Jeremiah 9:19

KJV

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast [us] out.

KJV (with Strong's)

For a voice {H6963} of wailing {H5092} is heard {H8085} out of Zion {H6726}, How are we spoiled {H7703}! we are greatly {H3966} confounded {H954}, because we have forsaken {H5800} the land {H776}, because our dwellings {H4908} have cast us out {H7993}.

Complete Jewish Bible

For the sound of wailing is heard from Tziyon: 'We are utterly ruined, we are completely ashamed, because we have left the land, and our homes have been torn down!'"

Berean Standard Bible

For the sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How devastated we are! How great is our shame! For we have abandoned the land because our dwellings have been torn down.’”

American Standard Version

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we ruined! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 9:19 profoundly articulates the collective lament and deep despair of the people of Judah, specifically emanating from Zion (Jerusalem), as they confront the devastating consequences of divine judgment. The verse captures the anguish of a nation overwhelmed by invasion, plunder, and displacement, acknowledging their profound shame and confusion. Crucially, it attributes this catastrophic state directly to their spiritual rebellion and unfaithfulness, expressed as having "forsaken the land" and being "cast out" from their dwellings, a direct outcome of their abandonment of God's covenant.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a deeply sorrowful and condemnatory section of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 8-10), characterized by intense lament and pronouncements of impending judgment against Judah for their persistent idolatry, moral corruption, and spiritual apostasy. Jeremiah, often known as the "weeping prophet," embodies the profound grief of God over His people's stubbornness and the inevitable sorrow that will follow their disobedience. The "voice of wailing" in this verse echoes the prophet's own anguish, expressed earlier in his desire for his head to be "waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears" to weep for his people, as seen in [Jeremiah 9:1](/jeremiah/9-1 "Jeremiah 9:1 - Jeremiah's Lament for Judah"). The immediate preceding verses describe the land's desolation, the people's flight, and the pervasive death, setting the stage for this cry of utter devastation heard directly from the heart of Zion. This lament serves as a poignant climax to the prophet's earlier warnings, demonstrating the painful reality of judgment.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Jeremiah prophesied during the tumultuous final decades of the Kingdom of Judah (late 7th to early 6th centuries BCE), a period marked by the decline of the Assyrian Empire and the inexorable rise of the Babylonian Empire. Judah found itself precariously positioned between these great powers, often making political alliances contrary to God's explicit will. The "wailing" and "spoiling" directly refer to the series of Babylonian invasions that would culminate in the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BCE, leading to the Babylonian exile. Culturally, the loss of land was an unparalleled catastrophe, as land ownership was intrinsically linked to covenant blessings, national identity, and the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham's descendants. Being "cast out" of their dwellings signified not merely physical displacement but a profound rupture of their social, religious, and national fabric, fulfilling the severe curses outlined in the Mosaic Covenant for disobedience, vividly detailed in passages like [Deuteronomy 28:49-57](/deuteronomy/28-49-57 "Deuteronomy 28:49-57 - Curses of Invasion, Siege, and Cannibalism").

* **Key Themes:** Jeremiah 9:19 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it highlights the **consequences of covenant disobedience**, illustrating how Judah's pervasive spiritual apostasy directly led to national catastrophe. Their "forsaking the land" is a direct parallel to their deeper act of forsaking God, resulting in the land itself becoming uninhabitable for them. Secondly, the verse emphasizes **divine judgment** as a righteous and inevitable response to sin, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, which included both blessings for obedience and severe curses for rebellion. Thirdly, it vividly portrays the theme of **lament and national sorrow**, capturing the deep emotional and spiritual anguish of a people facing utter devastation and the ignominy of exile. This lament foreshadows the profound grief expressed in the [Book of Lamentations](/lamentations "The Book of Lamentations - A Cry of Despair"), written after Jerusalem's fall, articulating the sorrow of a people dispossessed, humiliated, and longing for restoration, as seen in [Lamentations 1:1-3](/lamentations/1-1-3 "Lamentations 1:1-3 - Jerusalem's Desolation and Loneliness").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Wailing (Hebrew, _nᵉhîy'_):** From H5092, this term denotes an elegy or a deep, mournful cry. It often refers to a professional lamentation, indicating a public, formalized, and intense expression of grief. Its use here emphasizes the profound and pervasive sorrow that grips Zion, signifying not merely individual sadness but a collective, national outpouring of anguish, a public demonstration of their utter devastation.
* **Greatly (Hebrew, _mᵉʼôd'_):** From H3966, this word signifies vehemence or intensity. When paired with "confounded," it acts as a superlative, emphasizing the extreme degree of their shame, bewilderment, and disorientation. It suggests a state of utter disgrace and profound psychological distress that goes beyond simple confusion, indicating a complete loss of composure and self-respect.
* **Forsaken (Hebrew, _ʻâzab'_):** From H5800, this primitive root means to loosen, relinquish, or leave destitute. In the context of "forsaking the land," it carries a dual meaning: both the literal act of being forced to abandon their homeland due to invasion, and the deeper theological implication of Israel having forsaken their covenant relationship with God. Their abandonment of God resulted in the land itself becoming untenable for them, as per the covenant curses.
* **Dwellings (Hebrew, _mishkân'_):** From H4908, this term refers to a residence, habitation, or even the Tabernacle. Here, it signifies the homes and settled places of the people. The phrase "our dwellings have cast us out" is a powerful personification, suggesting that the very places meant to provide security and belonging have rejected them, underscoring the completeness of their displacement and the loss of any secure refuge.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion":** This opening clause immediately establishes the setting and the pervasive atmosphere of profound grief. "Zion," representing Jerusalem and the spiritual heart of Judah, is no longer a place of worship and security but the source of a loud, mournful cry. This indicates that the epicenter of their national and religious identity is now consumed by sorrow and devastation, signaling the depth and comprehensive nature of the impending or ongoing divine judgment.
* **"How are we spoiled!":** This is an exclamation of utter devastation and plunder, reflecting a state of shock and disbelief. The people are acknowledging that they have been thoroughly ravaged, their possessions taken, their land laid waste, and their very existence threatened. It conveys the brutal reality of invasion and the violent stripping away of their resources, security, and national dignity.
* **"we are greatly confounded":** This phrase expresses a profound sense of shame, bewilderment, and disgrace. The people are not merely confused but deeply humiliated by their defeat, the reversal of their fortunes, and the public ignominy of their situation. Their world has been turned upside down, leaving them disoriented, exposed, and utterly without understanding of how such a catastrophe could befall them.
* **"because we have forsaken the land":** This clause provides the immediate, albeit partial, reason for their suffering. On a literal level, it refers to their forced abandonment of their homeland due to the Babylonian invasion. However, in the deeper prophetic and theological context, it implicitly points to their prior act of forsaking God and His covenant. Their unfaithfulness to God led directly to the land becoming untenable for them, fulfilling the covenant curses that promised expulsion from the land for disobedience.
* **"because our dwellings have cast [us] out":** This concluding clause powerfully reinforces the theme of utter displacement and homelessness. The vivid **personification** of "dwellings" casting them out emphasizes the completeness of their dispossession. It highlights that even their most fundamental places of security and belonging have become hostile and uninhabitable, signifying a state of profound alienation and the loss of any stable foundation or refuge.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 9:19 is rich in literary devices that amplify its message of despair and divine judgment. The entire verse functions as a **Lament** or **Elegy**, a poetic expression of profound grief and sorrow over catastrophic loss. **Pathos** is heavily employed, evoking deep sympathy for the suffering of Judah through its raw depiction of wailing, spoiling, and confusion. The phrase "a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion" employs **Synecdoche**, where "Zion" (the part, representing the spiritual and political capital) stands for the entire nation of Judah (the whole), emphasizing that the sorrow originates from the very heart of their national and religious identity. The exclamation "How are we spoiled!" is an example of an **Exclamatory Lament**, conveying intense despair and the overwhelming nature of their loss without expecting a literal answer, highlighting their utter helplessness. The most striking device is **Personification** in "our dwellings have cast [us] out," which attributes human action (casting out) to inanimate objects (dwellings). This vivid imagery powerfully conveys the complete and inescapable nature of their displacement, suggesting that even their homes have turned against them, leaving them utterly without refuge or security.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 9:19 stands as a stark testament to the theological principle that disobedience to God's covenant carries severe and inescapable consequences. The "wailing" and "spoiling" are not random misfortunes but the direct, divinely ordained judgment upon a people who have "forsaken the land," a phrase that symbolizes their deeper spiritual abandonment of the Lord who graciously gave them that land. This verse underscores God's unwavering justice and His commitment to His covenant, which stipulated that faithfulness would bring blessing and unfaithfulness would bring curses, including exile and desolation. It powerfully highlights the corporate nature of sin and suffering in ancient Israel, where the actions of the nation as a whole brought about collective judgment, demonstrating that God's promises are conditional upon covenant fidelity.

* [Leviticus 26:33](/leviticus/26-33 "Leviticus 26:33 - Consequences of Disobedience and Dispersion")
* [Deuteronomy 28:64](/deuteronomy/28-64 "Deuteronomy 28:64 - Dispersion Among Nations")
* [Lamentations 2:10](/lamentations/2-10 "Lamentations 2:10 - The Elders of Zion in Silence")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 9:19 serves as a profound and sobering reminder for all generations of the spiritual consequences of turning away from God. While believers today live under the New Covenant, the timeless principles of faithfulness, accountability, and the interconnectedness of our actions with their outcomes remain profoundly relevant. When we, individually or corporately, "forsake the land" of God's truth, His commands, and His life-giving presence, we risk experiencing a spiritual "wailing," a sense of being "spoiled" of peace and joy, and "confounded" by confusion and disorientation. This can manifest as spiritual barrenness, a loss of purpose, or a feeling of being "cast out" from the blessings and security found in close communion with God. The verse calls us to deep introspection, urging us to examine areas where we might have drifted from God's path, prioritizing worldly comforts or personal desires over His divine will. It emphasizes that true security and belonging are found not in physical dwellings or earthly possessions, but in an unwavering commitment to the Lord. Our greatest lament should be over our own sin and spiritual apathy, and our deepest desire, a heartfelt repentance and a swift return to Him, trusting in His boundless mercy and restorative grace.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "voice of wailing" might be heard in my own life or community when God's ways are forsaken or neglected?**
* **In what ways might I be "greatly confounded" or feel "spoiled" when I prioritize worldly pursuits or self-reliance over spiritual faithfulness?**
* **How does the concept of "forsaking the land" (or God's truth and covenant) manifest in contemporary Christian life, and what are its potential consequences?**
* **What steps can I take to ensure my "dwellings" (my heart, my home, my church, my community) are places of God's presence and blessing, rather than places that might "cast me out" through spiritual neglect or disobedience?**

### FAQ

**What does "Zion" represent in this verse, and why is its wailing significant?**

Answer: In Jeremiah 9:19, "Zion" refers to Jerusalem, specifically the Temple Mount and, by extension, the city itself. It was the spiritual and political capital of Judah, the place where God's presence was believed to dwell and where His covenant was symbolically ratified. Its wailing is highly significant because it symbolizes the utter devastation and spiritual bankruptcy of the entire nation. The sorrow originates from the very heart of their identity and faith, indicating that the judgment is comprehensive and has reached the most sacred and central aspects of their existence. It signifies that even where God's name was honored, sin had led to profound suffering and lament, fulfilling prophetic warnings found in passages like [Micah 3:12](/micah/3-12 "Micah 3:12 - Zion Plowed Like a Field").

**What does it mean to be "spoiled" and "greatly confounded" in this context?**

Answer: To be "spoiled" (Hebrew: _shadad_) means to be plundered, ravaged, or devastated, referring to the violent and destructive actions of an invading army. It implies the brutal loss of possessions, security, and the very fabric of their society. To be "greatly confounded" (Hebrew: _bûwsh_ with _mᵉʼôd_) signifies a profound sense of shame, disgrace, and bewilderment. It's more than just confusion; it's a deep humiliation and disorientation resulting from their defeat and the collapse of their world. They are not only physically stripped but also emotionally and psychologically shattered, facing the ignominy of their situation as a direct consequence of their unfaithfulness, as warned in [Deuteronomy 28:20](/deuteronomy/28-20 "Deuteronomy 28:20 - Curses of Confusion and Rebuke").

**How does "forsaking the land" relate to forsaking God?**

Answer: In the Old Testament, the land of Israel was a covenant gift from God, promised to Abraham and his descendants. Living in the land was contingent upon obedience to God's covenant. Therefore, "forsaking the land" in Jeremiah 9:19 carries a dual meaning. Literally, it refers to the forced expulsion from their homeland due to invasion and exile, a consequence of their sin. Theologically, however, it implicitly points to Judah's deeper spiritual apostasy – their "forsaking" of God Himself, His laws, and His covenant. Their spiritual unfaithfulness led to the land no longer sustaining them, effectively "casting them out" as a consequence of their rebellion. This reflects the conditional nature of the covenant, where blessings (like dwelling securely in the land) were tied to obedience, and curses (like expulsion) to disobedience, as seen in [Leviticus 26:32-33](/leviticus/26-32-33 "Leviticus 26:32-33 - Desolation of the Land and Dispersion").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 9:19, with its lament over a people "spoiled," "confounded," and "cast out" due to their forsaking of God, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus. While ancient Israel experienced physical exile and desolation for their corporate sin, Christ, the true and faithful Israel, bore the ultimate "spoiling" and "confusion" of humanity's sin on the cross. He was "forsaken" by God, crying out in dereliction as recorded in [Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction"), not for His own sin, but for ours, taking upon Himself the spiritual exile and separation that our unfaithfulness deserved. Through His perfect sacrifice, the curse of being "cast out" is reversed for all who believe. Where Israel's earthly dwellings failed to provide refuge, Christ becomes our true and eternal dwelling place, the "temple" not made with human hands, in whom we are no longer alienated but brought near to God, as beautifully articulated in [Ephesians 2:19](/ephesians/2-19 "Ephesians 2:19 - Fellow Citizens with Saints"). The "voice of wailing" from Zion, a cry of judgment and despair, ultimately gives way to the triumphant cry of resurrection and the promise of a New Covenant, foretold in [Jeremiah 31:31-34](/jeremiah/31-31-34 "Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The New Covenant"), established in His blood, where God's people are truly gathered and never again "cast out" but dwell securely and eternally in Him.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 4:13

Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

Ezekiel 7:16

¶ But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.

Ezekiel 7:18

They shall also gird [themselves] with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame [shall be] upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

Deuteronomy 28:29

And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save [thee].

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.

Micah 2:4

In that day shall [one] take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed [it] from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.