Jeremiah 22:26 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 22:26 mean?

Jeremiah 22:26 says that both the person addressed and his mother will be forcefully sent away to a foreign land where they were not born, and there they will die. This is a warning of exile and death in a place far from their homeland, showing the seriousness of the coming judgment.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to warn King Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and his mother. The setting is the final days before Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon. The verse highlights that not only the king but also his mother will be exiled, emphasizing the total loss of royal privilege and the personal cost of disobedience to God.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 22:26

• The word “out” is יָקָה (yaqah), which means to cast out or throw away. This word carries a strong sense of being forcefully removed, not just sent away gently.
• “Mother” is אֵם (em), simply meaning mother, but its mention here underlines that the judgment affects the whole royal family, not just the king.
• “Bare” is יָלַד (yalad), meaning to give birth. By mentioning the mother who gave birth to the king, the verse stresses their close relationship and shared fate.
• “Another” is אַחֵר (acher), meaning another or different. This word makes clear that the country of exile is foreign and unfamiliar, deepening the sense of loss.
• “Country” is אֶרֶץ (erets), meaning land or country. This reinforces that the exile is not just to another city, but to a completely different land.
• “Born” is also יָלַד (yalad), used again to highlight that the land of exile is not their birthplace, emphasizing their disconnection from home.
• “Die” is מוּת (muth), meaning to die. This word makes the finality of the judgment clear—there will be no return.

Why Jeremiah 22:26 matters

• Jeremiah 22:26 clears up any idea that only the king would suffer; it shows that his family, including his mother, would share in the consequences.
• The verse emphasizes the totality of the exile—being sent to a land “where ye were not born” underscores the loss of identity and belonging.
• This warning fits into the larger message of Jeremiah 22, which is a series of judgments against Judah’s kings for their unfaithfulness and injustice.