The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:22 Explained

Jeremiah 8:22

KJV: Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

YLT: Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? For wherefore hath not the health of the daughter of my people gone up?

Darby: Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? Why then is there no dressing applied for the healing of the daughter of my people?

ASV: Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Is there] no balm  in Gilead;  [is there] no physician  there? why then  is not the health  of the daughter  of my people  recovered? 

What does Jeremiah 8:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Gilead, east of the Jordan River, was a source for healing balsam, but no healing was forthcoming for Judah. This is the source of the traditional American spiritual "There Is a Balm in Gilead."
"The balm referred to is the resin or gum of the storax tree. It was used medicinally (cf. Genesis 37:25; Jeremiah 46:11; Jeremiah 51:8; Ezekiel 27:17)." [1]
No physician was on the horizon either, even though Yahweh was Israel"s Great Physician ( Exodus 15:26). The prophet marveled that Israel"s Great Physician had not provided healing for His people, but he knew that their affliction was judgment for their sins.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 8:4-22 - False Promises Of Peace
This chapter is filled with denunciation of the unreasonable and infatuated obstinacy of Israel. As the horse rushes madly to the fight, so were the people set on evil. The very birds that were sensitive to the laws of migration, and obeyed the call of the sunnier clime, were more impressible than the Chosen People. God often calls us out of the stormy winter blasts to lands of sunny fellowship, but we will not heed. From Jeremiah 5:10 onward we have a description of the desolation about to visit the land. Notwithstanding the promises of false prophets, the invader overran the country and the exiled people might readily begin to question why such a fate had befallen them. To this there was but one answer. Their sin had cut them off from God's protecting care. Is not this the reason why harvests pass and summers end, and the years roll on, and still you are not saved? There is balm for your wounds, and a physician for your healing, but you do not avail yourselves of them; and God's love is powerless, however greatly He desires to help you, until you return. The father would do anything for the prodigal, but He has no chance so long as the prodigal remains in the far-land. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 8

1  The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive
4  He upbraids their foolish and shameless impenitency
13  He shows their grievous judgment;
18  and bewails their desperate estate

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 8:22 mean?

Balm [Is there] no in Gilead lo physician there then why no there is recovery for the health of the daughter of my people
הַצֳרִי֙ אֵ֣ין בְּגִלְעָ֔ד אִם־ רֹפֵ֖א ؟ שָׁ֑ם כִּ֗י מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א ؟ עָֽלְתָ֔ה אֲרֻכַ֖ת בַּת־ עַמִּֽי

הַצֳרִי֙  Balm 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֳרִי  
Sense: a kind of balsam, balm, salve.
אֵ֣ין  [Is  there]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
בְּגִלְעָ֔ד  in  Gilead 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְעָד  
Sense: a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called ‘Mount Gilead’ or the ‘land of Gilead’ or just ‘Gilead’.
אִם־  lo 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
רֹפֵ֖א  physician 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.
מַדּ֙וּעַ֙  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
לֹ֣א  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
؟ עָֽלְתָ֔ה  there  is  recovery 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֲרֻכַ֖ת  for  the  health 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֲרוּכָה  
Sense: healing, restoration.
בַּת־  of  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
עַמִּֽי  of  my  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.