Jeremiah 10:22 · Bible study
Jeremiah 10:22 Commentary: The Rumor of Judgment from the North
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Jeremiah 10:22: the 'voice of news' as God's judgment through Babylon, contrasting with the prophetic voice, leading to desolation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The long-threatened invasion from Babylon is now arriving, bringing utter desolation as God’s judgment.
- Key words: shemu‘ah (report/rumor), ra‘ash (commotion/trembling), tzafon (north), tannim (jackals).
- Main debate: Minimal, the consensus identifies the invaders as Babylon; the central interpretive issue is the contrast between this “voice” and the prophetic voice.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty over history; He uses foreign powers to accomplish His purposes, even in judgment.
- Best use: Preaching on the seriousness of ignoring God’s word, and on the hope that judgment can lead to repentance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Listen! The sound of a report is coming— a great commotion from the land to the north. The cities of Judah will be made a desolation, a haunt for jackals.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The voice of news, behold, it comes, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling place of jackals.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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 Darby Bible 1890
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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Behold the sound of a noise cometh, a great commotion out of the land of the north: to make the cities of Juda a desert, and a dwelling for dragons.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
He aquí que voz de fama viene, y alboroto grande de la tierra del aquilón, para tornar en soledad todas las ciudades de Judá, en morada de culebras.
Eis que vem uma voz de aviso, e um grande tremor da terra do norte; para tornar em desolação as cidades de Judá, em morada de chacais.
Voici, une rumeur se fait entendre;
Siehe, es kommt ein Geschrei daher und ein großes Beben aus dem Lande von Mitternacht, daß die Städte Juda' s verwüstet und zur Wohnung der Schakale werden sollen.
Ziet, er komt een stem des geruchts, en een groot beven uit het land van het noorden; dat men de steden van Juda zal stellen tot een verwoesting, een woning der draken.
Ecco, un rumore giunge, un gran tumulto arriva dal paese del settentrione, per ridurre le città di Giuda in desolazione, in un ricetto di sciacalli.
Oto wieść pewna przychodzi, a wzruszenie wielkie z ziemi północnej, aby obrócone były miasta Judzkie w pustynie, i w mieszkanie smoków.
Несется слух: вот он идет, и большой шум от страны северной, чтобы города Иудеи сделать пустынею, жилищем шакалов.
有風 聲！看哪，敵人來了！有大 擾亂 從北 方出來，要使 猶大 城邑 變為荒涼，成為野狗 的住處。
News is going about, see, it is coming, a great shaking is coming from the north country, so that the towns of Judah may be made waste and become the living-place of jackals.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 10:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators broadly agree that Jeremiah 10:22 announces the approaching invasion from the north (Babylon) as a direct act of divine judgment. Calvin draws out the central contrast: the people refused to hear God's voice through the prophets, so now they will be forced to hear the ‘voice of rumor’, the din of the Chaldean army. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown echoes this antithesis between the ignored voice of God and the new teacher, the enemy. Both Clarke and Gill identify the ‘great commotion’ as the march of Nebuchadnezzar's forces, whose purpose is to make Judah’s cities a desolation, a haunt for jackals (Hebrew tannim, understood as jackals, not mythical dragons). The verse functions as the climax of a lament section, confirming that the warnings of earlier chapters are about to be fulfilled.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: A foreign army from the north (Babylon) is coming to devastate Judah’s cities, leaving them uninhabited except for wild animals.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the invaders from the north | Almost all commentators identify them as the Chaldeans/Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. | No significant debate; the northern origin is consistently tied to Babylon in Jeremiah's prophecies. |
| Meaning of 'dragons/jackals' (תַּנִּים) | The word refers to jackals or wild dogs that inhabit ruins; older translations sometimes read 'dragons' but modern scholarship agrees on jackals. | The translation 'dragons' (KJV) arose from the Septuagint and Vulgate, but the Hebrew consistently denotes a real animal, not a mythical creature. |
| The 'voice of news' as contrast to the prophetic voice | Commentators (Calvin, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) agree that the verse contrasts God's ignored word with the unavoidable report of invasion. | Some see this as a purely literary device, while others view it as a theological principle: rejecting God's voice leads to hearing the voice of judgment. |
| Whether the verse includes a call to repentance | All note that the verse introduces a lament and prayer for mercy in the following verses (23, 25). | Some read the verse itself as purely judgmental, while others see it as part of a larger passage that invites response and restoration. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during the final decades of the kingdom of Judah (roughly 627, 586 BC). The dominant power was the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II. Babylon lay to the northeast of Judah, and invasion routes from that direction were well known. Jeremiah’s repeated references to ‘the north’ (Jer 1:15; 4:6; 6:1,22) consistently point to Babylon as the instrument of Yahweh’s judgment.
The phrase ‘voice of news’ (קוֹל שְׁמוּעָה, qol shemu‘ah) picks up the idea of a report or rumor, something heard from a distance. In a culture where official messengers brought news from the battlefield, this verse evokes the moment when the first terrifying report reaches Jerusalem: the enemy is coming. The ‘great commotion’ (רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל, ra‘ash gadol) can refer to earthquake or trembling; here it denotes the confused noise of an army on the march (Barnes).
‘Jackals’ (תַּנִּים, tannim) are scavengers that inhabit ruined places. The image recurs in Jer 9:11, tying this verse to a broader theme: the land will be so utterly emptied that only wild animals will dwell there. Desolation is not accidental; it is the stated purpose of the invading force, acting under divine sovereignty.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries do not mention any significant textual variants for Jeremiah 10:22. The Hebrew text is stable, with no major manuscript disagreements affecting the meaning. The word tannim (jackals) is consistently attested. The verse appears to have been transmitted without notable scribal alteration.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been read as a sobering reminder that God’s patience has limits and that He can use secular powers to discipline His people. Early Christian writers, such as Jerome, noted the fulfillment of prophecy in the Babylonian exile and applied the pattern to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Reformers like Calvin used the verse to warn against hardening one’s heart to Scripture. In more recent centuries, the imagery of desolation and jackals has been taken up in hymns and sermons on national repentance, often linking the verse to Jeremiah 9:11. The contrast between God's gentle prophetic voice and the harsh voice of judgment remains a recurring theme in pastoral exhortation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Rejected Voice Replaced by a Rumor. The people refused to listen to the prophets; now they will hear the sound of invasion. Calvin: God sends them to the school of the Chaldeans.
- The Great Commotion from the North. Babylon’s army is not random chaos but the appointed agent of God’s judgment. The ‘great commotion’ (ra‘ash) is both physical noise and spiritual terror.
- From Desolation to Appeal. The verse sets up the lament and prayer that follow (vv. 23, 25). Judgment is real, but it opens a door for repentance and mercy.
Five-point outline
- The Rumor Confirmed. What had been warned is now happening: the ‘voice of news’ is present tense.
- The Source: The North. Geographically specific, theologically deliberate, God directs history.
- The Instrument: Babylon. A pagan nation used by God, showing His sovereignty over all powers.
- The Result: Desolation. Cities become jackal dens, a vivid picture of judgment’s severity.
- The Response: Lament and Prayer. The following verses show the proper human reaction: confession and plea for measured correction.
Illustration hooks
- Bad news you can’t ignore. A medical diagnosis or a company layoff announcement, the kind of news that demands attention because it changes everything. The people had ignored quiet warnings; now the news is unavoidable.
- Learning from painful consequences. A student who skips class eventually faces the final exam unprepared. The Chaldeans become the ‘teacher’ the stubborn students would not listen to before.
- An abandoned neighborhood. Think of a once-thriving area now overgrown, with only stray animals moving through it. That visual captures the ‘dwelling place of jackals.’
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still use non-believing nations or leaders to discipline His people today?
- How do we know when a national crisis is a call to repentance versus ordinary tragedy?
- What does it mean that God “turns us over” when we persistently ignore Him?
Leading a Discussion
This verse starkly contrasts the voice of God spoken through prophets and the voice of invading armies. As you discuss, consider how God communicates both in warning and in consequence.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 10:22 aloud. What images stand out to you? What feelings does the verse evoke?
- The Hebrew word ra‘ash (commotion) can mean earthquake or trembling. Why might the prophet choose this word for an invading army?
- How does the description of the outcome (“a dwelling place of jackals”) connect to Jeremiah 9:11? What does this repeated image tell us about God’s purpose?
- Calvin and others see a contrast between the neglected prophetic voice and the “voice of news” from the north. In what ways do people today ignore God’s quiet warnings only to be awakened by loud crises?
- The invasion comes from “the north country” (Babylon). How does this verse affirm that God is sovereign over all nations, even those who do not acknowledge Him?
- Look at the following verses (vv. 23, 25). How does the prophet’s response shift from lament to prayer? What does that teach about the proper reaction to deserved judgment?
- What might it look like for your church or community to “hear the rumor” and respond with humility rather than stubbornness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Jeremiah 1:15 | For behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says Yahweh. “They will come, and they will each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah. |
| Jeremiah 4:6 | Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.” |
| Jeremiah 5:15 | Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say. |
| Jeremiah 6:1 | “Flee for safety, you children of Benjamin, out of the middle of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and raise up a signal on Beth Haccherem, for evil looks out from the north with a great destruction. |
| Jeremiah 6:22 | Yahweh says, “Behold, a people comes from the north country. A great nation will be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. |
| Jeremiah 9:11 | “I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” |
| Habakkuk 1:6 | For, behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation who march through the width of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. |
| Habakkuk 1:9 | All of them come for violence. Their hordes face forward. They gather prisoners like sand. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke objects to the word "bruit" as a silly French term that obscures the verse's meaning. He offers a plainer translation: the rumored invasion from the north, the Chaldean army, is now confirmed and will turn Judah's cities into a desolate wilderness haunted by wild beasts.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sharp distinction between two kinds of divine punishment: correction meant to lead to repentance, and anger poured out on the pagan nations who oppose God. He notes that Jeremiah prays for Jacob to receive only the first, measured discipline, not the second.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin contrasts the prophets' clear teaching, which the people ignored, with the terrifying noise of the invading Chaldeans now coming from the north. Since the Jews refused to learn from God's spokesmen, He sends them to a harsher school, where the enemy's war cry will teach them what the prophets could not.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that this passage shows signs of textual corruption and glosses. It records the city being warned to prepare for exile as a northern foe approaches, followed by the prophet's prayer: pleading human weakness as reason for mercy on Judah, and asking that God's wrath fall instead on the pagan nations.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note interprets the "noise of the brute" as the rumour of an invading army, and the "great commotion out of the North country" as the actual advance of that force. The result is that Judah's cities will be left desolate, inhabited only by wild, howling creatures.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the "noise" and "great commotion" as the report of Babylon's invading army coming from the north to besiege Jerusalem. He stresses that this whole passage refers to the Jewish nation's destruction, with the Babylonian army causing terror and leaving Judah's cities desolate like a den of jackals.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the sharp contrast between God's voice through the prophets, which Israel ignored, and the invading enemy's cry, which they will be forced to hear. The "north country" points specifically to Babylon as the instrument of that unwelcome lesson.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that the command to "gather your bundle" is a call to prepare for exile, not a contemptuous dismissal. They interpret God's pressing them hard as a siege so effective that no one escapes the enemy. The congregation's confession "this is my suffering" expresses acceptance of the punishment, not prior carelessness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes the false security of the Jews who thought their land was an impregnable fortress. They were so confident that God's warning to pack up and prepare for exile came as a shocking reversal: the place they trusted would be no refuge.