Jeremiah 22:6

6 For the Lord saith these things on the house of the king of Judah; Gilead, thou art to me the head of the Lebanon; credence be not given to me, if I set not thee (into) a wilderness, (and) cities (which be) unhabitable. (For the Lord saith these things about the house of the king of Judah; thou art to me like Gilead, and like the heights of Lebanon; but credence be not given to me/but no one believe me, if I do not make thee into a wilderness, and a land of uninhabited cities.)

Jeremiah 22:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 22:6

For thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah
That is, to the family of the king of Judah; though it may be rendered, "concerning the house of the king of Judah" ^F26; and so refer to his palace as before: thou [art] Gilead unto me, [and] the head of Lebanon;
or, though like to Gilead (which was a very fruitful country) for wealth, riches, and all kind of valuable things; and like to the top of Mount Lebanon ^F1, being set with tall cedars, for stateliness. So the Targum is,

``although thou art beloved before me more than the sanctuary, which is high upon the top of the mountains:''

or thou shall be as Gilead, and Mount Lebanon, which belonged to the ten tribes of Israel, and are put for the whole kingdom of Israel, which was wasted by the king of Assyria; and in like condition should the royal palace at Jerusalem be, notwithstanding all its riches and grandeur, and so the city and temple likewise; as follows: [yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness, [and] cities [which] are
not inhabited;
though as fruitful as Gilead, yet shall become like a barren desert; and though full of children, courtiers, princes, and nobles, yet shall be like cities quite depopulated: or, "if I do not make thee" ^F2 it is in the form of an oath, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; and to be supplied thus, if I do not do as I have said, let me never be believed; let me be reckoned a liar, or not thought to be God, and the like. It shows the certain accomplishment of these things.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (Klm tyb le) "de domo regis", Cocceius, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F1 (Nwnblh var yl hta delg) "velut Gilead, ut caput Libani", Junius & Tremellius.
F2 (Ktyva al Ma) "si non posuero te", Vatablus, Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 22:6 In-Context

4 For if ye doing do this word, (then) kings of the kin of David sitting on his throne shall enter [in] by the gates of this house, and shall ascend on chariots and horses, they, and the servants, and the people of them. (For if ye do this thing, then kings of the kin of David sitting on his throne shall enter in by the gates of this house, or of this palace, and shall come in chariots and on horses, they, and their servants, and their people.)

5 That if ye hear not these words, I swore in myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall be into wilderness. (But if ye do not listen to these words, I swore to myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall be turned into a wilderness, that is, into an empty ruin.)

6 For the Lord saith these things on the house of the king of Judah; Gilead, thou art to me the head of the Lebanon; credence be not given to me, if I set not thee (into) a wilderness, (and) cities (which be) unhabitable. (For the Lord saith these things about the house of the king of Judah; thou art to me like Gilead, and like the heights of Lebanon; but credence be not given to me/but no one believe me, if I do not make thee into a wilderness, and a land of uninhabited cities.)

7 And I shall hallow on thee a man slaying, and his arms (And I shall ordain men against thee to kill thee with their weapons); and they shall cut down thy chosen cedars, and shall cast (them) down into (the) fire.

8 And many folks shall pass by this city, and each man shall say to his neighbour, Why did the Lord thus to this great city? (And people from many nations shall pass by this city, and each person shall say to his neighbour, Why did the Lord do thus to this great city?)