TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 15:1–9. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We scarcely find any where more pathetic expressions of divine wrath against a provoking people than we have here in these verses. The prophet had prayed earnestly for them, and found some among them to join with him; and yet not so much as a reprieve was gained, nor the least mitigation of the judgment; but this answer is given to the prophet's prayers, that the decree had gone forth, was irreversible, and would shortly be executed. Observe here,
I.What the sin was upon which this severe sentence was grounded.
1.It is in remembrance of a former iniquity; it is because of Manasseh, for that which he did in Jerusalem, Jer 15:4. What that was we are told, and that it was for it that Jerusalem was destroyed, Kg2 24:3, Kg2 24:4. It was for his idolatry, and the innocent blood which he shed, which the Lord would not pardon. He is called the son of Hezekiah because his relation to so good a father was a great aggravation of his sin, so far was it from being an excuse of it. The greatest part of a generation was worn off since Manasseh's time, yet his sin is brought into the account; as in Jerusalem's last ruin God brought upon it all the righteous blood shed on the earth, to show how heavy the guilt of blood will light and lie somewhere, sooner or later, and that reprieves are not pardons.
2.It is in consideration of their present impenitence. See how their sin is described (Jer 15:6): "Thou hast forsaken me, my service and thy duty to me; thou hast gone backward into the ways of contradiction, art become the reverse of what thou shouldst have been and of what God by his law would have led thee forward to." See how the impenitence is described (Jer 15:7): They return not from their ways, the ways of their own hearts, into the ways of God's commandments again. There is mercy for those who have turned aside if they will return; but what favour can those expect that persist in their apostasy?
II.What the sentence is. It is such as denotes no less than an utter ruin.
1.God himself abandons and abhors them: My mind cannot be towards them. How can it be thought that the holy God should have any remaining complacency in those that have such a rooted antipathy to him? It is not in a passion, but with a just and holy indignation, that he says, "Cast them out of my sight, as that which is in the highest degree odious and offensive, and let them go forth, for I will be troubled with them no more."
2.He will not admit any intercession to be made for them (Jer 15:1): "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, by prayer or sacrifice to reconcile me to them, yet I could not be prevailed with to admit them into favour." Moses and Samuel were two as great favourites of Heaven as ever were the blessings of this earth, and were particularly famed for the success of their mediation between God and his offending people; many a time they would have been destroyed if Moses had not stood before him in the breach; and to Samuel's prayers they owed their lives (Sa1 12:19); yet even their intercessions should not prevail, no, not though they were now in a state of perfection, much less Jeremiah's who was now a man subject to like passions as others. The putting of this as a case, Though they should stand before me, supposes that they do not, and is an intimation that saints in heaven are not intercessors for saints on earth. It is the prerogative of the Eternal Word to be the only Mediator in the other world, whatever Moses, and Samuel, and others were in this.
3.He condemns them all to one destroying judgment or other. When God casts them out of his presence, whither shall they go forth? Jer 15:2. Certainly nowhere to be safe or easy, but to be met by one judgment while they are pursued by another, till they find themselves surrounded with mischiefs on all hands, so that they cannot escape; Such as are for death to death. By death here is meant the pestilence (Rev 6:8), for it is death without visible means. Such as are for death to death, or for the sword to the sword; every man shall perish in that way that God has appointed: the law that appoints the malefactor's death determines what death he shall die. Or, He that is by his own choice for this judgment, let him take it, or for that, let him take it, but by the one or the other they shall all fall and none shall escape. It is a choice like that which David was put to, and was thereby put into a great strait, Sa2 24:14. Captivity is mentioned last, some think, because the sorest judgment of all, it being both a complication and continuance of miseries. That of the sword is again repeated (Jer 15:3), and is made the first of another four frightful set of destroyers, which God will appoint over them, as officers over the soldiers, to do what they please with them. As those that escape the sword shall be cut off by pestilence, famine, or captivity, so those that fall by the sword shall be cut off by divine vengeance, which pursues sinners on the other side death; there shall be dogs to tear in the field to devour. And, if there be any that think to outrun justice, they shall be made the most public monuments of it: They shall be removed into all kingdoms of the earth (Jer 15:4), like Cain, who, that he might be made a spectacle of horror to all, became a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth.
4.They shall fall without being relieved. Who can do any thing to help them? for (1.) God, even their own God (so he had been) appears against them: I will stretch out my hand against thee, which denotes a deliberate determined stroke, which will reach far and wound deeply. I am weary with repenting (Jer 15:6); it is a strange expression; they had behaved so provokingly, especially by their treacherous professions of repentance, that they had put even infinite patience itself to the stretch. God had often turned away his wrath when it was ready to break forth against them; but now he will grant no more reprieves. Miserable is the case of those who have sinned so long against God's mercy that at length they have sinned it away. (2.) Their own country expels them, and is ready to spue them out, as it had done the Canaanites that were before them; for so it was threatened (Lev 18:28): I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land, in their own gates, through which they shall be scattered, or into the gates of the earth, into the cities of all the nations about them, Jer 15:7. (3.) Their own children, that should assist them when they speak with the enemy in the gate, shall be cut off from them: I will bereave them of children, so that they shall have little hopes that the next generation will retrieve their affairs, for I will destroy my people; and, when the inhabitants are slain, the land will soon be desolate. This melancholy article is enlarged upon, Jer 15:8, Jer 15:9, where we have, [1.] The destroyer brought upon them. When God has bloody work to do he will find out bloody instruments to do it with. Nebuchadnezzar is here called a spoiler at noon-day, not a thief in the night, that is afraid of being discovered, but one that without fear shall break through and destroy all the fences of rights and properties, and this in the face of the sun and in defiance of its light: I have brought against the mother a young man, a spoiler (so some read it); for Nebuchadnezzar, when he first invaded Judah, was but a young man, in the first year of his reign. We read it, I have brought upon them, even against the mother of the young men, a spoiler, that is, against Jerusalem, a mother city, that had a very numerous family of young men: or that invasion was in a particular manner terrible to those mothers who had many sons fit for war, who must now hazard their lives in the high places of the field, and, being an unequal match for the enemy, would be likely to fall there, to the inexpressible grief of their poor mothers, who had nursed them up with a great deal of tenderness. The same God that brought the spoiler upon them caused him to fall upon it, that is, upon the spoil delivered to him, suddenly and by surprise; and then terrors came upon the city. the original is very abrupt - the city and terrors. O the city! what a consternation will it then be in! O the terrors that shall then seize it! Then the city and terrors shall be brought together, that seemed at a distance from each other. I will cause to fall suddenly upon her (upon Jerusalem) a watcher and terrors; so Mr. Gataker reads it, for the word is used for a watcher (Dan 4:13, Dan 4:23), and the Chaldean soldiers were called watchers, Jer 4:16. [2.] The destruction made by this destroyer. A dreadful slaughter is here described. First, The wives are deprived of their husbands: Their widows are increased above the sand of the seas, so numerous have they now grown. It was promised that the men of Israel (for those only were numbered) should be as the sand of the sea for multitude; but now they shall be all cut off, and their widows shall be so. But observe, God says, They are increased to me. Though the husbands were cut off by the sword of his justice, their poor widows were gathered in the arms of his mercy, who has taken it among the titles of his honour to be the God of the widows. Widows are said to be taken into the number, the number of those whom God has a particular compassion and concern for. Secondly, The parents are deprived of their children: She that has borne seven sons, whom she expected to be the support and joy of her age, now languishes, when she has seen them all cut off by the sword in one day, who had been many years her burden and care. She that had many children has waxed feeble, Sa1 2:5. See what uncertain comforts children are; and let us therefore rejoice in them as though we rejoiced not. When the children are slain the mother gives up the ghost, for her life was bound up in theirs: Her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she is bereaved of all her comforts just when she thought herself in the midst of the enjoyment of them. She is now ashamed and confounded to think how proud she was of her sons, how fond of them, and how much she promised herself from them. Some understand, by this languishing mother, Jerusalem lamenting the death of her inhabitants as passionately as ever poor mother bewailed her children. Many are cut off already, and the residue of them, who have yet escaped, and, as was hoped, were reserved to be the seed of another generation, even these will I deliver to the sword before their enemies (as the condemned malefactor is delivered to the sheriff to be executed), saith the Lord, the Judge of heaven and earth, who, we are sure, herein judges according to truth, though the judgment seem severe.
5.They shall fall without being pitied (Jer 15:5): "For who shall have pity on thee, O Jerusalem? When thy God has cast thee out of his sight, and his compassions fail and are shut up from thee, neither thy enemies nor thy friends shall have any compassion for thee. They shall have no sympathy with thee; they shall not bemoan thee nor be sorry for thee; they shall have no concern for thee, shall not go a step out of their way to ask how thou dost." For,
(1.)Their friends, who were expected to do these friendly offices, were all involved with them in the calamities, and had enough to do to bemoan themselves.
(2.)It was plain to all their neighbours that they had brought all this misery upon themselves by their obstinacy in sin, and that they might easily have prevented it by repentance and reformation, which they were often in vain called to; and therefore who can pity them? O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself. Those will perish for ever unpitied that might have been saved upon such easy terms and would not.
(3.)God will thus complete their misery. He will set their acquaintance, as he did Job's at a distance from them; and his hand, his righteous hand, is to be acknowledged in all the unkindnesses of our friends, as well as in all the injuries done us by our foes.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 8.) Her widows are multiplied to me above the sand of the sea: I have brought upon them the destroyer at noonday: I have sent troubles suddenly upon the cities. With various medicines God desires to save sinners: so that those who despised His gentle entreaties may fear His threatening. Widows are multiplied above the sand of the sea, with men being killed; mothers, with their children being lost, have felt the destroyer, not in the night and by treachery, but in broad daylight: so that He may show the open force of a stronger adversary. He sent, he says, over the cities, no doubt with the intention of causing sudden terror to Judah, and the sinful people, so that the more sudden the disaster was, the more difficult it would be to escape.
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Summary
Jeremiah 15:8 is a stark prophetic declaration from God, revealing the catastrophic judgment awaiting Judah due to their persistent rebellion. It vividly portrays an unprecedented loss of life, particularly among the male population, resulting in an overwhelming multitude of widows, likened to the countless grains of sand. The verse underscores that this devastation is a direct, divinely orchestrated act, brought about by a sudden and unexpected "spoiler"—the Babylonian invaders—at a time of vulnerability, plunging the entire city into profound terror and national grief, especially for mothers losing their young sons.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 15 marks a critical turning point in the book, solidifying God's unwavering resolve for judgment against Judah. It immediately follows God's emphatic rejection of Jeremiah's intercession for the people in Jeremiah 14:11-12, signaling that the time for repentance has passed. The divine decree is further emphasized by God's declaration that even revered intercessors like Moses and Samuel could not sway His heart (Jeremiah 15:1). Within this chapter, verse 8 specifically details the devastating human cost of this judgment, focusing on the demographic decimation and the resulting widespread lament. This verse sets the stage for Jeremiah's own profound personal anguish and lament in the latter half of the chapter (Jeremiah 15:10-21), highlighting the prophet's shared suffering amidst the national tragedy. The imagery of overwhelming loss here foreshadows the detailed accounts of Jerusalem's fall and subsequent lamentations found later in the prophetic books.
Historical & Cultural Context
This prophecy is situated in Judah during the tumultuous late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, a period characterized by deep spiritual apostasy, pervasive social injustice, and escalating political instability under the looming threat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Despite repeated and fervent warnings from prophets like Jeremiah, the people of Judah stubbornly persisted in idolatry, covenant breaking, and a general turning away from the Lord. The "spoiler" mentioned in the verse directly refers to the formidable Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar, whom God explicitly identifies as His divinely appointed instrument of wrath against His disobedient covenant people (Jeremiah 25:9). Culturally, the drastic increase of "widows" signified not only immense male casualties in warfare but also a society plunged into severe economic hardship and extreme vulnerability, as women in ancient Israelite society were largely dependent on male family members for provision, protection, and social standing. The poignant mention of "the mother of the young men" losing their sons profoundly underscores the most heartbreaking form of grief, as sons represented the vital future, strength, and continuity of a family line and, by extension, the very survival of the nation itself. The timing of the attack "at noonday" is particularly significant, as midday was typically a time of rest or peak activity, making an assault at this hour uniquely unexpected and devastating.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 15:8 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes pervasive throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic literature. Foremost is the theme of Divine Judgment and Justice, unequivocally stating that this widespread devastation is a direct and righteous act of God's wrath against Judah's persistent rebellion and unfaithfulness to the covenant. The emphatic phrase "I have brought upon them" underscores God's active sovereignty and intentionality even in judgment. This leads directly to the theme of Consequences of Covenant Unfaithfulness, illustrating with grim clarity that disobedience to God's commands inevitably leads to severe repercussions, precisely as outlined in the curses of the Mosaic covenant (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The verse also highlights Widespread Devastation and Lament, painting a vivid and harrowing picture of national catastrophe through the imagery of countless widows and grieving mothers, signifying an unparalleled loss of life and profound societal trauma that would echo for generations. Finally, the phrases "at noonday" and "suddenly" underscore the Suddenness and Inescapability of God's judgment, indicating that the impending doom would be swift, overwhelming, and utterly unavoidable, leaving no room for escape, defense, or reprieve for the unrepentant nation.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to a woman whose husband has died. In ancient Israelite society, widows were among the most vulnerable members, often lacking economic support, social protection, and legal standing. The "increase" of widows "above the sand of the seas" is a powerful hyperbole signifying an unimaginable number of male deaths, reflecting a catastrophic loss of life and the decimation of families, thus tearing apart the very fabric of the national community. It speaks to a society utterly broken and bereaved.
This root primarily means to be burly, powerful, and by implication, to ravage, destroy, or plunder violently. The term "spoiler" thus denotes a brutal, destructive, and overwhelming force, specifically referring to the invading Babylonian army. It emphasizes the violent, merciless, and devastating nature of the judgment God is bringing upon Judah, characterized by plunder, widespread destruction, and an overwhelming military might that leaves nothing intact.
This word signifies panic, destruction, or trouble. It highlights not only the physical devastation inflicted by the "spoiler" but also the profound psychological and emotional impact of the judgment. The "terrors upon the city" speak to the overwhelming fear, confusion, and despair that would grip the inhabitants as the sudden and violent attack unfolded, paralyzing them with dread and leading to widespread chaos and ultimate destruction.
Verse Breakdown
"Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas"
This opening clause immediately establishes the immense, almost incomprehensible scale of the impending catastrophe. The phrase "to me" emphasizes God's direct observation, His awareness, and perhaps even His sorrow over the tragic consequences of His people's persistent sin, even as He executes His righteous judgment. The hyperbole "above the sand of the seas" vividly conveys an incalculable number of male casualties, leading to an unprecedented and overwhelming number of grieving widows, symbolizing the widespread death, societal breakdown, and profound national mourning that would engulf Judah.
"I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday"
Here, God explicitly asserts His divine agency ("I have brought"), making it unequivocally clear that this destruction is not merely a random calamity but a divinely ordained act. The "spoiler" is identified as the instrument of His wrath, acting under His sovereign command. The poignant detail "against the mother of the young men" focuses the grief, highlighting the most heartbreaking and culturally significant loss imaginable in ancient society: the death of sons, who represented the future, strength, and continuity of the family and the nation. The timing "at noonday" suggests an unexpected, overwhelming attack during a time typically associated with peace, rest, or peak activity, making the assault even more shocking, inescapable, and devastating in its impact.
"I have caused [him] to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city"
This final clause reiterates God's absolute control and active involvement in the unfolding events ("I have caused him to fall"). The adverb "suddenly" underscores the swiftness, unexpected nature, and overwhelming force of the attack, leaving no time for preparation, defense, or escape for the inhabitants. The immediate result is "terrors upon the city," indicating not just physical destruction and death but also a pervasive atmosphere of panic, fear, and utter devastation that would engulf Jerusalem and its inhabitants, paralyzing them with dread and despair.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 15:8 is profoundly impactful due to its masterful use of literary devices that amplify its message of impending doom and divine judgment. The phrase "widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas" employs potent Hyperbole, exaggerating the number of casualties to convey an unimaginable scale of death and grief, thereby emphasizing the overwhelming and unprecedented nature of the judgment. The repeated and emphatic use of "I have brought" and "I have caused" demonstrates clear Divine Agency or Anthropomorphism, attributing direct, intentional action to God, underscoring His absolute sovereignty and active, deliberate role in orchestrating this severe judgment. The specific mention of "the mother of the young men" is a powerful use of Synecdoche (where a part represents the whole) or Metonymy (a related concept standing for the whole), as the mother's profound grief for her sons stands for the entire nation's deep sorrow, the loss of its future, and the decimation of its strength. This also powerfully evokes Pathos, appealing directly to the reader's emotions by focusing on a universally understood and deeply agonizing form of suffering. The timing of the attack "at noonday" creates a stark Irony or Contrast, as midday was typically a time of rest, security, or peak activity, making the sudden, violent assault at this hour all the more shocking, unexpected, and devastating. Finally, the entire verse is imbued with vivid, stark Imagery, painting a grim and unforgettable picture of death, desolation, and pervasive terror that powerfully communicates the severity and inescapability of God's righteous wrath.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 15:8 stands as a stark testament to the unwavering justice and holiness of God and the severe, inevitable consequences of persistent rebellion against His covenant. It underscores that divine patience has limits, and when a people continually spurns His warnings and embraces idolatry, injustice, and spiritual adultery, His righteous judgment will inevitably fall. This verse highlights God's absolute sovereignty, demonstrating that He not only permits but actively orchestrates historical events, even using foreign powers as instruments of His will to bring about His purposes of judgment and ultimately, redemption. The profound grief and widespread devastation described serve as a crucial theological warning: sin is not merely a moral transgression but a grave offense against a holy and just God that carries real, often devastating, consequences, both individually and corporately. While terrifying in its depiction, this judgment also implicitly reveals God's unwavering commitment to His own holiness and His covenant faithfulness, for He must act decisively against sin to uphold His divine character and the integrity of His promises.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 15:8, while rooted in a specific historical judgment, carries timeless and profound truths for contemporary reflection and application. It compels us to confront the gravity of sin and the undeniable reality of God's justice, reminding us that God is neither indifferent to unrighteousness nor bound by human expectations of leniency. While believers now live under the new covenant of grace, the principle that choices have consequences remains eternally valid. This verse challenges any notion of cheap grace or a God who passively overlooks persistent rebellion and spiritual apathy. It also calls us to profound empathy and compassionate action for those who suffer the devastating effects of conflict, violence, and societal breakdown in our own time, particularly the most vulnerable—the widows, orphans, and grieving mothers who bear the brunt of such tragedies. The "suddenness" of the judgment should prompt us to live with spiritual vigilance, recognizing that complacency in our faith or moral compromises can lead to unforeseen spiritual or moral consequences. Ultimately, this passage serves as a sober call to examine our own hearts, our families, and our communities, to repent of sin, and to earnestly seek God's face, trusting in His boundless mercy while revering His unyielding holiness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is the "spoiler" mentioned in this verse?
The "spoiler" refers to the invading Neo-Babylonian forces, specifically the army of Nebuchadnezzar. Throughout the book of Jeremiah, God consistently identifies Babylon as His chosen instrument of judgment against Judah for their persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness to His covenant. This is clearly articulated in passages like Jeremiah 25:9, where God explicitly calls Nebuchadnezzar "my servant" in carrying out His divine wrath and purpose.
Why does God emphasize the "mother of the young men"?
This specific phrase highlights the most profound and devastating form of grief imaginable in ancient Israelite society. Young men were the backbone of the family and the future of the nation, representing strength, provision, and the vital continuity of lineage. Their loss meant not only the death of individuals but the shattering of family units and the decimation of national hope and future prospects. The mother's grief for her sons was considered one of the deepest and most agonizing forms of sorrow, symbolizing the complete breaking of society and the utter despair that would accompany such widespread death (Lamentations 2:20). It underscores the emotional depth of the catastrophe.
What is the significance of the attack happening "at noonday"?
"Noonday" (or midday) in ancient contexts was often a time of rest, a lull in daily activities, or when people might feel relatively secure due to the heat or the general rhythm of life. An attack "at noonday" therefore signifies its unexpected, overwhelming, and inescapable nature. It implies that the enemy would strike when Judah was least prepared or most vulnerable, leading to maximum terror, confusion, and devastation, leaving no time for defense or escape. It underscores the sudden and unavoidable nature of God's judgment, emphasizing that there would be no reprieve or opportunity to avert the impending doom.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Jeremiah 15:8 paints a grim and harrowing picture of divine judgment and its devastating consequences for a rebellious people, it ultimately points to the profound need for a Savior and finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The overwhelming "terrors" and the destructive power of the "spoiler" representing God's righteous wrath against sin, which Judah experienced in a physical and national sense, are spiritually absorbed and conquered by Christ on the cross. He is the ultimate Lamb of God, who, by taking on the full weight of humanity's sin, became the object of divine judgment, so that all who believe in Him might be spared the terrors of eternal separation from God (John 1:29 and 2 Corinthians 5:21). The "widows" and "mothers of young men" in Jeremiah 15:8 represent the profound grief, brokenness, and desolation caused by sin and death. Christ, through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, has conquered the ultimate "spoiler" of death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54-57), offering eternal life, true comfort, and ultimate healing to all who mourn and are spiritually desolate (Matthew 5:4). Thus, the judgment foreshadowed in Jeremiah finds its resolution not in further destruction, but in the redemptive work of Christ, who provides an escape from the ultimate "terrors" of God's wrath and offers reconciliation with a holy God, transforming despair into eternal hope.