New Living Translation
Jeremiah 22:23
23It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish— anguish like that of a woman in labor.
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
21I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’ You have been that way since childhood— you simply will not obey me! 22And now the wind will blow away your allies. All your friends will be taken away as captives. Surely then you will see your wickedness and be ashamed. It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish— anguish like that of a woman in labor. 24“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off. 25I will hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you so desperately fear—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the mighty Babylonian army.
Read all of Jeremiah 22Jeremiah 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 22:6Now this is what the Lord says concerning Judah’s royal palace: “I love you as much as fruitful Gilead and the green forests of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, with no one living within your walls.
- Zechariah 11:1Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedar forests.
- Jeremiah 21:13I will personally fight against the people in Jerusalem, that mighty fortress— the people who boast, “No one can touch us here. No one can break in here.”
- Jeremiah 48:28“You people of Moab, flee from your towns and live in the caves. Hide like doves that nest in the clefts of the rocks.
- Jeremiah 49:16You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down,” says the Lord.
- Numbers 24:21Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message: “Your home is secure; your nest is set in the rocks.
- Amos 9:2“Even if they dig down to the place of the dead, I will reach down and pull them up. Even if they climb up into the heavens, I will bring them down.
- Obadiah 1:4But even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down,” says the Lord.
- Habakkuk 2:9“What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.
- Jeremiah 3:21Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the Lord their God.
- Jeremiah 4:31I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, “Help! I’m being murdered!”
- Jeremiah 6:24We have heard reports about the enemy, and we wring our hands in fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped us, like those of a woman in labor.
- Jeremiah 30:5This is what the Lord says: “I hear cries of fear; there is terror and no peace.
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me.”
- Hosea 6:1“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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