Jer 8:21-22 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Jer 8:21-22: 8:21-22 Jeremiah empathized with the suffering of his people. The closeness between the Lord and his prophet means that sometimes the first-person pronouns refer to the Lord as well—the Lord also hurts with the hurt of his people (cp. Matt 23:37 ).

a8:21-22►

bMatt 23:37►

‏ Jeremiah 8:21-22

Summary for Jer 8:21-22: 8:21-22 ^a Jeremiah empathized with the suffering of his people. The closeness between the Lord and his prophet means that sometimes the first-person pronouns refer to the Lord as well—the Lord also hurts with the hurt of his people (cp. Matt 23:37 ^b).
8:22 ^c The medicine in Gilead consisted of sticky sap that oozed from cuts made in the trunks or branches of small evergreen trees in the highlands east of the Jordan River. Merchants who sold this resin to the people claimed that it had healing powers.

• Jeremiah saw the people’s need for God to heal their deep spiritual sickness. The people saw only the physical manifestations of God’s judgment against them and refused to acknowledge that their spiritual rebellion was the source of their problems. The African-American spiritual “There Is a Balm in Gilead” points to Jesus as the ultimate balm for our souls.