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Texts -- Jeremiah 22:1-30 (NET)

Context
22:1 The Lord told me, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah . Give him a message from me there . 22:2 Say : ‘Listen , O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession . You , your officials , and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to what the Lord says. 22:3 The Lord says , “Do what is just and right . Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers , or widows . Do not kill innocent people in this land . 22:4 If you are careful to obey these commands , then the kings who follow in David’s succession and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to come through the gates of this palace , as will their officials and their subjects . 22:5 But, if you do not obey these commands , I solemnly swear that this palace will become a pile of rubble . I, the Lord , affirm it!” 22:6 “‘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 . 22:7 I will send men against it to destroy it with their axes and hatchets . They will hack up its fine cedar panels and columns and throw them into the fire . 22:8 “‘People from other nations will pass by this city . They will ask one another , “Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city ?” 22:9 The answer will come back , “It is because they broke their covenant with the Lord their God and worshiped and served other gods .”
Judgment on Jehoahaz
22:10 “‘Do not weep for the king who was killed . Do not grieve for him. But weep mournfully for the king who has gone into exile. For he will never return to see his native land again . 22:11 “‘For the Lord has spoken about Shallum son of Josiah , who succeeded his father as king of Judah but was carried off into exile . He has said, “He will never return to this land. 22:12 For he will die in the country where they took him as a captive . He will never see this land again .”
Judgment on Jehoiakim
22:13 “‘Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms . He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing . He does not pay them for their labor. 22:14 He says , “I will build myself a large palace with spacious upper rooms .” He cuts windows in its walls, panels it with cedar , and paints its rooms red . 22:15 Does it make you any more of a king that you outstrip everyone else in building with cedar ? Just think about your father . He was content that he had food and drink . He did what was just and right . So things went well with him. 22:16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy . So things went well for Judah.’ The Lord says , ‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ 22:17 But you are always thinking and looking for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means. Your eyes and your heart are set on killing some innocent person and committing fraud and oppression . 22:18 So the Lord has this to say about Josiah’s son , King Jehoiakim of Judah : People will not mourn for him, saying, “This makes me sad, my brother ! This makes me sad, my sister !” They will not mourn for him, saying, “Poor, poor lord ! Poor, poor majesty !” 22:19 He will be left unburied just like a dead donkey . His body will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem .’”
Warning to Jerusalem
22:20 People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon and cry out in mourning. Go to the land of Bashan and cry out loudly . Cry out in mourning from the mountains of Moab . For your allies have all been defeated . 22:21 While you were feeling secure I gave you warning . But you said , “I refuse to listen to you.” That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward. Indeed , you have never paid attention to me. 22:22 My judgment will carry off all your leaders like a storm wind ! Your allies will go into captivity . Then you will certainly be disgraced and put to shame because of all the wickedness you have done. 22:23 You may feel as secure as a bird nesting in the cedars of Lebanon . But oh how you will groan when the pains of judgment come on you. They will be like those of a woman giving birth to a baby .
Jeconiah Will Be Permanently Exiled
22:24 The Lord says , “As surely as I am the living God, you, Jeconiah , king of Judah , son of Jehoiakim , will not be the earthly representative of my authority . Indeed, I will take that right away from you. 22:25 I will hand you over to those who want to take your life and of whom you are afraid . I will hand you over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his Babylonian soldiers . 22:26 I will force you and your mother who gave you birth into exile. You will be exiled to a country where neither of you were born , and you will both die there . 22:27 You will never come back to this land to which you will long to return !” 22:28 This man , Jeconiah , will be like a broken pot someone threw away . He will be like a clay vessel that no one wants . Why will he and his children be forced into exile ? Why will they be thrown out into a country they know nothing about? 22:29 O land of Judah, land of Judah, land of Judah! Listen to what the Lord has to say! 22:30 The Lord says , “Enroll this man in the register as though he were childless . Enroll him as a man who will not enjoy success during his lifetime . For none of his sons will succeed in occupying the throne of David or ever succeed in ruling over Judah .”

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • In 1004 B.C. David became king of all Israel and Judah.50This was his third anointing (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4). The people acknowledged David's previous military leadership of all Israel as well as God's choice of him t...
  • Jehoahaz, whose other name was Shallum, was the middle of Josiah's three sons all of whom ruled Judah after Josiah. Jehoahaz was the people's choice (v. 31), but he reigned for only three months in 609 B.C.When Pharaoh Neco d...
  • Jehoiakim reigned as a puppet king for 11 years (609-598 B.C.). He was a weak ruler who did not stand up for Judah's interests against her hostile enemies.In 605 B.C. Prince Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonian army of his fathe...
  • Jehoiakim's son Jehoiachin, whose other names were Jeconiah and Coniah, succeeded him on the throne but only reigned for three months (598-597 B.C.). When Nebuchadnezzar's troops were besieging Jerusalem the Babylonian king p...
  • 30:6 David had evidently become self-confident and had forgotten his complete dependence on the Lord (cf. John 15:5). Prosperity often tempts us with a false sense of our security (cf. Prov. 1:32; Jer. 22:21), and David slipp...
  • These verses summarize the theme of the book.8:5a Evidently these are the words of the daughters of Jerusalem. The couple is coming up out of the wilderness. The "wilderness"connoted Israel's 40 years of trials to the Jewish ...
  • The biblical records of the times in which Jeremiah ministered are 2 Kings 21-25 and 2 Chronicles 33-36. His contemporary prophets were Zephaniah and Habakkuk before the Exile, and Ezekiel and Daniel after it began.King Manas...
  • Jeremiah's purpose was to call his hearers to repentance in view of God's judgment on Judah, which would come soon from an army from the north (chs. 2-45). Judgment was coming because God's people had forsaken Yahweh and had ...
  • I. Introduction ch. 1A. The introduction of Jeremiah 1:1-3B. The call of Jeremiah 1:4-191. The promise of divine enablement 1:4-102. Two confirming visions 1:11-19II. Prophecies about Judah chs. 2-45A. Warnings of judgment on...
  • 1:4 The prophet now began speaking to his readers and telling them what the Lord had said to him. Throughout this book, an indication that the Lord had told Jeremiah something is often the sign of a new pericope, as here (cf....
  • Chapters 2-25 contain warnings and appeals to the Judahites in view of their sins and the consequences of those sins.
  • 13:18 Jeremiah was to tell the king and the queen mother of Judah to humble themselves because the Lord had removed their authority or would remove it soon. Pride was a besetting sin of royalty. The individuals in view are pr...
  • This section of the book contains some of Jeremiah's messages concerning Judah's kings (21:1-23:8) and false prophets (23:9-40) that he delivered closer to the time of Jerusalem's invasion than the previous chapters.300Beginn...
  • This group of prophecies begins and ends with oracles concerning the kings' duties (21:11-12; 22:1-9). In the middle is an oracle against Jerusalem (21:13-14).21:11-12 Jeremiah was to tell the king of Judah and his administra...
  • This section probably contains two originally separate parts (vv. 10 and 11-12).22:10 Jeremiah instructed the people not to mourn over Josiah, who had died in battle with the Egyptians, as much as they should mourn over those...
  • "Jehoiakim was condemned by Jeremiah more severely than any other king. He seems to have been a typical Oriental despot who rejected Josiah's reforms."30722:13-14 Jeremiah called down woe on the person who advanced his own in...
  • 22:20 The prophet spoke of Jerusalem as a young woman in this oracle. He called on her to go up on the surrounding mountains to bewail the loss of her lovers (political allies and pagan gods). The Lebanon mountains were to th...
  • This section contains two prophecies about this king (vv. 24-27 and 28-30) The historical setting is the three-month reign of eighteen year-old Jehoiachin in 598-597 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24:8-17). Coniah was a shortened form of ...
  • "After the oracles against wicked kings, there is a promise of a righteous one, the Shoot of David."313Jeremiah just announced that none of Coniah's descendants would ever rule as kings. Now he went on to clarify that a David...
  • 24:1 This prophetic message came to Jeremiah after Nebuchadnezzar had taken King Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah, cf. 22:24) and many of the other royal counselors, craftsmen, and smiths (or artisans) captive to Babylon in 597 B...
  • 25:30 Jeremiah was also to announce that God would prepare to judge all the inhabitants of the earth (v. 29). As a lion announces its intent to attack with a roar, so Yahweh would one day announce His attack on earth dwellers...
  • These chapters contrast the true prophet of Yahweh with the false prophets. Distinguishing between them was difficult for Jeremiah's contemporaries, but their essential difference is clear. The true prophets proclaimed the Lo...
  • Jeremiah's symbolic act of wearing a yoke led to another symbolic act, the breaking of that yoke. Jeremiah's act brought a false prophet into direct confrontation with the true prophet.28:1 The following event took place in t...
  • 33:1 Jeremiah received another message from the Lord while he was still confined in the court of the guard (cf. 32:2).33:2 The Lord introduced Himself as the Creator and Establisher of the earth (cf. 32:17; Gen. 1). This was ...
  • The Book of Consolation contained messages of future hope for Judah (chs. 30-33). Now Jeremiah returned to document her present judgment. Chapters 34-45 continue the theme of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem from chapters 2-29...
  • "The Book of Consolation has ended, and 34:1 confronts its readers with the full force of the invading imperial army. The destruction of Jerusalem and the remainder of Judah seems inevitable (v 3) because the LORD has made Ne...
  • 36:27-28 The Lord commanded Jeremiah to make another copy of the scroll that the king had burned (cf. 2 Kings 22:15-20).36:29 He was also to send a message from the Lord to the king. Jehoiakim had burned the first scroll beca...
  • This chapter belongs after chapter 36 chronologically, either after 36:8 or 36:32. It serves as an appendix to the historical incidents recorded there. Perhaps the writer or final editor placed it here to show that Yahweh exe...
  • This is one of four accounts of the fall of Jerusalem in the Old Testament (cf. 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36:11-21; Jer. 39:1-14). The repetition underlines the importance of the event.52:1 Zedekiah (Mattaniah, 2 Kings 24:17) was ...
  • This section is an almost verbatim repetition of 2 Kings 25:27-30. It closes the book on a note of hope.52:31 In 562 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar's son Evilmerodach (Awel-Marduk, lit. man of Marduk; 562-560 B.C.), who succeeded his fa...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. London: Collier Macmillan Publishers; and New York: Macmillan Publishers Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. Revis...
  • 17:11-12 Ezekiel was now to tell his rebellious hearers what this story represented.250The first eagle stood for the king of Babylon (cf. Jer. 48:40; 49:22; Dan. 7:4). His invasion of Jerusalem (the specific identity of the L...
  • This prophecy shows that there were no more rulers left in Judah who could restore the nation to its former glory. Evidently the exiles hoped that some Davidic descendant would prove successful in overcoming the Babylonians a...
  • 23:11-13 Oholibah observed her sister's behavior and fate, but she did not learn from them. As many historians have observed, the one thing we learn from history is that most people do not learn from history. Oholibah became ...
  • 8:8 The prophet looked ahead to the time of Israel's judgment. The nation would be swallowed up, as when someone eats grain (v. 7). Israel would become a part of the nations having gone into captivity and lost its own soverei...
  • 2:15 God would judge Babylon because the Babylonians had deceived their neighbor nations with the result that they were able to take advantage of them. The Babylonians had behaved like a man who gets a woman drunk so she will...
  • 2:20 The Lord gave Haggai a second message on the same day as the previous message (v. 10), the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Kislev 24, December 18).2:21 Haggai was to tell Zerubbabel that Yahweh was going to shake t...
  • The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...
  • 11:1 The prophet announced in vigorous poetic language that Lebanon's famous cedars would perish. The Israelites referred to the royal palace in Jerusalem as Lebanon because it contained so much cedar from Lebanon (Jer. 22:23...
  • This lamentation should help us realize that the judgment Jesus just announced in such strong language was not something that delighted Him. It broke His heart. This is also clear from His personalizing the people in Jerusale...
  • Jesus first answered the disciples' second question about the sign of the end of the present age. He did so negatively by warning them of false signs (vv. 5-13). Then He gave them positive information about the event that wil...
  • Why did Luke place his genealogy of Jesus at this point in his Gospel? Probably he did so because this was the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. Matthew recorded Jesus' genealogy to show that He had a legitimate right by b...
  • Another comment triggered teaching of a similar nature. The continuing theme is the messianic kingdom.13:31 This incident followed the former one chronologically. Therefore it is probable that Jesus' words about Jews not ente...
  • Again the change in genre, this time from exhortation to exposition, signals a new literary unit within the epistle. Here the writer proceeded to expound the reliability of God's promise to Christians through Jesus Christ's h...
  • 11:7 It is only when they have finished their ministry that God will permit the beast to kill the two witnesses. They will not die prematurely. This is the first of 36 references to "the beast"in Revelation (cf. Dan. 7:21). H...
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