Jeremiah 22

Jeremiah 22 is the twenty-second chapter of the Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, and is a part of the Books of the Prophets.^[1][2]

Text

• The original text is written in Hebrew language.
• This chapter is divided into 14 verses.

Textual versions

Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter in Hebrew language:

• Masoretic Text (10th century)
• Dead Sea Scrolls: (2nd century BC)^[3][4]
  • 4QJer^a (4Q70): extant: verses 3‑16
  • 4QJer^c (4Q72): extant: verses 4‑6, 10‑28, 30

Ancient translations in Koine Greek:

• Septuagint (3rd century BC)
• Theodotion version (~AD 180)

Structure

NKJV groups this chapter into:

• Jeremiah 22:1-10 = Message to the House of David (continuing from Jeremiah 21:11-14)
• Jeremiah 22:11-23 = Message to the Sons of Josiah
• Jeremiah 22:24-30 = Message to Coniah

Verse 1

Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word” (NKJV)^[5]

Verse 11

For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place: “He shall not return here anymore” (NKJV)^[6]

• "Shallum the son of Josiah": is the fourth son of king Josiah (1 Chronicles 3:15), when he was anointed as king by the people of Judah to succeed Josiah (2 Kings 23:30; 2 Chronicles 36:1) in 609 BC,^[7] but dethroned after three months by Pharaoh Necho, imprisoned, taken captive to Egypt, and died without returning from there (2 Kings 23:31-34; 2 Chronicles 36:2-4; Ezekiel 19:4), fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy in this chapter.^[8]

Verse 18

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

“They shall not lament for him,

Saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’

They shall not lament for him,

Saying, ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his glory!’” (NKJV)^[9]

• "Jehoiakim the son of Josiah": is the second son of king Josiah (1 Chronicles 3:15), also called Eliakim before he was made king of Judah by Pharaoh Necho to replace Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:34; 2 Chronicles 36:4) in 609/608 BC,^[7] reigning eleven years, until 598 BC.^[10][11] Rabbinical literature describes Jehoiakim as a godless tyrant who committed atrocious sins and crimes. He is portrayed as living in incestuous relations with his mother, daughter-in-law, and stepmother, and was in the habit of murdering men, whose wives he then violated and whose property he seized. He also had tattooed his body.^[10] Jeremiah criticised the king's policies, insisting on repentance and strict adherence to the law.^[12] Another prophet, Uriah ben Shemaiah, proclaimed a similar message and Jehoiakim ordered his execution (Jeremiah 26:20-23).^[13] His despicable character earned him no respect from the people, as in 598 BC to end the siege of Jerusalem, the priests of Sanhedrin delivered him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^[10] who "bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon."^[14] and he died without proper funeral, described by Jeremiah that "he shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 22:19) "and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night" (Jeremiah 36:30).^[15] Josephus wrote that Nebuchadnezzar slew Jehoiakim along with high ranking officers and then commanded Jehoiakim's body "to be thrown before the walls, without any burial."^[16]

Verse 24

“As I live,” says the Lord, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off” (NKJV)^[17]

• "Coniah the son of Jehoiakim": succeeded his father, Jehoiakim, for three months and ten days as the king of Judah (2 Kings 24:8; 2 Chronicles 36:9) in 597 BC,^[7] until he and his family members (including his mother as noted in Jeremiah 22:25; 2 Kings 24:15) as well as a number of officers were exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, while the king of Babylon placed Zedekiah on the throne of Judah (Jeremiah 24:11-17; 2 Chronicles 36:9-10; Jeremiah 37:1).^[18] "Coniah" (Hebrew: כניהו in Jeremiah 22:24,28; Jeremiah 37:1) is also called Jeconiah (Hebrew: יכניהו in Jeremiah 24:1; or יכוניה in Jeremiah 27:20; Jeremiah 28:4; Jeremiah 29:2, Esther 2:6; 1 Chronicles 3:16) and Jehoiachin (Hebrew: יהויכין in 2 Kings 24:6, 2 Chronicles 36:8, Jeremiah 52:31, or יויכין in Ezekiel 1:2).^[19] For thirty-six years Jeconiah remained in prison at Babylon, and the archeological evidence of his presence in Babylon was found in form of rations tablets bearing his name and title. When Nebuchadnezzar died, his son Evil-merodach released Jeconiah and gave him an honorable seat at his own table (2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34).^[10]

Verse 30

“Thus says the Lord:

Write this man down as childless,

A man who shall not prosper in his days;

For none of his descendants shall prosper,

Sitting on the throne of David,

And ruling anymore in Judah.” (NKJV)^[20]

Jeconiah has seven sons according to 1 Chronicles 3:17-18, but the Davidic lineage of kingship did not extend to his heirs.^[18] This prophecy starts with the "threefold address" of "earth" (Hebrew: ארץ ’e-rets) in Jeremiah 22:29 (similar to the use with "holy" in Isaiah 6:3 and "overthrown" in Ezekiel 21:27) to place a strong emphasis that "no descendant of Jeconiah shall rule Judah."^[7]

See also

• Related Bible parts: 2 Kings 23, 2 Kings 24, 1 Chronicles 3, 2 Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 36, Ezekiel 19

Notes and references

Bibliography

• The Nelson Study Bible. Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1997. ISBN 9780840715999. 
• Ulrich, Eugene, ed. (2010). The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants. Brill. 

External links

Jewish

• Jeremiah 22 Hebrew with Parallel English
• Jeremiah 22 Hebrew with Rashi's Commentary

Christian

• Jeremiah 22 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate