Jeremiah 8:19 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

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?

Behold the voice of the cry ... of my people - the prophet in vision hears the cry of the exiled Jews, wondering that God should have delivered them up to the enemy, seeing that He is Zion's king, dwelling in her (Micah 3:11, "Is not the Lord among us"). In the latter half of the verse God replies that their own idolatry, not want of faithfulness on His part, is the cause.

Because of them that dwell in a far country - rather, 'from a land of distances,' i:e., a distant land (Isaiah 39:3, "They are come from a far country ... even from Babylon"). The English version understands the cry to be that of the Jews in their own land, because of the enemy coming from their far off country. It is rather the cry of the exiled Jews, emanating from Babylon, the far off land of their exile.

Strange vanities - foreign gods.

Jeremiah 8:19

19 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?