My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah's lament isn't just sadness; it's a desperate, almost unheard-of cry for solace that can't be found. The unusual word for "comfort" suggests he's reaching for a bright, almost illuminating relief, only to find his heart utterly failing him, highlighting the depth of his despair over his people's fate.
My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah begins a profound personal lament, crying out in deep distress over the impending judgment and destruction of his people, even as he struggles to find any solace. The prophet feels the crushing weight of his people's sin and the coming exile, a sorrow so overwhelming that it saps his strength and leaves him utterly heartbroken. This cry of anguish sets the stage for his continued mourning and questioning of God in the subsequent verses.
Jeremiah's heart is breaking. He tries to find comfort, but it evades him.
Jeremiah is not just reporting bad news; he's feeling the weight of it all. The opening of this verse, "When I would comfort myself against sorrow," is a cry from deep within. It's like he's trying to shake off the despair, to find a sliver of hope or peace, but it's impossible.
A Unique Word for Hope
The original Hebrew word used here for 'comfort' is unusual, appearing only this once in the entire Bible. Scholars suggest it carries a sense of 'brightening' or 'lighting up.' Jeremiah is desperately searching for a light in the overwhelming darkness, a way to 'brighten himself' against the encroaching sorrow.
Heartfelt Despair
But his attempt fails. The phrase "my heart is faint within me" isn't just a mild sadness; it speaks of a deep weariness, a sickness of the soul. He's seeing the coming destruction of his people, his efforts to warn them seemingly in vain, and the pain is overwhelming his spirit.
Jeremiah's pain isn't just personal; it's a prophetic empathy for a doomed people.
This verse marks a shift in Jeremiah's prophetic message. While he has been God's messenger of judgment, here we see his personal anguish. The commentaries highlight that this section is a "new strophe" – a new movement in the poem – where Jeremiah mourns the "miserable fate of his countrymen."
The Prophet's Compassion
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He's not detached from the people he’s been warning. Instead, he feels their impending doom as if it were his own. His "joy is gone; grief is upon me" is a direct result of witnessing the spiritual sickness and impending judgment of Judah. He longs to comfort himself, but the reality of their sins and the consequences are too stark.
A Sick Nation
The "heart is sick within me" reflects not only Jeremiah’s personal pain but also the deep spiritual sickness of the nation he represents. They have sinned against the Lord, and the consequences are devastating.
Understand the original words
deway · Hebrew Noun
A deep, internal sensation of sorrow, distress, or calamity. In the Bible, it often describes the emotional response to impending judgment or loss.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The center of a person's being, including the intellect, emotions, and will. It is seen as the seat of moral life and the source of human intentions and affections.
Jeremiah's profound grief in this verse stems from the devastating reality of Jerusalem's fall and the Babylonian exile, a catastrophe he had long warned about, now a deeply personal and national tragedy.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah receives his call to prophesy in the 13th year of King Josiah's reign, during a period of religious reform but with underlying societal decay.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacks Judah, and prominent citizens, including the prophet Daniel, are deported to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon following a revolt.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon, marking the end of the Kingdom of Judah.
c. 586-570 BC
Jeremiah Continues Ministry in Captivity
Jeremiah, remaining in Judah after the fall of Jerusalem, continues to prophesy to the remnant and laments the devastating consequences of their sin.
This passage uses the same phrase 'my heart is sick' to describe the deep suffering and despair of a nation brought low by its sin, mirroring Jeremiah's profound grief for his people.
Psalm 77:3The psalmist expresses a similar struggle to find comfort in times of distress, crying out to God and meditating on His works, yet feeling overwhelmed by sorrow, much like Jeremiah's internal anguish.
Job 30:27Job describes his inner turmoil and sorrow, stating 'My heart is troubled and can find no rest,' which resonates with Jeremiah's profound personal pain and sickness of heart amidst national disaster.
Lamentations 1:22This verse from Lamentations, often attributed to Jeremiah, directly addresses God about the overwhelming sorrow and despair, crying out 'Behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself against me,' echoing the prophet's lament in Jeremiah 8:18.
barnesJeremiah 8:18: "When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me."
Rather, "O my comfort in sorrow: my heart faints for me." The word translated "comfort" is by some supposed to be corrupt. With these mournful ejaculations a new strophe begins, ending with Jeremiah 9:1 , in which the prophet mourns over the miserable fate of his countrymen, among whom he had been earnestly laboring, but all in vain.
pulpitJeremiah 8:18: "When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me."
Verse 18 - Jeremiah 9. 50. - The captivity of Judah and the deep sorrow of Jeremiah. Verse 18. - When I would comfort myself, etc. The text is here extremely difficult, and if there is corruption anywhere it is in the opening of this verse. Ewald and Graf suppose an ellipsis, and render, "(Oh for) my enlivening [i.e. an enlivening for me] in trouble!" Hitzig more naturally renders in the vocative, "My enlivene…
Jeremiah's lament isn't just sadness; it's a desperate, almost unheard-of cry for solace that can't be found. The unusual word for "comfort" suggests he's reaching for a bright, almost illuminating relief, only to find his heart utterly failing him, highlighting the depth of his despair over his people's fate.
Jeremiah begins a profound personal lament, crying out in deep distress over the impending judgment and destruction of his people, even as he struggles to find any solace. The prophet feels the crushing weight of his people's sin and the coming exile, a sorrow so overwhelming that it saps his strength and leaves him utterly heartbroken. This cry of anguish sets the stage for his continued mourning and questioning of God in the subsequent verses.
Jeremiah begins a profound personal lament, crying out in deep distress over the impending judgment and destruction of his people, even as he struggles to find any solace. The prophet feels the crushing weight of his people's sin and the coming exile, a sorrow so overwhelming that it saps his strength and leaves him utterly heartbroken. This cry of anguish sets the stage for his continued mourning and questioning of God in the subsequent verses.
"My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me." — Jeremiah's lament isn't just sadness; it's a desperate, almost unheard-of cry for solace that can't be found. The unusual word for "comfort" suggests he's reaching for a bright, almost illuminating r…
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Last reviewed October 2026