Jeremiah 11:14
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God instructs Jeremiah not to pray for the people because their cry is not one of repentance, but a desperate plea born of suffering. This highlights that God listens to prayers rooted in a broken heart over sin, not just those seeking escape from consequences.
“Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the people of Judah. Their sin has reached a point where their cries for help during times of trouble will not be heard, and even Jeremiah's intercession will be in vain. This follows a prophecy of coming disaster and a lament over their continued betrayal of God's covenant.
God explicitly tells Jeremiah not to pray for His people. Why such a strong command, and what does it reveal about the people's hearts?
God's command to Jeremiah in this verse isn't about stifling compassion; it's about acknowledging the people's hardened hearts. Their cries for relief during trouble aren't born from genuine sorrow over their sin, but from the pain of its consequences.
Jeremiah was a prophet known for his intercessory prayers. Why does God forbid him from praying here, and what does this teach us about the boundaries of prayer?
God’s prohibition on Jeremiah's prayer is a profound declaration of His sovereign decision and the finality of His judgment in this specific instance. It underscores that while intercession is powerful, it operates within God's divine plan and justice.
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Understand the original words
tephillah · Hebrew Noun
The formal act of petitioning God, acknowledging His sovereignty and human dependence, or conversely, performing pagan rituals intended to influence a false deity.
Jeremiah is forbidden to pray for his people because their 'trouble' is the direct result of their persistent unfaithfulness, not a temporary setback. Their cries are expressions of pain, not genuine repentance, and thus, even the prophet's intercession and their own belated prayers are rendered ineffective against the impending, divinely ordained judgment.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants and scattering them among other conquered peoples. This event served as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophetic Ministry
Jeremiah receives his call to prophesy during the reign of King Josiah, a time of religious reform but also underlying unfaithfulness. He is tasked with warning Judah about impending judgment.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
A scroll of the Law is discovered in the Temple, leading King Josiah to implement sweeping reforms to centralize worship and remove idolatrous practices. While seemingly positive, these reforms did not fully address the deep-seated spiritual corruption.
609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo while trying to stop the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco from advancing. His death plunged Judah into political instability and spiritual decline.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and begins deporting Jehoiakim and prominent citizens of Judah, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After Jehoiakim rebels, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more skilled workers and elites to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel is among this group, ministering to the exiles.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar besieges and destroys Jerusalem, burning the Temple and deporting the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the cataclysmic event Jeremiah has been prophesying about.
This passage is directly referenced in commentaries, showing a repeated divine instruction to Jeremiah not to intercede for the people because their sin has reached a point where judgment is certain, not just a punishment for sin but a consequence of their deep-seated rebellion.
Exodus 32:10This verse echoes the command given to Moses concerning the Israelites at the golden calf, where God also tells him to cease his intercession, illustrating that there are times when God's judgment is final due to persistent rebellion.
1 John 5:16This New Testament passage speaks about a sin that is 'unto death,' suggesting that while God may permit such situations, there are limits to intercessory prayer when individuals or a people have become so hardened in sin that their spiritual state is dire.
Proverbs 1:24-28This passage shows God's perspective on those who refuse His warnings and will eventually cry out for help in their distress, only to find that God will not listen because they rejected His calls to repentance earlier.
barnesJeremiah 11:14: "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble."
A parenthesis. As in Jeremiah 7:16 , all intercession is forbidden, and for this reason. Prayer for others for the forgiveness of their sins avails only when they also pray. The cry of the people now was that of the guilty smarting under punishment, not of the penitent mourning over sin.
cambridgeJeremiah 11:14: "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble."
14 . Therefore pray not thou ] Cp. ch. Jeremiah 7:16 .
God instructs Jeremiah not to pray for the people because their cry is not one of repentance, but a desperate plea born of suffering. This highlights that God listens to prayers rooted in a broken heart over sin, not just those seeking escape from consequences.
God tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the people of Judah. Their sin has reached a point where their cries for help during times of trouble will not be heard, and even Jeremiah's intercession will be in vain. This follows a prophecy of coming disaster and a lament over their continued betrayal of God's covenant.
God tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the people of Judah. Their sin has reached a point where their cries for help during times of trouble will not be heard, and even Jeremiah's intercession will be in vain. This follows a prophecy of coming disaster and a lament over their continued betrayal of God's covenant.
"“Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble." — God instructs Jeremiah not to pray for the people because their cry is not one of repentance, but a desperate plea born of suffering. This highlights that God listens to prayers rooted in a broken he…
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Last reviewed October 2026
