Jeremiah 22:23

Jeremiah 22:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
• New International Version (NIV)You who live in ‘Lebanon,’ who are nestled in cedar buildings, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!
• English Standard Version (ESV)O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)O inhabitant of Lebanon, Making your nest in the cedars, How gracious will you be when pangs come upon you, Like the pain of a woman in labor?

Context of Jeremiah 22:23

21When you were feeling strong and safe, I warned you that this would happen. But you said, “I refuse to listen to you.” You have been like that since you were young. You have never obeyed me. 22Your leaders will all disappear, as if a strong wind had blown them away. Enemies will take your friends away as prisoners. Then you will feel very ashamed, because of all the wicked things that you have done. You live safely in beautiful houses that are made from Lebanon's cedar wood. But when I punish you, you will cry out with pain. You will feel pain like a woman who is having a baby.’ 24This is what the Lord says: ‘Jeconiah, king of Judah, son of Jehoiakim, I promise you this, as surely as I live. I will remove your power as king. If you were the special ring of authority on my right hand, I would pull you off! 25You are afraid of your enemies who want to kill you, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army. Now I will let them catch you.

Jeremiah 22:23 word by word

יֹשַׁבְתְּ֙ בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן מְקֻנַּ֖נְתְּ בָּֽאֲרָזִ֑ים מַה־נֵּחַנְתְּ֙ בְּבֹא־לָ֣ךְ חֲבָלִ֔ים חִ֖יל כַּיֹּלֵדָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• O inhabitantיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• of Lebanonלְבָנוֹןlebânôn · LebanonH3844
• that makest thy nestקִנֵּןqânan · to make a nestH7077
• in the cedarsאֶ֫רֶז'erez · cedarH730
• how graciousחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
• shalt thou be when pangsחֵ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · painH2256
• comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• upon thee, the painחִילchîyl chîylâh · agonyH2427
• as of a woman in travailיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205

Cross-references for Jeremiah 22:23

• Jeremiah 22:6The Lord says this about the palace of the king of Judah: ‘This place is as beautiful as Gilead! It is as beautiful as Lebanon's mountains. But I will cause it to become a wilderness, a place where nobody lives any more.
• Zechariah 11:1Open your gates, Lebanon, so that the fires can burn down your cedar trees.
• Jeremiah 21:13‘I have turned against you, Jerusalem's palace. Kings sit there on their thrones, on a high rock above the valley. You say, “We are safe here in our strong building. No enemy can get in here to attack us.”
• Jeremiah 48:28Now you must all leave your towns. Go and live among the rocks. Live like doves that make their nests high up among the rocks.
• Jeremiah 49:16You are proud people. You boast that you cause other people to be afraid of you. But your thoughts have deceived you. You live high up among the rocks, and on the tops of mountains. But I will bring you down from there, even if you are as high as an eagle's nest.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Numbers 24:21Then Balaam saw the Kenites. He spoke this message: ‘The place where you live seems strong and safe, high up among the rocks.
• Amos 9:2They might try to dig deep into the earth to save themselves. But my strong hand will pull them out of there. They might climb up into the sky. But I will pull them down from there.
• Obadiah 1:4You may be like a strong bird that flies high. And you may make your home in the highest places among the stars. But I will bring you down from there.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Habakkuk 2:9It will be very bad for anyone who cheats other people so that he can make his family rich. He thinks that his riches will make him safe. He thinks that he is too high up for any trouble to reach him.
• Jeremiah 3:21‘I can hear a noise on the tops of the hills. Israel's people are weeping. They are calling out for help. Yes, they have turned to bad ways. They have forgotten to serve the Lord their God.
• Jeremiah 4:31I can hear people who are calling out. It sounds like a woman who is giving birth to her first baby. She is calling out with great pain. It is Jerusalem who is crying! She is calling out for help. She says, ‘Help me! I am very weak. These murderers have come to kill me!’
• Jeremiah 6:24The people say, ‘We have heard news about them, and we are very frightened. We feel too weak to fight. We are afraid and in pain, like a woman who is giving birth.
• Jeremiah 30:5The Lord said, ‘People are shouting because they are afraid! Listen to them! There is no peace anywhere.
• Jeremiah 50:4The Lord says, ‘When that happens, the people of Israel and Judah will return to their land. They will weep because of their sins. They will want to worship the Lord their God.
• Hosea 5:15Then I will return to my place. I will leave them to receive their full punishment. When they have suffered enough, they will turn back to me. They will want to serve me again.’
• Hosea 6:1‘Listen! We should return to serve the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but now he will make us well again. He has hurt us, but now he will make our wounds better.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 22:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23How gracious shalt thou be - A strong irony.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Lebanon is the usual metaphor for anything splendid. and is here put for Jerusalem, but with special reference to the kings whose pride it was to dwell in palaces roofed with cedar Jeremiah 22:14. How gracious shalt thou be - Or, How wilt thou groan!Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-30Verses 20-30 The Jewish state is described under a threefold character. Very haughty in a day of peace and safety. Very fearful on alarm of trouble. Very much cast down under pressure of trouble. Many never are ashamed of their sins till brought by them to the last extremity. The king shall close his days in bondage. Those that think themselves as signets on God's right hand, must not be secure, but fear lest they should be plucked thence. The Jewish king…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-23God judged Jehoiakim for his terrible sins. Neither his family nor his people would mourn him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. inhabitant of Lebanon--namely, Jerusalem, whose temple, palaces, and principal habitations were built of cedars of Lebanon. how gracious--irony. How graciously thou wilt be treated by the Chaldees, when they come on thee suddenly, as pangs on a woman in travail (Jr 6:24)! Nay, all thy fine buildings will win no favor for thee from them. Maurer translates, "How shalt thou be to be pitied!"Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 22:23

• Afflictions and Adversities

In the dictionaries

• Lebanon
• Jeremiah (2)
• Pain
• 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