Jeremiah 8 22

Jeremiah 8:22 kjv

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Jeremiah 8:22 nkjv

Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people?

Jeremiah 8:22 niv

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?

Jeremiah 8:22 esv

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

Jeremiah 8:22 nlt

Is there no medicine in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why is there no healing
for the wounds of my people?

Jeremiah 8 verses

Jeremiah 8 22 Meaning

Jeremiah 8:22 expresses a profound lament and despair over the unhealed spiritual condition of God's people. The rhetorical question asks why, if remedies were available, the "balm of Gilead" and a "physician," the spiritual health of Israel had not been restored. It highlights their deep moral and spiritual illness—idolatry, rebellion, and rejection of God—which has led to national calamity and judgment. The absence of healing signifies not a lack of divine power or provision, but the people's stubborn refusal to turn to the Lord, the true Physician, and embrace the spiritual healing He offered. The verse captures Jeremiah's heartache over a people seemingly beyond remedy, yet ironically surrounded by what should have been symbols of healing and restoration.

Jeremiah 8 22 Context

Jeremiah 8:22 concludes a powerful section (chapters 6-8) where the prophet pronounces judgment against Judah and Jerusalem. This period immediately preceded the Babylonian invasion and subsequent exile (c. 605-586 BC). Jeremiah observes the spiritual decadence of his people, characterized by persistent idolatry, social injustice, and a superficial religiosity. Despite clear warnings and calls to repentance, they remain hardened. False prophets offer misleading assurances of "peace, peace" when disaster looms (Jer 6:14, 8:11). The preceding verses lament the nation's spiritual blindness and their rejection of God's law (Jer 8:7-9). Jeremiah expresses profound personal grief over the impending destruction and suffering that their sin will bring, culminating in this lamenting cry about the apparent lack of healing for his deeply sick people. The setting is one of national spiritual crisis and the lament of a prophet who deeply feels the tragedy of his nation's choices.

Jeremiah 8 22 Word analysis

• Is there (הַאֵין ha’ein): A strong interrogative prefix asking "Is there not...?" or "Why is there not...?" It expresses deep lament and a rhetorical question that expects a negative or disheartening answer, highlighting a crisis or missing element.

• balm (צֳרִי tzeri): A precious medicinal resin, likely frankincense or balsam. Gilead was famous for its production and trade (Gen 37:25; Eze 27:17). Symbolizes a natural remedy for physical wounds, used metaphorically here for spiritual healing. Its availability makes the lack of healing even more tragic.

• in Gilead? (בְּגִלְעָד bəGile'ad): Gilead was a fertile region east of the Jordan River, renowned for its balm. It signifies a place where healing remedies were readily accessible. The mention implies that all necessary natural resources for physical healing were present. Spiritually, it implies that God, the ultimate Physician, and His Word, the true balm, were also available.

• Is there no physician there? (אִם־רֹפֵא אֵין־שָׁם im-rofe ein-sham): This is a parallel question to the first. A rofeh (physician) was a professional who applied remedies. The question suggests a physical solution should have been available. Metaphorically, it implies that the spiritual "physician" – the Lord Himself, or perhaps faithful prophets and priests – was present or accessible, yet His remedies were rejected.

• Why then has the healing (מַדּוּעַ לֹא עָלְתָה maddua lo 'altah): "Why" (מַדּוּעַ) expresses a troubled query regarding a frustrating outcome. "Healing" here (אֲרוּכָה 'arukah, often restoration to wholeness, also translated as 'cure' or 'recovery') is a crucial term. The phrase implies an expectation that healing should have occurred.

• of the daughter of my people (לְבַת עַמִּי ləvat 'ammi): A tender, affectionate, and lamenting designation for Israel, highlighting the prophet's deep emotional connection to his suffering nation. It emphasizes the collective suffering.

• not been brought about? (לֹא עָלְתָה lo 'altah): Literally, "has not come up" or "has not arisen." It conveys a sense of something that should have manifested but failed to, emphasizing the utter absence of spiritual restoration despite the presence of the means (the "balm" and the "physician").

• "balm in Gilead... physician there?": This rhetorical pairing emphasizes that both the substance (balm) and the expertise (physician) for healing were present or believed to be present. The lament isn't about a lack of resources, but the failure to apply them or a refusal of the true healing. It draws a stark contrast between available physical remedies and the profound lack of spiritual recovery. The problem is not God's inability or lack of provision, but the people's stubborn spiritual disease that resists cure.

Jeremiah 8 22 Bonus section

The lament in Jeremiah 8:22 resonates with Jeremiah's personal suffering, often called the "weeping prophet." His agony mirrors God's own grief over the people's choices, establishing a deep empathetic connection between the prophet and divine emotion. This verse powerfully underscores the active choice required for healing. God's grace and remedies were never lacking; the issue lay squarely with the people's obstinacy and their deep-seated refusal to acknowledge their sickness and embrace the cure. The "daughter of my people" phrase emphasizes the covenant relationship that God had with Israel, making their rejection of His healing even more heartbreaking and deeply personal to both God and His prophet. In a New Testament light, this lament finds its answer in Jesus, the ultimate physician (Matt 9:12), who truly offers the healing balm for all nations through His sacrifice (1 Pet 2:24, Isa 53:5). His invitation to "come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden" (Matt 11:28) directly addresses the need for spiritual healing, a lament left unanswered in Jeremiah's day by Israel's unrepentance.

Jeremiah 8 22 Commentary

Jeremiah 8:22 stands as one of the most poignant laments in the Old Testament, encapsulating the tragic spiritual state of Judah. The prophet grapples with an agonizing dilemma: if God, the ultimate Physician (Exo 15:26), had provided ample spiritual "balm" (His word, His covenant, His call to repentance), and if He had raised up spiritual "physicians" (like Jeremiah himself and other true prophets), why did the "daughter of my people" remain unhealed, descending towards imminent destruction? The "balm of Gilead" was renowned in the ancient world for its healing properties and economic value, symbolizing available earthly remedies. However, for Judah, their spiritual disease was too deep, their heart too hardened (Jer 5:21), and their trust too placed in false security (Jer 7:4, 8) and false prophets (Jer 6:14) rather than the true Physician.

The irony is piercing: God was readily available to heal their backsliding (Jer 3:22), but the people continually rejected His remedies. They chose their idols and their own ways over divine counsel, effectively dismissing the only physician who could truly save them. The unhealed state signifies not God's failure, but Judah's willful resistance to His grace and a refusal to acknowledge their spiritual illness. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that while God provides all means necessary for spiritual restoration, healing is impossible without the patient's humble submission to the Great Physician's diagnosis and prescribed treatment. It illustrates the sorrow God feels when His beloved people stubbornly choose suffering over salvation.

Practical usage examples:

• For individuals acknowledging a spiritual sickness, this verse points to the urgent need to seek the True Physician, Jesus Christ, who heals all diseases of the soul.
• It highlights the futility of seeking superficial cures (e.g., worldly comfort, self-help apart from God) for deep-seated spiritual problems.
• For believers witnessing others in spiritual decline, it echoes the pain of Jeremiah and inspires fervent intercessory prayer for their return to the Lord.