Then they will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.’ ”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then they shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them.’”
- KJV Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
- BSB Then people will reply, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”
- NASB Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’ ”
- NLT And the answer will be, ‘Because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God by worshiping other gods.’”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The answer is that Judah abandoned God's covenant and served other gods. Idolatry is the root cause of the city's downfall.
Overview
The nations' question is answered plainly: the catastrophe came because Judah broke covenant and worshiped idols. This places the blame squarely on the people's spiritual unfaithfulness rather than on any weakness in their God. It reinforces the central theme that the first commandment, exclusive devotion to the LORD, lies at the heart of true life, and that turning from Him brings ruin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Kgs 22:17Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.’”
- 2 Chr 34:25Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath is poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’”’
- Jer 40:2–3The captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, “Yahweh your God pronounced this evil on this place;
- Jer 50:7All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, ‘We are not guilty, because they have sinned against Yahweh, the habitation of righteousness, even Yahweh, the hope of their fathers.’
- Jer 2:17–19“Haven’t you brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken Yahweh your God, when he led you by the way?
- Deut 29:25–28Then men will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 22:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.