Jeremiah 22:23
O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
Original Language Analysis
יֹשַׁבְתְּ֙י
O inhabitant
H3427
יֹשַׁבְתְּ֙י
O inhabitant
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
1 of 11
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
מְקֻנַּ֖נְתְּי
that makest thy nest
H7077
מְקֻנַּ֖נְתְּי
that makest thy nest
Strong's:
H7077
Word #:
3 of 11
to nestle, i.e., build or occupy as a nest
בָּֽאֲרָזִ֑ים
in the cedars
H730
בָּֽאֲרָזִ֑ים
in the cedars
Strong's:
H730
Word #:
4 of 11
a cedar tree (from the tenacity of its roots)
מַה
H4100
מַה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
5 of 11
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
נֵּחַנְתְּ֙
how gracious
H2603
נֵּחַנְתְּ֙
how gracious
Strong's:
H2603
Word #:
6 of 11
properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e., move to favor by petition)
Cross References
Jeremiah 6:24We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.Jeremiah 22:6For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.
Historical Context
King Jehoiakim notoriously built a lavish palace using cedar from Lebanon and forced labor, refusing to pay wages (Jeremiah 22:13-14). The elite class constructed similar luxury dwellings while the poor suffered. Archaeological excavations of Iron Age Jerusalem reveal impressive houses with cedar beams and ivory inlays, confirming the prophetic critique of ostentatious wealth amid injustice.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'cedar palaces' (material securities, status symbols) are you nesting in?
- How might sudden crisis expose the inadequacy of your earthly refuges?
- What does it mean to build on the Rock rather than nesting in cedars?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars—Jerusalem's elite inhabited palaces built with Lebanon's famous cedars, symbols of luxury and security. The verb קָנַן (qanan, 'to nest') suggests birds building high, unreachable homes—an image of false safety. But how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail! The Hebrew חִיל (chil, 'writhing/anguish') describes labor pains—sudden, inescapable, increasing in intensity. The rhetorical question drips with sarcasm: when agony strikes, your luxury will not save you.
The cedar-nest image recalls Isaiah's earlier warning against pride (Isaiah 2:13) and anticipates Jesus's teaching that those who build on sand will fall catastrophically (Matthew 7:26-27). Material security creates an illusion shattered only by crisis. The birth-pang metaphor, used throughout Scripture for divine judgment (1 Thessalonians 5:3), emphasizes the sudden, inevitable nature of God's visitation. No amount of architectural grandeur can withstand His wrath.