Jeremiah 14 11

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 verses

Jeremiah 14 11 Meaning

Jeremiah 14:11 conveys the Lord’s explicit and firm command to Jeremiah: cease interceding for the people of Judah to prevent their coming disaster or for any earthly benefit. This divine instruction signifies that the people’s apostasy and persistent rebellion have reached a point where God’s judgment is fixed, rendering further prayers for their temporal well-being futile and against His declared purpose. It underscores the severity of their sin and God’s unwavering justice.

Jeremiah 14 11 Context

Jeremiah chapter 14 describes a severe drought afflicting Judah, which leads to widespread suffering among people and animals. This natural disaster is presented not merely as an unfortunate event but as a divine judgment, a direct consequence of Judah's widespread idolatry and covenant breaking (Jer 14:7-10). Jeremiah, acting as a true prophet, mourns with the people and repeatedly intercedes for them, confessing their sins and pleading with God based on His covenant name and character (Jer 14:7-9).

However, despite Jeremiah's earnest pleas, the Lord's response is stark and unyielding. The preceding verses established the people's stubborn apostasy, indicating a deep-seated rebellion rather than temporary missteps. God explicitly declared that He remembers their iniquity and will punish their sins. Therefore, in Jer 14:11, God rejects Jeremiah's continued intercession for their "good" (temporal welfare), signifying that a point of no return has been reached for averting the imminent, severe judgment. This prohibition highlights the absolute determination of God's justice in the face of persistent national sin and idolatry, directly contrasting the false hopes offered by other prophets who proclaimed "peace" and well-being.

Jeremiah 14 11 Word analysis

• Then (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר - vayo’mer): A simple conjunctive imperfect with "waw-conversive" ("and he said"), indicating a sequential action or immediate response to the preceding intercession of Jeremiah (Jer 14:7-10).
• the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His personal, immutable, and relational character. The use of this name here underscores that this is a solemn, deliberate decree from the God who has a historical covenant with Israel, not a fickle change of mind. It highlights the weight and certainty of the command.
• said to me (אֵלָ֗י - elay): Emphasizes the directness and specificity of the message to Jeremiah, the designated prophet. It's a personal revelation and burden placed upon him.
• “Do not pray (אַל־תִּתְפַּלֵּל - al-titpallel): This is a strong, negative imperative in Hebrew, an emphatic prohibition. The form al + imperfect signifies an absolute command "do not!" It demonstrates the irreversibility of God's decision and the futility of any further petition for leniency at this stage. Intercession, a divinely sanctioned practice, is here explicitly forbidden.
• for this people (בְּעַד הָעָם הַזֶּה - b'ad ha’am hazzeh): "For the sake of" or "on behalf of this people." The demonstrative pronoun "this" points to the specific people of Judah and Jerusalem, who are in view throughout Jeremiah's prophecies, characterized by their deep corruption and rebellion despite prophetic warnings.
• for their good (לְטוֹבָֽה׃ - letovah): "For their well-being," "for good," "for prosperity." This specifies the purpose of the forbidden prayer. It's not about forbidding prayer generally, but prayer specifically aimed at averting the judgment, achieving material relief, or any temporal benefit. God is not open to improving their immediate circumstances without deep, genuine repentance that has already proven absent. This shows God's focus is on spiritual purity and justice, which demands judgment over superficial comfort.

• "Do not pray for this people": This phrase marks a critical turning point in Jeremiah's ministry and in God's interaction with Judah. It signals that the cup of iniquity is full, and the time for mitigating judgment through intercession has passed. This is not about the efficacy of prayer generally but about the particular hardened state of the people's hearts and the predetermined nature of God's impending righteous judgment.
• "for their good": This clarifies the object of the forbidden prayer. Jeremiah's previous prayers were for the welfare of his people amidst suffering. God's command signifies that no such "good" can be obtained through intercession because the righteous requirements for peace and prosperity have been utterly violated by the people. Their "good" now, from a divine perspective, involves the purifying fire of judgment.

Jeremiah 14 11 Bonus section

This verse stands as one of three explicit prohibitions on intercession given to Jeremiah (along with Jer 7:16 and Jer 11:14), emphasizing a growing divine resolve towards judgment. Each reiteration signals an intensification of Judah's spiritual hardened state and the increasing inevitability of the coming catastrophe. The cumulative effect on Jeremiah, who deeply loved his people and often expressed profound grief (Jer 9:1), was immense, adding to the prophet's personal anguish and isolating him further as God's unwavering messenger of judgment. This passage reveals a profound theological truth about the intersection of God's sovereignty, human responsibility, and the nature of prayer. It teaches that while prayer is powerful, its efficacy is not absolute in overriding God's settled will for judgment when that judgment is the just and necessary consequence of prolonged, unrepentant rebellion. This serves as a warning against assuming perpetual grace without corresponding repentance and underscores that sometimes, divine love necessitates severe discipline.

Jeremiah 14 11 Commentary

Jeremiah 14:11 is a stark and deeply significant declaration, signifying a threshold of no return for Judah's national sin. God's command to Jeremiah to cease interceding for the people's welfare underscores the absolute seriousness of their prolonged rebellion and idolatry. It is not an arbitrary act but the solemn consequence of unrepented sin, where divine justice must prevail. This command reveals that while God is merciful and long-suffering, there comes a point where His justice requires direct, punitive action. The intercessory work of the prophet, which is normally effective in delaying or even averting judgment (as seen with Moses in Exodus 32), is here deemed futile. This illustrates God’s steadfastness to His declared word regarding both blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience within the covenant. It also implicitly refutes any idea that God can be manipulated or swayed against His righteous character by external petitions when the inner spiritual condition of the people is irrevocably hardened. The intended "good" that Jeremiah might pray for (peace, sustenance, relief from drought) is not what God will grant, as such "good" would contradict the necessary discipline for spiritual cleansing. The divine will for judgment stands firm.