Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a profound shift: God declares that even the most powerful intercessors, Moses and Samuel, would be powerless to turn His heart. The shocking implication is that God's judgment on this specific people has reached a point of absolute finality, beyond even the influence of those He has historically honored for their prayers.
Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord tells Jeremiah that even the greatest intercessors, Moses and Samuel, could not sway His heart toward this rebellious people. He commands Jeremiah to cast them out of His sight, signifying their complete rejection and impending judgment. This sets the stage for God to declare the severe consequences awaiting them, including death, sword, famine, and captivity, leaving no room for further intercession for the unrepentant nation.
Imagine the greatest mediators, men who had literally turned God's wrath away before, standing before Him. Yet, even their prayers wouldn't be enough.
God declares that even if Moses and Samuel—two giants of faith and intercession—stood before Him, His heart still wouldn't turn toward His people. These weren't just any leaders; Moses had famously pleaded for Israel's life multiple times (like after the golden calf incident), and Samuel was known for his powerful, effective prayers. Their inclusion here highlights the absolute severity of the situation. It wasn't that their intercession couldn't work, but that God's judgment had reached a point where nothing could turn it back for this generation.
God's turning away isn't arbitrary. It's born from a deep, righteous love that cannot tolerate persistent rebellion.
God's statement, 'my heart would not turn toward this people,' is profound. It’s not a cold, impersonal decision. It signifies a rejection rooted in His unchanging nature and His covenant love, which is grieved and ultimately must respond to the people's persistent sin. This isn't a God who is easily swayed by superficial appeals; His love is also holy and just. When sin reaches a certain threshold, a loving God must also enact judgment to uphold His holiness and to protect His long-term redemptive purposes.
God commands Jeremiah to do something incredibly difficult: to send His own people away, to cast them out.
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The command, 'Send them out of my sight, and let them go!' isn't just about Jeremiah ceasing his prayers. It's a directive for him to actively pronounce their dismissal and exile. It represents the ultimate act of judgment—banishment from God's presence and favor. This places an immense burden on Jeremiah, forcing him to be the herald of a doom he desperately wished to avert. His prophetic ministry shifts from pleading for mercy to declaring the inescapable consequences of rebellion.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal covenant name of the one true God of Israel, revealing His existence, holiness, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name He revealed to Moses at the burning bush.
Mosheh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The primary mediator of the Old Covenant, known for his frequent intercession on behalf of the rebellious Israelites before God.
Shemu'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
A prophet, priest, and the last of the Judges, recognized for his powerful prayers and standing before God on behalf of the people.
This divine declaration to Jeremiah follows the devastating fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, the very crisis Jeremiah had warned about for decades. The mention of Moses and Samuel, legendary intercessors for Israel, underscores the profound depth of Judah's sin and the point of no return they have reached.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus and Wilderness Wandering
Moses intercedes for Israel after the golden calf incident, and later after the spies' negative report, averting God's complete destruction of the people.
c. 1075 BC
Samuel's Ministry and Plea
Samuel prays earnestly for Israel during the Philistine crisis, leading to God's intervention and deliverance.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Deportations Begin
The Assyrian Empire begins its systematic conquest of surrounding kingdoms, including parts of Israel, setting a precedent for later exiles.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of Israelites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, following a rebellion against Babylonian rule.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the catastrophic event Jeremiah has been prophesying against.
This passage highlights Moses' powerful intercession for Israel, demonstrating the kind of advocacy God is referencing in Jeremiah, but ultimately showing that even such pleas can be insufficient when sin reaches a critical point.
1 Samuel 7:9-10Here, Samuel offers a burnt offering and cries out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answers him, illustrating the efficacy of righteous intercession that the Lord declares would now be in vain for Judah.
Ezekiel 14:14This verse lists Noah, Daniel, and Job as righteous men whose intercession could only save themselves, paralleling Jeremiah's situation where even the greatest intercessors (Moses and Samuel) could not save the nation.
Psalm 99:6This psalm explicitly mentions Moses and Samuel calling on the Lord as intercessors, reinforcing their historical significance as powerful advocates for Israel that Jeremiah's context invokes.
James 5:16This New Testament passage affirms the power of the prayer of a righteous person, which stands in stark contrast to the situation in Jeremiah 15:1, where even the prayers of the most righteous are declared ineffective for this particular people.
barnesJeremiah 15:1: "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."
Cast them out of my sight - Rather, "send them out of My presence, and let them go away." The prophet is to dismiss them, because their mediators, Moses and Samuel, whose intercession had been accepted in old times (marginal references), would intercede now in vain.
clarkeJeremiah 15:1: "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."
Though Moses and Samuel - Moses had often supplicated for the people; and in consequence they were spared. See Exodus 32:11 and following verses, Numbers 14:13 . Samuel also had prayed for the people, and God heard him, 1 Samuel 7:9 ; but if these or the most holy men were now to supplicate for this people, he would…
This verse highlights a profound shift: God declares that even the most powerful intercessors, Moses and Samuel, would be powerless to turn His heart. The shocking implication is that God's judgment on this specific people has reached a point of absolute finality, beyond even the influence of those He has historically honored for their prayers.
The Lord tells Jeremiah that even the greatest intercessors, Moses and Samuel, could not sway His heart toward this rebellious people. He commands Jeremiah to cast them out of His sight, signifying their complete rejection and impending judgment. This sets the stage for God to declare the severe consequences awaiting them, including death, sword, famine, and captivity, leaving no room for further intercession for the unrepentant nation.
The Lord tells Jeremiah that even the greatest intercessors, Moses and Samuel, could not sway His heart toward this rebellious people. He commands Jeremiah to cast them out of His sight, signifying their complete rejection and impending judgment. This sets the stage for God to declare the severe consequences awaiting them, including death, sword, famine, and captivity, leaving no room for further intercession for the unrepentant nation.
"Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!" — This verse highlights a profound shift: God declares that even the most powerful intercessors, Moses and Samuel, would be powerless to turn His heart. The shocking implication is that God's judgment…
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Last reviewed October 2026