Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version 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. New Living Translation 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. English Standard Version 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. Berean Standard Bible For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited. Berean Literal Bible For thus says YHWH to the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to Me, the head of Lebanon; if not, I will make you a desert, with cities not inhabited. King James Bible 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. New King James Version 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. New American Standard Bible For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you a wilderness, Cities that are not inhabited. NASB 1995 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 most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited. NASB 1977 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 most assuredly I shall make you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited. Legacy Standard Bible For thus says Yahweh concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited. Amplified Bible For thus says the LORD in regard to the house of the king of Judah: “You are [as valuable] to Me as [the green pastures of] Gilead [east of the Jordan] Or as the [plentiful] summit of Lebanon [west of the Jordan], Yet most certainly [if you will not listen to Me] I will make you a wilderness, And uninhabited cities. Berean Annotated Bible For this is what the LORD {YHWH} says concerning the house of the king of Judah (praised): “You are like Gilead (rocky region) to Me, like the summit of Lebanon (whiteness); but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited. Christian Standard Bible For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to me, or the summit of Lebanon, but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness, uninhabited cities. Holman Christian Standard Bible For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are like Gilead to Me, or the summit of Lebanon, but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness, uninhabited cities. American Standard Version For thus saith Jehovah concerning the house of the king 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. Contemporary English Version Listen to what I think about it: The palace of Judah's king is as glorious as Gilead or Lebanon's highest peaks. But it will be as empty as a ghost-town when I'm through with it. English Revised Version For thus saith the LORD concerning the house of the king 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation "This is what the LORD says about the palace of the king of Judah: This palace is like Gilead to me, like the top of Lebanon. I will certainly turn it into a desert, into cities that no one lives in. Good News Translation "To me, Judah's royal palace is as beautiful as the land of Gilead and as the Lebanon Mountains; but I will make it a desolate place where no one lives. International Standard Version For this is what the LORD says about the house of the king of Judah, "You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon. Yet I'll surely make you a desert, towns where no one lives. NET Bible "'For the LORD says concerning the palace of the king of Judah, "This place looks like a veritable forest of Gilead to me. It is like the wooded heights of Lebanon in my eyes. But I swear that I will make it like a wilderness whose towns have all been deserted. New Heart English Bible For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: "You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited. Webster's Bible Translation For thus saith the LORD to the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead to me, and the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleFor this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited. World English Bible For Yahweh says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor thus said YHWH concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You [are] Gilead to Me—head of Lebanon, "" If not—I make you a wilderness, "" Cities [that] are not inhabited. Berean Literal Bible For thus says YHWH to the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to Me, the head of Lebanon; if not, I will make you a desert, with cities not inhabited. Young's Literal Translation For thus said Jehovah, Concerning the house of the king of Judah: Gilead art thou to Me -- head of Lebanon, If not -- I make thee a wilderness, Cities not inhabited. Smith's Literal Translation For thus said Jehovah, concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon, if I shall not set thee a desert cities not inhabited. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleFor thus saith the Lord to the house of the king of Juda: Thou art to me Galaad the head of Libanus: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities not habitable. Catholic Public Domain Version For thus says the Lord about the house of the king of Judah: You are to me like Gilead, the head of Lebanon. Certainly, I will make you desolate, with uninhabitable cities. New American Bible For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: Though you be to me like Gilead, like the peak of Lebanon, I swear I shall turn you into a waste, with cities uninhabited. New Revised Standard Version For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I swear that I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are like Gilead, like the head of Lebanon; but I will surely make you a desert, like an uninhabited city. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated For thus says LORD JEHOVAH about the house of the King of Judea: ‘Galeed, you are the head of Lebanon, but I shall make you a wilderness like a city that is uninhabited OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For thus saith the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto Me, The head of Lebanon; Yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, Cities which are not inhabited. Brenton Septuagint Translation For thus saith the Lord concerning the house of the king of Juda; Thou art Galaad to me, and the head of Libanus: yet surely I will make thee a desert, even cities that shall not be inhabited: Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Warning about the Palace6For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited. 7I will appoint destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.… Cross References For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: 1 Kings 9:6-9 But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, / then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ … 2 Chronicles 7:19-22 But if you turn away and forsake the statutes and commandments I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, / then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ … Jeremiah 21:11-12 Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD. / O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds. “You are like Gilead to Me, Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored? Jeremiah 46:11 Go up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies, but for you there is no healing. Jeremiah 50:19 I will return Israel to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his soul will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. like the summit of Lebanon; 2 Kings 19:23-24 Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the finest of its cypresses. I have reached its farthest outposts, the densest of its forests. / I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.” Psalm 29:5-6 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. / He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. Ezekiel 31:3 Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds. but I will surely turn you into a desert, Jeremiah 4:26-28 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert. All its cities were torn down before the LORD, before His fierce anger. / For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction. / Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back.” Isaiah 64:10-11 Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation. / Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins. Hosea 2:3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked and expose her like the day of her birth. I will make her like a desert and turn her into a parched land, and I will let her die of thirst. like cities that are uninhabited.” Jeremiah 4:7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited. Ezekiel 12:20 The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” Isaiah 6:11-12 Then I asked: “How long, O Lord?” And He replied: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left unoccupied and the land is desolate and ravaged, / until the LORD has driven men far away and the land is utterly forsaken. 2 Kings 19:34-35 I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’” / And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! Treasury of Scripture For thus said the LORD to the king's house of Judah; You are Gilead to me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make you a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. unto. Jeremiah 22:24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; Jeremiah 21:11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Genesis 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. Thou. surely. Jeremiah 4:20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. Jeremiah 7:34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate. Jeremiah 9:11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. Jump to Previous Assuredly Cities City Desert Family Gilead Head House Inhabited Judah King's Lebanon Palace Summit Surely Top Towns Uninhabited Verily Waste WildernessJump to Next Assuredly Cities City Desert Family Gilead Head House Inhabited Judah King's Lebanon Palace Summit Surely Top Towns Uninhabited Verily Waste WildernessJeremiah 22 1. He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats.10. The judgment of Shallum; 13. of Jehoiakim; 20. and of Coniah. For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: This phrase introduces a divine pronouncement specifically directed at the royal lineage of Judah. The "house of the king of Judah" refers to the Davidic dynasty, which held significant importance in biblical history as the line through which the Messiah was prophesied to come (2 Samuel 7:12-16). This context underscores the gravity of the message, as it addresses the leadership responsible for guiding the nation according to God's covenant. You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORDThe sovereign God of Israel, who speaks through the prophet Jeremiah. 2. The House of the King of Judah Refers to the royal lineage and the ruling authority in Judah, specifically during the time of Jeremiah. 3. Gilead A region east of the Jordan River, known for its balm and fertile land, symbolizing beauty and prosperity. 4. Lebanon Known for its majestic cedar trees, representing strength and grandeur. 5. Jeremiah The prophet through whom God delivers His message of judgment and hope to Judah. Teaching Points The Consequences of DisobedienceGod's message through Jeremiah highlights the severe consequences of turning away from His commandments. The transformation from prosperity to desolation serves as a warning to remain faithful. Symbolism of Gilead and Lebanon These regions symbolize beauty and strength. However, without righteousness, even the most prosperous places can become barren. This teaches us the importance of aligning our lives with God's will. God's Sovereignty and Judgment The passage underscores God's authority over nations and leaders. His judgments are just and serve as a call to repentance and humility. Hope Amidst Judgment While the message is one of impending desolation, it also serves as a reminder of God's desire for His people to return to Him, offering hope for restoration. Personal Reflection and Repentance This passage encourages personal introspection. Are there areas in our lives where we have become complacent or disobedient? It calls us to seek God's forgiveness and guidance. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Jeremiah 22:6?2. How does Jeremiah 22:6 emphasize God's authority over Judah's leadership and land? 3. What does "Gilead to Me" signify about Judah's value in God's eyes? 4. How can we apply Jeremiah 22:6 to modern Christian leadership responsibilities? 5. Compare Jeremiah 22:6 with Psalm 72:1-2 on righteous leadership. 6. How should Jeremiah 22:6 influence our prayers for national and spiritual leaders? 7. What does Jeremiah 22:6 reveal about God's judgment on Judah's leadership? 8. How does Jeremiah 22:6 reflect God's covenant with the house of David? 9. Why is Jerusalem compared to Gilead and Lebanon in Jeremiah 22:6? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 22? 11. Psalm 60:7 mentions Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah; how do these tribal borders align (or conflict) with other historical and biblical records of Israel's territories? 12. In Ezekiel 17:3-4, how can the imagery of a great eagle plucking off the top of a cedar be reconciled with actual historical events or natural realities? 13. How do skeptics reconcile Jeremiah 22:24-27's prophecy against Coniah with his later release and royal favor in Babylon (2 Kings 25:27-30)? 14. Where is the archaeological evidence confirming the six cities of refuge mentioned in Joshua 20:7-8? What Does Jeremiah 22:6 Mean Concerning the house of the king of Judah“For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah:” (Jeremiah 22:6a) • God addresses the royal household directly, reminding them that their throne exists only by His sovereign grace (2 Samuel 7:16; Jeremiah 22:1-5). • Earlier calls for justice had been ignored, so the Lord now speaks in unmistakable terms (2 Chronicles 36:15-17). • The message is personal—“concerning the house”—showing that privilege never cancels accountability (Luke 12:48). You are like Gilead to Me “Though you are like Gilead to Me,” (Jeremiah 22:6b) • Gilead was famed for its richness and healing balm (Jeremiah 8:22; Micah 7:14). • God is saying, “I have valued you highly, seen you as fruitful and wholesome.” • The image recalls past blessing under faithful kings such as Josiah (2 Kings 22:2), emphasizing how far the current leadership has fallen. Like the summit of Lebanon “like the summit of Lebanon,” (Jeremiah 22:6c) • Lebanon’s cedars symbolized majesty and strength (1 Kings 5:6; Psalm 92:12; Jeremiah 22:23). • Judah’s monarchy had been lifted to a place of splendor, intended to reflect God’s glory among the nations (Isaiah 49:3). • The pairing of Gilead and Lebanon heightens the contrast: greatest fertility joined to greatest grandeur. I will surely turn you into a desert “I will surely turn you into a desert,” (Jeremiah 22:6d) • The Lord promises a deliberate, decisive reversal—abundance replaced by barrenness (Jeremiah 4:26; 9:11; Hosea 2:3). • Covenant curses spelled out this outcome for unrepentant disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:36-45). • The coming Babylonian siege would fulfill this word literally in 586 BC (Jeremiah 39:8). Like cities that are uninhabited “like cities that are uninhabited.” (Jeremiah 22:6e) • Emptiness is the final picture: once-thriving streets silenced (Jeremiah 33:10; Lamentations 5:18). • The phrase underscores total desolation—no commerce, no worship, no royal rule (Revelation 18:2 echoes a similar fate for Babylon). • The warning shows that divine patience has limits; when leadership persists in injustice, God removes both king and kingdom (Jeremiah 22:13-19). summary Jeremiah 22:6 presents a stark contrast. God reminds Judah’s king that He once viewed the dynasty as rich as Gilead and as majestic as Lebanon, yet continued rebellion would strip away every blessing until the royal house stood deserted and lifeless. The verse affirms both God’s gracious elevation of His people and His unwavering commitment to justice when they refuse to walk in His ways. (6) Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon.--The conjunction, which is not found in the Hebrew, is better omitted. Even in his utterance of woes the prophet's mind is still that of a poet. The chief point of the comparison in both cases is to be found in the forests that crowned the heights of both ranges of mountains. The "oaks of Bashan," in the Gilead district (Isaiah 2:13; Zechariah 11:2), were as famous as the cedars of Lebanon, and both were alike the fit symbol of the glory of sovereignty (Isaiah 37:24; Ezekiel 17:3). There may be a reference to the group of cedar-buildings, which of old gave to one of the palaces the name of "the house of the forest of Lebanon" (2Samuel 7:2; 2Samuel 7:7; 1Kings 7:2; 1Kings 10:21). . . . Verse 6. - Unto the king's house of Judah; rather, concerning the house of the King of Judah; i.e. the royal palace, which, on account of its height and its being constructed so largely out of cedar-weed (comp. vers. 14, 23), is called "Gilead, and the summit of Lebanon," just as Solomon's palace was called "the house of the forest of Lebanon" (1 Kings 7:2). Of Gilead in general, Canon Tristram writes, "No one can fairly judge of Israel's heritage who has not seen the luxuriant exuberance of Gilead, as well as the bard rocks of Judaea." And again, "Lovely knolls and dells open out at every turn, gently rising to the wooded plateau above. Then we rise to higher ground and ride through noble forests of oak. Then for a mile or two through luxuriant green corn, or perhaps through a rich forest of scattered olive trees, left untended and uncared for, with perhaps patches of corn in the open glades" ('Bible Places,' p. 322). The cedars of Lebanon, however diminished, still bear witness to the ancient fame of this splendid mountain district. A wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. The comparison has a terrible significance when read in the light of De Vogue's and Freshfield's discoveries. For Gilead itself is full of ruined cities of massive stone architecture. "It is no uncommon thing," says Mr. F.A. Eaton, "to see these houses in a complete state of preservation, built of huge blocks of black basalt, with slabs of the same for the roof, twelve feet long, a foot and a half wide, and half a foot thick, and entrance doors also of basalt... great solid stones of the same material being used as lintels at the top and bottom" (Speech at the meeting for setting on foot the survey of Eastern Palestine, November 30, 1880: Statement of Palestine Exploration Fund, January, 1880, p. 11). Cities which are not inhabited; not, indeed, the cities of Gilead of the time of Jeremiah, but constructed of materials which may reasonably be presumed to have been chiseled in a far more remote antiquity. (The date of the cities in their present state is subsequent to the Christian era.)Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Forכִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction this is what כֹ֣ה ׀ (ḵōh) Adverb Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now the LORD יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel says אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say concerning עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the house בֵּית֙ (bêṯ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1004: A house of the king מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4428: A king of Judah: יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites “You אַתָּ֛ה (’at·tāh) Pronoun - second person masculine singular Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you are like Gilead to Me, גִּלְעָ֥ד (gil·‘āḏ) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 1568: Gilead -- a region in Palestine, also the name of several Israelites like the summit רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 7218: The head of Lebanon; הַלְּבָנ֑וֹן (hal·lə·ḇā·nō·wn) Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3844: Lebanon -- a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel but I will certainly אִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not turn you אֲשִֽׁיתְךָ֙ (’ă·šî·ṯə·ḵā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular Strong's 7896: To put, set into a desert, מִדְבָּ֔ר (miḏ·bār) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech like cities עָרִ֖ים (‘ā·rîm) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 5892: Excitement that are uninhabited. לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no Links Jeremiah 22:6 NIVJeremiah 22:6 NLT Jeremiah 22:6 ESV Jeremiah 22:6 NASB Jeremiah 22:6 KJV Jeremiah 22:6 BibleApps.com Jeremiah 22:6 Biblia Paralela Jeremiah 22:6 Chinese Bible Jeremiah 22:6 French Bible Jeremiah 22:6 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Jeremiah 22:6 For thus says Yahweh concerning the house (Jer.) |
    |