What is the meaning of Jeremiah 22:20?

Go up to Lebanon and cry out

• “Go up to Lebanon and cry out” (Jeremiah 22:20a) positions Judah on a northern height famed for its towering cedars.

• The command to “go up” implies deliberate effort—Judah must climb to see the breadth of impending judgment, just as God earlier told prophets to take a public vantage point (Jeremiah 7:2; Isaiah 40:9).

• Lebanon’s cedars symbolized royal splendor (1 Kings 5:6; Psalm 92:12). Their looming fall mirrors the fall of the Davidic kings who trusted outward glory more than covenant faithfulness (Jeremiah 22:6–7).

• Cross reference: Ezekiel 17:3–10 pictures a cedar plucked up by an eagle—another image of Babylon uprooting prideful rulers.

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raise your voice in Bashan

• Bashan lay northeast of the Jordan, renowned for lush pastures and strong oaks (Deuteronomy 3:10; Isaiah 2:13).

• By ordering Judah to “raise your voice” here, God stretches the lament across the entire northern frontier. The wail grows louder, showing that no fertile stronghold can muffle divine judgment (Amos 4:1–3).

• Bashan once represented conquest victory under Moses (Joshua 12:4–5), yet now it becomes a stage for lament—proof that past victories cannot secure present disobedience (Psalm 44:1–3 contrasted with vv. 9–11).

• Cross reference: Hosea 10:8 pictures a cry from high places when idols fail, paralleling Judah’s coming regret.

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cry out from Abarim

• Abarim is the mountain range east of the Dead Sea where Moses viewed the Promised Land (Numbers 27:12; Deuteronomy 32:49).

• God tells Judah to “cry out from Abarim,” completing a north-to-south sweep of mourning. Even the vantage point linked with entry into blessing now witnesses departure into exile—reversal of covenant expectation (Deuteronomy 28:63–64).

• The triple command—“go up… raise… cry”—builds urgency: Wherever Judah looks, judgment is visible.

• Cross reference: Lamentations 1:1–4 echoes this tone, with Zion crying aloud because “none come to her appointed feasts.”

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for all your lovers have been crushed

• “Lovers” refers to the foreign alliances Judah courted for security—Egypt, Philistia, Tyre, and others (Jeremiah 2:36–37; 4:30).

• These partners are “crushed,” showing that human help collapses before God’s decree (2 Kings 24:7; Ezekiel 30:6-8).

• Points to ponder:

– Alliances built on compromise ultimately betray (Isaiah 30:1-3).

– God alone is covenant keeper; trusting others above Him invites the pain of broken promises (Psalm 118:8-9).

• Cross reference: Lamentations 1:2 notes, “all her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies,” an exact fulfillment of Jeremiah’s warning.

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summary

Jeremiah 22:20 strings together three mountain peaks—Lebanon, Bashan, Abarim—to form a corridor of lament. From north to south, Judah is told to climb, shout, and weep because every earthly glory, fertile resource, and historic triumph is powerless against God’s righteous judgment. The crushing of Judah’s “lovers” exposes the futility of misplaced trust and underscores the unwavering truth that only covenant loyalty to the Lord secures protection and hope.