Jeremiah 15 18

Jeremiah 15:18 kjv

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

Jeremiah 15:18 nkjv

Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?

Jeremiah 15:18 niv

Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.

Jeremiah 15:18 esv

Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

Jeremiah 15:18 nlt

Why then does my suffering continue?
Why is my wound so incurable?
Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook,
like a spring that has gone dry."

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 18 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:18 is a raw, agonizing cry from the prophet Jeremiah to God. It expresses a deep personal lament over his unending suffering and incurable pain, perceived as a direct consequence of his prophetic calling. He questions God's reliability and faithfulness, metaphorically accusing Him of being like a deceptive, dried-up brook that fails to provide solace and sustenance, contrary to promised comfort and strength. This verse captures Jeremiah's profound spiritual anguish and a crisis of faith amidst relentless persecution.

Jeremiah 15 18 Context

Jeremiah 15:18 appears in the midst of a particularly intense and personal dialogue between Jeremiah and God. The prophet has just delivered God's severe judgments against Judah, pronouncing national calamity and destruction. This burden takes a heavy toll on Jeremiah, who is also enduring relentless persecution, rejection, and isolation from his own people, priests, and even his family (Jer 15:10, 15:15). Prior to this verse, God has reaffirmed His intention to save Jeremiah (Jer 15:11) and warned Judah again. Despite God's prior assurances, Jeremiah pours out his heart, feeling betrayed by a painful, ongoing reality that contradicts God's promises of protection and deliverance. This verse represents the climax of Jeremiah's desperate cry of anguish and perceived abandonment, leading directly into God's clarifying response and further instructions to the prophet in Jeremiah 15:19-21. It's a poignant moment of a prophet's deeply human wrestling with divine faithfulness amidst profound suffering.

Jeremiah 15 18 Word analysis

• Why: Hebrew: לָמָה (lamah). This is a strong interrogative expressing profound bewilderment, protest, and desperate complaint, frequently found in psalms of lament (e.g., Ps 10:1, 42:9). It's a challenge to God's ways or His apparent inaction.

• is my pain: Hebrew: מַכְאֹבִי (makh'ovi), derived from the root כָּאַב (ka'ab), meaning "to hurt, be in pain, sorrow." This term denotes deep physical or emotional anguish and suffering. Jeremiah uses "my pain" to refer to the inner torment and external hardship brought on by his prophetic mission.

• perpetual: Hebrew: נֶצַח (netzach). Signifies enduring, everlasting, permanent, or eternal. Jeremiah feels his suffering is not momentary but an unceasing, defining characteristic of his existence, lacking any foreseeable end. This underscores the depth of his despair.

• and my wound: Hebrew: מַכָּתִי (makkati), from נָכָה (nakah), meaning "to strike, hit, wound." This term often refers to a physical blow, a literal wound, or a devastating national defeat/plague. For Jeremiah, it refers to a deep, personal, unhealed injury, possibly relating to the rejection and violence he experienced.

• incurable: Hebrew: אָנוּשָׁה (anushah), from אָנַשׁ (anash), meaning "to be desperately sick, mortal, beyond cure." This emphasizes the severity and perceived hopelessness of his condition; it's a wound that human means cannot heal. The feeling of incurability exacerbates his sense of helplessness.

• refuses to be healed: Hebrew: מֵאֲנָה הֵרָפֵא (me'ana herafe). מֵאֲנָה (me'ana) from מָאַן (ma'an), "to refuse, reject, decline." הֵרָפֵא (herafe) from רָפָא (rapha), "to heal, restore." This imagery personalizes the wound, portraying it as actively resisting recovery. It highlights the persistence of his suffering and perhaps the inadequacy of any attempted relief.

• Wilt Thou be: Archaic English for "Are You" or "Will You prove to be." This directly addresses God.

• altogether: Hebrew: הָיוֹ תִּהְיֶה (hayoh tihyeh), literally "being, You will be." This is an infinitive absolute construction that intensifies the verb, meaning "truly be," "altogether be," or "surely be." It amplifies the seriousness of the accusation that follows.

• unto me as a liar: Hebrew: לְמוֹ אַכְזָב (l'mo akhzav). אַכְזָב (akhzav) means "deceptive, false, disappointed, treacherous." Jeremiah accuses God of being unreliable, of failing to deliver on His promises of protection and provision, causing profound disillusionment and a sense of betrayal.

• and as waters that fail: Hebrew: וּכְמַיִם לֹא נֶאֱמָנִים (u'k'mayim lo ne'emanim). Literally, "and as waters not faithful" or "not trustworthy." This is a powerful metaphor in the arid ancient Near East. "Waters that fail" refers to seasonal streams or oases that appear promising but then dry up when desperately needed (like a mirage or an unreliable well), leaving the thirsty stranded. This image vividly conveys God's perceived unreliability and the crushing disappointment Jeremiah felt regarding the divine comfort and strength he expected.

• Words-group by Words-group analysis:

  • "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?": This first part is a rhetorical question that functions as a lament, an outcry against ceaseless, unbearable personal suffering. It conveys an utter state of hopelessness and existential anguish where the prophet feels consumed by his pain. It highlights a common struggle for believers: understanding suffering when experiencing what seems like God's inaction.
  • "Wilt Thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?": This second part is a direct, bold, and intense accusation against God's character and faithfulness. The imagery of a "liar" and "waters that fail" represents the profound betrayal and disillusionment Jeremiah feels. It reflects a perceived contradiction between God's prior assurances of protection and Jeremiah's lived reality of torment and abandonment. This daring honesty in lament underscores the authenticity and depth of Jeremiah's relationship with God, even in his crisis of faith. It shows a wrestling with God's word against human experience, which ultimately leads to purification and renewed trust.

Jeremiah 15 18 Bonus section

The charge of God being "as a liar" or "unreliable waters" (Hebrew: akhzav, lo ne'emanim) is one of the strongest expressions of despair found from a prophet towards God in the Old Testament. This language implies not just disappointment but a perceived fundamental flaw in God's character or His commitment to His covenant. It reveals a moment of acute theological crisis for Jeremiah, where the evidence of his painful experience seems to contradict the very nature of the God he serves. The fact that God permits and responds to such a challenging accusation (in the following verses, Jer 15:19-21) demonstrates a key aspect of His character: He allows honest lament and does not crush genuine expressions of doubt from His devoted, albeit struggling, servants. Rather than condemnation, God offers redirection and restoration, showing His steadfast love even through human frailties. This verse serves as an enduring testament to the reality of prophetic suffering, the complexity of faith, and the open dialogue possible within a covenant relationship.

Jeremiah 15 18 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:18 encapsulates the intense spiritual agony and deep human frustration of a prophet called to an incredibly difficult task. Jeremiah, often dubbed the "weeping prophet," expresses a sentiment of profound abandonment and perceived betrayal, questioning God's very faithfulness. His language is strong, accusing God of being like an "unreliable stream" in a land where water signifies life and reliability. This is not a casual complaint but a desperate, existential wrestling, stemming from the disconnect between God's promises (e.g., Jer 1:8-9, 15:11) and the bitter reality of constant suffering, rejection, and isolation that Jeremiah faces daily. The verse shows that even God's closest servants grapple with doubt and despair, honest about their feelings when God's ways seem unfathomable or contrary to expectation. It underscores the genuineness of his relationship with God, where such bold, challenging questions are still uttered directly to the divine presence.