Jeremiah 17:15
Behold, they say to me, “Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah 17:15
Behold, they say to me, “Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
These scoffers aren't just curious; they're openly daring God, almost challenging Him to prove Jeremiah's words are real. Their taunt, "Let it come now," drips with sarcastic defiance, revealing a deep-seated disbelief and a brazen disregard for divine judgment that characterizes hardened hearts.
Jeremiah's people are relentlessly mocking him, questioning the divine authority behind his dire warnings about judgment. They openly challenge him, asking where God's promised word is and daring it to come to pass, indicating that the predicted disasters had not yet occurred. This taunt reveals their hardened hearts and disbelief, setting the stage for Jeremiah's plea to God for protection against these relentless accusers and the impending wrath they deny.
When God's messengers deliver hard truths, people often push back. Sometimes, that pushback is a direct, mocking challenge.
Jeremiah is facing intense opposition. The people aren't just ignoring him; they're actively taunting him.
A Daring Question
They demand, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come now!" This isn't a genuine request for information. It's a sneer, a dare. They're saying, 'You've threatened us with judgment for so long, but nothing has happened. Your words are empty. Prove it. Bring on God's judgment right now if you think it's real!'
The Timing of the Taunt
Commentaries point out that this verse likely comes from a time before any major fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies. The city hadn't fallen, the exile hadn't begun. This delay, this apparent silence from God in bringing swift judgment, fueled their mockery. It's a classic tactic of those who want to deny God's reality: if judgment doesn't come immediately, they conclude it never will.
Even when facing such brazen disbelief, prophets like Jeremiah were called to stand firm. What does that look like?
Jeremiah's response isn't recorded in this specific verse, but the passage around it reveals his heart. While the people mock, Jeremiah is wrestling with his own pain and clinging to God.
Trust Through the Taunts
The mocking doesn't silence Jeremiah; it seems to drive him deeper into dependence on God. Look at verses 12-13, where he calls God his "glorious high throne" and "fountain of living waters." Even as he faces scorn, he acknowledges God's inherent worth and sufficiency.
A Plea for Vindication
In verse 14, Jeremiah prays, "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved..." He's not asking for personal glory, but for God to vindicate His own word and Name through him. He appeals to God, 'O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors...' (v. 10). He trusts that God, in His time, will bring the fulfillment, not for Jeremiah's sake, but for His own honor.
Understand the original words
dabar · Hebrew Noun
The divine utterance or message from God. It represents God’s authority, will, and truth revealed to humanity, often through prophets.
This verse captures the deep frustration and ridicule Jeremiah faced from his people, who, before any major catastrophe, mocked his warnings and dared God to fulfill His threats. Their taunts highlight a dangerous spiritual complacency, a refusal to believe God's judgment was imminent even as the historical situation grew dire.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and deports some of the Jewish elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 600-598 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry Continues
Jeremiah continues to prophesy impending doom for Jerusalem, facing increasing resistance and mockery from the people and religious leaders who doubt his message.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a brief revolt, Jerusalem is besieged, and King Jehoiachin and more of the population, including Ezekiel, are deported to Babylon. This event would have further challenged the people's faith and their taunts against Jeremiah.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and the majority of the remaining population is deported to Babylon. This event is the ultimate fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies.
This passage describes the same kind of taunting skepticism, where people mockingly challenge God's pronouncements of judgment, asking for them to be brought quickly.
Amos 5:18Similar to Jeremiah, the prophet Amos faces scoffers who desire the 'day of the LORD' to come, showing a consistent historical pattern of hardened hearts defying divine warning.
2 Peter 3:4This New Testament passage echoes the sentiment of Jeremiah's critics, describing mockers who question the fulfillment of God's promises, highlighting how such disbelief has persisted through ages.
Luke 17:22Jesus speaks about a time when people will long to see a sign of the coming kingdom, which can reflect a similar human tendency to question or impatiently await divine action.
barnesJeremiah 17:15: "Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now."
This taunt shows that this prophecy was written before any very signal fulfillment of Jeremiah's words had taken place, and prior therefore to the capture of Jerusalem at the close of Jehoiakim's life. "Now" means "I pray," and is ironical.
clarkeJeremiah 17:15: "Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now."
Where is the word of the Lord? - Where is the accomplishment of his threatenings? Thou hast said that the city and the temple should both be destroyed. No such events have yet taken place. But they did take place, and every tittle of the menace was strictly fulfilled.
These scoffers aren't just curious; they're openly daring God, almost challenging Him to prove Jeremiah's words are real. Their taunt, "Let it come now," drips with sarcastic defiance, revealing a deep-seated disbelief and a brazen disregard for divine judgment that characterizes hardened hearts.
Jeremiah's people are relentlessly mocking him, questioning the divine authority behind his dire warnings about judgment. They openly challenge him, asking where God's promised word is and daring it to come to pass, indicating that the predicted disasters had not yet occurred. This taunt reveals their hardened hearts and disbelief, setting the stage for Jeremiah's plea to God for protection against these relentless accusers and the impending wrath they deny.
Jeremiah's people are relentlessly mocking him, questioning the divine authority behind his dire warnings about judgment. They openly challenge him, asking where God's promised word is and daring it to come to pass, indicating that the predicted disasters had not yet occurred. This taunt reveals their hardened hearts and disbelief, setting the stage for Jeremiah's plea to God for protection against these relentless accusers and the impending wrath they deny.
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"Behold, they say to me, “Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come!”" — These scoffers aren't just curious; they're openly daring God, almost challenging Him to prove Jeremiah's words are real. Their taunt, "Let it come now," drips with sarcastic defiance, revealing a de…