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Atomic Bible
Jeremiah

Chapter 15

Judgment to Continue and more

Jeremiah 15 begins with the LORD insisting that Judah's judgment will continue even if legendary intercessors were to stand before Him. The chapter then turns inward as Jeremiah laments the misery of his calling, only to end with the LORD's stern but hopeful answer: if the prophet returns to faithful speech, he will stand again as God's fortified servant against a resisting people.

This chapter intensifies both sides of Jeremiah's vocation. It makes clear that Judah's judgment is no longer reversible by ordinary intercession, while also revealing that the prophet himself must be refined and steadied if he is to keep bearing God's word under pressure.

3 sections·230 words·~1 min read

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Jeremiah 15

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vv. 1-9

Judgment to Continue

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T1hen 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: 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. 4I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

5Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? 6You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD. 7I will scatter them with a winnowing fork 8I will make their widows more numerous 9The mother of seven will grow faint;

vv. 10-18

Jeremiah’s Woe

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W10oe to me, my mother, 11The LORD said: 12Can anyone smash iron — 13Your wealth and your treasures 14Then I will enslave you to your enemies

15You understand, O LORD; 16Your words were found, and I ate them. 17I never sat with the band of revelers, 18Why is my pain unending,

vv. 19-21

The LORD’s Promise

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T19herefore this is what the LORD says: 20Then I will make you a wall to this people, 21I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked

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  1. 01vv. 1-9Judgment to ContinueThe chapter opens by declaring that Judah has crossed a line beyond which even Moses and Samuel could not avert judgment. The people are assigned to death, sword, famine, captivity, and public disgrace because they have persistently turned away from the LORD, and the coming devastation is described in terms of scattering, bereavement, and a city stripped of pity.
  2. 02vv. 10-18Jeremiah’s WoeAfter hearing the continuation of judgment, Jeremiah turns to his own pain and laments that his life has become one of universal strife and reproach. He remembers God's word as joy and identity, yet he also cries out over loneliness, divine indignation, and a wound that feels persistent enough to make God's help seem uncertain and deceptive.
  3. 03vv. 19-21The LORD’s PromiseThe final movement answers Jeremiah's complaint with both correction and recommissioning. The prophet must return, separate what is precious from what is worthless, and refuse to be pulled down to the people's level; then the LORD will again make him a fortified wall and will remain with him to save and deliver him from the wicked.
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