Jeremiah 22:20
Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.
Original Language Analysis
עֲלִ֤י
Go up
H5927
עֲלִ֤י
Go up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
1 of 12
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
וְצַֽעֲקִי֙
and cry
H6817
וְצַֽעֲקִי֙
and cry
Strong's:
H6817
Word #:
3 of 12
to shriek; (by implication) to proclaim (an assembly)
וּבַבָּשָׁ֖ן
in Bashan
H1316
וּבַבָּשָׁ֖ן
in Bashan
Strong's:
H1316
Word #:
4 of 12
bashan (often with the article), a region east of the jordan
תְּנִ֣י
and lift up
H5414
תְּנִ֣י
and lift up
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
5 of 12
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
וְצַֽעֲקִי֙
and cry
H6817
וְצַֽעֲקִי֙
and cry
Strong's:
H6817
Word #:
7 of 12
to shriek; (by implication) to proclaim (an assembly)
מֵֽעֲבָרִ֔ים
from the passages
H5676
מֵֽעֲבָרִ֔ים
from the passages
Strong's:
H5676
Word #:
8 of 12
properly, a region across; but used only adverbially (with or without a preposition) on the opposite side (especially of the jordan; ususally meaning
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
9 of 12
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Cross References
Numbers 27:12And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.Ezekiel 23:22Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;Lamentations 1:2She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
Historical Context
During Jehoiakim and Zedekiah's reigns (609-586 BC), Judah vacillated between Babylonian and Egyptian allegiance, seeking security through treaties rather than covenant faithfulness. By 586 BC, all surrounding nations had fallen to Nebuchadnezzar—Egypt defeated, Edom subdued, Moab conquered. Judah's political 'lovers' offered no rescue.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern 'lovers' (securities, alliances, ideologies) do you trust instead of God?
- How does political idolatry manifest in your own nationalism or tribalism?
- What would it mean to lament from 'the mountaintops' over your misplaced trust?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Go up to Lebanon, and cry—God commands personified Jerusalem to ascend the heights and wail from three mountain ranges: Lebanon (north), Bashan (northeast), and Abarim/Pisgah (east). These geographical markers form a panoramic sweep encompassing Judah's entire horizon. The repeated imperative and cry (צְעָקִי, tse'aqi—feminine singular, addressing daughter Zion) emphasizes desperate lamentation. Why? For all thy lovers are destroyed (נִשְׁבְּרוּ כָּל־מְאַהֲבָיִךְ, nishberu kol-me'ahavayikh—'broken/shattered are all your lovers').
The term מְאַהֲבִים (me'ahavim, 'lovers') sarcastically denotes Judah's political allies—Egypt, Edom, Moab—whom she trusted instead of Yahweh. These covenant-breaking alliances constitute spiritual adultery. When Babylon swept through the region, these 'lovers' proved worthless, just as Hosea and Ezekiel had dramatized through their marriages. The mountains witness Judah's shame: her trust in human power leaves her abandoned and desolate.