Jeremiah 10:20
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The verse highlights a profound sense of abandonment, not just that the "tent" (representing home and security) is ruined, but that there's no one left to even try to fix it. The phrase "and they are not" points to the devastating emptiness left by children gone into exile or, worse, death, leaving the motherland utterly bereft and incapable of restoration.
My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken; my children have gone from me, and they are not; there is no one to spread my tent again and to set up my curtains.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah, speaking in the voice of the people, laments the utter devastation of their home and nation. This imagery of a ruined tent follows the condemnation of idolatry and the stark comparison of God's people to foolish shepherds who have allowed their flocks to be scattered and destroyed. The people are now facing the consequence of their sin: exile and a profound sense of abandonment.
Imagine your home – the place of your deepest security – suddenly collapsing. Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to express a profound sense of loss. What does this 'broken tent' truly represent?
Jeremiah speaks in the voice of the people of Judah, lamenting their devastated homeland.
A Nation Unmoored
The "tabernacle" and "tent" here aren't just about a physical dwelling. They symbolize the entire nation, its structure, its security, and its identity. When the tent is spoiled and the cords are broken, it signifies complete societal breakdown. The cities are ruined, the strongholds are weakened, and the people's sense of safety is shattered.
More Than Just Exile
The phrase "my children have gone from me, and they are not" goes beyond mere displacement. It speaks to a devastating emptiness – the scattering and loss of a generation, leaving no one to rebuild or restore what was once familiar and whole.
The final lines of this verse paint a picture of utter hopelessness. What does it mean to have 'no one to spread my tent again'?
The destruction described is not just about the present devastation, but the complete obliteration of the future.
No One to Rebuild
The loss of children is a profound tragedy in any culture, but here it signifies more. It means there is no one left to carry on the traditions, to rebuild the fallen structures, or to maintain the way of life. The future legacy of the people is cut off.
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A Finality of Desolation
This imagery of an un-spread tent and un-erected curtains highlights the complete desolation. It's the absence of activity, of rebuilding, of life continuing. The community's ability to sustain itself, to set up its dwelling, has been permanently lost.
Jeremiah's lament in this verse powerfully captures the devastation of Jerusalem and the exile. The imagery of a destroyed tent and broken cords speaks to the complete unraveling of their national and religious life, a stark reality following the destruction of their city and Temple.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and deports some of the Jewish elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile and a period of subjugation for Judah.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Jerusalem's population and treasures, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin. This further weakens the kingdom.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally conquer Jerusalem, destroy the city and Solomon's Temple, and deport the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the catastrophic event Jeremiah prophesied.
c. 586 BC - 539 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Jewish people live in exile in Babylon, experiencing a profound sense of loss, displacement, and national identity crisis. This period is characterized by longing for their homeland and their God.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon. This event opens the door for the Jews to eventually return to their homeland.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus allows the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return from exile.
This passage also uses the imagery of tents and curtains being torn, directly linking it to the destruction and desolation of the land, reinforcing Jeremiah 10:20's lament.
Ezekiel 16:39This verse speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem and the plundering of its treasures, which aligns with the dismantling and ruin described by the broken tent metaphor in Jeremiah 10:20.
Job 12:14Job speaks of God tearing down and not rebuilding, which resonates with the profound sense of irreparable loss and absence of anyone to restore the 'tent' that Jeremiah 10:20 conveys.
Lamentations 2:8-9This passage describes the walls of Zion falling and its gates consumed by fire, mirroring the complete destruction and the loss of leadership and function implied by the broken cords and absent children in Jeremiah 10:20.
clarkeJeremiah 10:20: "My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains."
My tabernacle is spoiled - The city is taken, and all our villages ruined and desolated.
calvinJeremiah 10:20: "My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains."
- Tabernaculum meum vastatum est (vel, dirutum) et omnes funes mei rupti sunt; filii mei egressi sunt a me (particula ny tantundem valet ac mmny,) et nulli sunt (hoc est, nulli restant amplius:) nemo qui extendat amplius tabernaculum meum, et erigat (vel, disponat) cortinas meas.
This metaphor…
The verse highlights a profound sense of abandonment, not just that the "tent" (representing home and security) is ruined, but that there's no one left to even try to fix it. The phrase "and they are not" points to the devastating emptiness left by children gone into exile or, worse, death, leaving the motherland utterly bereft and incapable of restoration.
Jeremiah, speaking in the voice of the people, laments the utter devastation of their home and nation. This imagery of a ruined tent follows the condemnation of idolatry and the stark comparison of God's people to foolish shepherds who have allowed their flocks to be scattered and destroyed. The people are now facing the consequence of their sin: exile and a profound sense of abandonment.
Jeremiah, speaking in the voice of the people, laments the utter devastation of their home and nation. This imagery of a ruined tent follows the condemnation of idolatry and the stark comparison of God's people to foolish shepherds who have allowed their flocks to be scattered and destroyed. The people are now facing the consequence of their sin: exile and a profound sense of abandonment.
"My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken; my children have gone from me, and they are not; there is no one to spread my tent again and to set up my curtains." — The verse highlights a profound sense of abandonment, not just that the "tent" (representing home and security) is ruined, but that there's no one left to even try to fix it. The phrase "and they a…
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Last reviewed October 2026
