Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 22:3

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

A king’s responsibility (21:11-22:9)

As he has no doubt done many times, Jeremiah tells the leaders of Judah that they must correct the widespread social injustice that has corrupted their nation. If they do not, God will destroy the nation in judgment (11-12). They are deceiving themselves if they think that God will not allow anyone to attack Jerusalem. They are going to be disappointed if they think that the city’s fortified position guarantees its safety (13-14).
The king has a duty to provide justice for all, no matter what their status in life. By ruling uprightly the king will ensure the continuance of the Davidic dynasty, but by ungodliness he is only helping to bring that dynasty to an end (22:1-5). As a mighty forest is cut down and burnt, so Judah will be destroyed if it forsakes God. When the king and his people abandon the covenant and worship other gods, they have no further assurance of God’s saving power (6-9).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“Thus said Jehovah; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word. and say, Hear the word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates. Thus saith Jehovah: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the sojourner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith Jehovah, that this house shall become a desolation. For thus saith Jehovah concerning the house of the king 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. And I will prepare destroyers against thee, everyone with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall cry every man to his neighbor, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah their God and worshipped other gods, and served them.”

“If ye will do this thing indeed” Thompson translated this clause, “If you scrupulously carry out this commission.”Ibid., p. 472.

“They shall cut down thy choice cedars” “In keeping with the figure of a forest, the destruction of Jerusalem is represented as the hewing down of the choice cedars. The destroyed city will become a monument to God’s wrath against the transgressors of his covenant.”C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch’s Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 335.

Jeremiah 22:8 reflects the promise recorded by Moses in Deut. 29:33ff. Along with the king’s palace, the whole city will be destroyed.

“Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah” The covenant in view here is the one commonly called the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, or the Sinaitic Covenant (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7).

“The covenant violated here was not the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7, but the initial covenant at Sinai, referred to recurringly in earlier portions of Jeremiah. The extensive devastation was a lesson to all nations on the perils of idolatry.”Charles Lee Feinberg in Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody Press), p. 511.

Although Jellie thought that these first nine verses were addressed to the early days of the reign of Jehoiachim, Harrison assigned them to the times of Zedekiah.R. K. Harrison, Jeremiah in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 117. As we have frequently noted, if such distinctions were very important, God would have revealed the exact situation. Here it makes little or no difference, because the words perfectly fit either one of the monarchs mentioned.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

He says, first, Do judgment and justice This belonged especially to the king and his judges and governors; for private individuals, we know, had no power to protect their property; for though every one ought to resist wrongs and evil doings, yet this was the special duty of the judges whom God had armed with the sword for this purpose. To do judgment, means to render to every one according to his right; but when the two words, judgment and justice, are connected together, by justice we are to understand equity, so that every one has his own right; and by judgment is to be understood the execution of due punishment; for it is not enough for the judge to decide what is right, except he restrains the wicked when they audaciously resist. To do judgment, then, is to defend the weak and the innocent, as it were, with an armed hand. ⁽³³⁾

He then adds, Rescue the spoiled from the hand of the oppressor He repeats what we observed in the last chapter; and here under one thing he includes the duty of judges, even that they are ever to oppose what is wrong and to check the audacity of the wicked, for they can never be induced willingly to conduct themselves with moderation and quietness. As, then, they are to be restrained by force, he says, “Rescue the spoiled from the hand of the oppressor.” Of the word גזול, gesul, we have spoken before; but by this form of speaking God intimates that it is not enough for the judge to abstain from tyranny and cruelty, and not to stimulate the wicked nor favor them, except he also acknowledges that he has been appointed by God for this end — to rescue the spoiled from the hand of the oppressor, and not to hesitate to face hatred and danger in the discharge of his office.

The Prophet now adds other things which he had not mentioned in the preceding chapter; defraud not, ⁽³⁴⁾ he says, the stranger and the orphan and the widow It is what is often said in Scripture, that it is not right to defraud any one; for God would exempt all from wrong, and not only strangers, orphans, and widows; but as orphans have no knowledge or wisdom, they are exposed, as it were, to plunder; and also widows, because they are in themselves helpless; and strangers, because they have no friends to undertake their cause; hence God, in an especial mannel, requires a regard to be had to strangers, orphans, and widows. There is also another reason; for when their right is rendered to strangers, orphans, and widows, equity no doubt shines forth more conspicuously. When any one brings friends with him, and employs them in the defense of his cause, the judge is thereby influenced; and he who is a native will have his relations and neighbors to support his cause; and he who is rich and possessing power will also influence the judge, so that he dares not do anything notoriously wrong; but when the stranger, or the orphan, or the widow comes before the judge, he can with impunity oppress them all. Hence if he judges rightly, it is no doubt a conspicuous proof of his integrity and uprightness. This, then, is the reason why God everywhere enumerates these cases when he speaks of right and equitable judgments. He further adds, Exercise no violence, nor shed innocent blood in this place These things also were matters belonging to the judges. But it was a horribly monstrous thing for the throne of David to have been so defiled as to have become, as it were, a den of robbers. Wherever there is any pretense to justice, there ought to be there some fear or shame; but as we have said, that tribunal was in a peculiar manner sacred to God. As, then, the king and his counsellors were become like robbers, and as they so occupied the throne of David that all impiety prevailed, and they hesitated not to plunder on every side, as though they lived in a house of plunder; this was, as I have said, a sad and shameful spectacle. ⁽³⁵⁾

But we ought the more carefully to notice this passage, that we may learn to strengthen ourselves against bad examples, lest the impiety of men should overturn our faith; when we see in God’s Church things in such a disorder, that those who glory in the name of God are become like robbers, we must beware lest we become, on this account, alienated from true religion. We must, indeed, detest such monsters, but we must take care lest God’s word, through men’s wickedness, should lose its value in our esteem. We ought, then, to remember the admonition of Christ, to hear the Scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses’ seat. (Matthew 23:2.) Thus it behoved the Jews to venerate that royal throne, on which God had inscribed certain marks of his glory. Though they saw that it was polluted by the crimes and evil deeds of men, yet they ought to have retained some regard for it on account of that expression, “This is my rest for ever.”

But we yet see that the king was sharply and severely reproved, as he deserved. Hence most foolishly does the Pope at the present day seek to exempt himself from all reproof, because he occupies the apostolic throne. ⁽³⁶⁾ Were we to grant what is claimed, (though that is frivolous and childish,) that the Roman throne is apostolic, (which I think has never been occupied by Peter,) surely the throne of David was much more venerable than the chair of Peter? and yet the descendants of David who succeeded him, being types and representatives of Christ, were not on that account, as we here see, exempt from reproof.

It might, however, be asked, why the Prophet said that he was sent to the whole people, when his doctrine was addressed only to the king and the public judges? for it belonged not to the people or to private individuals. But I have said already that it was easy for the common people to gather how God’s judgment ought to have been dreaded, for they had heard that punishment was denounced even on the house of David, which was yet considered sacred. When, therefore, they saw that those were summoned before God’s tribunal who were, in a manner, not subject to laws, what were they to think but that every one of them ought to have thought of himself, and to examine his own life? for they must at length be called to give an account, since the king himself and his counsellors had been summoned to do so. It now follows, —

(33) The verb here is different from that in Jeremiah 21:12, though rendered in our version the same — “execute.” It is עשה, to do, to act, but is used in a wide sense, like facio in Latin. To do judgment is to judge or condemn, that is, the guilty; to do justice is to justify or acquit, that is, the innocent. Perhaps the best rendering would be, “Administer judgment and justice;” the former to the guilty, and the latter to the innocent.

Blayney’s version can by no means be approved, “Do right and justice,” as the distinctive character of the two acts is not expressed. “Do judgment and justice,” are all the Versions and the Targum. — Ed.

(34) So it is rendered by Blayney; by the Vulg. and Targ., “Make not sad;” by the Sept., “Tyrannize not over;” and by the, Syr., “Wrong not.” The verb means to press down, to depress, and hence to oppress. With this the next verb is connected by ו in many copies, and by all the Versions except the Arab., and by the Targum; and it means to do wrong by force or violence, outrageously to injure, or to deal unjustly with, to plunder. They were not to press them down by denying them their rights, nor violently to take their things away from them, or to plunder them.

We may render the passage as Gataker does, “And the stranger, the orphan, and the widow oppress not, wrong not,” or plunder not. A similar passage is in Jeremiah 7:6. The word rendered there “oppress” is different, עשק, and more general in its meaning, including the two ideas here — oppression by denying them their rights, and by plundering them. — Ed

(35) There is first in this passage a general direction, “Administer ye judgment and justice;” and then there is a specification which refers first to justice and then to judgment, the order, as is commonly the case, being reversed. It was an act of “justice” to rescue the plundered from the hands of the plunderer. Then they were forbidden to administer wrong, “judgment,” so as to depress and plunder the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, and to shed innocent blood. See Psalms 94:6. It shews a bad state of society when the wicked and the guilty are not punished; but it is still worse when the helpless are oppressed, and the innocent are condemned. — Ed.

(36) Poor Peter never had any throne, therefore the Pope’s throne cannot be apostolic. The Pope’s throne is a heathen throne, both materially and spiritually. The seat itself is a chair of some heathen hero or deity, and the power claimed to be exercised was never claimed nor possessed by Peter. The Pope is quite as much an impostor as Mahomet, only his blasphemy is greater and more detestable. — Ed.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 22

Now the Lord commanded Jeremiah to go down to the king's house and speak there at the king's house this word. The other, it was a message sent back to the king. Now go on down to his house and speak this further word.

Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, you that are sitting upon the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people that enter in by these gates: Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith Jehovah, that this house shall become a desolation ( Jeremiah 22:2-5 ).

Now here even at this late date, God is still holding out to the king the offer of deliverance. As God said, "I've set before you life and death." And though they are really on the gallows and they're waiting for the handle to be pulled that drop the trap door, the rope in a sense is around their neck. I mean, they are as close to being gone as you can get. But even now the Lord is saying, "Look, if you'll just do what's right, if you'll only have righteous judgments and seek to deliver the fatherless, the widow, the poor from the oppression, if you'll only do that which is right, then I will continue this dynasty, this kingdom. And there will be kings that will be able to go in and up and sit upon the throne and they'll ride in and out of these gates in their chariots and all. All you have to do is turn around, even now." And so God is giving them, really, one final chance. But it seems that many times the evil and the corruption is so deeply imbedded. The greed has gone so far that you just can't turn.

Now it is interesting to me that the main cry of God was the lack of real justice that was coming forth in the land. The poor, the orphans, the widows were being oppressed. It is interesting to me how that God so often takes up the cause of the poor or of the orphan or of the widow who cry upon Him and cry unto Him. And here God's judgment would be forestalled if only they would be righteous that they would execute judgment and righteousness and deliver those who had been spoiled out of the hands of those that were oppressing them. Do no violence to the stranger, or to the fatherless, or the widow. If you do this thing indeed, you can remain. Kings will go in and out. But if you don't, God declares, I swear by myself. Now in Hebrews it says that the Lord can't swear by any higher so He swears by Himself. But when God takes an oath to swear by Himself, you can be sure that He's going to do it.

Now the oath is always to confirm the word. And when a person makes an oath, you swear by something that is higher than you. Now Jesus in a sense tells us that we should not swear. "I say unto you, swear not at all. Neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is God's footstool. But when you say yes, just let it be yes. When you say no, let it be no" ( Matthew 5:34-35 , Matthew 5:37 ). Just be a person of your word. Don't have to be a person that takes an oath to prove, "Oh, I'm telling the truth," you know. By my mother's name or by heaven or whatever that a person may take an oath by. The Lord says you shouldn't have to do that to affirm the truth. Just speak the truth. Let your yes be a yes, let your no be a no, rather than having to swear by something other than yourself, something higher than yourself. But God when He desired to make a firm commitment, because He could swear by no higher, He swore by Himself. That is, of course, you can't get anything more sure than that. When God says, "I swear by myself that I will do it," man, there's nothing in the world more sure than that. You say, "Well, we're sure the sun will come up tomorrow morning." No, you're not. But if God declares it, then you can be sure. And if God swears by Himself that it will, then you can know. There is no question. There is no doubt. And so God really is laying it on just as heavy. "This is it. This is your final. I swear by Myself. I will just make this place a desolation."

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 the cities which are not inhabited ( Jeremiah 22:6 ).

Gilead and Lebanon, beautiful areas. Forested and all. That's what you are to me, but surely I'm going to make you just a desolate wilderness.

I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Why has the LORD done this unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them ( Jeremiah 22:7-9 ).

So this place, this was once so glorious and so beautiful. Really the pride of the earth for glory and beauty. It's going to be laid waste and desolate and become as a wilderness and people will pass by and they say, "Why in the world did God do this to this area, to this place? Why such desolation?" And the answer would come back, "Because they have forsaken the covenant of God and worshipped other gods."

Now God had made a covenant with the nation Israel, a covenant whereby they would be His people and He would be their God. There were several factors to this covenant that God had made, several special aspects to the covenant. One of them was the Sabbath day. That was a special covenant between God and Israel forever--their observance of the Sabbath day. Another aspect to the covenant was the circumcision of the males. Another aspect of the covenant was that their approach to God was to be through the sacrifice of animals. For sinful man cannot approach a holy God. And God had said in His covenant, "For without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins" ( Hebrews 9:22 ). And so God established in His covenant with them the various sacrifices that they would offer unto the Lord: the sin offerings, the peace offerings, the whole burnt offerings, the meal offerings. Now God said, "You've broken the covenant."

It is interesting to me today that they are still not keeping the whole covenant with God. Though they observe the Sabbath and though they will not eat meat with dairy products, and though they still follow circumcision, yet they have tried to circumvent that portion of the covenant whereby God made provision for their covering of their sins. And they offer no sacrifice. There is no shedding of blood, without which, God said, there is no remission. But they now through some strange quirk seek to approach God on the basis of their own works and their own goodness.

Now where did this come from? Surely not from God or God's Word. This was one of man's substitutes that was introduced by man and picked up by the people and now followed by them religiously. So that on that great day of the year, Yom Kippur, when the priest was to go in and offer the atonement for the nation and for the sins of the nation, that day, the greatest day of the year really for them when the high priest that one day would enter into the presence of God within the holy of holies and there offer the sacrifice unto the Lord for the atonement of the sins of the nation. That day is now devoted to meditation upon your good works and upon your evil works. And hopefully balancing out with a little bit on the good works side so that your good works overbalance your evil works, and this is my acceptance before You, God. And yet, right here in the prophecy of Jeremiah he declares, "Your works are as filthy rags in the eyes of God." What a tragedy. Here they are trying to offer filthy rags to God for the atonement of their sins. Can't be done.

And so God said, "You've broken the covenant." They continue to break the covenant to the present day. But, of course, Jesus said when He took the cup, "This is a new covenant--My blood which is shed for the remission of sins." You see, they could come to God now by the new covenant. But somehow in their minds they feel that if they come to God by the new covenant, they will no longer be Jews. And this is a very weird perversion of the truth, because they are not really keeping the true covenant of God, the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. But what they don't realize, they don't have to keep that part. What they offer instead is their own works. But Paul the apostle writing to the Ephesians said, "It's not our works, lest any man should boast. By grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast" ( Ephesians 2:8-9 ).

And yet, they are seeking to be accepted by God for their works that they do. But God will not accept any man's works as an atoning factor for that man. You cannot work your way into God's grace or into God's favor or into heaven. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Without the remission of sin there is no fellowship with God. If you're to have fellowship with God there has to be the righteous basis for fellowship, and right now God has established a new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. "This cup is My blood. A new covenant in My blood which is shed for the remission of sins."

So why did the Lord do this? Why is this once glorious city such a desolation? Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God. They've worshipped other gods and served them.

Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep for him that is carried away ( Jeremiah 22:10 ):

Those that have died, don't weep for them. They're out of it. They're out of their miseries. But weep for those that are being taken captive to Babylon.

for they will never return again, nor see their native country ( Jeremiah 22:10 ).

Of course, in a couple of chapters we're going to find out that their captivity is going to last for seventy years. So there were a very, very few who did return, who can remember the former temple that they used to see when they were children. Old men now, probably in their eighties, who were just children when they were taken captive. Now returning to Jerusalem after the captivity, and as they lay the foundation for the rebuilding of the temple and everybody's worshipping and excited, "Oh, glory, glory," these men are weeping because this is such a pitiful looking thing in remembrance of the glorious temple that was once there. So he is saying, "Don't weep for those that are slain. They are well off. Those that are being taken away to Babylon, they are the ones that are going to have continual suffering. Weep sore for those."

For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum ( Jeremiah 22:11 )

And this is Jehoahaz who was taken down to Egypt by the Pharaoh. He was the king of Israel for a period of time, but he was taken as a captive to Egypt. "Thus saith the Lord concerning Shallum."

the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He is never going to come back again: but he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and he will never see this land again ( Jeremiah 22:11-12 ).

Jehoahaz is going to die in Egypt. He'll never come back.

Woe unto him that builds his house by unrighteousness ( Jeremiah 22:13 ),

Now he's laying it on to king Zedekiah again. "Who built his house by unrighteousness."

and his chambers by wrong; that used his neighbor's service without wages ( Jeremiah 22:13 ),

Because he was the king, he refused to pay those that worked upon his house. God's always for the laboring man; God's always for the underdog. God doesn't want you to rip anybody off and especially those that can't afford it, but just nobody, really. God wants righteousness. "Who used his neighbor's service without wages."

and gives him nothing for his work; That says, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and he cuts out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion ( Jeremiah 22:13-14 ).

That must have been quite a house--vermilion walls and cedar ceilings.

Shalt thou reign, because you closed yourself in cedar? did not your father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. But your eyes and your heart are not but for your own covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it ( Jeremiah 22:15-17 ).

Talking about his father, of course, going back to Josiah and how that in his reign he was righteous before God and God blessed him. He judged the cause of the poor and it went well with him. But this king was covetousness. He was taking advantage of the people.

Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! But he will be buried with the burial of an ass, that is drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem ( Jeremiah 22:18-19 ).

So the fearsome judgment against Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah.

Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all of the lovers are destroyed ( Jeremiah 22:20 ).

All of your lovers.

I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but you said, I will not listen. This has been your manner from your youth, you just haven't obeyed my voice ( Jeremiah 22:21 ).

How many people in their prosperity have turned their heart from God. And God speaks to them but they just won't hearken. They won't listen. But God said, "This has been your case from the beginning. You just won't obey My voice." God help us that this not be the case of our own selves as God has spoken to us over and over in His Word. As God has declared in His Word how we are to walk and how we are to live after the Spirit and not after the flesh. And when God has given us so many warnings of the perils of the flesh-dominated life, God help us if we don't obey Him. But if we become covetous, if we become greedy, if we begin to take advantage of other people because of our own position.

Jesus said to His disciples, "The heathen love to exercise lordship over others. But it shall not be so among you. For whosoever would be the chief among you, let him be the servant of all" ( Mark 10:44 ). Now that's what it's to be like in the kingdom. Not to be taking advantage of your position. If you have a position of leadership or authority over others, not to be using it for your own personal advantage. Not to be using it to build your own house as the king did. Not to take unfair advantage of other people. If they work for you, pay them. And if you're going to be the chief, then learn to be the servant of all. Rather than taking, give. Use your position to help and to give to those that are lacking. And thus shall you truly be the servant of the Lord. God help us. God said, "Hey, I spoke to you in your prosperity, you wouldn't listen. And that's been the case. You just haven't listened. You haven't obeyed My voice from the beginning."

The wind shall eat up all of your pastors, and all of your lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all of your wickedness. O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makes thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail! As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence ( Jeremiah 22:22-24 );

Coniah, of course, is Jeconiah who reigned just a short period and was cut off. Three months is all that he reigned. And God said, "Though he were the signet on My ring, on My right hand, yet I would pluck thee thence."

For I will give thee into the hand of them that seek your life, and into the hand of them whose face you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return ( Jeremiah 22:25-27 ).

You'll never come back again. You're going to die in captivity.

Is this man Jeconiah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD ( Jeremiah 22:28-29 ).

You see, God had been speaking to men for a long time. God says, "You're not listening. I spoke to you in your time of your prosperity, you wouldn't listen to Me." And so finally Jeremiah's so upset. He has given this message to this people. They're not listening so he turns and he says, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. They won't listen. Earth, you listen."

You ever had the problem of talking to a group of people and you look up and no one's listening? You're telling something very interesting. A lot of times I turn and talk to my menu. No one else is listening, you know. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord."

Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah ( Jeremiah 22:30 ).

This is the end of the line; Zedekiah's it. The dynasty is cut off with him. No one's going to arise of his seed to reign on the throne in Judah. That is a fact. It has happened. That was the end of the road for that dynasty. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Jeremiah instructed the king and his administrators to practice justice in their decisions regarding civil matters (cf. Jeremiah 21:12). They should protect the weak and vulnerable and should not shed innocent blood. Social justice has always been important to Yahweh.

"Who within our society are represented by the ones robbed by extortioners or by the sojourner, orphan, and widow? Is it the poor, the migrant, the alien? Is it the Third World worker who provides delicacies for our table, or cheap products for our market, but barely ekes out an existence for himself and his family? Is our concern for justice limited to ourselves and those like us? Or do we practice justice even toward those who have no advocate?" [Note: Drinkard, p. 299.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Thus saith the Lord, execute ye judgment and righteousness,.... Judge righteous Judgment; give the cause to whom it belongs, without respect of persons, and without a bribe or corruption; do no unrighteousness to any, by withholding from them what is due unto them, which was what this prince was chargeable with, Jeremiah 22:13;

and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; that was robbed or wronged of his property by one superior to him in power or cunning; Jeremiah 22:13- :;

and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow: who are not in a situation, and in such a condition and circumstances, as to defend themselves; and whom God has a peculiar regard unto; and therefore they who are his deputies and vicegerents, as kings and civil magistrates are, ought to protect such persons, and neither grieve and injure them themselves, nor suffer others to do it:

neither shed innocent blood in this place; to grieve and wrong the above persons is a very great evil, but to shed the blood of innocent per tons is a greater still; and this is aggravated by being committed by such who are set over men to secure and preserve their properties and their lives; and such heinous sins as these the present reigning king of Judah was guilty of; which is the reason of their being mentioned; see Jeremiah 22:17.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,   2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:   3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.   4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.   5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.   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.   7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.   8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?   9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

      Here we have,

      I. Orders given to Jeremiah to go and preach before the king. In the foregoing chapter we are told that Zedekiah sent messengers to the prophet, but here the prophet is bidden to go, in his own proper person, to the house of the king, and demand his attention to the word of the King of kings (Jeremiah 22:2; Jeremiah 22:2): Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah! Subjects must own that where the word of the king is there is power over them, but kings must own that where the word of the Lord is there is power over them. The king of Judah is here spoken to as sitting upon the throne of David, who was a man after God's own heart, as holding his dignity and power by the covenant made with David; let him therefore conform to his example, that he may have the benefit of the promises made to him. With the king his servants are spoken to, because a good government depends upon a good ministry as well as a good king.

      II. Instructions given him what to preach.

      1. He must tell them what was their duty, what was the good which the Lord their God required of them, Jeremiah 22:3; Jeremiah 22:3. They must take care, (1.) That they do all the good they can with the power they have. They must do justice in defence of those that were injured, and must deliver the spoiled out of the hand of their oppressors. This was the duty of their place, Psalms 82:3. Herein they must be ministers of God for good. (2.) That they do no hurt with it, no wrong, no violence. That is the greatest wrong and violence which is done under colour of law and justice, and by those whose business it is to punish and protect from wrong and violence. They must do no wrong to the stranger, fatherless, and widow; for these God does in a particular matter patronise and take under his tuition, Exodus 22:21; Exodus 22:22.

      2. He must assure them that the faithful discharge of their duty would advance and secure their prosperity, Jeremiah 22:4; Jeremiah 22:4. There shall then be a succession of kings, an uninterrupted succession, upon the throne of David and of his line, these enjoying a perfect tranquillity, and living in great state and dignity, riding in chariots and on horses, as before, Jeremiah 17:25; Jeremiah 17:25. Note, the most effectual way to preserve the dignity of the government is to do the duty of it.

      3. He must likewise assure them that the iniquity of their family, if they persisted in it, would be the ruin of their family, though it was a royal family (Jeremiah 22:5; Jeremiah 22:5): If you will not hear, will not obey, this house shall become a desolation, the palace of the kings of Judah shall fare no better than other habitations in Jerusalem. Sin has often been the ruin of royal palaces, though ever so stately, ever so strong. This sentence is ratified by an oath: I swear by myself (and God can swear by no greater, Hebrews 6:13) that this house shall be laid in ruins. Note, Sin will be the ruin of the houses of princes as well as of mean men.

      4. He must show how fatal their wickedness would be to their kingdom as well as to themselves, to Jerusalem especially, the royal city, Jeremiah 22:6-9; Jeremiah 22:6-9. (1.) It is confessed that Judah and Jerusalem had been valuable in God's eyes and considerable in their own: thou art Gilead unto me and the head of Lebanon. Their lot was cast in a place that was rich and pleasant as Gilead; Zion was a stronghold, as stately as Lebanon: this they trusted to as their security. But, (2.) This shall not protect them; the country that is now fruitful as Gilead shall be made a wilderness. The cities that are now strong as Lebanon shall be cities not inhabited; and, when the country is laid waste, the cities must be dispeopled. See how easily God's judgments can ruin a nation, and how certainly sin will do it. When this desolating work is to be done, [1.] There shall be those that shall do it effectually (Jeremiah 22:7; Jeremiah 22:7): "I will prepare destroyers against thee; I will sanctify them" (so the word is); "I will appoint them to this service and use them in it." Note, When destruction is designed destroyers are prepared, and perhaps are in the preparing, and things are working towards the designed destruction, and are getting ready for it, long before. And who can contend with destroyers of God's preparing? They shall destroy cities as easily as men fell trees in a forest: They shall cut down thy choice cedars; and yet, when they are down, shall value them no more than thorns and briers; they shall cast them into the fire, for their choicest cedars have become rotten ones and good for nothing else. [2.] There shall be those who shall be ready to justify God in the doing of it (Jeremiah 22:8; Jeremiah 22:9); persons of many nations, when they pass by the ruins of this city in their travels, will ask, "Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this city? How came so strong a city to be overpowered? so rich a city to be impoverished? so populous a city to be depopulated? so holy a city to be profaned? and a city that had been so dear to God to be abandoned by him?" The reason is so obvious that it shall be ready in every man's mouth. Ask those that go by the way,Job 21:29. Ask the next man you meet, and he will tell you it was because they changed their gods, which other nations never used to do. They forsook the covenant of Jehovah their own God, revolted from their allegiance to him and from the duty which their covenant with him bound them to, and they worshipped other gods and served them, in contempt of him; and therefore he gave them up to this destruction. Note, God never casts any off until they first cast him off. "Go," says God to the prophet, "and preach this to the royal family."