Jeremiah 15:5
“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse asks who would even turn aside to inquire about Jerusalem's welfare, highlighting that their transgressions have made them so outcast that no one would bother offering even a basic courtesy. This isn't just about a lack of sympathy; it points to their complete social and spiritual isolation due to their unfaithfulness. Their actions have rendered them unworthy of the common kindnesses that bind people together.
God declares that even the most righteous intercessors couldn't change His mind about punishing Jerusalem. The prophet then rhetorically asks who would possibly feel sorry for, mourn with, or even inquire about the welfare of a city so utterly destined for destruction due to its persistent sin. This question sets the stage for God's declaration in the following verse that He is "weary with repenting" because of their continued rebellion.
Imagine a situation so dire, so deserved, that no one will even stop to ask if you're okay. This verse paints that stark picture for Jerusalem.
Jeremiah's prophecy confronts Jerusalem with a horrifying reality: their impending judgment is so absolute and their sins so grievous that they will be utterly forsaken.
The Weight of Sin
The question isn't about the lack of kind people in the world, but about the depth of Jerusalem's sin. Their actions have alienated them not just from God, but from the basic courtesies of human interaction.
A Deserved Isolation
Commentators note that this isolation isn't arbitrary cruelty. It’s the natural consequence of rejecting God's mercy and guidance. Their rebellion means they’ve forfeited the right to expect compassion, even from fellow humans. They are beyond the point where pity or commiseration would even be considered appropriate.
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What does it really mean to 'ask how you are doing' in a biblical context, and why does it matter that no one will do it?
The phrase 'to ask how thou doest' or 'to ask about your welfare' isn't just a casual greeting. It carries a deeper meaning rooted in the ancient concept of 'peace' (shalom).
More Than Just 'Hello'
In the ancient Near East, inquiring about someone's 'peace' was a significant act of showing concern and goodwill. It was a desire for their well-being, prosperity, and wholeness. It was the standard way to offer comfort and demonstrate solidarity.
The Absence of Goodwill
Jeremiah's rhetorical question implies that no one will even bother to turn aside from their path to offer this basic gesture of human kindness. This profound lack of attention signifies not just the physical destruction coming, but the complete social and spiritual breakdown that will leave Jerusalem utterly friendless and forgotten.
Understand the original words
chamal · Hebrew Verb
Compassion or sympathy felt for the plight or suffering of another; here it highlights the absolute nature of the judgment coming upon the city.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew concept of peace, wholeness, prosperity, and relational harmony; asking after it implies concern for the well-being and health of another.
These verses speak powerfully in the aftermath of Jerusalem's utter destruction. The prophet Jeremiah articulates a bleak reality: the city's sins have been so profound and its judgment so complete that no one—not even fellow humans—would offer pity or inquire about its welfare.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and scattering them among other conquered peoples.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, begins his campaigns against Judah, capturing Jerusalem and deporting some of its nobility and skilled workers, including Daniel.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, following a rebellion against Babylonian rule.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, executing many and exiling the remaining population to Babylon.
c. 580 BC
Jeremiah's Ministry Continues
Jeremiah, who remained in Judah after the final destruction, continues to prophesy to the remnant, lamenting their devastated state and God's judgment.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon, eventually allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
This passage graphically describes Jerusalem's desolation and sorrow, echoing the utter lack of pity and comfort found in Jeremiah 15:5.
Ezekiel 5:8-10These verses detail God's judgment on Jerusalem, explaining that the city would be subjected to severe destruction and become an object of horror, thus lacking any sympathy from onlookers.
Matthew 27:25In this verse, the crowd cries out for Jesus' crucifixion, saying, 'His blood be on us and on our children!' This reflects a self-imposed alienation from divine favor, leading to a profound lack of intercession or pity, similar to Jerusalem's plight.
Isaiah 53:3This verse describes the Suffering Servant as 'despised and rejected by men,' a state of profound isolation that mirrors the lack of human compassion and concern for Jerusalem in its judgment.
clarkeJeremiah 15:5: "For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?"
Who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? - Perhaps there is not a more despised nor a more degraded people under the sun. Scarcely any one thinks himself called upon to do a kind office for a Jew. Their character is bad in society, and they are not at all solicitous to redeem it.
calvinJeremiah 15:5-6: "For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?"
Nam quis parcet tibi Jerusalem (vel, quis miserebitur tui? sed chml proprie est ignoscere vel parcere; hic tamen accipitur pro indulgere vel misereri: quis ergo miserebitur tui Jerusalem?) et quis consolabitur te? et quis locum mutabit ad inquirendum de pace tibi? (hoc est, tua: jungamus et alterum versum:)
Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou a…
The verse asks who would even turn aside to inquire about Jerusalem's welfare, highlighting that their transgressions have made them so outcast that no one would bother offering even a basic courtesy. This isn't just about a lack of sympathy; it points to their complete social and spiritual isolation due to their unfaithfulness. Their actions have rendered them unworthy of the common kindnesses that bind people together.
God declares that even the most righteous intercessors couldn't change His mind about punishing Jerusalem. The prophet then rhetorically asks who would possibly feel sorry for, mourn with, or even inquire about the welfare of a city so utterly destined for destruction due to its persistent sin. This question sets the stage for God's declaration in the following verse that He is "weary with repenting" because of their continued rebellion.
God declares that even the most righteous intercessors couldn't change His mind about punishing Jerusalem. The prophet then rhetorically asks who would possibly feel sorry for, mourn with, or even inquire about the welfare of a city so utterly destined for destruction due to its persistent sin. This question sets the stage for God's declaration in the following verse that He is "weary with repenting" because of their continued rebellion.
"“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?" — The verse asks who would even turn aside to inquire about Jerusalem's welfare, highlighting that their transgressions have made them so outcast that no one would bother offering even a basic courte…
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