Jeremiah 15:15

15 Lord, you understand. Remember me and take care of me. Punish for me those who are hurting me. Don't destroy me while you remain patient with them. Think about the shame I suffer for you.

Jeremiah 15:15 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 15:15

O Lord, thou knowest
All persons and things; he knew the prophet and his heart, and all that was in it; his innocence and integrity; all his afflictions, and what he met with from his enemies; and he knew them, and all their malicious designs against him: remember me;
with the favour which he bore to his own people, his covenant with him, his promises to him, and the word on which he had caused him to hope; because of his trials and troubles, he might seem to be forgotten by him: and visit me;
in mercy for good; and so the Targum adds,

``that thou mayest do well unto me:''

and revenge me of my persecutors;
not so much for his own sake; unless this is to be attributed to his frailty and infirmity, to the warmth of his spirit, being a man of like passions with others; for private revenge ought not to be sought by good men, but for the sake of God and his glory, in whose cause he was engaged, and on whose account he was persecuted: take me not away in thy longsuffering;
while thou art bearing with others, do not take me away by death; or suffer them, whom thou dost forbear, to take me away, or give them an opportunity thereby so to do; or when thy longsuffering is at an end, do not involve me in the same calamity with them. The Targum is,

``do not give delay to my injury;''

or,

``length to my affliction;''

that is, do not delay to take vengeance on my persecutors; and to this sense Jarchi interprets it,

``do not take my cause, and leave it to thy longsuffering, but hasten and avenge me;''

and De Dieu proposes such a rendering of the words, "to thy longsuffering do not bring me" ^F17; and which sense is favoured by the Septuagint version: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke;
let it appear, and that even to mine enemies, that it is for thy sake that all this reproach is cast upon me; and all these afflictions are endured by me, by thy resentment of their carriage to me.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (ynxpt Kpa Kral la) "ne ad longanimitatem tuam adduc me", De Dieu; "nec me capias ad dilationem irae tua", Gussetius.

Jeremiah 15:15 In-Context

13 Your wealth and treasures I will give to others free of charge, because the people of Judah have sinned throughout the country.

14 I will make you slaves to your enemies in a land you have never known. My anger is like a hot fire, and it will burn against you."

15 Lord, you understand. Remember me and take care of me. Punish for me those who are hurting me. Don't destroy me while you remain patient with them. Think about the shame I suffer for you.

16 Your words came to me, and I listened carefully to them. Your words made me very happy, because I am called by your name, Lord God All-Powerful.

17 I never sat with the crowd as they laughed and had fun. I sat by myself, because you were there, and you filled me with anger at the evil around me.