Jeremiah 11:14 · Bible study
Jeremiah 11:14 Commentary: When Intercession Is Refused
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God forbid Jeremiah to pray for Judah? This study examines the limits of intercessory prayer and the point of no return in divine judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God forbids Jeremiah from interceding because the people’s sin has reached a point of no return; their cries in trouble are not true repentance.
- Key words: “Pray” (Hithpael of פָּלַל, H6419, to intercede), “lift up cry” (H7440 רִנָּה rinnah, a ringing cry of entreaty), “hear” (Qal participle of שָׁמַע H8085, to listen with intent to respond).
- Main debate: Whether the prohibition is absolute and permanent or specific to this national covenant crisis; whether it can be applied to individuals today.
- Theological theme: The holiness of God, the reality of judgment, the limits of intercessory prayer, and the necessity of genuine repentance.
- Best use: A sobering reminder that God’s patience has boundaries; preached alongside the hope of restoration in Jeremiah 29, 33.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me in their time of disaster.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“Therefore don’t pray for this people. Don’t lift up cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to me because of their trouble.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me because of their trouble.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And thou, thou dost not pray for this people, Nor dost thou lift up for them cry and prayer, For I do not hearken in the time of their calling unto Me for their vexation.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And thou, pray not for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore do not thou pray for this people, and do not take up praise and prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time of their cry to me, in the time of their affliction.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Tú pues, no ores por este pueblo, ni levantes por ellos clamor ni oración; porque yo no oiré el día que en su aflicción á mí clamaren.
Tu, pois, não ores por este povo, nem levantes por eles clamor nem oração; porque eu não ouvirei no dia em que clamarem a mim em meio a calamidade deles.
Et toi, n’ intercède pas en faveur de ce peuple,
So bitte du nun nicht für dieses Volk und tue kein Flehen noch Gebet für sie; denn ich will sie nicht hören, wenn sie zu mir schreien in ihrer Not.
Gij dan, bid niet voor dit volk, en hef geen geschrei noch gebed voor hen op; want Ik zal niet horen, ten tijde als zij over hun kwaad tot Mij zullen roepen.
E tu non pregare per questo popolo, non ti mettere a gridare né a far supplicazioni per loro; perché io non li esaudirò quando grideranno a me a motivo della calamità che li avrà colpiti.
Przetoż się ty nie módl za tym ludem, ani podnoś za nimi głosu i modlitwy; bo Ja ich nie wysłucham natenczas, gdy do mnie zawołają w utrapieniu swojem.
Ты же не проси за этот народ и не возноси за них молитвы и прошений; ибо Я не услышу, когда они будут взывать ко Мне в бедствии своем.
「所以你 不要 為 這 百姓 祈禱，不要 為他們 呼 求 禱告；因為 他們遭難 向我 哀求 的時候，我必不 應允。
And as for you, make no prayers for this people, send up no cry or prayer for them: for I will not give ear to their cry in the time of their trouble.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 11:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this command marks a definitive point in Judah's covenant rebellion. The people's cries during judgment are not cries of repentance but of distress (Barnes, Calvin). Because they have persistently refused to hear God's words (Jer 11:10), God declares that even the prophet's intercession will not avert the coming disaster. Calvin notes that the prohibition serves to impress upon the people that their sentence is sealed: no hope remains. Gill connects the passage to a “sin unto death” (1 John 5:16), where continued prayer for temporal deliverance is useless. The consensus is that God's command does not forbid all prayer for sinners but marks a specific national judgment where the opportunity for repentance has passed.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Specific national judgment: The context of covenant breaking and the Babylonian exile shows this is a unique historical moment (Jer 11:1–17).
- Principle of unrepentant sin: The prohibition is connected to 1 John 5:16 and the idea that some sin reaches a point where intercession is ineffective.
- Pastoral warning: The passage serves as a rhetorical tool to stress the seriousness of sin, not as a literal command for all time.
What is clear: The verse demonstrates that persistent, covenant-breaking sin brings judgment, and that even the intercession of a righteous prophet cannot overturn God's settled will.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of the prohibition | Christians agree that the prohibition is real: God truly commanded Jeremiah not to intercede at this moment. | Some see it as a specific, historical command for Jeremiah alone, while others view it as teaching a universal principle, that persistent, unrepentant sin can lead God to withdraw the opportunity for intercession. |
| The point of no return | All agree the verse indicates a decisive national judgment: the Babylonian exile could not be averted. | Reformed theologians (e.g., Calvin) emphasize God's sovereign decree; Arminian traditions stress human free will and the cumulative effect of rejecting grace. Both agree that the door can close, but differ on how and why. |
| Application to intercessory prayer today | Christians affirm that intercessory prayer is generally commanded and good (1 Tim 2:1). | Some hold that this verse implies there are situations where continued prayer for the unrepentant is futile; others maintain that no human can judge when that point has come, so prayer should never cease. |
| Relationship to Jer 7:16 and 14:11 | These verses form a repeated theme in Jeremiah's ministry. | Some see them as identical prohibitions; others see an escalation, from a warning (7:16) to a final decree (11:14) to a statement of God's fixed mind (15:1). |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits inside Jeremiah's larger covenant lawsuit (Jer 11:1, 17). The chapter opens with a reminder of the Sinai covenant and its curses for disobedience (cf. Deut 27, 28). By the reign of Jehoiakim, after Josiah's failed reforms, Judah had returned to the idolatry of its ancestors. The people offered incense to Baal and set up altars in every street of Jerusalem (v.13). This was not ignorance but deliberate violation of the first two commandments.
God's judgment builds from verse 11: “I will bring evil on them which they will not be able to escape.” The prohibition of intercessory prayer is not arbitrary. It is the conclusion of generations of broken covenant. Verse 10 states that both houses of Israel and Judah “have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.” In the ancient Near East, a suzerain treaty violation carried irreversible consequences. The people who refused to hear God's words (v.10) would find their own cries ignored when trouble comes.
Calvin observes that Jeremiah, like other prophets, maintained a dual role: he thundered judgment publicly yet interceded privately. God's command to stop interceding signals to the whole people that the decree is final. The historical moment is thus a point of no return for the nation's political existence, the Babylonian exile can no longer be averted.
Textual Notes
The MT reads “for their calamity” (בְּעַד רָעָתָם). A few Hebrew manuscripts and the Syriac version read “in the time of their calamity,” which harmonizes with the wording of verse 12. The variation is minor and does not change the meaning. The consulted sources note no other significant textual issues.
Reception History
This verse has been used across church history to warn against presuming on God's patience. Early Jewish interpretation in the Targum paraphrases the prohibition as showing that neither the people's own prayers nor the prophet's would be accepted. Medieval and Reformation commentators saw it as a severe example of God's judgment. Calvin used it to illustrate that even the intercession of a righteous prophet cannot avail when God has determined to execute judgment. Matthew Henry applied it pastorally to show that sin can bring a person or nation beyond the reach of prayer. Modern interpreters often discuss the pastoral implications of such a prohibition, balancing the sorrow of judgment with the hope of eventual restoration.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God commands silence. The prohibition is direct: “Don’t pray for this people.” It shows that judgment has reached a point where intercession is overruled.
- The people’s cry is not repentance. Verse 14 describes them crying “because of their trouble.” Their prayer is a reflex of pain, not a confession of sin (Barnes). God hears the heart, not the noise.
- The certainty of judgment. The decree is sealed. Even the prayers of a righteous prophet cannot reverse what generations of apostasy have set in motion.
Five-Point Outline
- The covenant context. Judah broke the covenant, so the curses apply (Deuteronomy 28).
- The repeated warning. This is not the first time Jeremiah hears this. See Jer 7:16; 14:11. God is patient, but not indefinitely.
- The nature of the people’s cry. They call out to God in trouble but also to Baal (v.12). Their worship is divided, their hearts double-minded.
- The prophet’s limitation. Even Moses and Samuel could not have turned God’s mind under these conditions (Jer 15:1).
- The pastoral takeaway. This passage warns against presumption. It calls believers to examine whether their prayers align with God’s revealed will.
Illustration Hooks
- A parent who warns a child repeatedly about a hot stove. When the child finally touches it, the parent does not prevent the burn. The consequence is the teacher, not cruelty.
- A doctor who tells a patient for years to quit smoking. When lung cancer appears, further warnings are empty. The diagnosis is the result of choices.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does this mean God never hears the prayers of certain people today?
- How can I know if I have crossed a line where God will not listen?
- Should I stop praying for someone who keeps rejecting God?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with a difficult truth: persistent sin can exhaust the patience of God. The prohibition of intercessory prayer is startling. But it is not a license to judge others. It is a call to take sin seriously and to pray while the door of mercy is open.
Discussion Questions
- Read Jeremiah 11:1, 13. What covenant did the people break? Why does God use the language of marriage and family? (v.15: “my beloved”)
- Verse 14 forbids the prophet to pray. What does this tell you about the seriousness of their sin? Does it surprise you that God would ever tell someone not to pray?
- Compare v.14 with Jer 7:16 and 14:11. What pattern do you see? How would you describe God’s character in these passages?
- The people cry to God “because of their trouble.” How is that different from crying because of their sin? Why does the motive matter?
- Calvin says Jeremiah still prayed for the people even after the prohibition. How do you reconcile obedience to God with compassion for the lost?
- Gill connects this verse to 1 John 5:16 (“a sin leading to death”). How does the New Testament help us understand when intercession is appropriate and when it is not?
- In your own life, is there an area where God might be waiting for repentance rather than more words? How can you respond today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 32:10 | Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.” |
| Psalms 66:18 | If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn’t have listened. |
| Proverbs 26:24 | A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart. |
| Proverbs 26:25 | When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart. |
| Jeremiah 7:16 | “Therefore don’t pray for this people. Don’t lift up a cry or prayer for them or make intercession to me; for I will not hear you. |
| Jeremiah 11:11 | Therefore Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on them which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry to me, but I will not listen to them. |
| Jeremiah 14:11 | Yahweh said to me, “Don’t pray for this people for their good. |
| Jeremiah 15:1 | Then Yahweh said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not turn toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go out! |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that God directly forbids the prophet from interceding further, as the people's sin has reached its full measure. Their guilt is so complete that neither the prophet's prayers nor their own cries will be heard. God has already determined to give them over to judgment.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that intercessory prayer only helps when those prayed for also repent. Here God forbids it because the people’s cry comes from suffering under punishment, not from sorrow over sin. Their worship is hollow, masking private evil, and the promised fruit of righteousness never appeared.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Judah has fallen back into apostasy. It is now clear that Josiah ’s reforms have had no lasting results. The passage may therefore be placed in Jehoiakim’s reign.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that God gives an absolute command to stop all intercession for this people. Even when they cry out in their own distress, God declares He will not hear them, showing a complete withdrawal of mercy and a refusal to listen to any prayer on their behalf.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that God's command to Jeremiah not to pray for the people was itself a judgment: they would lose even the help of a righteous man's prayers. The repetition of the prohibition shows God's settled resolve and the certainty of their ruin. Their sin had reached a point where intercession would not be heard.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that human guilt can reach a point where God no longer welcomes intercessory prayer on behalf of the guilty. At that stage, the believer's heart should align with God's righteous judgment, not continue pleading against His will.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats chapters 11-12 as a unified discourse built on the contrast between covenant and conspiracy, the people having turned their recent covenant renewal under Josiah into a plot against the Lord. He dates it to Jehoiakim's early years because the Chaldeans, who later become the standard instrument of punishment, are not named. Chapter 13 is a separate, self-contained unit from the same period.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry stresses the direct link between Judah's sin and the inescapable judgment that follows. He observes that the people cannot save themselves by any human effort, and their cries to God go unanswered because the sentence has already been decreed. The only response left is the grim certainty of punishment for their persistent idolatry.