Jeremiah 49:25 · Bible study
Jeremiah 49:25 Commentary: City of Praise, Forsaken?
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study on Jeremiah 49:25: the exclamation over Damascus' fall, debated speaker and tone, and the transience of human glory.
Research Summary
- Meaning: An exclamation of shock over the fall of Damascus, a city famous for its beauty and splendor, which was not spared divine judgment.
- Key words: תְּהִלָּה (tehilla), praise/renown; עֻזְּבָה (uzzabah), it has been forsaken; מָשׂוֹשׂ (masos), joy, with first-person suffix 'my.'
- Main debate: The identity of the speaker (prophet in sympathy, prophet in irony, the king of Syria) and whether the tone is sorrowful or exultant.
- Theological theme: Divine judgment over national pride; the fleeting nature of human glory; the sovereignty of God over all nations.
- Best use: A sobering reminder in times of prosperity and a permission to lament when judgment comes, pointing to the transience of earthly praise.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy?
WEB World English Bible 2000
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?
KJV King James Version 1769
How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
ASV American Standard Version 1901
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
How is it not left--the city of praise, The city of my joy!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
How is not the town of praise forsaken, the city of my joy!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
How have they forsaken the city of renown, the city of joy!
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¡ Cómo dejaron á la ciudad de alabanza, ciudad de mi gozo!
Como não foi abandonada a famosa cidade, a cidade de minha alegria?
Ah! Elle n’ est pas abandonnée, la ville glorieuse,
Wie? ist sie nun nicht verlassen, die berühmte und fröhliche Stadt?
Hoe is de beroemde stad niet gelaten, de stad Mijner vrolijkheid!
“Come mai non è stata risparmiata la città famosa, la città della mia gioia?”
Ale rzeką: Jakożby się nie miało ostać miasto sławne, miasto wesela mego?
Как не уцелел город славы, город радости моей?
我所喜樂 可稱讚的 城，為何 被撇棄了呢？
How has the town of praise been wasted, the place of joy!
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 49:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jeremiah 49:25 is an exclamation of shock over the destruction of Damascus, a city renowned for its beauty. Barnes calls it 'an exclamation of sorrow wrung from the prophet,' while JFB sees the prophet speaking in the person of a Damascene citizen. Gill and JFB read the rhetorical question as expressing wonder that such a celebrated city was not spared ('left') by the enemy. Calvin offers a more cutting interpretation: Jeremiah 'very cuttingly exults over Damascus, when he expresses his wonder at its destruction,' yet he still reads the words as the prophet speaking in the person of the Syrians. Wesley notes that 'the king of Syria is here supposed to speak.' Despite differences in speaker identification, all recognize the verse as a poignant reflection on the transience of human glory under divine judgment. The Hebrew perfect passive 'uzzabah' ('it has been forsaken') combined with the negative 'lo'' creates a rhetorical question that either asks why a city so praised was not spared or declares that it was indeed forsaken, both readings point to the reality of devastation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic lament with sympathy: Barnes and JFB see the prophet (or a citizen) expressing genuine sorrow, supported by the lament formula and the parallel with mourning women in travail (v. 24).
- Prophetic irony or cutting exultation: Calvin argues the prophet 'very cuttingly exults' over the judgment, using the rhetorical question to underline that no amount of beauty could spare the city. The surrounding judgment tone supports this.
- Speech of the king of Damascus: Wesley explicitly says 'the king of Syria is here supposed to speak,' making it a dramatic cry from the ruler himself. This fits the immediate context of a city in panic.
What is clear: The verse is a rhetorical exclamation over the fall of Damascus, a city famed for its beauty and joy, and it underscores the reality of God’s judgment against a proud nation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker identity | The verse is an exclamation over the fall of Damascus, using first-person language ('my joy') to express a personal connection. | Some see it as the prophet expressing his own sorrow (Barnes) or assuming the person of a Damascene citizen (JFB); Calvin sees it as the prophet sharply exulting in God’s judgment; Wesley says the king of Syria is the speaker. |
| Meaning of 'not left / not forsaken' | The phrase refers to the city not being spared from destruction or not being preserved in its glory. | Gill and JFB read 'how is it not left?' as wonder that it was not spared; Calvin suggests the verb 'left' here means 'spared,' so the question is why it was not spared, the answer being the judgment described in the next verse. Others take the negative with a rhetorical force: 'How is it not forsaken?' meaning it is indeed forsaken. |
| Tone of the verse | The opening 'How!' (אֵיךְ) marks it as a lament or exclamation of astonishment. | Is it a genuine lament filled with sympathy (Barnes, JFB) or a more cutting cry of wonder at the justice of God (Calvin)? The broader context of judgment oracles suggests both are possible. |
| Significance of 'my joy' | The possessive 'my' signals a personal stake in the city’s fate, making the fall more poignant. | Some (ancient versions, Grotius) treat the yod as a paragogic letter without meaning, making it simply 'the city of joy.' Calvin rejects this, arguing the pronoun is deliberate and personal. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Damascus was a famously wealthy and beautiful city, the capital of the kingdom of Syria. Its location on the Abana River and its extensive gardens made it a prize of the ancient Near East. Gill cites contemporary travelers who describe its orchards extending thirty miles around, and Strabo calls it 'worthy of praise' and 'the most famous city near Persia.' The prophet Jeremiah includes this verse in a series of oracles against the nations (chapters 46, 51), following judgments on Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and preceding oracles on Kedar and Hazor. Keil and Delitzsch trace the history: Syria had been a persistent enemy of Israel, from the time of David through the reign of Ahaz, when the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser conquered Damascus (2 Kings 16:5, 9). Now Jeremiah pictures further judgment, likely at the hands of Babylon.
The immediate context (Jeremiah 49:23, 27) describes the terror of Hamath and Arpad, the panic of Damascus, and the coming fall of her warriors and the burning of Ben-hadad’s palaces. The Cambridge Bible notes that some scholars question the authenticity of this section, though others see it as genuinely Jeremianic, possibly with later expansions. What is certain is that this brief prophecy proclaims that the city famous for its beauty and commercial glory would not escape the Lord’s judgment. The verse’s exclamation, 'How is the city of praise not forsaken?', captures the shock that such a prized city could be left desolate.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note a few textual issues. The negative לֹא (lo') appears in the Hebrew text, but the Vulgate omits it, reading 'How is the city of praise left.' Calvin mentions that the Syriac renders the verb as 'spared' and the Vulgate leaves out 'not.' The second-person possessive suffix י ('my') on מְשׂוֹשִׂי (joy) is questioned by some ancient versions and scholars (including Grotius), who see it as a paragogic yod, a redundant letter, making the phrase simply 'the city of joy.' Calvin strongly defends the Masoretic reading that includes the suffix, calling it 'the city of my joy.' These variants do not change the core meaning that the city has fallen, but they affect the speaker’s personal attachment. The consulted sources note no other significant variant readings.
Reception History
Jeremiah 49:25 has been read across Christian traditions as a sobering meditation on the transience of human glory. In the early church, it was understood within the broader prophetic pattern of God’s judgment on nations that opposed His people. Medieval and Reformation commentators, such as Calvin and the Geneva Bible, treated it as a historical judgment on Syria’s pride, with application to all who trust in worldly power. Later Protestant expositors (Gill, Henry, Wesley) used the verse to caution against attachment to material beauty and reputation. In hymns and sermons, the 'city of praise' has become a symbol for any earthly treasure that cannot survive God’s refining fire. The verse also appears in discussions of lament, as it gives voice to the shock that accompanies disaster. Across traditions, it serves as a call to anchor joy in God rather than in any city, no matter how fair.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- What the city was known for: praise and joy. Damascus was universally celebrated for its beauty, wealth, and lush gardens. Human glory at its peak.
- What happened to the city: it was not left, not spared. The rhetorical question makes the fall more stunning: even this magnificent city was not immune to God's judgment.
- The question it forces on us: How do we hold the things we praise and call 'our joy'? The prophet’s cry, whether personal lament or ironic wonder, invites us to see earthly glory as temporary.
Five-point outline
- The city's renown: a 'city of praise' in the ancient world.
- The city's connection: called 'the city of my joy,' expressing a personal stake.
- The city's fate: the word 'forsaken' (past passive) indicates completed destruction.
- The shock of judgment: the 'how' that begins the verse conveys disbelief.
- The divine reason: this judgment is part of God's sovereignty over nations, not random calamity.
Illustration hooks
- A community’s most beautiful landmark, a historic cathedral or cherished park, suddenly leveled by an earthquake. The collective grief and disbelief mirrors this verse.
- A well-respected company that dominated its industry abruptly collapses due to leadership failure. The question 'How could this happen?' echoes the prophet’s exclamation.
- A family’s comfortable life turned upside down by a sudden diagnosis or job loss. The things that brought joy and security can be taken away in a moment.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God delight in destroying beautiful things? The verse shows He permits judgment, but His own city, Jerusalem, was also judged; He weeps over it (Luke 19:41).
- How do we process the fall of something we loved and admired? The honest question 'How?' is biblical; it is the language of lament.
- Should we feel sorrow for a city or nation under judgment? The text allows for both sympathy (Barnes) and sober recognition of justice (Calvin). Both responses have a place in a faithful heart.
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 49:25 is a single, intense exclamation that opens a window into the shock of divine judgment. The city of Damascus was a source of human pride and joy, yet it was not spared. This passage invites us to examine our own attachments to earthly praise and security. It also confronts us with the reality of God’s justice over nations and individuals.
Discussion questions
- Observation: Read the surrounding prophecy (Jer 49:23, 27). What words describe the emotional state of the people? How does that set up our verse?
- Interpretation: The Hebrew word for 'praise' (tehilla) can mean 'renown' or 'fame.' What does it mean to call Damascus a 'city of praise'? (Compare Jeremiah 33:9, where the same word is used for Jerusalem restored.)
- Interpretation: Who do you think says 'the city of my joy'? What difference does it make if it is the prophet, the king, or God? (Cite Barnes, Calvin, Wesley.)
- Interpretation: The verb 'forsaken' is past tense. Is the question 'How is it not forsaken?' asking why it wasn't spared, or declaring that it has indeed been abandoned? How does each reading change the emotional tone?
- Application: What 'cities of joy' exist in your life, things, places, or relationships that you are tempted to see as permanent? How does this passage invite you to hold them more loosely?
- Application: This verse comes from a prophecy of judgment. Does that make it hard to read? How can we read judgment passages without losing sight of God’s mercy? (Consider that the same book of Jeremiah promises a new covenant, ch. 31.)
- Application: If you were to write a 'how' lament for something you have lost, what would you say? Is it okay to express that kind of grief to God?
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)
| Psalms 37:35 | I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil. |
| Psalms 37:36 | But he passed away, and behold, he was not. Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. |
| Isaiah 1:26 | I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness, a faithful town.’ |
| Isaiah 14:4 | that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!” |
| Isaiah 14:6 | who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that no one restrained. |
| Jeremiah 33:9 | This city will be to me for a name of joy, for praise, and for glory, before all the nations of the earth, which will hear all the good that I do to them, and will fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I provide to it.’” |
| Jeremiah 48:2 | The praise of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come! Let’s cut her off from being a nation.’ You also, Madmen, will be brought to silence. The sword will pursue you. |
| Jeremiah 48:39 | “How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So will Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.” |
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
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
How is the city of praise not left - Damascus is so ruined that she can no more be called a praiseworthy or happy city.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the prophet's cry is a deeply personal exclamation of sorrow, using "my joy" to express his own sympathy for Damascus. He notes the city's beauty had been universally praised from Naaman's time to modern travelers, making the coming slaughter all the more poignant.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that calling Damascus "the city of my joy" is not redundant. Prophets often speak by assuming another's perspective, and here Jeremiah expresses wonder that a city once so celebrated and joyous would be destroyed, using "my joy" to heighten the dramatic exultation over its fall.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator defends this section as possibly from Jeremiah's time, despite objections about Hamath and Arpad. The main problem — verses 26 and 27 may be later additions borrowed from elsewhere, matching Amos's refrain pattern.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note reads as a stunned lament: how can the city that once shone with glory and was the very source of joy now be left without any protection? The question itself conveys the commentator's deep bewilderment that such a place could be abandoned.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights Damascus as a famously beautiful and pleasant city, citing travelers who describe its gardens and setting as nearly paradisiacal. His distinctive point is the question that arises from this splendor: either why such a great city was not spared by its enemy, or why its inhabitants did not strengthen its defenses to protect it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads "city of praise" as a lament from a citizen of Damascus, calling it celebrated everywhere for its beauty. The shock is that such a renowned city was not left intact or spared by the enemy. The phrase "of my joy" marks it as the place in which the speaker delighted.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch clarifies that "Damascus" in this prophecy refers to the entire kingdom of Syria, not just the city. They argue that the exclamation "How is the famous city not forsaken?" expresses bewilderment that the inhabitants have not fled, because terror has paralyzed them, so they remain to be slaughtered.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that the Ammonites seized Israel's Gadite territory after the eastern tribes were deported. He argues the name Malcom carries a double meaning, referring both to their king and their god, which highlights the trespass.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that the judgment on Damascus begins with terror and faint-heartedness, not military defeat. The evil news of Babylon's approach melts their courage, leaving them like a troubled sea that cannot be quiet. He notes how easily God can dispirit even the most celebrated warriors.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the speaker as the king of Syria and interprets the phrase "Of my joy" as a reference to a celebrated city. He reads it as the king describing a city of great renown, the source of his joy.