John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 22:10

"Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away; for he shall return no more, nor see his native country." — Jeremiah 22:10 (ASV)

They explain this verse concerning Jehoiakim and Jeconiah, but I consider it rather a general declaration. For the Prophet wished briefly to show how miserable the condition of the people would be, as it would be better and more desirable to die at once than to prolong life in continual weariness. He will speak of the kings afterwards, but reason compels us to extend these words to the whole people.

When a people flee, being unable to resist their enemies, they may look for a restoration. In that case, all dread death more than exile and all other calamities which are endured in this life, for those who remain alive may somehow emerge from their sufferings and troubles, or at least they may have them alleviated; but death cuts off all hopes.

But the Prophet says here that death would be better than exile. And why? Because it would have been better to die at once than to prolong a life of misery, weariness, and reproach, only to be destroyed at last. By saying, then, Weep ye not for the dead, nor bewail him, it is as though he had said, “If the destruction of this city is lamented, much more ought those who will remain alive to be lamented than those who will die. For death will be, as it were, a rest; it will be a harbor to end all evils. But life will be nothing else than a continual succession of miseries.” Therefore, we conclude that this should not be confined to the two kings, but viewed as declared generally of the whole people.

It follows: For he shall return no more, that he may see the land of his nativity. He shows that exile would be a sort of infection that would gradually consume the miserable Jews. Thus, death would have been far better for them than to be tormented for a long time in this manner and to have no relaxation. He then takes away the hope of a return, so that he might show that their exile would be, as it were, a kind of slow decay, corroding them as a worm, so that to die a hundred times would have been more desirable than to remain in such a hard and miserable bondage.

It now follows: