Jeremiah 22:23

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!

O inhabitant {H3427} of Lebanon {H3844}, that makest thy nest {H7077} in the cedars {H730}, how gracious {H2603} shalt thou be when pangs {H2256} come {H935} upon thee, the pain {H2427} as of a woman in travail {H3205}!

You who live in the L'vanon, nesting in the cedars, how gracious will you be when pains come on you like a woman in labor?

O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestled in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs of anguish come upon you, agony like a woman in labor.”

O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!

Jeremiah 22:23 is a stark prophetic utterance, delivered by the prophet Jeremiah, warning of the inevitable and severe judgment awaiting the proud and opulent rulers of Judah, particularly King Jehoiakim, who trusted in their material wealth and perceived security rather than in God.

Context

This verse is part of a larger oracle of judgment against the royal house of Judah in Jeremiah chapter 22. Jeremiah’s ministry took place during a tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile, a time marked by political instability, spiritual apostasy, and social injustice in Judah. The "O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars" is a vivid, metaphorical address. It refers to the kings of Judah, especially King Jehoiakim, who famously built lavish palaces for himself, adorned with costly cedar from Lebanon, often through oppressive means (see Jeremiah 22:14-15). This imagery highlights their arrogance, their false sense of security, and their reliance on worldly power and luxury, contrasting sharply with the impending divine wrath.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: The verse underscores God's unwavering justice. Despite their grandeur and perceived invulnerability, the rulers' pride and unrighteousness would not go unpunished. The "pangs" signify an inescapable and painful reckoning.
  • False Security and Worldly Pride: The "cedars of Lebanon" symbolized strength, beauty, and opulence in ancient Near Eastern culture. Building a "nest" in them represented a perceived impregnable position. The prophecy shatters this illusion, demonstrating the futility of trusting in material possessions or human might over divine favor.
  • The Pain of Judgment: The metaphor "the pain as of a woman in travail" is a powerful and frequently used biblical image (e.g., Isaiah 13:8, Hosea 13:13) to describe intense, unavoidable, and overwhelming distress. It conveys the suddenness, severity, and inescapable nature of the coming national catastrophe for Judah.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars" uses vivid imagery. "Lebanon" and "cedars" are symbolic of strength, beauty, and especially wealth and pride, as these costly materials were used in royal construction. The rhetorical question "how gracious shalt thou be" (Hebrew: mah-nichant) is deeply sarcastic. It doesn't imply actual grace or favor but rather means, "How pitiful, how helpless, or how utterly miserable will you be!" It highlights the complete reversal of their current elevated status to one of profound humiliation and suffering when judgment arrives. The "pangs" (Hebrew: ḥăbālîm) refer to ropes, birth pains, or anguish, emphasizing the binding, inescapable nature of the coming distress.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 22:23 serves as a timeless warning against pride, self-sufficiency, and placing trust in worldly security or material wealth. It reminds us that:

  • Humility is Essential: True security comes not from earthly possessions or power, but from a right relationship with God. As Proverbs 16:18 reminds us, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
  • Consequences of Sin: God's justice is certain, and those who persist in injustice, oppression, and pride will ultimately face consequences, often severe and painful.
  • Heed Warnings: The prophecy urges individuals and nations to pay attention to divine warnings and repent before judgment falls. Just as Jehoiakim's grand palace offered no escape from God's wrath, so too can modern forms of false security offer no true refuge from the consequences of unrighteousness. We are called to build our lives on a more solid foundation, as described in Matthew 7:24-27.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 6:24

    We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.

  • Jeremiah 4:30

    And [when] thou [art] spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

  • Jeremiah 4:31

    For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, [and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth herself, [that] spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

  • Jeremiah 22:6

    For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou [art] Gilead unto me, [and] the head of Lebanon: [yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness, [and] cities [which] are not inhabited.

  • Zechariah 11:1

    ¶ Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.

  • Zechariah 11:2

    Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

  • Hosea 7:14

    And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, [and] they rebel against me.

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