So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

JEREMIAH 44:22KJV
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Jeremiah 44:22 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 44:22 mean?

Jeremiah 44:22 says that the LORD reached a point where He could no longer tolerate the people's evil actions and the detestable things they did, so He allowed their land to become ruined, shocking, and cursed, left empty of people, just as it was at that time. The verse explains that the devastation of the land was a direct result of the people's persistent wrongdoing and idolatry.

Jeremiah is speaking to the Jewish people who had fled to Egypt after Jerusalem’s destruction. He is explaining that their continued disobedience and worship of other gods led to God’s judgment, which is why their homeland became desolate and abandoned. This verse is part of Jeremiah’s warning that even in Egypt, turning away from God would bring serious consequences.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 44:22

  • The word "evil" (רַע, ra‘) is used here to describe not just generic wrongdoing but actions that are morally corrupt and damaging to the community, emphasizing the seriousness of their behavior.
  • "Abominations" (תּוֹעֵבָה, to‘evah) refers to acts that are especially offensive to God, often connected to idol worship or practices forbidden in Israelite law, highlighting why God’s response was so severe.
  • "Desolation" (חָרְבָּה, chorbah) means a state of utter ruin or emptiness, showing that the land’s devastation was total, not just partial or temporary.
  • "Astonishment" (שַׁמָּה, shammah) carries the idea of something so shocking or horrifying that it causes people to be appalled, underscoring how the destruction of the land would be noticed and wondered at by others.

Why Jeremiah 44:22 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the disaster in Judah was not random or accidental; it was directly linked to the people's choices and actions, especially their idolatry.
  • Jeremiah 44:22 emphasizes that there is a limit to God’s patience with persistent wrongdoing, even toward His own people.
  • The verse connects the fate of the land to the wider message of Jeremiah: that faithfulness to God is crucial, and turning away brings real, visible consequences.

Where else these words appear

“evil” Hebrew H7455 · used in 19 verses

  • Genesis 41:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
  • Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
  • Jeremiah 24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

“curse” Hebrew H7045 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
  • Deuteronomy 29:27 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:
  • Proverbs 26:2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

“astonishment” Hebrew H8047 · used in 39 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
  • Jeremiah 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
  • Jeremiah 49:17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

“doings” Hebrew H4611 · used in 41 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:20 The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
  • Jeremiah 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
  • Jeremiah 26:13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.