“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God here forbids Jeremiah to "lift up a cry or prayer" for the people, which isn't just about saying words, but about the very posture of the heart in prayer. This isn't just a typical prohibition; it signifies the people have reached a point where God has closed the door to mercy for their collective sin.
“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is speaking directly to Jeremiah, forbidding him from offering prayers or interceding on behalf of the people of Judah. This stern command comes after the prophet has delivered God's message of judgment, emphasizing that the people have filled the cup of their iniquity and that God's mercy is exhausted, making even the prophet's pleas unheard. This marks a point where God's patience has run out, and judgment is now inevitable for the nation's persistent sinfulness.
Imagine a parent who can no longer bear to see their child repeatedly make the same destructive choices. God's command to Jeremiah isn't a casual dismissal; it's a weighty declaration.
The End of the Line
Jeremiah 7:16 isn't about God being unwilling to listen to prayer in general. It's about a specific people, at a specific time, who have reached the absolute limit of God's patience. They've ignored warning after warning, violated covenant after covenant, and their sin has become so ingrained that judgment is no longer a possibility, but a certainty.
Why would God forbid His own prophet from praying for his people? It seems counterintuitive, even harsh. But there's a profound purpose behind this divine instruction.
The Prophet's Difficult Calling
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God’s command to Jeremiah serves a dual purpose: to protect the prophet and to underscore the severity of the people's sin.
Understand the original words
palal · Hebrew Verb
To speak to God on behalf of oneself or others; it involves petition, confession, and communion, though it can be restricted by God when judgment is decreed upon a rebellious people.
tephillah · Hebrew Noun
A formal act of petitioning or pleading, often used in legal or spiritual contexts to request intervention or mercy.
paga · Hebrew Verb
To mediate or stand in the gap between God and others, asking for mercy or favor; it is a priestly function of intercession.
God's command to Jeremiah not to pray for his people highlights the absolute finality of the judgment that has fallen. The people's persistent sin and the destruction of Jerusalem meant that, unlike in past crises, intercession could no longer avert the decreed devastation.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event served as a dire warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of persistent disobedience.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes a first group of citizens, including members of the royal family and skilled workers, into exile. This marked the beginning of Judah's subjugation by Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports another significant portion of Judah's population, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple is imminent.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's army destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy. The majority of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon, fulfilling generations of prophetic warnings.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the Babylonian Empire. This event paved the way for the eventual return of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. While not all return, this marks a pivotal moment of restoration and hope.
This passage shows God similarly instructing Moses not to intercede for the Israelites after they fashioned the golden calf, highlighting a pattern of God withholding intercession when a people's sin reaches a certain point.
Jeremiah 11:14Here, God tells Jeremiah not to pray for the people after they stubbornly refused to listen to His words, echoing the command in Jeremiah 7 and showing the ongoing pattern of judgment.
Ezekiel 14:14This verse illustrates how even righteous individuals like Noah, Daniel, and Job could only save themselves by their righteousness, not their intercession for others, reinforcing the idea that some sins lead to inescapable judgment.
1 John 5:16This New Testament passage speaks of a 'sin leading to death' for which one should not pray, reflecting the gravity of persistent, unrepentant sin mentioned in Jeremiah 7.
pooleJeremiah 7:16: "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee."
God forbids his prophets to pray for them in any kind by any cry or intercession; or, running upon me , which shows that God is resolved to root them out, seeing he will admit of no intercession; according as he charged Moses, Exodus 32:10 , and the like Jeremiah 11:14 . For God had been wont to suffer himself to be prevailed with by the m…
clarkeJeremiah 7:16: "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee."
Therefore pray not thou for this people - They have filled up the measure of their iniquity, and they must become examples of my justice. How terrible must the state of that place be, where God refuses to pour out the spirit of supplication on his ministers and people in its behalf!
God here forbids Jeremiah to "lift up a cry or prayer" for the people, which isn't just about saying words, but about the very posture of the heart in prayer. This isn't just a typical prohibition; it signifies the people have reached a point where God has closed the door to mercy for their collective sin.
God is speaking directly to Jeremiah, forbidding him from offering prayers or interceding on behalf of the people of Judah. This stern command comes after the prophet has delivered God's message of judgment, emphasizing that the people have filled the cup of their iniquity and that God's mercy is exhausted, making even the prophet's pleas unheard. This marks a point where God's patience has run out, and judgment is now inevitable for the nation's persistent sinfulness.
God is speaking directly to Jeremiah, forbidding him from offering prayers or interceding on behalf of the people of Judah. This stern command comes after the prophet has delivered God's message of judgment, emphasizing that the people have filled the cup of their iniquity and that God's mercy is exhausted, making even the prophet's pleas unheard. This marks a point where God's patience has run out, and judgment is now inevitable for the nation's persistent sinfulness.
"“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you." — God here forbids Jeremiah to "lift up a cry or prayer" for the people, which isn't just about saying words, but about the very posture of the heart in prayer. This isn't just a typical prohibition; i…
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Last reviewed October 2026