Jeremiah15
New American Standard
1Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people. Send them away from My presence and have them go!
2And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’
3And I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the Lord: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth to devour and destroy.
4I will make them an object of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
5“Indeed, who will have pity on you, Jerusalem, Or who will mourn for you, Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
6You who have forsaken Me,” declares the Lord, “You keep going backward. So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting!
7I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways.
8Their widows will be more numerous before Me Than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man, A destroyer at noon; I will suddenly bring down on her Shock and horror.
9She who gave birth to seven sons withers away; Her breathing is labored. Her sun has set while it was still day; She has been shamed and humiliated. So I will turn over their survivors to the sword Before their enemies,” declares the Lord.
10Woe to me, my mother, that you have given birth to me As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land! I have not lent, nor have people lent money to me, Yet everyone curses me.
11The Lord said, “I will certainly set you free for purposes of good; I will certainly make the enemy plead with you In a time of disaster and a time of distress.
12“Can anyone smash iron, Iron from the north, or bronze?
13I will give your wealth and your treasures As plunder without cost, For all your sins And within all your borders.
14Then I will make your enemies bring your possessions Into a land that you do not know; For a fire has been kindled in My anger, And it will burn upon you.”
15You know, Lord; Remember me, take notice of me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.
16Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, Lord God of armies.
17I did not sit in a circle of revelers and celebrate. Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone, For You filled me with indignation.
18Why has my pain been endless And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?
19Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “If you return, then I will restore you— You will stand before Me; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They, for their part, may turn to you, But as for you, you are not to turn to them.
20Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And rescue you,” declares the Lord.
21“So I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 15.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The destruction of the wicked described. (1-9). The prophet laments such messages, and is reproved. (10-14). He supplicates pardon, and is promised protection. (15-21).
vv1-9
The Lord declares that even Moses and Samuel must have pleaded in vain. The putting of this as a case, though they should stand before him, shows that they do not, and that saints in heaven do not pray for saints on earth. The Jews were condemned to different kinds of misery by the righteous judgment of God, and the remnant would be driven away, like the chaff, into captivity. Then was the populous city made desolate. Bad examples and misused authority often produce fatal effects, even after men are dead, or have repented of their crimes: this should make all greatly dread being the occasion of sin in others.
vv10-14
Jeremiah met with much contempt and reproach, when they ought to have blessed him, and God for him. It is a great and sufficient support to the people of God, that however troublesome their way may be, it shall be well with them in their latter end. God turns to the people. Shall the most hardy and vigorous of their efforts be able to contend with the counsel of God, or with the army of the Chaldeans? Let them hear their doom. The enemy will treat the prophet well. But the people who had great estates would be used hardly. All parts of the country had added to the national guilt; and let each take shame to itself.
vv15-21
It is matter of comfort that we have a God, to whose knowledge of all things we may appeal. Jeremiah pleads with God for mercy and relief against his enemies, persecutors, and slanderers. It will be a comfort to God's ministers, when men despise them, if they have the testimony of their own consciences. But he complains, that he found little pleasure in his work. Some good people lose much of the pleasantness of religion by the fretfulness and uneasiness of their natural temper, which they indulge. The Lord called the prophet to cease from his distrust, and to return to his work. If he attended thereto, he might be assured the Lord would deliver him from his enemies. Those who are with God, and faithful to him, he will deliver from trouble or carry through it. Many things appear frightful, which do not at all hurt a real believer in Christ.
Key Words
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
שְׁמוּאֵל: Shemuel, the name of three Israelites
עָמַד: to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
נֶפֶשׁ: properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Cross References
Jeremiah 15Moses' historic, successful intercession for Israel after the golden calf, contrasted with God's refusal here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Samuel's highly effective intercessory cry for deliverance, highlighting the unprecedented severity of Judah's rejection.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Parallel divine declaration that even supreme intercessors cannot save a land doomed to judgment.
Supported by John Calvin
Confirms the unquenched divine wrath against Judah specifically due to the enduring provocations of Manasseh.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Mosaic covenant's penal sanctions, specifically appointing terror, disease, and consumption over the disobedient.
Supported by JFB
Detailed historical record of Manasseh's extreme sins which triggered the irreversible decree of exile.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Ezekiel's identical prophetic experience of eating God's word, finding it sweet before digesting hard truths.
Supported by John Calvin
John eating the little book, finding it sweet as honey in the mouth but bitter.
Supported by John Calvin
The covenant curse of being removed into all kingdoms of the earth, fulfilled in Jeremiah.
Supported by JFB
Hannah's song declaring the barren hath borne seven, echoed here to show the reverse judgment.
Supported by JFB
Fulfillment of the promise that enemies would treat Jeremiah well during the Babylonian captivity.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jeremiah's deep personal distress and status as a man of strife, triggering his prayer.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Reiteration of Jeremiah's original commission promise of a protective wall against his fierce adversaries.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel imagery of the sun going down at noon, signaling sudden catastrophe during prosperity.
Supported by JFB
The law concerning usury, showing Jeremiah avoided social practices that typically provoke bitter legal disputes.
Supported by Matthew Poole