Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Original Language Analysis
וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א
Heal
H7495
וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א
Heal
Strong's:
H7495
Word #:
1 of 8
properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e., (figuratively) to cure
יְהוָה֙
me O LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֙
me O LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 8
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א
Heal
H7495
וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א
Heal
Strong's:
H7495
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e., (figuratively) to cure
וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה
me and I shall be saved
H3467
וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה
me and I shall be saved
Strong's:
H3467
Word #:
4 of 8
properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e., (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor
וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה
me and I shall be saved
H3467
וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה
me and I shall be saved
Strong's:
H3467
Word #:
5 of 8
properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e., (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
6 of 8
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Cross References
Psalms 6:2Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.Psalms 106:47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.Deuteronomy 10:21He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.Luke 4:18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,Psalms 109:1Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;Jeremiah 15:20And 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.Psalms 6:4Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.Matthew 14:30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Historical Context
Prophets often faced personal crises as they bore God's word to rebellious people. Jeremiah's ministry was marked by persecution, imprisonment, and rejection (Jer 11:18-23, 20:1-6, 37-38). His prayers of lament (11:18-20, 15:15-18, 20:7-18) reveal the emotional and spiritual toll of prophetic ministry. This petition for healing likely refers to both physical affliction and spiritual anguish caused by opposition and the burden of his message.
Questions for Reflection
- What areas of your life need divine healing that human resources cannot provide?
- How does Jeremiah's confidence in God's healing challenge modern self-sufficiency and therapeutic approaches?
- In what ways is Christ the ultimate fulfillment of the healing and salvation Jeremiah seeks?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Jeremiah's prayer shifts from prophetic proclamation to personal petition. "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed" employs emphatic repetition—the verb rapha (רָפָא) appears twice, underscoring that only divine healing is effective and complete. The parallel "save me, and I shall be saved" uses yasha (יָשַׁע), the root from which we get "Jesus" (Yeshua)—salvation, deliverance, rescue.
The phrases "I shall be healed" and "I shall be saved" express complete confidence that what God does is efficacious and permanent. Human healers and saviors may fail, but God's work is certain. "For thou art my praise" (tehillati, תְּהִלָּתִי) indicates that God Himself is the object and content of Jeremiah's worship—not merely that Jeremiah praises God, but that God is inherently praiseworthy and the source of all boasting (cf. 1 Cor 1:31).
This prayer models the Reformed understanding that salvation and spiritual health are entirely dependent on God's sovereign grace. We cannot heal or save ourselves; only God's intervention can transform our desperately wicked hearts (v. 9). Christ the Great Physician came not for the healthy but for the sick (Luke 5:31-32), offering the healing and salvation that Jeremiah longed for.