Focused Passage

Jeremiah 22:13-17

The House of David Under Judgment for Injustice and Covenant Failure

The chapter moves from a covenant summons to the royal house, to the threatened ruin of the palace, to judgment against individual kings, and finally to the cutting off of royal confidence in Coniah.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,

14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion.

15 Does it make you a king to excel in cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, and so it went well with him.

16 He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.

17 “But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

Woe ה֣וֹי H1945 Interjection to him who builds בֹּנֶ֤ה H1129 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular his palace בֵיתוֹ֙ H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular by בְּֽלֹא־ H3808 Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle unrighteousness צֶ֔דֶק H6664 Noun - masculine singular and his upper rooms וַעֲלִיּוֹתָ֖יו H5944 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular without בְּלֹ֣א H3808 Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle justice מִשְׁפָּ֑ט H4639 Noun - masculine singular who makes his countrymen בְּרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ H7453 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular serve יַעֲבֹ֣ד H5647 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular without pay חִנָּ֔ם H2600 Adverb and fails לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to pay יִתֶּן־ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular their לֽוֹ׃ Preposition | third person masculine singular wages וּפֹעֲל֖וֹ H6467 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

who says הָאֹמֵ֗ר H559 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular I will build אֶבְנֶה־ H1129 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular myself לִּי֙ Preposition | first person common singular a great מִדּ֔וֹת H4060 Noun - feminine plural palace בֵּ֣ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct with spacious מְרֻוָּחִ֑ים H7304 Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural upper rooms וַעֲלִיּ֖וֹת H5944 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural So he cuts וְקָ֤רַֽע H7167 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular windows חַלּוֹנָ֔י H2474 Noun - common plural construct in it לוֹ֙ Preposition | third person masculine singular panels it וְסָפ֣וּן H5603 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular with cedar בָּאָ֔רֶז H730 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and paints it וּמָשׁ֖וֹחַ H4886 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute with vermilion בַּשָּׁשַֽׁר׃ H8350 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

Does it make you a king הֲתִֽמְלֹ֔ךְ H4427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction to excel מְתַחֲרֶ֣ה H8474 Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular - אַתָּ֖ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular in cedar בָאָ֑רֶז H730 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Did not הֲל֧וֹא H3808 Adverb - Negative particle your father אָבִ֜יךָ H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular have food אָכַ֣ל H398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and drink וְשָׁתָ֗ה H8354 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular He administered וְעָשָׂ֤ה H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular justice מִשְׁפָּט֙ H4941 Noun - masculine singular and righteousness וּצְדָקָ֔ה H6666 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular and so אָ֖ז H227 Adverb it went well ט֥וֹב H2896 Adjective - masculine singular with him לֽוֹ׃ Preposition | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or because you enclose yourself
Verse 16

Original words

He took up דָּ֛ן H1777 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the cause דִּין־ H1779 Noun - masculine singular of the poor עָנִ֥י H6041 Adjective - masculine singular and needy וְאֶבְי֖וֹן H34 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular and so אָ֣ז H227 Adverb it went well [with him] ט֑וֹב H2896 Adjective - masculine singular Is this הִ֛יא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular not הֲלוֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle what it means to know הַדַּ֥עַת H1847 Article | Noun - feminine singular Me אֹתִ֖י H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

But כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction your eyes עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ H5869 Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular and heart וְלִבְּךָ֔ H3820 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular [are set on] nothing אֵ֤ין H369 Adverb except כִּ֖י H3588 Conjunction . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction . . . עַל־ H5921 Preposition your own dishonest gain בִּצְעֶ֑ךָ H1215 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular - וְעַ֤ל H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition on shedding לִשְׁפּ֔וֹךְ H8210 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct . . . וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition innocent הַנָּקִי֙ H5355 Article | Adjective - masculine singular blood דַּֽם־ H1818 Noun - masculine singular construct on practicing לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ס H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct extortion הָעֹ֥שֶׁק H6233 Article | Noun - masculine singular and וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition oppression הַמְּרוּצָ֖ה H4835 Article | Noun - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.