Jeremiah 15 5

Jeremiah 15:5 kjv

For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?

Jeremiah 15:5 nkjv

"For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?

Jeremiah 15:5 niv

"Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?

Jeremiah 15:5 esv

"Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

Jeremiah 15:5 nlt

"Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem?
Who will weep for you?
Who will even bother to ask how you are?

Jeremiah 15 verses

Jeremiah 15 5 Meaning

Jeremiah 15:5 powerfully communicates the absolute isolation and desolation that awaits Jerusalem. Through a series of rhetorical questions, the prophet declares that neither God nor humanity will offer compassion, lament its fall, or show any concern for its well-being. This verse underscores the complete and irrevocable nature of divine judgment, emphasizing that the city's persistent sin has severed all ties of mercy, sympathy, and friendly inquiry, leaving it utterly abandoned and without solace.

Jeremiah 15 5 Context

Jeremiah chapter 15 records a profound and deeply sorrowful lament and oracle. The prophet Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," intercedes for Judah, but God's response is a stark declaration of unalterable judgment. God states in the preceding verses (Jer 15:1-4) that even if Moses and Samuel, two great intercessors, were to stand before Him, His decision to reject Judah remains. He decreed four agents of destruction for the people: sword, dogs, birds, and wild beasts. This severe judgment is because of King Manasseh's idolatry and the nation's persistent sin. Verse 5 follows immediately after this divine decree, further isolating Judah. It emphasizes the ultimate consequence of their sin: a state where not only God's mercy is withdrawn, but also human sympathy and concern vanish, leaving Jerusalem utterly alone in its destruction. The historical context is pre-exilic Judah, where the people's stubborn refusal to repent led to escalating prophecies of impending Babylonian invasion and captivity.

Jeremiah 15 5 Word analysis

• For who (כִּי־מִי, kī-mî): The initial "For" acts as a causal connector, explaining why the judgment is so severe—because no one will care. "Who?" introduces a series of rhetorical questions, powerfully implying "no one" or "nobody at all." This emphasizes the comprehensive lack of sympathy.
• will have pity (יַחְמוֹל, yaḥmōl): Derived from the root חמל (ḥāmal), meaning "to pity, spare, show compassion." Its absence here is a direct antithesis to God's usual character (e.g., Exod 34:6, Jonah 4:10-11). It signifies that even the most basic human (and divine) emotion of mercy will be utterly absent for Jerusalem. This points to the profound severity of its sin.
• on you, O Jerusalem? (עָלַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם, ʿālāyiḵ Yĕrûšāláyim): "Jerusalem" (יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם, Yĕrûšāláyim) here refers not just to the city walls and buildings, but to the collective people residing within it and the nation of Judah as a whole, representing their identity, faith, and political center. It evokes the capital city, the center of covenant, now stripped of its privileged status.
• Or who (וּמִי, ûmî): Again, the rhetorical "who?" reinforcing the absolute negative.
• will mourn for you? (יָנוּד עָלָיִךְ, yānûd ʿālāyiḵ): From נוּד (nūd), "to bemoan, show sorrow, lament, wander." Mourning implies shared grief and acknowledgment of a great loss. The lack of mourners highlights Jerusalem's complete abandonment; even traditional laments will not be offered, signifying the city's destruction is not deemed worthy of communal grief or is so widespread no one is left to mourn it. It could also suggest that Jerusalem's fall might even be seen as justified, or cause for celebration by its enemies, rather than sorrow.
• Or who (אוֹ מִי, ʾōw mî): Another emphatic rhetorical "who?" building intensity.
• will turn aside to ask about your welfare? (יָסוּר לִשְׁאֹל לְשָׁלוֹם לָךְ, yāsûr lišə'ōl ləšālôm lāḵ): This phrase indicates a deeply personal level of concern.
  • will turn aside (יָסוּר, yāsûr): To "turn aside" implies making a deliberate detour, stopping what one is doing, and investing personal time and effort. It suggests a close friend or a deeply caring individual.
  • to ask about your welfare? (לִשְׁאֹל לְשָׁלוֹם לָךְ, lišə'ōl ləšālôm lāḵ): Literally, "to ask concerning peace/completeness/well-being for you." Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) encompasses much more than just absence of war; it signifies wholeness, prosperity, health, and a state of complete flourishing. To "ask about one's shalom" is an expression of deep friendly regard and active concern for their overall good. Its absence here denotes ultimate estrangement; not only will no one mourn, but no one will even exhibit the most basic signs of friendship or genuine human connection for a city facing calamity.

Jeremiah 15 5 Bonus section

The tripartite structure of "pity," "mourn," and "ask about welfare" creates a descending scale of engagement, from passive sympathy to active personal inquiry, emphasizing the thoroughness of the anticipated abandonment. This poetic structure enhances the emotional weight and rhetorical power of the verse. It not only means there will be no outward signs of public mourning, but also no intimate, personal caring. The historical absence of lamentation for Jerusalem by other nations at the time of its fall was unusual for such a prominent capital. This verse indirectly challenges the common ancient Near Eastern notion that a great city, even when defeated, would still command respect or at least formal mourning from its peers, suggesting Jerusalem's fate was exceptionally harsh due to divine decree.

Jeremiah 15 5 Commentary

Jeremiah 15:5 acts as a chilling epitaph for a city on the brink of catastrophic judgment. The escalating rhetorical questions underscore Jerusalem's absolute isolation: no pity, no mourning, and no inquiry of welfare. This sequence highlights a progressive deepening of abandonment, from mere compassion to shared grief, and finally to active, personal concern. It's a testament to the irrevocability of God's decision—He will not spare, and consequently, neither will anyone else. This severe outcome is presented not as arbitrary wrath, but as the just consequence of Jerusalem's long-standing rebellion and spiritual adultery, especially cited by Manasseh's egregious sins (Jer 15:4). The absence of human solace reflects a divine decree, a powerful demonstration that when God withdraws His favor and judgment sets in, all natural bonds of sympathy are severed or prove futile. The implication is dire: in the face of God's wrath, Jerusalem will find itself utterly friendless and alone, devoid of any comfort or relief. Practically, it teaches that continued unfaithfulness can lead to such a hardened state that all opportunities for compassion and restoration, human and divine, become nullified, leaving only desolation.