King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 22:10 Mean?

Jeremiah 22:10 in the King James Version says “Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor se... — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 22 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

Jeremiah 22:10 · KJV


Context

8

And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?

9

Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

10

Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

11

For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:

12

But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him—the 'dead' refers to King Josiah, killed in battle at Megiddo in 609 BC (2 Kings 23:29-30). The Hebrew al-tivku lamet (אַל־תִּבְכּוּ לַמֵּת) uses the imperative negative: cease weeping for the deceased. Josiah was Judah's last good king, and his death devastated the nation (2 Chronicles 35:24-25). Yet God commands: stop mourning him. But weep sore for him that goeth away (bakhu vacho laholech, בָּכוּ בָכוֹ לַהֹּלֵךְ)—the emphatic construction 'weeping weep' (infinitive absolute) intensifies the command. The one 'going away' is Shallum/Jehoahaz, Josiah's son, taken captive to Egypt by Pharaoh Neco (2 Kings 23:31-34).

For he shall return no more, nor see his native country (ki lo yashuv od ve'ra'ah et-eretz moladeto, כִּי לֹא יָשׁוּב עוֹד וְרָאָה אֶת־אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ)—the finality is absolute. Lo yashuv od (לֹא יָשׁוּב עוֹד, 'no more return') negates hope of restoration. Native country (eretz moladeto, אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ) literally means 'land of his birth,' emphasizing what is lost: homeland, heritage, covenant land. Josiah died but was buried in Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:30); Jehoahaz lived but died in exile, never returning. The living exile is worse than honorable death. This introduces the theme of exilic judgment that dominates Jeremiah 22-29.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Josiah died in 609 BC attempting to stop Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo. His death was national tragedy: he was Judah's most righteous king since David, having led comprehensive religious reform (2 Kings 23:25). Mourning was intense and prolonged (2 Chronicles 35:25). His son Jehoahaz (called Shallum here) reigned only three months before Pharaoh Neco deposed him and took him to Egypt, installing Jehoiakim as puppet king (2 Kings 23:31-34). Jehoahaz never returned to Judah; according to verse 12, he died in Egypt. Jeremiah's command to redirect mourning from Josiah to Jehoahaz was counterintuitive: why mourn the living more than the dead? The answer: exile is a fate worse than death. To die in covenant land with honorable burial is preferable to living in exile, cut off from temple, land, and covenant community. This theology of exile dominates later prophets: life without covenant presence is spiritual death (Lamentations 1:3, Ezekiel 37:11-12, Psalm 137:1-4).

Reflection Questions

  1. What does the command to weep for the exile rather than the dead reveal about the covenant significance of land and the horror of being cut off from God's place?
  2. How does Josiah's honorable death and burial contrast with Jehoahaz's living exile to teach that physical life apart from covenant blessing is worse than righteous death?
  3. What does this verse's emphasis on 'never returning' to one's native land reveal about exile as the ultimate covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:64-67)?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 17 words
אַל1 of 17
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

בָכוֹ֙2 of 17

Weep

H1058

to weep; generally to bemoan

לְמֵ֔ת3 of 17

ye not for the dead

H4191

to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill

וְאַל4 of 17
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תָּנֻ֖דוּ5 of 17

neither bemoan

H5110

to nod, i.e., waver; figuratively, to wander, flee, disappear; also (from shaking the head in sympathy), to console, deplore, or (from tossing the hea

ל֑וֹ6 of 17
H0
בָכוֹ֙7 of 17

Weep

H1058

to weep; generally to bemoan

בָכוֹ֙8 of 17

Weep

H1058

to weep; generally to bemoan

לַֽהֹלֵ֔ךְ9 of 17

for him that goeth away

H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

כִּ֣י10 of 17
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

לֹ֤א11 of 17
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

יָשׁוּב֙12 of 17

for he shall return

H7725

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);

ע֔וֹד13 of 17
H5750

properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more

וְרָאָ֖ה14 of 17

no more nor see

H7200

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

אֶת15 of 17
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

אֶ֥רֶץ16 of 17

country

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

מוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃17 of 17

his native

H4138

nativity (plural birth-place); by implication, lineage, native country; also offspring, family


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 22:10 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 22:10 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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