Jeremiah 44:22
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.
Original Language Analysis
וְלֹֽא
H3808
וְלֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
1 of 21
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יוּכַל֩
could
H3201
יוּכַל֩
could
Strong's:
H3201
Word #:
2 of 21
to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)
יְהוָ֨ה
So that the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֨ה
So that the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 21
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
ע֜וֹד
H5750
ע֜וֹד
Strong's:
H5750
Word #:
4 of 21
properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more
לָשֵׂ֗את
no longer bear
H5375
לָשֵׂ֗את
no longer bear
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
5 of 21
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
מִפְּנֵ֥י
and because
H6440
מִפְּנֵ֥י
and because
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
6 of 21
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
מִפְּנֵ֥י
and because
H6440
מִפְּנֵ֥י
and because
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
9 of 21
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֖ת
of the abominations
H8441
הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֖ת
of the abominations
Strong's:
H8441
Word #:
10 of 21
properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e., (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
11 of 21
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם
which ye have committed
H6213
עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם
which ye have committed
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
12 of 21
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
וַתְּהִ֣י
H1961
וַתְּהִ֣י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
13 of 21
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
אַ֠רְצְכֶם
therefore is your land
H776
אַ֠רְצְכֶם
therefore is your land
Strong's:
H776
Word #:
14 of 21
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
לְחָרְבָּ֨ה
a desolation
H2723
לְחָרְבָּ֨ה
a desolation
Strong's:
H2723
Word #:
15 of 21
properly, drought, i.e., (by implication) a desolation
וּלְשַׁמָּ֧ה
and an astonishment
H8047
וּלְשַׁמָּ֧ה
and an astonishment
Strong's:
H8047
Word #:
16 of 21
ruin; by implication, consternation
מֵאֵ֥ין
H369
יוֹשֵׁ֖ב
without an inhabitant
H3427
יוֹשֵׁ֖ב
without an inhabitant
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
19 of 21
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
Cross References
Jeremiah 25:18To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;Isaiah 7:13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?Isaiah 43:24Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.Jeremiah 25:11And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.Jeremiah 25:38He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.Jeremiah 44:12And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.Jeremiah 18:16To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.Malachi 2:17Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?
Historical Context
By 585 BC when this confrontation occurred, Jerusalem lay in ruins, fulfilling the covenant curses precisely. The people witnessed these curses yet still inverted cause and effect. Archaeological evidence confirms widespread destruction of Judean cities from the Babylonian campaigns (589-586 BC), with many sites remaining unoccupied for generations.
Questions for Reflection
- What does 'God could no longer bear' reveal about the relationship between divine patience and justice?
- How can people witness covenant curses yet still misattribute their cause?
- What makes 'abominations' particularly unbearable to God compared to other sins?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
So that the LORD could no longer bear (וְלֹא־יוּכַל יְהוָה עוֹד לָשֵׂאת)—The verb nasa (נָשָׂא) means to bear, carry, or endure. Even God's longsuffering has limits; His patience, though extensive, is not infinite. The phrase evokes a weight that has become unbearable—the accumulated evil of your doings (רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם) and abominations (תֹּעֵבֹת, to'evot—ceremonially detestable acts) reached critical mass.
The result: your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse (שְׁמָמָה וּלְחָרְבָּה וְלִקְלָלָה)—three covenant curses from Deuteronomy 28. The phrase as at this day (כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה) points to present reality as proof. Jeremiah argues empirically: your desolate homeland is evidence of God's judgment for idolatry, not blessing for faithfulness!