Jeremiah 15:2-12

2 That if they say to thee, Whither shall we go out? (And if they say to thee, Where shall we go?) thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, They that to death, to death, and they that to sword, to sword, and they that to hunger, to hunger, and they that to captivity, to captivity.

3 I shall visit on them four species, saith the Lord; a sword to slaying, and dogs for to rend, and volatiles of the air, and beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy. (I shall punish them four ways, saith the Lord; with a sword for killing, and dogs for tearing apart, and birds of the air, and beasts of the earth, for devouring and for destroying.)

4 And I shall give them into fervor to all (the) realms of (the) earth, for Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, on all things which he did in Jerusalem (for all the things which he did in Jerusalem).

5 For why who shall have mercy on thee, Jerusalem, either who shall be sorry for thee, either who shall go to pray for thy peace?

6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou hast gone aback; and I shall stretch forth mine hand on thee, and I shall slay thee; I travailed praying. (Thou hast deserted me, saith the Lord, thou hast gone away; and I shall stretch forth my hand against thee, and I shall kill thee; I am weary of restraining myself.)

7 And I shall scatter them with a winnowing instrument in the gates of [the] earth; I killed, and lost my people (I killed, and destroyed my people), and nevertheless they turned not again from their ways.

8 The widows thereof be multiplied to me above the gravel of the sea; and I brought into them a destroyer in midday on the mother of a young man, I sent dread suddenly on [the] cities. (Its widows be multiplied by me, in number more than the sands of the sea; and I brought in upon them a destroyer at midday against the mothers of the young men, and I sent fear suddenly upon the cities.)

9 She was sick that childed seven, her soul failed; the sun went down to her, when day was yet. She was shamed, and was ashamed; and I shall give the residue thereof into sword in the sight of their enemies, saith the Lord. (She was sick who gave birth to seven, her life failed; her sun went down, while it was still daylight. She was shamed, and was ashamed; and I shall give all the rest who be alive unto the sword in the sight of their enemies, saith the Lord.)

10 My mother, woe to me; why engenderedest thou me a man of chiding, a man of discord in all the land? I lent not, neither any man lent to me; all men curse me(.),

11 the Lord saith. No man believe to me, if thy remnants be not into good, if I run not to thee in the time of torment, and in the time of tribulation and of anguish, against the enemy. (The Lord saith, No one believe me, if it be not well with thy remnant, and if I do not run against the enemy for thee, in the time of torment, and in the time of trouble and of anguish.)

12 Whether iron and metal shall be joined by peace to iron from the north? (Can iron be broken, especially the iron from the north, that is joined with bronze?)

Jeremiah 15:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 15

This chapter contains the Lord's answer to the prophet's prayers, in which he declares himself inexorable, and had resolved on the ruin of the Jewish nation for their sins; the prophet's complaint of the hardships he endured, notwithstanding his sincerity and integrity; and the Lord's promise of protection and deliverance, in case of his continuance in the faithful discharge of his office. The Lord denies the request of the prophet, by observing, that if even Moses and Samuel had been the intercessors for the people, he would not have regarded them, being determined upon casting them out, and sending them away captive, Jer 15:1, their punishment is declared, which was resolved on; some for death, or the pestilence; others for the sword; others for famine; and others for captivity; and others to be devoured by dogs, and fowls, and wild beasts, Jer 15:2,3, the cause of which were their sins, particularly their idolatry in the times of Manasseh, Jer 15:4, wherefore they should have no pity from men, nor would the Lord any more repent of the evil threatened, of which he was weary, because of their many backslidings, Jer 15:5,6, which destruction, being determined, is illustrated by a description of the instrument of it; by the multitude of widows, and the distress of mothers bereaved of their children, Jer 15:7-9 on which the prophet takes up a complaint of his being born for strife and contention, and of his being cursed by the people, though no usurer, Jer 15:10, when he is comforted with a promise of being used well by the enemy, both he and his remnant, Jer 15:11, but as for the people of the Jews in general, they would never be able to withstand the northern forces, the army of the Chaldeans; their riches and substance would be delivered into their hands, and their persons also be carried captive into a strange land, and the prophet along with them, because of their sins, and the wrath of God for them, Jer 15:12-14, upon which the prophet prays to the Lord, who knew him, that he would remember and visit him, and avenge him of his persecutors, and not take him away in his longsuffering; he urges, that he had suffered rebuke and reproach for his sake; that he was called by him to his office, which he had cheerfully entered on; he had his mission, commission, and message, from him, which he received with the greatest pleasure, signified by eating his words with joy; and that he had not associated himself with mockers and scoffers at religion and the word of God; and therefore expostulates why he should be put to so much pain, and be used as he was, Jer 15:15-18, wherefore the Lord promises that, upon condition of doing his work faithfully, he should be preserved, protected, and delivered, Jer 15:19-21.