Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 14:19–22

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14:19Then I said,

“Lord,48 have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?

Do you despise49 the city of Zion?

Why have you struck us with such force

that we are beyond recovery?50

We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it.

We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror.51

14:20Lord, we confess that we have been wicked.

We confess that our ancestors have done wrong.52

We have indeed53 sinned against you.

14:21For the honor of your name,54 do not treat Jerusalem55 with contempt.

Do not treat with disdain the place where your glorious throne sits.56

Be mindful of your covenant with us. Do not break it!57

14:22Do any of the worthless idols58 of the nations cause rain to fall?

Do the skies themselves send showers?

Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this?59

So we put our hopes in you60

because you alone do all this.”

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Footnotes

  1. 48 The words, “Then I said, ‘Lord” are not in the Hebrew text. It is obvious from the context that the Lord is addressee. The question of the identity of the speaker is the same as that raised in vv. 7–9 and the arguments set forth there are applicable here as well. Jeremiah is here identifying with the people and doing what they refuse to do, i.e., confess their sins and express their trust in him.
  2. 49 Heb “does your soul despise.” Here as in many places the word “soul” stands as part for whole for the person himself emphasizing emotional and volitional aspects of the person. However, in contemporary English one does not regularly speak of the “soul” in contexts such as this but of the person. There is probably a subtle allusion to the curses called down on the nation for failure to keep their covenant with God. The word used here is somewhat rare (גָּעַל, ga’al). It is used of Israel’s rejection of God’s stipulations and of God’s response to their rejection of him and his stipulations in Lev 26:11, 15, 30, 43–44. That the allusion is intended is probable when account is taken of the last line of v. 21.
  3. 50 Heb “Why have you struck us and there is no healing for us.” The statement involves poetic exaggeration (hyperbole) for rhetorical effect.
  4. 51 Heb “[We hope] for a time of healing but behold terror.” The last two lines of this verse are repeated word for word from 8:15. There they are spoken by the people.
  5. 52 Heb “We acknowledge our wickedness [and] the iniquity of our [fore]fathers.” For the use of the word “know” to mean “confess,” “acknowledge” cf. 394 יָדַע, Qal.1.f and compare the usage in Jer 3:13. For a longer example of an individual identifying with the nation and confessing their sins and the sins of their forefathers see Ps 106.
  6. 53 This is another example of the intensive use of כִּי (ki). See 472 כִּי 1.e.
  7. 54 Heb “For the sake of your name.”
  8. 55 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
  9. 56 English versions quite commonly supply “us” as an object for the verb in the first line. This is probably wrong. The Hebrew text reads: “Do not treat with contempt for the sake of your name; do not treat with disdain your glorious throne.” This is case of poetic parallelism where the object is left hanging until the second line. For an example of this see Prov 13:1 in the original and consult E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, . There has also been some disagreement whether “your glorious throne” refers to the temple (as in 17:12) or Jerusalem (as in 3:17). From the beginning of the prayer in v. 19 where a similar kind of verb has been used with respect to Zion/Jerusalem it would appear that the contextual referent is Jerusalem. The absence of an object from the first line makes it possible to retain part of the metaphor in the translation and still convey some meaning. The place of God’s glorious throne was first of all the ark of the covenant where God was said to be enthroned between the cherubim, then the temple that housed it, then the city itself. See 2 Kgs 19:14–15 in the context of Sennacherib’s attack on Jerusalem.
  10. 57 Heb “Remember, do not break your covenant with us.”
  11. 58 The word הֶבֶל (hevel), often translated “vanities”, is a common pejorative epithet for idols or false gods. See already in 8:19 and 10:8.
  12. 59 Heb “Is it not you, O Lord our God?” The words “who does” are supplied in the translation for English style.
  13. 60 The rhetorical negatives are balanced by a rhetorical positive.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Have you utterly rejected Judah?

Does your soul loathe Zion?

Why have you struck us down

so that there is no healing for us?

We looked for peace, but no good came;

for a time of healing, but behold, terror.

We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,

and the iniquity of our fathers,

for we have sinned against you.

Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake;

do not dishonor your glorious throne;

remember and do not break your covenant with us.

Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?

Or can the heavens give showers?

Are you not he, O Lord our God?

We set our hope on you,

for you do all these things.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Have you rejected Judah completely?

Do you despise Zion?

Why have you afflicted us

so that we cannot be healed?

We hoped for peace

but no good has come,

for a time of healing

but there is only terror.

We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,

and the guilt of our ancestors;

we have indeed sinned against you.

For the sake of your name do not despise us;

do not dishonor your glorious throne.

Remember your covenant with us

and do not break it.

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?

Do the skies themselves send down showers?

No, it is you, Lord our God.

Therefore our hope is in you,

for you are the one who does all this.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Have you completely rejected Judah?

Do you detest Zion?

Why do you strike us

with no hope of healing for us?

We hoped for peace,

but there was nothing good;

for a time of healing,

but there was only terror.

We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,

the iniquity of our ancestors;

indeed, we have sinned against you.

For your name’s sake, don’t despise us.

Don’t disdain your glorious throne.

Remember your covenant with us;

do not break it.

Can any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?

Or can the skies alone give showers?

Are you not the Lord our God?

We therefore put our hope in you,

for you have done all these things.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?

Do you really hate Jerusalem?

Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing?

We hoped for peace, but no peace came.

We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.

Lord, we confess our wickedness

and that of our ancestors, too.

We all have sinned against you.

For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us.

Do not disgrace your own glorious throne.

Please remember us,

and do not break your covenant with us.

Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain?

Does it fall from the sky by itself?

No, you are the one, O Lord our God!

Only you can do such things.

So we will wait for you to help us.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Have you completely rejected Judah?

Or has your soul loathed Zion?

Why have you struck us

so that there is no healing for us?

We hope for peace, but there is no good,

and for a time of healing, but look, there is terror.

We know, O Yahweh, our wickedness,

the iniquity of our ancestors,

for we have sinned against you.

You must not spurn us for the sake of your name,

you must not dishonor your glorious throne.

Remember us!

You must not break your covenant with us.

Are there any among the idols of the nation who cause rain to pour?

Or can the heavens give showers?

Is it not you, O Yahweh our God?

Therefore, we hope in you, for you do all these things.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion?

Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us?

We looked for peace, and there is no good;

And for the time of healing, and behold trouble!

We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers:

For we have sinned against thee.

Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake,

Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory:

Remember, break not thy covenant with us.

Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain?

Or can the heavens give showers?

Art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee:

For thou hast made all these things.

Public Domain