The Meaning of Jeremiah 10:22 Explained

Jeremiah 10:22

KJV: Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

YLT: A voice of a report, lo, it hath come, Even a great shaking from the north country, To make the cities of Judah a desolation, A habitation of dragons.

Darby: The voice of a rumour! Behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.

ASV: The voice of tidings, behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, the noise  of the bruit  is come,  and a great  commotion  out of the north  country,  to make  the cities  of Judah  desolate,  [and] a den  of dragons. 

What does Jeremiah 10:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The report of a great commotion in the north had reached Jerusalem. An invader was coming, who threatened to destroy the towns of Judah so thoroughly that only jackals (or wolves) would inhabit them.
"There is not a single known case where a town of Judah proper was continuously occupied through the exilic period." [1]
In view of the coming invasion, Jeremiah prayed to Yahweh. Earlier God had told him not to pray that He would stop the invasion ( Jeremiah 7:16; cf. Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:11-12). But here the prophet did not pray for that, but for God to correct him (and Judah), and for Him to judge the nations. He prayed for himself as a representative of the nation.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 10

1  The unequal comparison of God and idols
17  The prophet exhorts to flee from the calamity to come
19  He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors
23  He makes an humble supplication

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 10:22 mean?

The noise of the report behold has come and a commotion great out of the country north to make - the cities of Judah desolate a den of jackals -
ק֤וֹל שְׁמוּעָה֙ הִנֵּ֣ה בָאָ֔ה וְרַ֥עַשׁ גָּד֖וֹל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֑וֹן לָשׂ֞וּם אֶת־ עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה שְׁמָמָ֖ה מְע֥וֹן תַּנִּֽים ס

ק֤וֹל  The  noise 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
שְׁמוּעָה֙  of  the  report 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמוּעָה  
Sense: report, news, rumour.
הִנֵּ֣ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בָאָ֔ה  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְרַ֥עַשׁ  and  a  commotion 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רַעַשׁ  
Sense: quaking, rattling, shaking.
גָּד֖וֹל  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ  out  of  the  country 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
צָפ֑וֹן  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
לָשׂ֞וּם  to  make 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עָרֵ֧י  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָ֛ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
שְׁמָמָ֖ה  desolate 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.
מְע֥וֹן  a  den 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָעֹון 
Sense: dwelling, habitation, refuge.
תַּנִּֽים  of  jackals 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: תַּנִּין  
Sense: dragon, serpent, sea monster.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation