Jeremiah 14:11 kjv
Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.
Jeremiah 14:11 nkjv
Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for this people, for their good.
Jeremiah 14:11 niv
Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people.
Jeremiah 14:11 esv
The LORD said to me: "Do not pray for the welfare of this people.
Jeremiah 14:11 nlt
Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for these people anymore.
Jeremiah 14 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 7:16 | "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor intercede with me..." | Rejection of prayer |
| 1 John 5:16 | "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he will ask, and He will give him life to those who commit sin not leading to death..." | Conditions for intercession |
| Prov 28:9 | "Whoever turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." | Prayer of the wicked |
| Isa 1:15 | "And when you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear..." | Unanswered prayer |
| Amos 5:21-23 | "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your selfsame offerings... But let justice run down like water..." | Unacceptable worship |
| Luke 18:13-14 | "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast..." | Humility and prayer |
| Rom 8:34 | "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." | Christ's intercession |
| 1 Tim 2:1-2 | "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men..." | Prayer for all |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." | Access to grace |
| Ex 32:31-32 | "But now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, Bl Potter, You can blot me out of Your book which You have written.”" | Moses' intercession |
| Deut 9:18-20 | "And I pleaded with the LORD once more at that time, saying..." | Moses' continued prayer |
| 1 Sam 12:23 | "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you..." | Samuel's prayer |
| Jer 11:14 | "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to Me for their trouble." | Parallel verse |
| Jer 15:1 | "Then the LORD said to me, 'Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, Yet My mind would not be toward this people.'" | God's resolve |
| Psa 109:7 | "When he is judged, may he be condemned; And may his prayer be counted as sin." | Prayer as sin |
| Jer 2:27 | "Who say to a wooden idol, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’..." | Idolatry context |
| Jer 14:7 | "O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do something for Your name's sake..." | Acknowledging sin |
| Jer 14:10 | "Thus says the LORD to this people: 'Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the LORD does not accept them..." | Rejection due to sin |
| Matt 7:7-8 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you..." | Conditions for answered prayer |
| James 4:3 | "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." | Praying amiss |
| 1 Pet 3:7 | "Husbands, in the same way, live considerately with your wife..." | Consideration in prayer |
| Zech 7:11-13 | "But they refused to heed, they strained their ear, they stopped their ears from hearing and their heart from understanding..." | Stubbornness and hearing |
Jeremiah 14 verses
Jeremiah 14 11 Meaning
The Lord forbids Jeremiah from praying for the well-being of His people in Judah because of their persistent wickedness. This divine prohibition signifies a severe judgment upon them, indicating that their sin has reached a point where intercession is no longer acceptable.
Jeremiah 14 11 Context
Jeremiah 14 records a severe drought afflicting Judah, a tangible sign of God's displeasure with the nation's sins. The people are in distress, and Jeremiah, as their prophet, is forbidden by God to intercede on their behalf. This directive comes after the Lord has already outlined the people's persistent disobedience and idolatry, highlighting their love for wandering and their refusal to heed His word. The chapter begins with the prophet lamenting the land's barrenness and acknowledging the nation's sins and their adversaries. Despite the people's cries and apparent repentance (Jer 14:7), their hearts are not truly turned to God. This verse is a direct command from God, underscoring the gravity of Judah's apostasy and the consequences of their continued rebellion.
Jeremiah 14 11 Word Analysis
וְאַתָּה (Vea'tah): "And you." This conjunction and pronoun emphatically separates Jeremiah from the people and their plea. It establishes God's direct address to him.
אַל (Al): "Do not." A strong prohibitive particle, expressing a divine command against action.
תִּתְפַּלֵּל (Tit'palel): "Pray." From the root פָּלַל (palal), meaning "to intercede" or "to judge." Here, it signifies pleading or asking on behalf of someone else. The Niphal conjugation suggests an action done for oneself, which in this context implies praying to effect a change for their benefit.
עַל (Al): "For" or "concerning." A preposition indicating the object or cause of the prayer.
טוֹב (Tov): "Good." Pertaining to welfare, prosperity, or what is pleasing and beneficial.
לָהֶם (Lahem): "For them." Plural masculine pronoun referring back to the people of Judah.
Word Group Analysis:
- "וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל־ט֣וֹב לָהֶם" (Vea'tah al-tit'palel al-tov lahem): This entire phrase "And you, do not pray for their good" carries the weight of divine prohibition. It's not just about the act of praying, but praying for their benefit or well-being. The Lord is shutting down the avenue of intercession for a people who have persistently rejected Him, rendering their "good" impossible in their current state of rebellion.
Jeremiah 14 11 Bonus Section
The prophet's sorrow is palpable in the surrounding verses, but God's command here is definitive. It mirrors other instances where God has closed off prayer for a particular time or situation when judgment is decreed, not to extinguish hope permanently but to underscore the severity of sin. For instance, after Israel's golden calf incident, Moses' intercession was effective (Ex 32). However, for generations of persistent sin, God eventually declared, "My soul shall no more pity" (Ezek 8:18). This verse speaks to the concept of the "unpardonable" sin not in terms of eternal damnation for the individual but as a divine decision to withdraw the plea for temporal salvation for a group due to incorrigible sin, paving the way for a judgment that purifies the land. The Lord's command also serves to focus Jeremiah on prophesying judgment rather than seeking relief.
Jeremiah 14 11 Commentary
This verse is a critical juncture in Jeremiah's prophecy, revealing God's unwavering commitment to justice in the face of unrepentant sin. The drought and the prohibition of prayer are not arbitrary acts but consequences flowing from Judah's spiritual adultery and rebellion. God's heart is grieved, not only by their sin but by the futility of intercession when repentance is superficial. The intercessory ministry of prophets like Moses and Samuel is celebrated (1 Sam 12:23, Jer 15:1), but here, even Jeremiah, a prophet empowered by God, is restricted. This highlights the serious nature of Judah's spiritual condition, which has reached a point where even God's designated intercessors are silenced to make way for righteous judgment. It emphasizes that prayer, while powerful, is not a tool to circumvent God's holiness or a guarantee for those who persist in rebellion. Genuine repentance is a prerequisite for the effectiveness of prayer, particularly intercessory prayer.