Jeremiah 15:11

11 The Lord said: Surely I have intervened in your life for good, surely I have imposed enemies on you in a time of trouble and in a time of distress.

Jeremiah 15:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 15:11

The Lord said
In answer to the prophet's complaint: verily it shall be well with thy remnant:
not with the remnant of his people, or those that should escape the threatened calamities; but the sense is, that it should be well with him in his latter end; the remainder of his days should be comfortable or be spent in peace and prosperity; and so the Targum,

``if thine end shall not be for good.''
The words are in the form of an oath, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; and the meaning is, that if it is not well with thee in thy last days, then say I am unfaithful, and not true to my word. According to Donesh, cited by Jarchi, the word translated "remnant" has the signification of loosing; and he renders it, "if I loose thee not for good" F13; which accordingly was done, ( Jeremiah 40:4 ) , and this sense is confirmed by the note of the Masorites: "verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well"; or, "if I do not" for it is also in the form of an oath, as before, as Jarchi notes; and so it was, Nebuchadnezzar gave charge to Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to look well to him, and do him no harm; who, when he loosed him, gave him his choice to go with him to Babylon, or continue in the land, ( Jeremiah 39:11 Jeremiah 39:12 ) ( 40:4 ) , or, "verily I will", or, "shall I not entreat the enemy for thee?" F14 and make him gentle and humane, so that he shall use thee kindly. Jarchi interprets this of Zedekiah and his courtiers seeking to Jeremiah, in the time of their distress, to pray for them, ( Jeremiah 37:2 ) , and to which sense the Targum inclines,
``if they shall not come and help thee''
in the time of evil, and in the time of affliction;
when the city is taken, and the people carrying captive.
FOOTNOTES:

F13 (bwjl Ktwrv al Ma) "si non absolvero te in bonum", Schmidt. Vid. De Dieu in loc.
F14 (Kb ytegph awl Ma) "sed faciam hostem occurrere tibi", Calvin: "annon intervenirem pro te apud inimicum?" Junius & Tremellius; "nisi interveniam pro te apud inimicum", Piscator.

Jeremiah 15:11 In-Context

9 She who bore seven has languished; she has swooned away; her sun went down while it was yet day; she has been shamed and disgraced. And the rest of them I will give to the sword before their enemies, says the Lord.
10 Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.
11 The Lord said: Surely I have intervened in your life for good, surely I have imposed enemies on you in a time of trouble and in a time of distress.
12 Can iron and bronze break iron from the north?
13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Heb [intervened with you]
  • [b]. Meaning of Heb uncertain
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.