Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
1Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.
2If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’
3I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
6You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD. You have turned your back. So I will stretch out My hand against you and I will destroy you; I am weary of showing compassion.
8I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring upon them anguish and dismay.
9The mother of seven will grow faint; she will breathe her last breath. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. And the rest I will put to the sword in the presence of their enemies,” declares the LORD.
10Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.
11The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.
15You understand, O LORD; remember me and attend to me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In Your patience, do not take me away. Know that I endure reproach for Your honor.
17I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.
19Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak words that are noble instead of worthless, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must turn to you, but you must not turn to them.
20Then I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 15 presents one of Scripture's starkest pictures of God's judgment upon persistent, unrepentant sin. The chapter opens with the Lord declaring that even the intercession of Moses and Samuel—Israel's greatest spiritual leaders—cannot turn aside His determined judgment against Judah. What follows is both a pronouncement of national ruin and a deeply personal dialogue between the prophet and God, in which Jeremiah wrestles with his calling and God's faithfulness. The chapter masterfully weaves together divine severity, human suffering, and the promise of restoration for those who remain faithful to God's Word.
The Lord opens with a sobering statement: even if Moses and Samuel—two of Israel's mightiest intercessors—stood before Him, He would not relent. This underscores that Judah's sin has reached a point where prayer itself cannot reverse the judgment. God commands Jeremiah to tell the people that their fate is sealed and distributed among them like lots: some to death, some to the sword, some to famine, and some to captivity (verse 2). Verse 3 intensifies the imagery with four instruments of destruction—the sword, wild dogs, birds, and beasts—all appointed to destroy the nation. Verse 4 attributes this catastrophe specifically to the sins of Manasseh, Hezekiah's son, whose evil reign had defiled Jerusalem and provoked God's wrath. Verse 5 asks rhetorically: who will pity Jerusalem? The answer is implicit—no one, because God Himself has withdrawn His compassion.
Application: This passage reminds us that persistent, unrepented sin has real consequences. God's mercy is not infinite toward those who deliberately reject Him; there comes a point of no return. The Christian should take this as a sobering call to repentance and vigilance in walking with Christ.
Verse 6 contains a striking phrase: "I am weary with repenting." God is not weary of being merciful, but weary of repeatedly calling His people to repentance only to have them turn backward. The metaphor of fanning (verse 7)—winnowing chaff from grain—depicts the scattering and destruction of the nation. Bereaving them of children speaks to the death toll of war and siege. Verses 8–9 paint an apocalyptic scene: widows multiplied "above the sand of the seas," sudden military assault at noonday, and the image of a woman who bore seven children now languishing in despair—a reversal of blessing into curse. The residue will be delivered to the sword.
Application: While we live in the age of grace through Christ, this passage illustrates that God takes sin seriously and that judgment, though delayed, is real. It calls us to intercede for our nations and churches, lest we too become hardened in unbelief.
Jeremiah erupts in personal anguish (verse 10), calling himself "a man of strife and a man of contention." He has done nothing wrong—he has not exploited others (verse 10)—yet all curse him. His faithfulness has bought him only persecution. God's response is measured: a promise that the remnant will be cared for (verse 11), but a stark question in verse 12: "Shall iron break the northern iron?" This refers to Babylon's strength—unbreakable. Verses 13–14 confirm that Judah's wealth will become spoil, and the people will be exiled to a land unknown.
Application: True faithfulness to God's Word may bring personal suffering. Like Jeremiah, believers must be prepared to stand alone, endure ridicule, and trust that God sees and will ultimately vindicate them.
Jeremiah appeals to God's knowledge and justice (verse 15), asking Him to remember, visit, and avenge him. Yet his deepest strength lies in verse 16: he has eaten God's words, and they are his joy and rejoicing. This is the heart of a true prophet—sustained by Scripture itself. Verses 17–18 show his isolation and pain, yet God responds in verses 19–21 with a conditional promise: "If thou return, then will I bring thee again." The prophet must separate the precious from the vile, and God will make him a brazen wall against his enemies. The chapter closes with a double promise of deliverance from the wicked and the terrible.
Application: God's Word is our greatest treasure and strength in trial. When we feast upon Scripture and maintain our devotion to Christ despite opposition, we position ourselves for God's protection and restoration.
Application for Today
Jeremiah 15 calls modern believers to take sin seriously, to pray earnestly for our communities, and to find unshakeable joy in God's Word even when faithfulness brings suffering. It reminds us that judgment is real, mercy is precious, and the Word of God is our greatest treasure and sustenance in dark times.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 15
5 sectionsJeremiah 15 presents one of Scripture's starkest pictures of God's judgment upon persistent, unrepentant sin. The chapter opens with the Lord declaring that even the intercession of Moses and Samuel—Israel's greatest spiritual leaders—cannot turn aside His determined judgment against Judah. What follows is both a pronouncement of national ruin and a deeply personal dialogue between the prophet and God, in which Jeremiah wrestles with his calling and God's faithfulness. The chapter masterfully weaves together divine severity, human suffering, and the promise of restoration for those who remain faithful to God's Word.
The Lord opens with a sobering statement: even if Moses and Samuel—two of Israel's mightiest intercessors—stood before Him, He would not relent. This underscores that Judah's sin has reached a point where prayer itself cannot reverse the judgment. God commands Jeremiah to tell the people that their fate is sealed and distributed among them like lots: some to death, some to the sword, some to famine, and some to captivity (verse 2). Verse 3 intensifies the imagery with four instruments of destruction—the sword, wild dogs, birds, and beasts—all appointed to destroy the nation. Verse 4 attributes this catastrophe specifically to the sins of Manasseh, Hezekiah's son, whose evil reign had defiled Jerusalem and provoked God's wrath. Verse 5 asks rhetorically: who will pity Jerusalem? The answer is implicit—no one, because God Himself has withdrawn His compassion.
Application: This passage reminds us that persistent, unrepented sin has real consequences. God's mercy is not infinite toward those who deliberately reject Him; there comes a point of no return. The Christian should take this as a sobering call to repentance and vigilance in walking with Christ.
Verse 6 contains a striking phrase: "I am weary with repenting." God is not weary of being merciful, but weary of repeatedly calling His people to repentance only to have them turn backward. The metaphor of fanning (verse 7)—winnowing chaff from grain—depicts the scattering and destruction of the nation. Bereaving them of children speaks to the death toll of war and siege. Verses 8–9 paint an apocalyptic scene: widows multiplied "above the sand of the seas," sudden military assault at noonday, and the image of a woman who bore seven children now languishing in despair—a reversal of blessing into curse. The residue will be delivered to the sword.
Application: While we live in the age of grace through Christ, this passage illustrates that God takes sin seriously and that judgment, though delayed, is real. It calls us to intercede for our nations and churches, lest we too become hardened in unbelief.
Jeremiah erupts in personal anguish (verse 10), calling himself "a man of strife and a man of contention." He has done nothing wrong—he has not exploited others (verse 10)—yet all curse him. His faithfulness has bought him only persecution. God's response is measured: a promise that the remnant will be cared for (verse 11), but a stark question in verse 12: "Shall iron break the northern iron?" This refers to Babylon's strength—unbreakable. Verses 13–14 confirm that Judah's wealth will become spoil, and the people will be exiled to a land unknown.
Application: True faithfulness to God's Word may bring personal suffering. Like Jeremiah, believers must be prepared to stand alone, endure ridicule, and trust that God sees and will ultimately vindicate them.
Jeremiah appeals to God's knowledge and justice (verse 15), asking Him to remember, visit, and avenge him. Yet his deepest strength lies in verse 16: he has eaten God's words, and they are his joy and rejoicing. This is the heart of a true prophet—sustained by Scripture itself. Verses 17–18 show his isolation and pain, yet God responds in verses 19–21 with a conditional promise: "If thou return, then will I bring thee again." The prophet must separate the precious from the vile, and God will make him a brazen wall against his enemies. The chapter closes with a double promise of deliverance from the wicked and the terrible.
Application: God's Word is our greatest treasure and strength in trial. When we feast upon Scripture and maintain our devotion to Christ despite opposition, we position ourselves for God's protection and restoration.
Jeremiah 15 calls modern believers to take sin seriously, to pray earnestly for our communities, and to find unshakeable joy in God's Word even when faithfulness brings suffering. It reminds us that judgment is real, mercy is precious, and the Word of God is our greatest treasure and sustenance in dark times.