The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:19 Explained

Jeremiah 8:19

KJV: Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?

YLT: Lo, the voice of a cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off, Is Jehovah not in Zion? is her king not in her? Wherefore have they provoked Me with their graven images, With the vanities of a foreigner?

Darby: Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people, from a very far country: Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, with foreign vanities?

ASV: Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: is not Jehovah in Zion? is not her King in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with foreign vanities?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold the voice  of the cry  of the daughter  of my people  because of them that dwell in a far  country:  [Is] not the LORD  in Zion?  [is] not her king  in her? Why have they provoked me to anger  with their graven images,  [and] with strange  vanities? 

What does Jeremiah 8:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He could hear his people in captivity crying out bitterly. They would be longing for Jerusalem where their God was, their true King. Why was He not helping them? They remembered Him, appalled that they had provoked Him by worshipping images and idols.

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 8:19 mean?

Listen the voice the cry of the daughter of my people from a far country Yahweh [Is] not in Zion lo her King in her why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images with idols foreign
הִנֵּה־ ק֞וֹל שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת בַּת־ עַמִּ֗י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים הַֽיהוָה֙ אֵ֣ין ؟ בְּצִיּ֔וֹן אִם־ מַלְכָּ֖הּ בָּ֑הּ מַדּ֗וּעַ הִכְעִס֛וּנִי בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּהַבְלֵ֥י ؟ נֵכָֽר

הִנֵּה־  Listen 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
ק֞וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת  the  cry 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שַׁוְעָה  
Sense: cry for help.
בַּת־  of  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
עַמִּ֗י  of  my  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מַרְחַקִּ֔ים  a  far  country 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶרְחָק  
Sense: distant place, distance, far country.
הַֽיהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵ֣ין  [Is]  not 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
؟ בְּצִיּ֔וֹן  in  Zion 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
אִם־  lo 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
מַלְכָּ֖הּ  her  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּ֑הּ  in  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
מַדּ֗וּעַ  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
הִכְעִס֛וּנִי  have  they  provoked  Me  to  anger 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: כָּעַס  
Sense: to be angry, be vexed, be indignant, be wroth, be grieved, provoke to anger and wrath.
בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם  with  their  carved  images 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּסִיל  
Sense: image, idol, graven image.
בְּהַבְלֵ֥י  with  idols 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
؟ נֵכָֽר  foreign 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵכָר  
Sense: foreign, alien, foreignness, that which is foreign.