Jeremiah 15:10
Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah isn't just saying he's unpopular; he's declaring that he's been unfairly branded. He insists he's done nothing wrong in his financial dealings—neither profiting from others' need nor incurring debt himself—yet everyone still curses him. This highlights that his "strife" isn't due to personal conflict, but purely because he faithfully delivered God's unpopular message.
Jeremiah is in deep anguish, feeling the immense burden of his prophetic calling and the people's rejection. He laments his birth, feeling like a source of conflict for everyone, even though he claims to have avoided the usual causes of disputes like financial dealings. This cry of despair reveals the immense personal cost of delivering God's difficult message to a resistant nation.
Jeremiah cries out, 'Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention!' Have you ever felt like your very existence creates conflict?
Jeremiah's cry isn't just a complaint; it's a profound statement about his God-given calling. He recognizes that his role as a prophet means he's destined to be a voice of truth in a resistant world.
A Prophet's Purpose
God calls prophets not to be popular, but to be faithful. Jeremiah's job was to deliver God's message, even when it meant challenging the status quo and confronting sin. This inevitably led to him being seen as a source of trouble, a 'man of strife.'
The Cost of Truth
He feels the weight of this conflict, lamenting his birth. It's as if he's saying, 'Why was I born into a role that guarantees struggle?' This highlights the personal cost of obedience. He's not seeking to be contentious, but his faithfulness makes him so in the eyes of a resistant people.
Jeremiah protests, 'I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.' How can someone live an upright life and still face widespread condemnation?
Jeremiah uses his financial dealings—or lack thereof—to prove his innocence. In ancient Near Eastern culture, disputes over loans and debts were a common source of friction and lawsuits. By stating he's had no such transactions, Jeremiah emphasizes he has given the people no personal reason to hate him.
No Personal Grievance
He wasn't a greedy moneylender who oppressed debtors, nor was he a shirking debtor who cheated lenders. He lived a life free from the kind of personal quarrels that typically fueled animosity between people. He had no private score to settle with anyone.
The Prophet's True Offense
Despite his personal integrity, he is cursed by everyone. This reveals the true reason for their hatred: it wasn't about personal dealings, but about the divine message he carried. He was cursed not for his wrongdoings, but for God's truth, which they refused to accept. His righteousness highlighted their unrighteousness, making him a target.
Understand the original words
oy · Hebrew Interjection
A prophetic exclamation of profound grief, despair, or impending judgment. It captures the heavy burden of declaring God's message in a hostile environment.
madon · Hebrew Noun
The state of being in constant conflict or legal dispute. In the prophetic context, it refers to the struggle of a faithful messenger who stands in opposition to a sinful culture.
Jeremiah's lament in this verse stems from his deep frustration and personal suffering as a prophet. He sees himself as a source of conflict, not by his own doing, but because he faithfully delivers God's unwelcome message of judgment to a stubborn people, leading to widespread rejection and animosity towards him.
Late 7th Century BC
Jeremiah's Ministry Begins
Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry during the reign of King Josiah, a time of attempted religious reform.
609 BC
Death of Josiah
King Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo, plunging Judah into political instability and ushering in a period of rapid succession of kings.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and deports a number of its citizens, including the young Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Jerusalem is besieged again, and King Jehoiachin along with many prominent citizens, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
Job famously curses the day he was born because of his suffering, a sentiment echoed by Jeremiah's lament to his mother about his difficult existence.
Matthew 10:34Jesus' words that he came not to bring peace but a sword directly parallel Jeremiah's experience of being a 'man of strife' even when fulfilling God's will.
Psalm 15:5This Psalm describes the righteous person as one who 'does not put out his money at interest' or 'take a bribe against the innocent,' which aligns with Jeremiah's assertion that he had no personal financial dealings causing the people's hatred.
Romans 12:17Paul's instruction to 'repay no one evil for evil' resonates with Jeremiah's pain of being cursed despite having no personal grievances or wrongs to settle with the people.
1 Peter 3:9Peter's exhortation not to 'repay evil for evil' or 'insult for insult' highlights the difficult, yet noble, path Jeremiah walked in enduring condemnation without personal fault.
clarkeJeremiah 15:10: "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."
A man of contention to the whole earth! - To the whole Land, to all his countrymen; though he had done nothing to merit their displeasure.
calvinJeremiah 15:10: "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."
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
Hei mihi! mater, mea, quod genueris me virum rixae et virum…
Jeremiah isn't just saying he's unpopular; he's declaring that he's been unfairly branded. He insists he's done nothing wrong in his financial dealings—neither profiting from others' need nor incurring debt himself—yet everyone still curses him. This highlights that his "strife" isn't due to personal conflict, but purely because he faithfully delivered God's unpopular message.
Jeremiah is in deep anguish, feeling the immense burden of his prophetic calling and the people's rejection. He laments his birth, feeling like a source of conflict for everyone, even though he claims to have avoided the usual causes of disputes like financial dealings. This cry of despair reveals the immense personal cost of delivering God's difficult message to a resistant nation.
Jeremiah is in deep anguish, feeling the immense burden of his prophetic calling and the people's rejection. He laments his birth, feeling like a source of conflict for everyone, even though he claims to have avoided the usual causes of disputes like financial dealings. This cry of despair reveals the immense personal cost of delivering God's difficult message to a resistant nation.
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586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. Jeremiah's prophecies reflect the despair and devastation of this period.
"Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me." — Jeremiah isn't just saying he's unpopular; he's declaring that he's been unfairly branded. He insists he's done nothing wrong in his financial dealings—neither profiting from others' need nor incurri…
