Jeremiah 49:25
New International Version
Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight?

New Living Translation
That famous city, a city of joy, will be forsaken!

English Standard Version
How is the famous city not forsaken, the city of my joy?

Berean Standard Bible
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy?

King James Bible
How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

New King James Version
Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy?

New American Standard Bible
“How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy!

NASB 1995
“How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy!

NASB 1977
“How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy!

Legacy Standard Bible
How the city of praise has not been forsaken, The town of My joy!

Amplified Bible
“Why has the renowned city not been deserted, The city of My joy!

Christian Standard Bible
How can the city of praise not be abandoned, the town that brings me joy?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
How can the city of praise not be abandoned, the town that brings Me joy?

American Standard Version
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?

Contemporary English Version
Once I was pleased with your famous city. But now I warn you, "Escape while you still can!"

English Revised Version
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why isn't that famous, happy city abandoned?

Good News Translation
The famous city that used to be happy is completely deserted.

International Standard Version
Why is the famous city, the joyful town, not abandoned?

Majority Standard Bible
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy?

NET Bible
How deserted will that once-famous city be, that city that was once filled with joy!

New Heart English Bible
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?

Webster's Bible Translation
How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

World English Bible
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
How it is not left—the city of praise, "" The city of My joy!

Young's Literal Translation
How is it not left -- the city of praise, The city of my joy!

Smith's Literal Translation
How was the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
How have they forsaken the city of renown, the city of joy !

Catholic Public Domain Version
How could they have abandoned the praiseworthy city, the city of rejoicing?

New American Bible
How can the glorious city be abandoned, the town of joy!

New Revised Standard Version
How the famous city is forsaken, the joyful town!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How is the glorious city ruined, the city of joy!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
How is the city of glory, the city of joy, not forsaken?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
How is the city of praise left unrepaired, The city of my joy?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
How has she not left my city, they have loved the village?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Damascus
24Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor. 25How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy? 26For her young men will fall in the streets, and all her warriors will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD of Hosts.…

Cross References
Isaiah 17:1-3
This is the burden against Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is no longer a city; it has become a heap of ruins. / The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be left to the flocks, which will lie down with no one to fear. / The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the sovereignty from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Amos 1:3-5
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron. / So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael to consume the citadels of Ben-hadad. / I will break down the gates of Damascus; I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven and the one who wields the scepter in Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir,” says the LORD.

Zechariah 9:1
This is the burden of the word of the LORD against the land of Hadrach and Damascus its resting place—for the eyes of men and of all the tribes of Israel are upon the LORD—

Isaiah 13:19
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Isaiah 14:31
Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

Isaiah 15:1
This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night!

Isaiah 16:14
And now the LORD says, “In three years, as a hired worker counts the years, Moab’s splendor will become an object of contempt, with all her many people. And those who are left will be few and feeble.”

Isaiah 21:11-12
This is the burden against Dumah: One calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?” / The watchman replies, “Morning has come, but also the night. If you would inquire, then inquire. Come back yet again.”

Isaiah 23:1-18
This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus. / Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea. / On the great waters came the grain of Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre; she was the merchant of the nations. ...

Ezekiel 25:2-7
“Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. / Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!” when My sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Israel was laid waste, and when the house of Judah went into exile, / therefore I will indeed give you as a possession to the people of the East. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. ...

Ezekiel 27:1-36
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Now you, son of man, take up a lament for Tyre. / Tell Tyre, who dwells at the gateway to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coasts, that this is what the Lord GOD says: You have said, O Tyre, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ ...

Ezekiel 28:1-10
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god. / Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you! ...

Ezekiel 30:1-19
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Wail, ‘Alas for that day!’ / For the day is near, the Day of the LORD is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. ...

Ezekiel 32:1-32
In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’ / This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will spread My net over you with a company of many peoples, and they will draw you up in My net. ...

Matthew 11:21-24
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. / And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ...


Treasury of Scripture

How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

Jeremiah 33:9
And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

Jeremiah 48:2,39
There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee…

Jeremiah 51:41
How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

Jump to Previous
Abandoned City Delight Deserted Famous Forsaken Joy Joyful Praise Renown Wasted
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Abandoned City Delight Deserted Famous Forsaken Joy Joyful Praise Renown Wasted
Jeremiah 49
1. The judgment of the Ammonites
6. Their restoration
7. The judgment of Edom
23. of Damascus
28. of Kedar
30. of Hazor
34. and of Elam
39. The restoration of Elam














How is the city of praise
The phrase "city of praise" refers to Damascus, a city renowned for its beauty and significance in ancient times. The Hebrew word for "praise" here is "תְּהִלָּה" (tehillah), which often denotes glory or renown. Historically, Damascus was a city of great importance, known for its strategic location and cultural influence. In a spiritual sense, the city of praise can symbolize a place or community that once held a position of honor and reverence before God. The rhetorical question "How is" suggests a sense of astonishment or lamentation over the city's current state, indicating a fall from grace or favor.

not forsaken
The term "forsaken" in Hebrew is "עֲזוּבָה" (azubah), meaning abandoned or deserted. The phrase "not forsaken" implies that despite the city's current plight, there is a lingering hope or a divine promise that it will not be completely abandoned by God. This reflects God's enduring mercy and the possibility of redemption. In a broader theological context, it speaks to the nature of God's covenant with His people, where even in times of judgment, there remains an opportunity for restoration.

the town that brings Me joy
The "town" here is again referring to Damascus, described as bringing joy to God. The Hebrew word for "joy" is "שִׂמְחָה" (simchah), which conveys a sense of delight and gladness. This phrase highlights the potential for a community or individual to bring pleasure to God through righteousness and obedience. Historically, this could reflect a time when Damascus was aligned with God's purposes, serving as a reminder of the joy that comes from living in accordance with divine will. The juxtaposition of joy with the city's current state of distress underscores the tragedy of its fall and the hope for its return to a place of favor.

(25) How is the city of praise not left . . . !--The exclamation, half scornful, half ironical, points to the fact that the inhabitants of Damascus had tried in vain to flee (Jeremiah 49:24). The city so fair and glorious, with its rivers Abana and Pharphar (2Kings 5:12), had not been "left," would not be empty when it was taken. The people would perish with it. Her young warriors and her veterans should be cut off within the walls.

Verse 25. - Hew is the city of praise not left, etc.! A difficult passage. The construction, indeed, is plain. "How is not," etc. I can only mean "How is it that the city of praise is not," etc.?(comp. 2 Samuel 1:14). The difficulty lies in the word rendered "left." The ordinary meaning of the verb, when applied to cities, is certainly "to leave without inhabitants;" e.g. Jeremiah 4:29; Isaiah 7:16; Isaiah 32:14. This, however, does not suit the context, which shows that "the daughter of Damascus" personified is the speaker, so that ver. 25 ought rather to mean, "How is it that the city of praise is [not, 'is not'] forsaken?" Either, then, we must suppose that "not" has been inserted by mistake - a too arbitrary step, seeing that there is no negative in the context to account for the insertion (the case is different, therefore, from Job 21:30; Job 27:15, where such an insertion is at any rate justifiable); or else we must give uzzebhah the sense of "let go free" (comp. Exodus 23:5; Deuteronomy 32:36; Job 10:1). It is the obstinate incredulity of love which refuses to admit the possibility of the destruction of the loved object. The city of praise. The city which is my "praise," or boast. Few cities, in fact, have had so long and brilliant an existence as Damascus.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
אֵ֥יךְ (’êḵ)
Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

is the city
עִ֣יר (‘îr)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

of praise
תְּהִלָּ֑ת (tə·hil·lāṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8416: Praise, song of praise

not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

forsaken,
עֻזְּבָ֖ה (‘uz·zə·ḇāh)
Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

the town
קִרְיַ֖ת (qir·yaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7151: A town, city

that brings Me joy?
מְשׂוֹשִֽׂי׃ (mə·śō·w·śî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4885: Exultation, rejoicing


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 49:25 How is the city of praise not (Jer.)
Jeremiah 49:24
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