Therefore pray not thou for this people
These are the words of the Lord to the Prophet Jeremiah,
forbidding him to pray for the people of the Jews; which he
either was doing, or about to do, and which, from the great
affection he had for them, he was inclined unto; wherefore, to
show how much the Lord was displeased with them, and how
determined he was to punish them with captivity, he orders the
prophet not to make any supplication for them: neither lift
up cry nor prayer for them;
referring to the gestures of lifting up the eyes and hands in
prayer, and also to the frame of the heart, in the exercise of
faith and holy confidence: "cry" and "prayer" are put together,
because prayer is sometimes made, especially when persons are in
great distress, with strong cryings and tears; see ( Hebrews 5:7 ) :
neither make intercession to me;
or, "meet me" F15; or come between him and this
people, and so act the part of a mediator, of which office
intercession is a branch; it properly belongs to Christ. The Jews
say