But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah 22:27
What does Jeremiah 22:27 mean?
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Jeremiah 22:27
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This verse reveals a profound heartbreak: it's not just that they won't return, but that their deepest "lifting up of their soul" – their most fervent, soul-deep yearning – will be directed toward a home they'll never see again. This isn't simply about geographical exile, but about the ultimate futility of misplaced hope for those who have turned away from God.
But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse lands amidst a dire prophecy against King Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and his family. After describing their coming exile to Babylon, God declares that despite their deep longing and vain hopes to return to Jerusalem, they will never see their homeland again. This pronouncement seals their fate, emphasizing the finality of their punishment and the futility of any dreams of a homecoming.
Ever felt a pull towards a place, a past, or a sense of belonging that you just can't shake? This verse speaks to that profound human desire.
The original language paints a powerful picture here. It's not just a casual wish; it's an intense, soul-deep longing.
A Desire from the Soul
The Hebrew behind "desire to return" literally means 'to lift up their soul.' This signifies a deep, almost spiritual yearning, a whole being focused on returning home. It reflects a hope sustained by desire, a hope that unfortunately, will be crushed.
More Than Just a Place
This longing wasn't just for the physical land of Israel, but for the life, the security, and the covenant relationship they associated with it. It was a hope for restoration, a belief that things could go back to how they were.
False hope can be a cruel deceiver. This verse reveals a divine judgment tied to that kind of hope.
Jeremiah is delivering a harsh message. For the exiles, especially King Jehoiachin and his mother, the future holds a stark contrast to their fervent desires.
The Broken Promise
Despite their deep longing and perhaps even the deceptive promises of false prophets, their return to Jerusalem would not happen. They were destined to remain in exile, to die in a foreign land, never to see their homeland again.
God's Sovereign Plan
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This wasn't about thwarting human desire for its own sake. It was about God's justice and His sovereign plan. The people, and especially their leaders, had deeply sinned, and the consequence was a permanent separation from the land they cherished. Their future was not in their own hands, nor in the hands of deceptive hope, but in the hands of a just God.
This verse speaks to King Jehoiachin and his household, who, despite intense longing for their homeland after their exile, would never see it again. It underscores the finality of God's judgment for their sins, even for royalty.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports members of the Judean elite, including potentially members of the royal family, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Judean exile.
597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation (Jehoiachin Exiled)
After a brief rebellion, King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including Ezekiel the prophet, are deported to Babylon. This event directly involves King Jehoiachin (also called Coniah in Jeremiah).
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population (except the poorest) to Babylon. This final catastrophe solidifies the exile and its hardships.
c. 562 BC
Jehoiachin Released from Prison
King Jehoiachin, after 37 years of imprisonment in Babylon, is released and his rations are increased by the new Babylonian king. However, he remains in exile and never returns to Judah.
This passage describes the exile of a king who, like Jehoiachin in Jeremiah, would not return to his land, highlighting the finality of their banishment.
Jeremiah 24:5-7In contrast to the 'bad' figs, God promises that some exiles will return with 'a heart to know me.' This highlights that while this particular group in Jeremiah 22:27 will *not* return, there's a future hope for others.
Deuteronomy 28:65This prophetic warning speaks of exile and a lack of rest, echoing the despair and finality of not being able to return to the promised land that Jeremiah describes.
2 Kings 24:15-16This historical account details Jehoiachin's (Coniah) exile to Babylon, providing the specific context for Jeremiah's prophecy about the king's inability to return.
ellicottJeremiah 22:27: "But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return."
(27) Whereunto they desire to return. —The English expresses the sense, but lacks the poetic force, of the Hebrew, to which they lift up their souls to return, yearning thitherward with the longing of unsatisfied desire.
cambridgeJeremiah 22:27: "But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return."
27 . their soul longeth ] For mg. they lift up their soul cp. Jeremiah 44:14 ; Deuteronomy 24:15 ; Hosea 4:8 . The soul was considered the seat of desire.
This verse reveals a profound heartbreak: it's not just that they won't return, but that their deepest "lifting up of their soul" – their most fervent, soul-deep yearning – will be directed toward a home they'll never see again. This isn't simply about geographical exile, but about the ultimate futility of misplaced hope for those who have turned away from God.
This verse lands amidst a dire prophecy against King Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and his family. After describing their coming exile to Babylon, God declares that despite their deep longing and vain hopes to return to Jerusalem, they will never see their homeland again. This pronouncement seals their fate, emphasizing the finality of their punishment and the futility of any dreams of a homecoming.
This verse lands amidst a dire prophecy against King Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and his family. After describing their coming exile to Babylon, God declares that despite their deep longing and vain hopes to return to Jerusalem, they will never see their homeland again. This pronouncement seals their fate, emphasizing the finality of their punishment and the futility of any dreams of a homecoming.
"But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”" — This verse reveals a profound heartbreak: it's not just that they won't return, but that their deepest "lifting up of their soul" – their most fervent, soul-deep yearning – will be directed toward…
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Last reviewed October 2026