Jeremiah 22:11
in Jeremiah 22For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thus saith Jehovah touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went forth out of this place: He shall not return thither any more;
KJV
For thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:
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This verse in Jeremiah 22
Commentary
6 notes on this verseShallum - Most think that this Shallum was Jehoahaz. Went forth - He was carried away from Jerusalem presently after he was set up, imprisoned at Riblah, and died in Egypt.
This site's exposition
Do not weep for the dead
on Jeremiah 22:10-12
The dead king is Josiah, and the command “Do not weep for the dead king” sets his grave beside a worse fate. Shallum, identified as Jehoahaz, was deposed by Pharaoh Necho after three months, and “he will die in the place to which he was exiled.”
This site's exposition
concerning Shallum son of Josiah
Shallum reigned only three months before he was taken away. Wesley traces his path from Jerusalem to prison at Riblah and then to death in Egypt. Henry notes that Josiah went to his grave in peace, while his son lived on in shame as a captive.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse. 10, 11.) Do not weep for the dead, nor mourn over him; weep rather for him who is departing, for he will not return anymore, nor see the land of his birth. For thus says the Lord concerning Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, king of Judah: He who reigned in place of Josiah his father, who has gone out of this place: he shall not return here anymore, but he shall die in the place where I have transported him, and he shall not see this land anymore. King Josiah had three righteous sons, Joachaz, Jacim, and Sedeciam, of whom the first, Joachaz, the king of Egypt, Pharaoh Necho, led captive into Egypt, where he died, and appointed in his place as king his brother Eliacim (also known as Joachim) (2 Kings 23, 24, 25). When he died, his son Jechoniah reigned, but he was taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, along with his mother and the princes. In his place, his uncle Sedecias reigned, who was taken captive to Babylon after the capture of Jerusalem. Therefore, the question arises, who could be fittingly called the one who should not weep, who should be led into captivity, and will never return again, when three are taken captive and carried away? The Hebrews believe that this applies to all three, that is, to Joachaz, Jechonia, and Zedekiah, who are all called the sons of Josiah, or Sellem, which means completion; this is because the kingdom of Judah ended with them. But it seems to me that this is specifically said about Zedekiah, concerning whom there is a prophecy in the present and past chapter, in which the kingdom of Judah truly ended, and under whom the city was captured and he was led to Babylon, where he is recorded as having died. This is Jehoiachin, that is, the culmination and completion, son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned for his father Josiah. However, Jehoiachin was not a son but a grandson of Josiah, the son of Jehoiakim. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Josiah went to the grave in peace and honour, was prevented from seeing the evil to come in this world and removed to see the good to come in the other world; and therefore, Weep not for him, but for his unhappy son, who is likely to live and die in disgrace and misery, a wretched captive. Note, Dying saints may be justly envied, while living sinners are justly pitied.
For thus saith the Lord touching Shallum,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
concerning Shallum That is Zedekiah, and that is what he was called in I Chron. (3:14): “the fourth Shallum.” And he called him the Fourth, meaning the fourth to assume the kingship of Josiah’s sons, for first Jehoaha, reigned, then Jehoiakim, and after him Jehoiachin, and after him Zedekiah.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Weep not for the dead Namely, for Jehoiakim, who will die before the gate, when they drag him into exile.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֹ֣ה | khoh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָֽמַר־ | ʾamar- | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְ֠הוָה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שַׁלֻּ֨ם | shalum | Shallum | H7967 → | 27 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יֹאשִׁיָּ֜הוּ | yoshiyahu | Josiah | H2977 → | 53 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יְהוּדָ֗ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| הַמֹּלֵךְ֙ | hamolekh | who is reigning | H4427 → | 348 times |
| תַּ֚חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ | yoshiyahu | Josiah | H2977 → | 53 times |
| אָבִ֔יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָצָ֖א | yatza' | he went forth | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַמָּק֣וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָשׁ֥וּב | yashuv | he will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עֽוֹד׃ | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כֹ֣הthus
khohH3541 →577 times
אָֽמַר־he says
ʾamar-H559 →5305 times
יְ֠הוָהYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שַׁלֻּ֨םShallum
shalumH7967 →27 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יֹאשִׁיָּ֜הוּJosiah
yoshiyahuH2977 →53 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
יְהוּדָ֗הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
הַמֹּלֵךְ֙who is reigning
hamolekhH4427 →348 times
תַּ֚חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּJosiah
yoshiyahuH2977 →53 times
אָבִ֔יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָצָ֖אhe went forth
yatza'H3318 →1067 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַמָּק֣וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָשׁ֥וּבhe will return
yashuvH7725 →1056 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
עֽוֹד׃again
odH5750 →490 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 23:31Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 3:15
The sons of Josiah: Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, and Shallum the fourth.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 24:18
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
- 1 Chronicles 3:15
Through
2 Kings 23:34Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 19:3–4
She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.
- 2 Kings 24:17
Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
- Jeremiah 22:11–12
For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
- Daniel 1:7
The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
- Ezekiel 19:3–4
Through
2 Chronicles 28:12Then some of the leaders of the Ephraimites—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood in opposition to those arriving from the war.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 26:6
then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”
- 1 Chronicles 28:1
Now David summoned all the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials…
- Jeremiah 26:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonLate monarchyJosiahThe boy-king who found the book of the law in the temple, tore his clothes, and led Judah's last great reformation and Passover be…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
