Jeremiah 22:13
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What's striking here is that "unrighteousness" and "injustice" aren't just abstract concepts; they describe the method of construction. God is calling out the king for literally building his lavish home and upper rooms by stealing the wages of his neighbors, treating them like slaves instead of giving them what they were rightfully owed for their labor.
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a series of pronouncements of judgment against the kings of Judah. This particular message is directed at King Jehoiakim, who is actively engaged in building lavish palaces and expanding his royal residence during a time of national crisis and foreign subjugation. Jeremiah condemns Jehoiakim for enriching himself and his court through brutal oppression, forcing his own people into unpaid labor for his construction projects while the nation is already suffering under heavy tribute and impending doom.
Imagine pouring your sweat and strength into building something beautiful, only to be denied the wages that keep your family fed. This verse paints a stark picture of such injustice.
Jeremiah calls out a specific, brutal form of oppression: withholding wages from laborers. This wasn't just a minor oversight; it was a deliberate act of cruelty.
The Sin of Stolen Wages
Why would a prophet focus so intensely on how a house is built? Jeremiah reveals that the very foundation of this structure was rotten.
The verse reveals a deep theological truth: material prosperity and grand buildings are meaningless, even sinful, if built through wicked means.
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The Illusion of Security
Understand the original words
hoy · Hebrew Interjection
A pronouncement of grief, judgment, or coming disaster. In prophetic literature, it signifies God's condemnation of specific behaviors or lifestyles that oppose His moral law.
avel · Hebrew Noun
Living or acting in a way that violates God's standards of fairness, integrity, and truth. It stands in direct opposition to the divine requirement of holiness and reflects a heart that lacks the fear of God.
avel · Hebrew Noun
The perversion of justice or the failure to act equitably. It involves depriving others of their due rights and is frequently condemned by the prophets as a violation of the covenant community's social obligations.
This verse powerfully denounces King Jehoiakim's unjust practices, particularly his use of forced labor without pay for his grand building projects while his kingdom was under foreign domination and the people suffered. It highlights a stark contrast between his oppressive actions and the justice God requires.
c. 609 BC
Jehoiakim becomes King of Judah
Jehoiakim was installed as king by Pharaoh Necho after the death of his father, Josiah. He became a vassal to Egypt, imposing heavy taxes on his people.
c. 609-598 BC— this verse
Jehoiakim's oppressive rule and building projects
During his reign, Jehoiakim heavily taxed the people to pay tribute to Egypt. He also engaged in large building projects, including a lavish palace, using forced labor without paying wages.
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's first deportation
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians and Assyrians. Jehoiakim initially remained a vassal to Babylon but later rebelled.
598-597 BC
Siege and fall of Jerusalem
After Jehoiakim's rebellion, Babylonian forces besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiakim died during the siege and was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin.
597 BC
Second deportation and Jehoiachin's exile
Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, and King Jehoiachin, along with many prominent citizens, was exiled to Babylon. Zedekiah was installed as a puppet king.
This passage directly echoes Jeremiah's warning, stating that the wages of a hired worker should not remain with you overnight, highlighting the ancient and consistent principle of fair labor compensation.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15Here, the Law reiterates the prohibition against withholding the wages of laborers, emphasizing that they should be paid promptly because they rely on those earnings for their daily needs.
Micah 3:10Micah also condemns those who build with injustice and oppression, especially those in power who exploit the poor for personal gain, mirroring the sin described in Jeremiah.
James 5:4The New Testament author James directly confronts the wealthy who cheat their workers, echoing Jeremiah's prophetic woe and reminding readers that the Lord of hosts hears the cries of the exploited.
Habakkuk 2:9This passage pronounces a similar 'woe' on those who gain wealth through wicked means and unjust building practices, showing that this concern for fair dealings in construction and labor spans across prophetic literature.
calvinJeremiah 22:13: "Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;"
- Ileus qui aedificat domum suam in non justitia, (hoc est, injuste,) et coenacula sua in non judicio (hoc est, sine rectitudine et aequitate;) proximum suum servire facit gratis, et opus ejus non reddit ei (vel, quod ille operatus fuerit non reddit ei; (vel, quod ille operatus fuerit non reddit ei; quidam enim…
barnesJeremiah 22:13: "Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;"
Far worse is the second example. Shallum was no heartless tyrant like Jehoiakim, who lived in splendor amid the misery of the nation, and perished so little cared for that his body was cast aside without burial. His chambers - Really, his upper chambers. From the absence of machinery the raising of materials for…
What's striking here is that "unrighteousness" and "injustice" aren't just abstract concepts; they describe the method of construction. God is calling out the king for literally building his lavish home and upper rooms by stealing the wages of his neighbors, treating them like slaves instead of giving them what they were rightfully owed for their labor.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a series of pronouncements of judgment against the kings of Judah. This particular message is directed at King Jehoiakim, who is actively engaged in building lavish palaces and expanding his royal residence during a time of national crisis and foreign subjugation. Jeremiah condemns Jehoiakim for enriching himself and his court through brutal oppression, forcing his own people into unpaid labor for his construction projects while the nation is already suffering under heavy tribute and impending doom.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a series of pronouncements of judgment against the kings of Judah. This particular message is directed at King Jehoiakim, who is actively engaged in building lavish palaces and expanding his royal residence during a time of national crisis and foreign subjugation. Jeremiah condemns Jehoiakim for enriching himself and his court through brutal oppression, forcing his own people into unpaid labor for his construction projects while the nation is already suffering under heavy tribute and impending doom.
"“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages," — What's striking here is that "unrighteousness" and "injustice" aren't just abstract concepts; they describe the method of construction. God is calling out the king for literally building his lavish…
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Last reviewed October 2026
