This verse underscores the solemn responsibility of leaders to heed divine revelation and shepherd their people with justice.
“And say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates’” (v.2). Jeremiah—who prophesied from around 627 BC to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC—delivers God’s directive to the reigning monarch in Judah, emphasizing the continuous line of David’s descendants on the throne. By invoking “the word of the LORD,” Jeremiah highlights God’s active voice of promise, instruction, and warning—an expression used throughout the Old Testament to call God’s people to obedient action. The king here, occupying the seat once held by King David (reigned circa 1010-970 BC), stands in a position of covenantal responsibility. The exhortation extends to the royal officials and ordinary people as they pass through the palace gates in Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah.
These “gates” represent more than simple entryways; they symbolize the city’s seat of political power and justice. In ancient times, Jerusalem’s gates were where leaders heard disputes, formed judgments, and enacted their authority. By addressing “all who enter,” Jeremiah underscores that neither the king’s lineage nor his officials can excuse them from heeding God’s commands. They are to align their justice and leadership with the divine covenant obligations given to David’s dynasty. God holds every level of society—royalty, dignitaries, and citizens—accountable for faithfulness to His word.
In later Scripture, Jesus, called the “Son of David” (Luke 1:32-33), fulfills the ultimate promise of kingship by offering spiritual deliverance to all who would listen to His teachings and acknowledge His lordship. Yet the theme in Jeremiah 22:2 remains timeless: from David’s throne in the past to the eternal throne of Christ, God expects His people to “hear the word of the LORD” and respond with obedience and humility.
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Jeremiah 22:2 meaning
“And say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates’” (v.2). Jeremiah—who prophesied from around 627 BC to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC—delivers God’s directive to the reigning monarch in Judah, emphasizing the continuous line of David’s descendants on the throne. By invoking “the word of the LORD,” Jeremiah highlights God’s active voice of promise, instruction, and warning—an expression used throughout the Old Testament to call God’s people to obedient action. The king here, occupying the seat once held by King David (reigned circa 1010-970 BC), stands in a position of covenantal responsibility. The exhortation extends to the royal officials and ordinary people as they pass through the palace gates in Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah.
These “gates” represent more than simple entryways; they symbolize the city’s seat of political power and justice. In ancient times, Jerusalem’s gates were where leaders heard disputes, formed judgments, and enacted their authority. By addressing “all who enter,” Jeremiah underscores that neither the king’s lineage nor his officials can excuse them from heeding God’s commands. They are to align their justice and leadership with the divine covenant obligations given to David’s dynasty. God holds every level of society—royalty, dignitaries, and citizens—accountable for faithfulness to His word.
In later Scripture, Jesus, called the “Son of David” (Luke 1:32-33), fulfills the ultimate promise of kingship by offering spiritual deliverance to all who would listen to His teachings and acknowledge His lordship. Yet the theme in Jeremiah 22:2 remains timeless: from David’s throne in the past to the eternal throne of Christ, God expects His people to “hear the word of the LORD” and respond with obedience and humility.