Jeremiah 15 15

Jeremiah 15:15 kjv

O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

Jeremiah 15:15 nkjv

O LORD, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.

Jeremiah 15:15 niv

LORD, you understand; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering?do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.

Jeremiah 15:15 esv

O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach.

Jeremiah 15:15 nlt

Then I said, "LORD, you know what's happening to me.
Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors!
Please give me time; don't let me die young.
It's for your sake that I am suffering.

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 15 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:15 is a fervent plea from the prophet Jeremiah to God amidst intense personal suffering and persecution. He affirms God's omniscience ("you know") and desperately asks for active divine intervention: remembrance, visitation (care and attention), and the administration of justice against his oppressors. Furthermore, he makes a critical request for his life to be preserved, asking God not to allow him to perish while God, in His long-suffering, permits the wicked to persist. The core of his plea rests on the assertion that his immense public shame and hardship are endured specifically "for Your sake," tying his personal tribulation directly to his faithful service and God's honor. It is a cry for vindication and survival from a loyal servant.

Jeremiah 15 15 Context

Jeremiah 15:15 appears within one of the prophet's personal laments, often termed "confessions" (Jer 11:18–12:6, 15:10–21, 17:14–18, 18:18–23, 20:7–18). Jeremiah was called by God to deliver a message of impending judgment and national destruction to the unrepentant kingdom of Judah, whose people, priests, and kings largely rejected his warnings. This chapter itself immediately follows God's decree of unchangeable judgment on Judah and a difficult directive for Jeremiah to remain childless and isolated (15:1-9). Earlier in 15:10, Jeremiah laments being a man of strife and contention to the whole land, cursed by all despite his innocence. His ministry brought him only opposition and suffering, isolating him both socially and emotionally. This verse is an intensely personal outcry born from profound despair, injustice, and physical threats he endured precisely because he faithfully spoke God's word, highlighting the deep emotional toll of prophetic office in a time of national apostasy.

Jeremiah 15 15 Word analysis

• O Lord: This is an address to YHWH, the covenant name of God. It signifies a personal, intimate appeal to the sovereign Lord, emphasizing the foundational relationship between the prophet and the God he serves.
• you know (יָדַע, yadati): Implies far more than mere intellectual awareness. It signifies intimate, experiential, and compassionate understanding. Jeremiah is not informing God, but appealing to God's perfect perception of his true situation, the injustice of his suffering, and the sincerity of his motives. It lays the groundwork for God's righteous judgment and intervention.
• remember me (זָכַר, zekhareni): Not simply recalling to mind, but actively turning attention towards Jeremiah to act on his behalf. In the biblical sense, for God to "remember" means to intervene decisively, often with covenant loyalty, to bless or deliver (e.g., Gen 8:1, Exod 2:24).
• and visit me (פָּקַד, pakdeni): To attend to, care for, or intervene. It carries a sense of active presence, often for inspection or accounting. Here, it is a plea for God to come to him specifically for deliverance, comfort, and vindication.
• and take vengeance for me (וְהִנָּקֶם לִי, v'hinnakem li): A raw plea for divine justice against those causing his suffering. Jeremiah asks God to execute righteous retribution on his behalf, acknowledging that ultimate vengeance belongs to God (Deut 32:35; Rom 12:19). It underscores the severe injustice he experiences.
• on my persecutors (מֵרֹדְפַי, merodefai): Refers to those actively pursuing, harassing, and oppressing him. This includes his own people, priests, and even his family who sought his harm because of his prophetic message.
• In your long-suffering (לְאֹרֶךְ אַפֶּךָ, l'orekh afkha al): Literally "in the length of your nose/anger." This refers to God's attribute of patience and slowness to anger (Exod 34:6). Jeremiah acknowledges this divine characteristic but makes a paradoxical plea: don't let your extended patience with the wicked lead to my demise or cut off his life prematurely before justice is meted out.
• take me not away (תִּקָּחֵנִי, tikkahenu): A desperate prayer for the preservation of his life, often idiomatically meaning "do not let me die" or "do not cut me off." He fears God's delay in acting will result in his death.
• know that (דַּע כִּי, da' ki): An urgent appeal, more like an affirmation God should act upon His perfect knowledge. It's a foundational argument in Jeremiah's prayer, stressing the truth of his loyalty and the reason for his suffering.
• for your sake (עָלֶיךָ, 'alekha): This is the central justification for Jeremiah's plea. His suffering and the reproach he bears are directly a consequence of his obedience to God's call and message. It transforms his personal pain into a matter of God's honor and faithfulness.
• I endure reproach (נָשָׂאתִי חֶרְפָּה, nasa'ti cherpah): "Reproach" (cherpah) signifies scorn, public humiliation, shame, insult, and disgrace. "Endure" or "bear" (nasa') conveys the heavy, persistent burden of this social and physical affliction, making it clear this suffering is deep and pervasive.

• "O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me": This opening transitions from acknowledging God's perfect understanding to a fervent plea for active divine intervention. Jeremiah is not just asking God to be aware, but to translate that awareness into compassionate action.
• "and take vengeance for me on my persecutors": This specific request for retribution highlights the severity of the injustice Jeremiah faces. He places the heavy burden of justice in God's capable hands, acknowledging God's sovereignty over all human actions.
• "In your long-suffering take me not away": This complex plea reflects Jeremiah's understanding of God's patience alongside his own desperate circumstances. He asks that God's broader divine timeline of judgment on the wicked not inadvertently result in his premature death or the cutting off of his own ministry and life.
• "know that for your sake I endure reproach": This powerful statement is the moral ground of Jeremiah's entire appeal. He ties his personal humiliation and suffering directly to his unwavering faithfulness to God's call. It elevates his lament beyond personal grievance into a profound theological claim about God's commitment to those who suffer in His service.

Jeremiah 15 15 Bonus section

• Jeremiah's "confessions," including this verse, offer a profound psychological portrait of a prophet. They strip away any stoicism, revealing the raw humanity of one who grapples openly with God, expressing despair, anger, and longing for vindication. This resonates with the psalmist's laments and helps readers understand the spiritual struggles inherent in faithfulness.
• The phrase "in your long-suffering take me not away" highlights a tension experienced by many believers: God's ultimate patience and sovereignty (allowing evil to persist for a season) versus the immediate, urgent need for justice and relief for the righteous who suffer now. Jeremiah challenges this divine delay as it pertains to his own personal survival.
• The concept of "reproach" in the Old Testament carried significant weight, encompassing public shame, insult, and loss of honor. For Jeremiah to endure such reproach for God's sake was to align his personal humiliation directly with God's reputation, essentially arguing that God's honor was compromised if His faithful servant remained unvindicated and scorned. This foreshadows later New Testament themes of suffering for Christ's name and glory.

Jeremiah 15 15 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:15 captures the profound emotional and spiritual turmoil of a prophet caught between an unrepentant people and a righteous God whose word he must deliver, at immense personal cost. It is a bold, deeply personal prayer that assumes God's omniscience ("You know"), invoking Him not merely for abstract justice but for immediate, active intervention ("remember me, visit me, take vengeance"). The prophet’s desperate plea for his life, specifically against the backdrop of God's "long-suffering" with the wicked, reveals his fear of being consumed before God's justice is enacted. The verse's climax, "for your sake I endure reproach," is crucial: it reframes Jeremiah's suffering not as personal misfortune, but as a direct consequence of his faithful service to God. This anchors his desperate appeal in God's own honor, challenging God, in a sense, to vindicate His loyal servant whose very pain testifies to his obedience. This profound appeal has echoed through the lives of many believers who have suffered for their faith.