Jeremiah 15:1
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Jeremiah 15:1
1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
Chapter Context
Jeremiah 15 is a prophetic oracle chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of worship, truth, redemption. Written during the final years of Judah and early exile (c. 627-580 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Prophesied during Judah's final years as Babylon became the dominant power.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-21: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it provides guidance for worship and spiritual devotion. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Jeremiah and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Jeremiah 15:1
1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
Analysis
This verse opens with a shocking divine declaration: 'Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people.' Moses and Samuel were Israel's greatest intercessors—Moses turned aside God's wrath after the golden calf (Exodus 32:11-14) and at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 14:13-20); Samuel's intercession was legendary (1 Samuel 7:5-9, 12:19-25). Yet even their combined intercession could not avert this judgment. 'Cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.' The Hebrew shalach me'al panai (שַׁלַּח מֵעַל פָּנַי, send away from my presence) indicates complete dismissal—exile from God's protective presence. When the greatest intercessors cannot prevail, judgment is fixed.
Historical Context
This pronouncement responds to Jeremiah's intercession in chapter 14. God had already forbidden Jeremiah to pray for the people (7:16, 11:14, 14:11), but this verse adds that even Moses and Samuel's prayers would be ineffective. The historical reference acknowledges Israel's intercessory tradition while declaring its limits. By Jeremiah's time, centuries of rejected prophetic warning had accumulated guilt beyond intercession's reach.
Reflection
- What does the ineffectiveness of even Moses and Samuel's intercession reveal about the limits of prayer when sin has reached its full measure?
- How does this verse inform our understanding of both intercessory prayer's power and its boundaries?
Word Studies
- Lord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai) H3068 - The LORD / Lord
Cross-References
- References Lord: Jeremiah 14:11, 52:3, 1 Samuel 7:9, 12:23, 2 Kings 17:20, Psalms 99:6
- References Moses: Psalms 106:23
- Parallel theme: Jeremiah 11:14, 23:39