Jeremiah 15 17

Jeremiah 15:17 kjv

I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

Jeremiah 15:17 nkjv

I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, For You have filled me with indignation.

Jeremiah 15:17 niv

I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation.

Jeremiah 15:17 esv

I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation.

Jeremiah 15:17 nlt

I never joined the people in their merry feasts.
I sat alone because your hand was on me.
I was filled with indignation at their sins.

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 17 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:17 signifies Jeremiah's isolation and profound sorrow, finding no company in his prophetic mission but solely in God. It's an expression of personal distress within the context of divine calling and national judgment. The verse portrays a soul overwhelmed by the weight of the message he delivered.

Jeremiah 15 17 Context

This verse occurs in the midst of God's judgment upon Judah. Jeremiah is commissioned to prophesy doom and destruction upon his people due to their persistent sin and idolatry. The chapter begins with God instructing Jeremiah to withdraw from his people because of their pervasive wickedness. Jeremiah intercedes for them, but God refuses, stating the land will be desolated. This particular verse reflects Jeremiah's deep personal anguish and isolation as he carries out this burdensome and unwelcome task. He is a prophet ostracized by his own community for delivering God's unpalatable truth.

Jeremiah 15 17 Word Analysis

• 'ani (אֲנִי) - "I"

  • This is a first-person singular pronoun, emphasizing the personal nature of Jeremiah's experience and utterance. It centers the verse on his individual feeling.

• yashavti (יָשַׁבְתִּי) - "I sat" or "I have sat"

  • The Qal perfect tense indicates a completed action or a state that has continued. It suggests Jeremiah has been in this state of solitude, not a fleeting moment.
  • Significance: This conveys a sense of prolonged, persistent loneliness rather than a temporary absence of company.

• la'bad (לְבַד) - "alone"

  • This adverb emphasizes his total lack of human companionship. It implies separation from his peers, family, and even any potential allies among the populace.
  • Further study of "la'bad" shows its usage in contexts of God's singular might (Deut 32:12) and also in creation when God made "man alone" before woman (Gen 2:18), implying a state of being set apart.

• mippeney (מִפְּנֵי) - "because of" or "from the face of"

  • This prepositional phrase introduces the reason for his isolation. It links his solitude directly to the circumstances of his ministry and the opposition he faces.
  • Contextually, it implies a retreat or withdrawal necessitated by external pressures or hostile attitudes.

• yad'ka (יָדֶךָ) - "your hand"

  • Refers to the powerful hand of God. The "yad" (hand) in Hebrew idiom signifies power, action, or presence.
  • Significance: Despite his aloneness from people, he is in communion with God's active presence. This hand represents God's direct intervention, support, and even the burden He has placed upon Jeremiah. It's a potent reminder of divine involvement in his solitary state.

• mal'oti (מִלְּאותִי) - "filling me"

  • The Hiphil infinitive construct from the root 'alah' (עָלָה - to go up) suggests God "causing me to be filled" or "causing me to ascend" with His wrath or presence. It speaks of an overwhelming saturation.
  • Interpretation: It implies Jeremiah is completely engulfed by God's presence or the divine purpose he carries. The context suggests this "filling" is with God's fierce displeasure towards Judah, which Jeremiah must proclaim.

• qa’rha (קָרְחָה) - "emptiness" or "desolation"

  • The noun describes a state of barrenness, ruin, or utter emptiness. It is a strong word evoking profound desolation.
  • Significance: This term, often used for desolate land, is here applied to Jeremiah's spiritual and emotional state, signifying the void left by human company, filled only by God's severe purpose.

• temeh'em (תְּמֹאֲכֶנִי) - "that you did vex me" or "that you did fill me with your anger"

  • This verb comes from the root 'tamah' (תָּמַם), which can mean "to be complete" or "to be finished," but in the Niphal or Hiphil stem with suffixes can relate to being shocked, dismayed, or struck with wonder/horror. The context and suffix indicate it's God's action affecting Jeremiah. It's likely connected to God filling him with indignation.
  • Alternative readings suggest "filling me," tying into the idea of being overwhelmed or charged with emotion/divine purpose.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "I sat alone" (ani yashavti la'bad) - This phrase encapsulates Jeremiah's deep isolation, a state imposed or permitted by God's decree and the societal reaction to his ministry.
  • "because of your hand" (mippeney yad'ka) - This explicitly attributes his condition to God's active power and decree, setting his suffering apart from random misfortune. It’s an obedience-driven loneliness.
  • "filling me with your anger" (mal'oti temeh'em) - This clause articulates the paradoxical nature of his solitude: while alone from people, he is filled with God's powerful, though often wrathful, presence and message. This "filling" is not empty but occupied by divine purpose.

Jeremiah 15 17 Bonus Section

The intensity of Jeremiah’s emotion in this verse—feeling "filled with anger" or "vexed" by God—echoes the prophet's frequent expressions of internal struggle and complaint. He is not a passive recipient of God’s will but an engaged, feeling participant who cries out against his burden, even while submitting to it. This reflects the theological understanding that prophecy involves not just divine utterance but a human soul experiencing the weight and consequences of that divine word, particularly when it is a message of judgment. It also aligns with the scriptural portrayal of prophets as individuals wrestling with their call and the difficult realities it brings. Jesus Himself experienced similar rejection and solitude: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).

Jeremiah 15 17 Commentary

Jeremiah's experience in this verse highlights the intense personal cost of prophetic ministry when it involves confronting a sinful society. His isolation is not accidental but a consequence of his divine mandate and the recalcitrance of his audience. Yet, it’s not an abandonment by God, but rather a deep immersion in God’s purpose, even when that purpose involves wrath and judgment. The prophet becomes a solitary vessel for God's righteous indignation, feeling God's presence intensely amidst human absence. This often means alienation from worldly comforts and normal human connections for those called to deliver divine truth in a resistant world. The paradox is that in the emptiness of human company, one can be most full of God’s presence and truth.