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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 11:11–17. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
This paragraph, which contains so much of God's wrath, might very well be expected to follow upon that which goes next before, which contained so much of his people's sin. When God found so much evil among them we cannot think it strange if it follows, Therefore I will bring evil upon them (Jer 11:11), the evil of punishment for the evil of sin; and there is no remedy, no relief: the decree has gone forth and the sentence will be executed.
I.They cannot help themselves, but will be found too weak to contest with God's judgments:
it is evil which they shall not be able to escape, or to go forth out of, by any evasion whatsoever. Note, Those that will not submit to God's government shall not be able to escape his wrath. There is no fleeing from his justice, no avoiding his cognizance. Evil pursues sinners and entangles them in snares out of which they cannot extricate themselves.
II.Their God will not help them; his providence shall no way favour them:
Though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken to them. In their affliction they will seek the God whom before they slighted, and cry to him whom before they would not vouchsafe to speak to. But how can they expect to speed? For he has plainly told us that he that turns away his ears from hearing the law, as they did, for they inclined not their ear (Jer 11:8), even his prayer shall be an abomination to him, as the word of the Lord was now to them a reproach.
III.Their idols shall not help them, Jer 11:12.
They shall go, and cry to the gods to whom they now offer incense, and put them in mind of the costly services wherewith they had honoured them, expecting they should now have relief from them, but in vain. They shall be sent to the gods whom they served (Jdg 10:14; Deu 32:37, Deu 32:38), and what the better? They shall not save them at all, shall do nothing towards their salvation, nor give them any prospect of it; they shall not afford them the least comfort, nor relief, nor mitigation of their trouble. It is God only that is a friend at need, a present powerful help in time of trouble. The idols cannot help themselves; how then should they help their worshippers? Those that make idols of the world and the flesh will in vain have recourse to them in a day of distress. If the idols could have done any real kindness to their worshippers, they would have done it for this people, who had renounced the true God to embrace them, had multiplied them according to the number of their cities (Jer 11:13), nay, in Jerusalem, according to the number of their streets. Suspecting both their sufficiency and their readiness to help them, they must have many, lest a few would not serve; they must have them dispersed in every corner, lest they should be out of the way when they had occasion for them. In Jerusalem, the city which God had chosen to put his name there, publicly in the streets of Jerusalem, in every street, they had altars to that shameful thing, that shame, even to Baal, which they ought to have been ashamed of, with which they did reproach the Lord and bring confusion upon themselves. But now in their distress their many gods, and many altars, should stand them in stead. Note, Those that will not be ashamed of their commission of sin as a wicked thing will be ashamed of their expectations from sin as a fruitless thing.
IV.Jeremiah's prayers shall not help them, Jer 11:14.
What God had said to him before (Jer 7:16) he here says again, Pray not thou for this people. This is not designed for a command to the prophet, so much as for a threatening to the people, that they should have no benefit by the prayers of their friends for them. God would give no encouragement to the prophets to pray for them, would not stir up the spirit of prayer, but cast a damp upon it, would put it into their hearts to pray, not for the body of the people, but for the remnant among them, to pray for their eternal salvation, not for their deliverance from the temporal judgments that were coming upon them; and what other prayers were put up for them should not be heard. Those are in a sad case indeed that are cut off from the benefit of prayer. "I will not hear them when they cry, and therefore to not thou pray for them." Note, Those that have so far thrown themselves out of God's favour that he will not hear their prayers cannot expect benefit by the prayers of others for them.
V.The profession they make of religion shall stand them in no stead, Jer 11:15.
They were originally God's beloved, his spouse, he was married to them by the covenant of peculiarity; even the unbelieving Jews are said to be beloved for the fathers' sake, Rom 11:28. As such they had a place in God's house; they were admitted to worship in the courts of his temple; they partook of God's altar; they ate of the flesh of their peace-offerings here called the holy flesh, which God had the honour of and they had the comfort of. This they gloried in, and trusted to. What harm could come to those who were God's beloved, who were under the protection of his house? Even when they did evil yet they rejoiced and gloried in this, made a mighty noise of this. And when their evil was (so the margin reads it), when trouble came upon them, they rejoiced in this, and made this their confidence; but their confidence would deceive them, for God has rejected it, they themselves having forfeited the privileges they so much boasted of. They have wrought lewdness with many, have been guilty of spiritual whoredom, have worshipped many idols; and therefore, 1. God's temple will yield them no protection; it is fit that the adulteress, especially when she has so often repeated her whoredoms and has grown so impudent in them and irreclaimable, should be put away, and turned out of doors: "What has my beloved to do in my house? She is a scandal to it, and therefore it shall no longer be a shelter to her." 2. God's altar will yield them no satisfaction, nor can they expect any comfort from that: "The holy flesh has passed from thee, that is, an end will soon be put to thy sacrifices, when the temple shall be laid in ruins; and where then will the holy flesh be, that thou art so proud of?" A holy heart will be a comfort to us when the holy flesh has passed from us; an inward principle of grace will make up the want of the outward means of grace. But woe unto us if the departure of the holy flesh be accompanied with the departure of the Holy Spirit.
VI.God's former favours to them shall stand them in no stead, Jer 11:16, Jer 11:17.
Their remembrance of them shall be no comfort to them under their troubles, and God's remembrance of them shall be no argument for their relief.
1.It is true God had done great things for them; that people had been favourites above any people under the sun; they had been the darlings of heaven. God had called Israel's name a green olive-tree, and had made them so, for he miscalls nothing; he had planted them (Jer 11:17), had formed them into a people, with all the advantages they could have to make them a fruitful and flourishing people, so good was their law and so good was their land. One would think no other than that a people so planted, so watered, so cultivated, should be, as the olive-tree is, ever green, in respect both of piety and prosperity, Psa 52:8. God called them fair and of goodly fruit, both good for food and pleasant to the eye, both amiable and serviceable to God and man, for which the greenness and fatness of the olive both are honoured, Jdg 9:9.
2.It is as true that they have done evil things against God. He had planted them a green olive, a good olive, but they had degenerated into a wild olive, Rom 11:17. Both the house of Israel. and the house of Judah had done evil, had provoked God to anger in burning incense unto Baal, setting up other mediators between them and the supreme God besides the promised Messiah; nay, setting up other gods in competition with the true and living God, for they had gods many, as well as lords many.
3.When they have conducted themselves so ill they can expect no other than that, notwithstanding what good he has done to them and designed for them, he should now bring upon them the evil he has pronounced against them. He that planted this green olive-tree, and expected fruit from it, finding it barren and grown wild, has kindled fire upon it, to burn it as it stands; for, being without fruit, it is twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jde 1:12), it is cut down and cast into the fire, the fittest place for trees that cumber the ground, Mat 3:10. The branches of it, the high and lofty boughs (so the word signifies), are broken are broken down, both princes and priests cut off. And thus it proves that the evil done against God, to provoke him to anger, is really done against themselves; they wrong their own souls; God is out of their reach, but they ruin themselves. See Jer 7:19. Note, Every sin against God is a sin against ourselves, and so it will be found sooner or later.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
“Why do not Christians obtain all things in prayer?” Because they fail for many causes. They often ask things inexpedient. Why are you surprised, if this is the case with some, when even Paul heard: “My grace is sufficient for you, because my strength is perfected in weakness” … What if they pray against people who have hurt them, seeking for compensation and vengeance? This kind of thing is forbidden, for, “pray,” he said, “for your enemies.” … To Jeremiah he also said, “Do not pray for this people, for I will not hear you,” not wishing to stop Jeremiah from praying (for he earnestly longs for our salvation) but to terrify them. Thus the prophet, seeing this, did not cease praying.
They ask for a mercy it is impossible for them to receive since they have sins for which they have not repented. They cannot receive this mercy—not if they ask for it themselves, or even if the request is made by others who are stronger in their relationship with God. When Jeremiah was praying for the Jews, the Lord in fact said, “Do not pray for this people, because I will not hear you.”
(Verse 14.) So you, do not pray for this people, and do not take on praise and prayer for them: for I will not listen to their cry to me, in the time of their affliction. It is commanded to Jeremiah, not to intercede for them to the Lord, for their sentence is already accomplished: lest his prayer appear weak, and not be heard because of their own wickedness. Do not, he says, pray for them, nor take on praise, so that by recalling the kindness of the old story, by which I have always had mercy on them, and by praising, you try to change my judgment. For if you do this, I will not hear those who are forced to ask me in their time of need. From them we learn that it is in vain to ask for someone else when he does not deserve to receive, for whom God is asked.
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Summary
Jeremiah 11:14 delivers a profoundly solemn divine command to the prophet Jeremiah, unequivocally forbidding him from interceding on behalf of the people of Judah. This stark prohibition signifies the ultimate finality of God's judgment against a nation that has systematically and persistently broken His covenant through pervasive idolatry and deep-seated disobedience. It powerfully underscores that the time for repentance and the efficacy of intercession for mercy has irrevocably passed, demonstrating God's unwavering resolve to execute the announced consequences for their unrepentant sin. This verse reveals that divine patience has reached its limit, and God will not respond favorably to their desperate cries for deliverance when trouble inevitably arrives.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 11 is a pivotal and somber chapter within the prophetic book, serving as a formal declaration of God's broken covenant with Judah and Jerusalem. The chapter opens with God reminding His people of the covenant established at Mount Sinai, emphasizing the blessings contingent upon obedience and the curses for disobedience (Jeremiah 11:1-5). This foundational reminder sets the stage for the devastating indictment that follows. Subsequent verses detail Judah's egregious violations of this sacred covenant, as they have flagrantly turned to other gods and embraced abhorrent evil practices, likening their actions to a "conspiracy" against the Lord (Jeremiah 11:9-10). Jeremiah 11:14, therefore, is not an isolated command but a direct and severe consequence of this deep-seated, national rebellion, following a comprehensive indictment of their spiritual adultery and the announcement of impending, unavoidable judgment. It marks a critical and painful turning point where divine patience has been exhausted, and even the most fervent prophetic intercession is rendered futile.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during one of the most tumultuous periods in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of several kings from Josiah to Zedekiah, culminating in the Babylonian exile. Despite repeated warnings from a succession of prophets, the people of Judah had plunged deep into syncretistic idolatry, adopting the worship of Baal, Molech, and other Canaanite deities. Their apostasy was so profound that they even engaged in horrific child sacrifice, as explicitly condemned by God (as mentioned in Jeremiah 7:31). They had systematically forsaken the Mosaic covenant, which was the foundational agreement defining their unique relationship with Yahweh as His chosen people. Culturally, their practices represented a direct affront to God's command for exclusive worship and holiness. Geographically, Jerusalem, the capital and spiritual heart of Judah, had become the epicenter of this spiritual decay, and the severe judgment prophesied would inevitably culminate in the city's destruction and the people's forced deportation to Babylon.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 11:14 powerfully contributes to several overarching and critical themes woven throughout the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it starkly highlights the theme of the Covenant Broken, demonstrating the severe and inevitable consequences when God's chosen people persistently violate their sacred agreement with Him, as comprehensively detailed throughout Jeremiah 11. Secondly, the verse profoundly emphasizes Divine Justice and Judgment, revealing God's unwavering commitment to uphold His righteous standards and execute His just decrees, even if it means bringing severe discipline upon His own people. This command is a chilling illustration of the principle that there comes a point where prolonged, unrepentant sin exhausts divine patience and mercy. Thirdly, it speaks to the Futility of Late Repentance or Crisis Prayer when a life or national history of rebellion has been lived. God's refusal to "hear" their cries in the time of trouble (a principle also echoed in Proverbs 1:28) underscores that genuine repentance must precede, or at least accompany, a plea for mercy, rather than being merely a desperate, self-serving cry in times of distress and calamity. Finally, this verse reinforces the poignant theme of the Prophetic Burden, as Jeremiah is commanded to cease his compassionate intercession, a deeply painful and isolating directive for a prophet who genuinely loved his people and agonized over their impending doom.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root means "to judge (officially or mentally); by extension, to intercede, pray." In the context of Jeremiah 11:14, "pray" refers specifically to the act of supplication or intercession on behalf of another. The divine command "pray not" indicates a cessation of the efficacy of such intercession for Judah, signaling that the divine judicial decision against them has been rendered and is irreversible through human appeal.
This term refers to "a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock." Here, it specifically denotes the covenant people of Israel/Judah, emphasizing the tragic reality that even God's chosen nation, with whom He had a special covenant relationship, can reach a point where their persistent rebellion leads to such severe judgment that even prophetic intercession is explicitly disallowed by God Himself.
This primitive root means "to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)." While it can denote the simple perception of sound, its deeper theological meaning, especially in divine contexts, often implies listening with understanding, responding favorably, or acting in accordance with what is heard. In Jeremiah 11:14, God's declaration "I will not hear" signifies not merely a failure to perceive their cries, but a deliberate, sovereign refusal to acknowledge, respond positively to, or act upon their pleas for deliverance when they are in trouble. It denotes a complete withdrawal of divine favor, responsiveness, and intervention.
Verse Breakdown
"Therefore pray not thou for this people"
This opening clause is a direct, absolute, and emphatic command from God to Jeremiah. The introductory "therefore" explicitly links this prohibition to the preceding detailed indictment of Judah's profound covenant breaking and rampant idolatry. God unequivocally forbids Jeremiah, His chosen prophet and customary intercessor, from offering any prayers on behalf of the nation. This is a deeply profound and agonizing instruction, signifying that the nation's spiritual condition has deteriorated to a point beyond the reach of even the most fervent and faithful intercession.
"neither lift up a cry or prayer for them"
This phrase powerfully reinforces the preceding command through a deliberate parallel structure, employing two distinct but related terms for supplication: "cry" (rinnâh, H7440, often a shrill sound of joy or grief, here of distress) and "prayer" (tᵉphillâh, H8605, a general term for formal or informal intercession). The repetition serves to underscore the absolute and comprehensive nature of the prohibition. No form of earnest appeal, whether a desperate, emotional shout or a structured, formal prayer, is to be offered, precisely because it would be utterly futile and ineffectual.
"for I will not hear [them] in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble"
This concluding clause provides the divine rationale and the grim certainty behind the prohibition. God states with absolute clarity that He will not respond favorably to their desperate pleas when they inevitably face the bitter consequences of their sin. The phrase "in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble" highlights that their future cries will be born out of acute distress and calamity (raʻ, H7451), not out of genuine, heartfelt repentance. God's definitive refusal to "hear" (shâmaʻ, H8085) implies a refusal to intervene, deliver, or show mercy, thereby sealing their predetermined fate.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 11:14 is rich with powerful literary devices that amplify its message of divine judgment. The most prominent is the Divine Imperative, as God issues a direct, absolute, and unyielding command to Jeremiah ("pray not thou," "neither lift up"). This authoritative and non-negotiable tone underscores the finality and irrevocability of the divine decree. There is also a strong element of Anticipation or Foreshadowing, as God explicitly predicts the future distress of the people ("in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble") and His predetermined, unyielding response. The declarative phrase "I will not hear" functions as a Divine Fiat, a solemn declaration of God's unchangeable will and impending judgment, emphasizing His absolute sovereignty and the certainty of the outcome. Furthermore, the use of two synonymous or closely related terms, "cry" and "prayer," creates a form of Parallelism or Emphasis through Repetition, intensifying the prohibition against intercession and highlighting its comprehensive and absolute nature. Finally, the concept of God "not hearing" can also be understood as a form of Anthropomorphism, attributing a human characteristic (the act of hearing or refusing to hear) to God in order to convey His deliberate and decisive refusal to acknowledge or act on behalf of a persistently rebellious people.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 11:14 stands as a profound theological statement concerning the nature of divine justice, the severe consequences of persistent and unrepentant sin, and the solemn limits of intercession. It reveals that while God is infinitely merciful, long-suffering, and gracious, there is a definitive point where His patience is exhausted, and prolonged, unrepentant rebellion leads to a decreed judgment from which even the most fervent prayers cannot avert the outcome. This verse directly challenges any simplistic notion that God will always respond favorably to cries for help, particularly when those cries arise solely from the consequences of a life lived in defiance of His covenant, rather than from a heart of genuine contrition and repentance. It underscores the profound gravity of breaking faith with God and the solemn, terrifying reality that divine judgment, once determined and announced, is inevitable and unavoidable. This passage serves as a stark reminder of the covenantal relationship's seriousness and the ultimate accountability of God's people.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 11:14 stands as a sober and timeless warning for all generations, compelling us to reflect deeply on the seriousness of our relationship with God and the dire consequences that stem from persistent, unrepentant sin. While it is a foundational truth that God is infinitely merciful, gracious, and always ready to hear the contrite heart that genuinely turns to Him, this verse reveals that there can be a critical threshold where divine judgment is sealed due to prolonged rebellion, covenant breaking, and a hardened heart. This passage challenges us to engage in honest self-examination: are we living in faithful obedience to God's commands, or are we perhaps presuming upon His abundant grace while continuing to live in defiance or spiritual apathy? This profound passage should instill within us a profound urgency to respond to God's calls for repentance promptly and sincerely, before the window of opportunity for mercy and avertable judgment irrevocably closes. It also underscores the vital importance of fervent intercession for others, but reminds us that such prayers are most effective when there is still a genuine possibility for the recipients to turn from their wicked ways. We are therefore called to pray diligently for spiritual awakening, conviction, and genuine repentance, knowing that there comes a point when the cries of distress, born solely of calamity rather than true contrition, may indeed go unanswered.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Jeremiah 11:14 mean God stops listening to all prayers, or that there's a "point of no return" for individuals or nations?
Jeremiah 11:14 does not imply that God universally stops listening to all prayers for all time, nor does it establish an arbitrary "point of no return" for every individual or nation. Instead, it speaks to a highly specific and dire situation for the nation of Judah, whose persistent and unrepentant covenant breaking had reached a critical and irreversible mass. For Judah, at this particular historical juncture, God had sovereignly determined that judgment was inevitable due to their deep-seated idolatry, spiritual adultery, and their consistent rejection of His repeated prophetic warnings. The "point of no return" here refers to the finality of a decreed national judgment, where intercession for deliverance from that specific, impending judgment would be futile because God's righteous decree was firmly set. This is consistent with other passages where God's patience is exhausted with a rebellious people (e.g., Jeremiah 7:16; Hosea 4:17). For individuals, the Bible consistently teaches that God hears the prayers of the righteous and those who genuinely repent and turn to Him in humility and faith (e.g., 1 John 1:9; Psalm 34:17). This verse serves as a powerful and sobering warning about the profound consequences of prolonged spiritual rebellion and covenant infidelity, emphasizing that while God is infinitely merciful, His justice is also unwavering and ultimately executed.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 11:14, with its stark declaration of God's refusal to hear intercession for a rebellious and covenant-breaking people, finds its ultimate resolution, profound contrast, and glorious fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prophets, including Jeremiah, served as faithful intercessors, yet their prayers, no matter how fervent, could not ultimately avert the judgment brought by a broken covenant and persistent sin. However, in Christ, we encounter the perfect, eternal, and supremely effective Intercessor, whose sacrificial atonement and ongoing advocacy ensure that the prayers of His people are always heard and efficacious. Unlike Judah, whose unrepentant sin created an insurmountable barrier between them and a holy God, believers in Christ have their sins fully atoned for, allowing for constant, unhindered access to the Father through the Son. The devastating judgment that fell upon Judah for their covenant infidelity was a foreboding shadow of the ultimate judgment for sin, which Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bore fully and completely on the cross. Through Him, the new covenant, sealed not with human obedience but with His own precious blood, ensures that those who believe will never face the kind of divine rejection and unanswered cries seen in Jeremiah 11:14. As Hebrews 7:25 triumphantly declares, Jesus "always lives to intercede" for us, guaranteeing that our cries are heard, not because of any inherent righteousness or merit of our own, but solely because of His perfect righteousness and finished work. He is the one who, unlike the people of Judah, cried out in His profound trouble on the cross, and was indeed heard, not for His own deliverance from death's grip, but for the eternal salvation of all who would believe, ultimately overcoming death and securing everlasting life and access to God's presence (Hebrews 5:7). Thus, Jeremiah 11:14 powerfully highlights humanity's dire need for a perfect mediator, a role fulfilled completely, eternally, and compassionately by Christ, who bridges the chasm of sin and ensures that for those in Him, there is always an open door to the Father's presence and a compassionate ear to their prayers.