Jeremiah 15 19

Jeremiah 15:19 kjv

Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

Jeremiah 15:19 nkjv

Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, But you must not return to them.

Jeremiah 15:19 niv

Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.

Jeremiah 15:19 esv

Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.

Jeremiah 15:19 nlt

This is how the LORD responds: "If you return to me, I will restore you
so you can continue to serve me.
If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,
you will be my spokesman.
You must influence them;
do not let them influence you!

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 19 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:19 conveys God's conditional promise of restoration, validation, and empowerment to His despondent prophet, Jeremiah. If Jeremiah repents of his despair and focuses purely on delivering God's message, free from worldly concerns or the people's sin, he will be reinstated in his prophetic office with renewed authority. He will then serve as God's pure mouthpiece, distinguished from the rebellious nation. The verse delineates a critical requirement for Jeremiah: spiritual and verbal purity and an unwavering separation from the very people to whom he prophesied, even as he called them to repentance.

Jeremiah 15 19 Context

Jeremiah 15:19 follows a deep lament from the prophet Jeremiah, where he expresses profound despair over his ministry, feeling isolated, cursed, and suffering for delivering God's harsh message (Jer 15:10-18). He had lamented his birth and questioned God's purpose, comparing God to a deceptive stream (Jer 15:18). In response, God doesn't immediately console him without conditions. Instead, verses 19-21 present God's disciplinary and redemptive answer. Verse 19 acts as the crucial turning point, outlining what Jeremiah must do to regain divine favor and effectiveness. Historically, Judah was in a state of deep apostasy, teetering on the brink of Babylonian captivity, with many people rejecting God's word delivered through Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 15 19 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): Connects God's response directly to Jeremiah's preceding lament (15:10-18), indicating a consequential shift in discourse and demanding a new resolve from Jeremiah.
• thus says the LORD (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, koh amar YHVH): Establishes divine authority and infallibility of the following declaration, typical of prophetic pronouncements.
• If you return (אִם תָּשׁוּב, im tashuv): Highly conditional. The Hebrew root שׁוּב (shuv) signifies "to turn, return, repent." This implies Jeremiah needs to return to God's intended path, potentially repenting of his self-pity, despondency, or even his comparison of God to a deceptive wadi.
• I will restore you (וַאֲשִׁיבְךָ, va'ashivekha): Hiphil causative form of שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "cause you to return" or "bring you back." God promises to bring Jeremiah back to his place of prominence and effective ministry after his repentance.
• before Me you shall stand (לְפָנַי תַעֲמֹד, lifanay ta'amod): Implies intimate access to God, ministerial authority, and official commissioning. It speaks of standing as a servant, a prophet, a priest, or even a trusted advisor in the presence of a king. This counters Jeremiah's feeling of abandonment.
• and if you take out (וְאִם תוֹצִיא, ve'im totzi'): Another condition. The root יָצָא (yatsa') means "to go out, bring out." This requires active discernment and selection.
• the precious (יָקָר, yaqar): Refers to what is valuable, noble, esteemed, pure. In context, it relates to the words, thoughts, and attitudes that are of God and His truth.
• from the vile (מִזֹּלֵל, mizzolel): The root זָלַל (zalal) means to be light, contemptible, common, worthless. This denotes separating God's truth from human folly, compromise, personal bitterness, or worldly wisdom that devalues the divine message. It requires moral and spiritual discernment.
• you shall be as My mouth (כְּפִי תִּהְיֶה, kefi tihyeh): The pinnacle of prophetic authority. Jeremiah would accurately articulate God's mind, becoming His direct spokesman, not mingling his own grievances or the people's influences with divine truth.
• They shall turn to you (יָשׁוּבוּ אֵלֶיךָ, yashuvu eleikha): Emphasizes that the people, if they truly repent, will respond to Jeremiah's pure message and prophetic authority. They will align with him, representing God.
• but you shall not turn to them (וְאַתָּה לֹא תָשׁוּב אֲלֵיהֶם, ve'attah lo tashuv aleihem): A crucial boundary and command for spiritual non-assimilation. Jeremiah must not adopt their wicked ways, compromise his message, or yield to their ungodly influence, ensuring his distinctiveness as God's pure instrument.

Words-group analysis:

• "If you return, then I will restore you; before Me you shall stand": This establishes a direct covenantal relationship: Jeremiah's repentance (a turning back from his self-pity and discouragement) is a prerequisite for God's restoration to his divinely ordained office and intimate fellowship. It implies his emotional state had caused a separation, and reconciliation begins with him.
• "and if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth": This phrase details the method of restoration and the quality of his revived ministry. It is a command for internal purification and meticulous discernment. Jeremiah's message and even his internal disposition must be cleansed of anything common, impure, or driven by personal feelings rather than God's direct word. Only then can he be an unhindered channel for divine communication.
• "They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them": This sets a firm, non-negotiable boundary for the prophet. While Jeremiah is to be an instrument through whom others return to God, he himself must maintain absolute separation from the unrepentant nature of the people. This guards against compromise, syncretism, and the loss of prophetic integrity, highlighting his role as an unwavering beacon, not a compromised companion.

Jeremiah 15 19 Bonus section

This verse not only defines the true prophetic office but also offers profound insights into personal discipleship. For any believer, "taking out the precious from the vile" translates to daily spiritual discernment, choosing thoughts, words, and actions that honor God, and rejecting those influenced by the world, self-pity, or ungodly attitudes. The command "you shall not turn to them" applies to maintaining a distinct witness in a fallen world, ensuring that our lives and words lead others to Christ, rather than our compromising our faith by conforming to their values. Jeremiah's experience teaches that God requires purity and resolve from His servants, particularly those in leadership or ministry, for effective and authentic representation of His message. It shows that even faithful servants can falter, but God offers a path to restoration through repentance and renewed dedication to His truth alone.

Jeremiah 15 19 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:19 represents God's corrective but profoundly redemptive response to Jeremiah's despondent lament. It outlines the path from prophetic burnout and personal despair back to divine affirmation and authority. God identifies two key conditions for Jeremiah's restoration: repentance and discernment. The initial call to "return" suggests Jeremiah himself needs to realign his spirit, possibly shedding his self-pity, resentment, or a questioning attitude towards God. Upon this internal correction, God promises to "restore" him to a place of honorable service, standing before Him as a minister.

The second, pivotal condition, "if you take out the precious from the vile," demands intellectual, spiritual, and verbal purity. Jeremiah is instructed to discern and separate God's pure, valuable truth ("precious") from any admixture of human bitterness, worldly perspective, or the superficial thoughts that cheapen the divine message ("vile"). This is not merely about choosing words, but about refining the entire essence of his being and message. Fulfillment of this condition elevates him to be "My mouth," indicating complete authority, accuracy, and representation of God Himself. The final, critical command—"They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them"—underscores the necessity of uncompromising separation. Jeremiah's effectiveness as a messenger hinges on his distinctiveness from the unrepentant culture. He must be a pure channel through which they might return to God, but he must never assimilate into their defiled ways or dilute his message to gain their favor. This verse thus clarifies that true prophetic power flows from purity, spiritual discernment, and unyielding faithfulness, even in isolation.