Focused Passage

Jeremiah 8:18-22

No Peace, No Healing: Judah Refuses to Return

The chapter moves from the disgrace of dead leaders and idolatrous bones, to the people's unnatural refusal to return, to the exposure of false scribal wisdom, to the condemnation of prophets and priests who promise peace, to the certainty of judgment, and finally to Jeremiah's anguished lament over a people for whom harvest has passed and healing has not come.

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

18 My sorrow is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me.

19 Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?”

20 “The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, but we have not been saved.”

21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed. I mourn; horror has gripped me.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 18

Original words

My sorrow יָג֑וֹן H3015 Noun - masculine singular is beyond עֲלֵ֣י H5921 Preposition healing מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י H4010 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular my heart לִבִּ֥י H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular [is] faint דַוָּֽי׃ H1742 Adjective - masculine singular within me עָלַ֖י H5921 Preposition | first person common singular

BSB notes

  • Or O my Comforter in sorrow,
Verse 19

Original words

- הִנֵּה־ H2009 Interjection Listen ק֞וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct to the cry שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת H7775 Noun - feminine singular construct of the daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of my people עַמִּ֗י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular from a land far away מַרְחַקִּ֔ים H4801 Noun - masculine plural . . . מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct Is the LORD הַֽיהוָה֙ H3068 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular no אֵ֣ין H369 Adverb longer in Zion בְּצִיּ֔וֹן H6726 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular Is her אִם־ H518 Conjunction King מַלְכָּ֖הּ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular no longer אֵ֣ין H369 Adverb there בָּ֑הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular Why מַדּ֗וּעַ H4069 Interrogative have they provoked Me to anger הִכְעִס֛וּנִי H3707 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular with their carved images בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם H6456 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural with their worthless foreign נֵכָֽר׃ H5236 Noun - masculine singular idols בְּהַבְלֵ֥י H1892 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Verse 20

Original words

The harvest קָצִ֖יר H7105 Noun - masculine singular has passed עָבַ֥ר H5674 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the summer קָ֑יִץ H7019 Noun - masculine singular has ended כָּ֣לָה H3615 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular but we וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ H587 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common plural have not ל֥וֹא H3808 Adverb - Negative particle been saved נוֹשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ H3467 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural
Verse 21

Original words

For עַל־ H5921 Preposition the brokenness שֶׁ֥בֶר H7667 Noun - masculine singular construct of the daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of my people עַמִּ֖י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular I am crushed הָשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי H7665 Verb - Hofal - Perfect - first person common singular I mourn קָדַ֕רְתִּי H6937 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular horror שַׁמָּ֖ה H8047 Noun - feminine singular has gripped me הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי׃ H2388 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular | first person common singular
Verse 22

Original words

Is there no אֵ֣ין H369 Adverb balm הַצֳרִי֙ H6875 Article | Noun - masculine singular in Gilead בְּגִלְעָ֔ד H1568 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction Is no אֵ֣ין H369 Adverb physician רֹפֵ֖א H7495 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular there שָׁ֑ם H8033 Adverb Why מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ H4069 Interrogative then כִּ֗י H3588 Conjunction has the health אֲרֻכַ֖ת H724 Noun - feminine singular construct of the daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of my people עַמִּֽי׃ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle been restored עָֽלְתָ֔ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person 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.