Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

JEREMIAH 22:10KJV
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Jeremiah 22:10 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 22:10 mean?

Jeremiah 22:10 tells the people not to mourn for someone who has died, but instead to grieve deeply for the one who is leaving and will never return to his homeland. The verse draws a contrast between ordinary sorrow for the dead and a greater sorrow for someone exiled, who will never see his country again.

Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah about their king, likely referring to King Jehoahaz, who was taken away from his land and would never return. In this context, the verse highlights that exile and separation from one's home is a more tragic fate than death itself. The message comes in the middle of warnings about coming judgment and the consequences of the nation's unfaithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 22:10

  • "Weep" (בָּכָה, bakah): This word means to cry or lament. The verse uses it twice, first telling the people not to weep for the dead, but then to "weep sore" for the one going away, emphasizing the depth of grief expected.
  • "Goeth away" (הָלַךְ, halakh): This word means "to go" or "to walk." Here, it refers to the person being exiled, not just leaving temporarily, but being sent away for good.
  • "Return" (שׁוּב, shuv): This word means "to return" or "to come back." The verse stresses that the exiled person will never come back, making the loss permanent.
  • "Native country" (אֶרֶץ, erets): This word means "land" or "country." The focus is on the pain of never seeing one's homeland again, which in the ancient world was a deep source of identity and belonging.

Why Jeremiah 22:10 matters

  • Jeremiah 22:10 clarifies that, in this historical moment, exile was seen as a fate worse than death, because it meant permanent separation from home and community.
  • The verse draws attention to the seriousness of the nation's situation and the personal cost of disobedience, as even the king is not spared from such a tragic outcome.
  • Understanding the emotional weight of exile in Jeremiah's time helps modern readers grasp the depth of loss and longing expressed throughout the book, especially for those forced to leave everything familiar behind.

Where else these words appear

“native” Hebrew H4138 · used in 21 verses

  • Genesis 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
  • Genesis 32:9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
  • Esther 2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.

“bemoan” Hebrew H5110 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
  • Psalms 36:11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
  • Jeremiah 18:16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

“Weep” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.