Jeremiah 22:8

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?)

Jeremiah 22:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 22:8

And many nations shall pass by this city
After it is burned down and destroyed; that is, people out of many nations travelling that way: and they shall say every man to his neighbour;
as in company together, passing along the ruined walls of the city: wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city?
so fortified and so full of people; the metropolis of the whole nation; the greatest city in the east; yea, the joy of the whole earth; a city peculiarly dear to the Lord; greatly honoured by him with his presence, worship, and ordinances, and yet now in ruins; how comes this to pass? they see and acknowledge the hand of the Lord in it, having a better notion of things than the Jews themselves had.

Jeremiah 22:8 In-Context

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?)

9 And they shall answer, For they forsook the covenant of their Lord God, and worshipped alien gods, and served them. (And they shall answer, For they deserted the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshipped strange, or foreign, gods, and served them.)

10 Do not ye beweep him that is dead, neither wail ye on him by weeping; bewail ye him that goeth out, for he shall no more turn again, neither he shall see the land of his birth. (Do not ye weep for him who is dead, nor wail ye for him with weeping; but wail ye for him who goeth out, for he shall no more return, nor shall he see again the land of his birth.)