): This is God's immediate, direct, and indignant counter-question. `Maddu'a` asks "why?", challenging the people's implied innocence, while `hik'isuni` indicates a direct and intentional act of causing anger. It places the blame squarely on their actions.
• with their carved images (בִּפְסִלֵיהֶם֙, bifselehem): Refers to idols carved from wood or stone. These are concrete, man-made representations of false gods, directly violating the second commandment.
• and with their foreign idols?" (בְּהַבְלֵ֣י נֵכָ֔ר, b'havley nekhar): `Havley` (`הֶבֶל`, hevel) means vanity, breath, emptiness, worthless things. `Nekar` (`נֵכָר`) means foreign, alien. Together, it stresses the utter futility and non-existence of these "gods" adopted from pagan nations. These idols represent empty promises and a forsaking of the living God.

• "The voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land": This phrase paints a vivid auditory picture of national lamentation emanating from geographical displacement. It conveys the raw, unadulterated pain and desperation of Judah as they face exile, signaling a profound break from their familiar spiritual and physical home.
• "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?" vs. "Why have they provoked me to anger": This dramatic juxtaposition highlights the core tension of the verse. The people question God's presence, implying His failure, while God immediately reframes the situation, pointing to their actions as the true cause of His "absence" and their suffering. This is a theological corrective.
• "carved images and ... foreign idols": This pair comprehensively defines the idolatry. "Carved images" specify the tangible, visual aspects, while "foreign idols" emphasizes their alien, adopted, and inherently worthless nature, stressing both the active worship of other gods and the foolishness of that choice.

Jeremiah 8 19 Bonus section

This verse embodies the essence of Jeremiah's prophetic message: an urgent call to repentance met with hardened hearts, leading to inevitable divine judgment. The "distant land" implies more than just geographical displacement; it symbolizes a spiritual distance and estrangement from God. The people's questions demonstrate a profound lack of introspection and an inability to connect their actions with the consequences, showcasing a key characteristic of the unrepentant. The Lord's rhetorical counter-question also serves as an indictment not just of their idolatry, but also of their spiritual ignorance—they know full well what they have done to provoke Him. This divine answer reveals God's intimate knowledge of His people's rebellious acts, emphasizing His sovereign oversight and justice even when they feel forgotten.

Jeremiah 8 19 Commentary

Jeremiah 8:19 powerfully exposes the chasm between Judah's perception of their suffering and God's explanation for it. The prophet channels the heartbreaking wail of a people in exile, lost and confused, desperately wondering why God, their covenant LORD and King, has seemingly abandoned Zion. Their questions, "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?", reflect a profound spiritual amnesia and a false sense of entitlement to divine protection despite their apostasy. God's immediate, sharp reply cuts through their self-pity and misguided theology. He points to their egregious idolatry – their devotion to carved images and the worthless gods of foreign nations – as the direct and justifiable cause of His anger and, by extension, their national catastrophe. The verse serves as a potent reminder that divine judgment, however painful, is a righteous response to persistent sin, particularly the breach of the first commandment against worshipping false gods. It reveals God's unyielding demand for exclusive devotion and the severe consequences of violating that covenantal relationship.