Jeremiah 6:22

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

Thus saith {H559} the LORD {H3068}, Behold, a people {H5971} cometh {H935} from the north {H6828} country {H776}, and a great {H1419} nation {H1471} shall be raised {H5782} from the sides {H3411} of the earth {H776}.

Here is what ADONAI says: "A people is coming from the land of the north, a great nation will be aroused from the ends of the earth.

This is what the LORD says: โ€œBehold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.

Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, a people cometh from the north country; and a great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

Commentary

Context

Jeremiah 6:22 is a stark prophetic declaration from the prophet Jeremiah, serving during a tumultuous period in the Kingdom of Judah (late 7th and early 6th centuries BC). Jeremiahโ€™s ministry was characterized by urgent warnings to Judah concerning their impending judgment due to widespread idolatry, social injustice, and spiritual apostasy. This specific verse speaks of a coming invasion, a recurring theme in Jeremiah's prophecies. The "north country" unequivocally refers to Babylon (the Chaldeans), the dominant power of the time that God would use as an instrument of His judgment against His disobedient people.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse highlights God's sovereign control over nations and His willingness to use them as instruments of judgment against those who have abandoned Him. This is not arbitrary punishment but a direct consequence of Judah's persistent sin and rebellion.
  • Imminent Threat: The language "cometh" and "shall be raised" conveys a sense of immediacy and inevitability. The warning is not distant but a present and rapidly approaching danger, emphasizing the urgency of repentance that Judah largely ignored.
  • God's Sovereignty Over Nations: The description of the invading force as "a great nation" raised "from the sides of the earth" underscores the vastness and power of the Babylonian empire, yet it is ultimately God who "saith the LORD" and orchestrates their movement and purpose. This demonstrates God's ultimate control over global events, even using pagan nations to fulfill His divine will.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "north country" in Hebrew is ืฆึธืคื•ึนืŸ (tsaphon), which literally means "north." In the prophetic context of Jeremiah, it almost exclusively points to the direction from which the Babylonian armies would invade Judah. The phrase "great nation" (ื’ึผื•ึนื™ ื’ึธื“ื•ึนืœ - goy gadol) emphasizes the formidable size and power of the invading force, indicating an overwhelming military might that Judah would be unable to resist on its own.

Related Scriptures

This prophecy aligns with other warnings given by Jeremiah about the coming invasion from the north, such as in Jeremiah 1:14, where the enemy from the north is described as a "boiling pot," or Jeremiah 5:15, which speaks of a "nation from afar." The underlying reason for this impending judgment is Judah's widespread disobedience and rebellion, as detailed in passages like Jeremiah 7:23-24, where the Lord laments their refusal to obey His voice.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 6:22 serves as a powerful reminder that God is sovereign over all nations and that there are consequences for persistent disobedience to His commands. While we may not face a literal invasion from a "north country" today, the principle remains: ignoring divine warnings and living in rebellion against God's will can lead to severe spiritual and natural consequences. It calls believers to pay heed to God's Word, to live in repentance, and to trust in His justice and mercy. It also reminds us that God can use unexpected or even hostile forces to achieve His purposes, ultimately guiding all of history toward His divine plan.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 10:22

    Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.

  • Jeremiah 50:41

    Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

  • Jeremiah 50:43

    The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.

  • Jeremiah 5:15

    Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it [is] a mighty nation, it [is] an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

  • Jeremiah 6:1

    ยถ O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

  • Jeremiah 1:14

    Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

  • Jeremiah 1:15

    For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
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