The Sorrow and Strength of Prophetic Service. The experience of the prophet, as described in the following section, may be the result of his unpopularity at the time of the drought, and therefore be rightly placed after Jeremiah 14:1 to Jeremiah 15:9; but it would suit many other occasions of his life. On the great importance of this and similar passages, both for a true conception of Jeremiah's personality, and for his special contribution to religion, see Introduction, § 3. The present passage is interrupted by the irrelevant verses, Jeremiah 15:13 f., which occur again, more correctly and in their proper place, in Jeremiah 17:3 f.; they relate to the people, not to Jeremiah (Heb. of Jeremiah 15:14 is as mg.). More over, Jeremiah 15:11 f. is obscure and possibly corrupt. Jeremiah laments his birth to so unpopular a role as that of a prophet of disaster, as unpopular as that of the creditor or debtor (usury is simply interest, as in Deuteronomy 23:20). Yahweh had promised to strengthen him and to humiliate his opponents, but they are too strong for him (Jeremiah 15:12 as in mg., the northern iron and bronze denoting the greater strength of Jeremiah's Jewish opponents as compared with himself; but this is not very satisfactory). Jeremiah begs Yahweh not to destroy him through excessive patience (long-suffering) towards his persecutors. His joy has been to take to heart Yahweh's messages (for the figure of eating, cf. Ezekiel 2:8 to Ezekiel 3:3), and he belongs to Yahweh (Jeremiah 15:16; cf. Jeremiah 7:10 mg.). The compulsion of the Divine Hand in prophetic rapture (Isaiah 8:11; Ezekiel 1:3 *, Ezekiel 3:14; cf. 2 Kings 3:15) has separated him from the ordinary joyous fellowship of men, and has urged him to a message of indignant protest against men's ways. Obedience seems to have brought unending pain, and Yahweh is a lying stream, the waters of which are dried up in the hour of need (Jeremiah 15:18; cf. Job 6:15). To this cry of distrust and despair Yahweh's answer is to bid Jeremiah turn from such a spirit, and resume his service (stand before me, 1 Kings 10:8; 1 Kings 18:15); let him utter the precious, and leave out the worthless elements of his thinking, that he may be Yahweh's mouth (Exodus 4:16; cf. Exodus 7:1); then, at length, the nation will come to see with him (Jeremiah 15:19). Meanwhile, Yahweh renews the promises with which his ministry began (Jeremiah 1:18 f.).
Jeremiah 15:10-21
10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
14 And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.
15 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.
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
17 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.
18 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?
19 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.
20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.