Jeremiah 22:15

Jeremiah 22:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?
• New International Version (NIV)“Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

Context of Jeremiah 22:15

13The Lord says, ‘Terrible trouble will happen to this man! He cheats people so that he can build a beautiful palace for himself. He does not do what is right and fair. He does not pay the people who work for him. His own men have to work for nothing. 14He says, “I will build a great palace for myself. It will have large rooms upstairs.” He puts windows in its walls. He covers the walls with cedar wood. He uses red paint to make it beautiful. Are you better than other kings because you use more cedar wood to build your palace? Think about how your father lived. He did what was right and fair. He had enough to eat and to drink. So he was happy with a good life. 16He did what was right for people who were poor and helpless. So people were happy. That is how people who know me should live.’ That is what the Lord says. 17‘But you always want to cheat people, so that you can get more riches for yourself. You make plans to kill people who have not done anything wrong. You hurt people in cruel ways.’

Jeremiah 22:15 word by word

הֲתִֽמְלֹ֔ךְ כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה מְתַחֲרֶ֣ה בָאָ֑רֶז אָבִ֜יךָ הֲל֧וֹא אָכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֗ה וְעָשָׂ֤ה מִשְׁפָּט֙ וּצְדָקָ֔ה אָ֖ז ט֥וֹב לֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Shalt thou reignמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
• because thou closestתַּחָרָהtachârâh · to contendH8474
• in cedarאֶ֫רֶז'erez · cedarH730
• did not thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• and doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• and justiceצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• wellטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896

Cross-references for Jeremiah 22:15

• Jeremiah 22:18So the Lord says this about Josiah's son, King Jehoiakim of Judah: ‘People will not weep when he dies. They will not say, “I am very sad, my brother. I am very sad, my sister.” They will not weep and say, “What a terrible thing has happened! Our great king has died!”
• 2 Kings 23:25Josiah turned to the Lord and he served the Lord faithfully with all his strength. He obeyed all the Law of Moses. No other king was like Josiah, either before him or after him.
• 1 Chronicles 3:15Josiah's sons: His firstborn son was Johanan. His second son was Jehoiakim. His third son was Zedekiah. His fourth son was Shallum.
• 1 Kings 4:20The people in Judah and Israel were too many to count. There were as many of them as the sand on the shore of the sea. They had enough to eat and to drink and they were happy.
• 2 Chronicles 35:7Josiah took 30,000 lambs and goats, and 3,000 bulls from his own animals. He gave them to the people who were there, to kill for their Passover sacrifices.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24So I decided what is best for us to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy our work. I realized that all these things are gifts from God.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7So be happy as you eat your food. Be happy as you drink your wine. God is pleased with you as you do these things.
• Ecclesiastes 10:17But if a country's ruler belongs to a good family, that country will be a happy place. Its leaders only enjoy parties at the proper time. They control themselves and they do not become drunk.
• Isaiah 33:16People who are like that will live in a safe place. Danger will not reach them among the high rocks. They will always have food to eat, and plenty of water to drink.
• Luke 11:41So be ready to give things to poor people. Then you will be really clean, on the inside as well as the outside.
• Acts 2:46The whole group of believers met together every day in the yard of the temple. They shared their food and they ate meals together in each other's homes. They were very happy and they were honest with each other.
• 1 Corinthians 10:31Whatever you are doing, show that God is great. When you eat anything, or you drink anything, do it all in a way that praises God.
• Jeremiah 22:3The Lord says: You must do things that are right and fair. Punish those who rob other people. Help the people that they have hurt. Do not be cruel to foreigners who are living among you. Do not cheat them. Do not hurt or cheat widows, or children who have no family. Stop killing people who have not done anything wrong.
• Jeremiah 21:12‘Descendants of King David, the Lord says this to you: Every day you must be fair as you judge people. Punish those who rob other people. Punish those who are cruel to other people. Help the people that they have hurt. If you do not do judge in a fair way, I will be very angry. My anger will burn like a hot fire that nobody can stop. It will destroy you because of the evil things that you have done.’ The Lord says:
• Jeremiah 23:5The Lord says, ‘The time will come when I do this: I will cause a descendant of David to be born. He will be righteous. He will grow like a branch on the tree of David's family. He will rule as king in a wise way. He will do what is right and fair in the land.
• 2 Samuel 8:15David ruled over all Israel. He did everything that was right and fair for all his people.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 22:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Shalt thou reign, etc - Dost thou think thou art a great king, because thou dwellest in a splendid palace?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15i. e., Will thy buildings make thy reign continue? These words imply that Jehoiakim was looking forward to, and taking measures to secure, a long continuance of power (compare Habakkuk 2:9-13. If so, Jeremiah probably wrote this prophecy before Jehoiakim revolted 2 Kings 24:1; and it, therefore, probably belongs to the same date as Jeremiah 36:30, written in the interval between Nebuchadnezzars first conquest of Jerusalem, and Jehoiakim‘s rebellion, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-19Verses 10-19 Here is a sentence of death upon two kings, the wicked sons of a very pious father. Josiah was prevented from seeing the evil to come in this world, and removed to see the good to come in the other world; therefore, weep not for him, but for his son Shallum, who is likely to live and die a wretched captive. Dying saints may be justly envied, while living sinners are justly pitied. Here also is the doom of Jehoiakim. No doubt it is lawful for…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16If Jehoiakim wanted plenty to eat and drink, he did not need to use corruption and oppression. Compared to his prosperous father, Josiah, Jehoiakim was not a great king. Josiah, on the other hand, was fair and honest in all his actions, serving both God and his people. Because he followed the ancient covenant's rules, God blessed him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. closest thyself--rather, "thou viest," that is, art emulous to surpass thy forefathers in the magnificence of thy palaces. eat and drink--Did not Josiah, thy father, enjoy all that man really needs for his bodily wants? Did he need to build costly palaces to secure his throne? Nay, he did secure it by "judgment and justice"; whereas thou, with all thy luxurious building, sittest on a tottering throne. then--on that account, therefore.Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 22:15

• Blessing
• Jehoiakim
• Rich, the
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Amos (1)
• Captivity
• Close
• Genesis
• Jehoiakim
• Justice
• Uriah; Uruah

Commentaries on Jeremiah 22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings