Jeremiah 14:19 · Bible study
Jeremiah 14:19 Commentary: The Cry of Rejected Judah
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of Jeremiah 14:19: the prophet's raw lament over God's apparent rejection, the theology of honest prayer, and hope in covenant.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A rhetorical lament asking if God has finally abandoned Judah, but paving the way for confession and appeal to covenant.
- Key words: ma'as (reject), ga'alah (loathe), marpe (healing), shalom (peace), be'atah (terror).
- Main debate: Whether the question expects permanent rejection or is an expression of covenantal trust that assumes restoration.
- Theological theme: Honest lament as a form of faithful prayer that leads to confession and reliance on God's character.
- Best use: A model for pastoral care with those who feel abandoned by God, showing that such cries are part of the biblical tradition.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Have you utterly rejected Judah? Has your soul loathed Zion? Why have you struck us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay!
KJV King James Version 1769
Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and, behold, dismay!
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Zion hath Thy soul loathed? Wherefore hast Thou smitten us, And there is no healing to us? Looking for peace, and there is no good, And for a time of healing, and lo, terror.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
— Hast thou then utterly rejected Judah? Doth thy soul loathe Zion? Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? Peace is looked for, and there is no good, — and a time of healing, and behold terror!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Hast thou utterly cast away Juda, or hath thy soul abhorred Sion? why then hast thou struck us, so that there is no healing for us? we have looked for peace, and there is no good: and for the time of healing, and behold trouble.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Has desechado enteramente á Judá? ¿ ha aborrecido tu alma á Sión? ¿ Por qué nos hiciste herir sin que nos quede cura? Esperamos paz, y no hubo bien; tiempo de cura, y he aquí turbación.
Rejeitaste a Judá por completo? Tua alma detesta a Sião? Por que nos feriste de modo que não haja cura para nós? Esperávamos paz, mas nada há de bom; esperávamos tempo de cura, e eis o terror!
As-tu donc rejeté Juda,
Hast du denn Juda verworfen, oder hat deine Seele einen Ekel an Zion? Warum hast du uns denn so geschlagen, daß es niemand heilen kann? Wir hofften, es sollte Friede werden; so kommt nichts Gutes. Wir hofften, wir sollten heil werden; aber siehe, so ist mehr Schaden da.
Hebt Gij dan Juda ganselijk verworpen? Heeft Uw ziel een walging aan Sion? Waarom hebt Gij ons geslagen, dat er geen genezing voor ons is? Men wacht naar vrede, maar daar is niets goeds, en naar tijd van genezing, maar ziet, daar is verschrikking.
Hai tu dunque reietto Giuda? Ha l’anima tua preso in disgusto Sion? Perché ci colpisci senza che ci sia guarigione per noi? Noi aspettavamo la pace, ma nessun bene giunge; aspettavamo un tempo di guarigione, ed ecco il terrore.
Izali do końca odrzucasz Judę? Izali Syon obrzydziła sobie dusza twoja? Przecz nas bijesz, tak abyśmy już nie byli uzdrowieni? Oczekujemyli na pokój, alić oto następuje nic dobrego; a jeźli na czas uleczenia, a oto zatrwożenie.
Разве Ты совсем отверг Иуду? Разве душе Твоей опротивел Сион? Для чего поразил нас так, что нет нам исцеления? Ждем мира, и ничего доброго нет; ждем времени исцеления, и вот ужасы.
你全然 棄掉 猶大嗎？你心 厭惡 錫安嗎？為何 擊打我們，以致無法 醫治呢？我們指望 平安，卻得不著 好處；指望痊癒，不料，受了驚惶。
Have you completely given up Judah? is your soul turned in disgust from Zion? why have you given us blows from which there is no one to make us well? we were looking for peace, but no good came; and for a time of well-being, but there was only a great fear.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 14:19
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators read this verse as the prophet's intense lament, not a statement of fact. The Hebrew infinitive absolute plus finite verb (hama'os ma'asta) grammatically intensifies the action: “Have you utterly rejected Judah?” Calvin sees this as part of Jeremiah's strategy to move the people to repentance by praying audibly in their hearing. Gill argues that the question is rhetorical, grounded in God's covenant promises, especially the promise that Judah would not cease to have a ruler until Shiloh comes. Barnes notes that “loathed” (ga'alah) means “thrown away as worthless,” yet the very act of questioning shows that the prophet believes God may still relent. Keil and Delitzsch call it “renewed supplication” after the first intercession was rebuffed. The shared conviction is that these are words of covenantal desperation, not unbelief.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Rhetorical covenant lament: The questions presume God's past faithfulness and the promises to Judah (Gen 49:10); the immediate move to confession and appeal in vv.20-22 shows the lament is a starting point, not a conclusion.
- Genuine expression of doubt: The intensity of the Hebrew grammar (infinitive absolute) and the phrase 'no healing' suggest the prophet may truly have feared God had rejected them; this reading honours the raw psychology of suffering.
What is clear: The verse is a prayer that voices confusion, pain, and the fear of abandonment, and it is followed by confession and appeal to God's covenant promises.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the rejection | Commentators agree the question is rhetorical, not a final declaration that God has abandoned His people. | Some read it as an expression of genuine doubt about God's faithfulness (a pastoral crisis); others maintain it is a rhetorical device that assumes God will relent because of the covenant. |
| Role of lament in faith | All traditions see the lament as honest and appropriate before God. | Disagreement exists over whether such questioning requires an immediate move to confession to be considered faithful, or whether the lament itself is sufficient as prayer. |
| Continuity with covenant | The appeal in vv.20-22 assumes the covenant is still in effect. | Christians differ on whether the Old Testament covenant can be broken by human sin (some see it as conditional) or whether God's election is irrevocable (as Paul argues in Romans 11). |
| Effectiveness of intercession | Jeremiah continues to pray even after being told not to in v.11; this shows persistence in intercession. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasise God's sovereign decree that will not change; others (e.g., Wesleyan) see intercession as changing God's actions. Both affirm the value of prayer. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This lament belongs to a broader crisis. Chapter 14 opens with a severe drought (vv.1-6), a sign of covenant curse. The people's sin and the false prophets' empty promises (v.13) have led to divine refusal of prayer (v.11). Jerusalem faces both famine and sword (v.18). The northern kingdom of Israel had already been exiled for similar unfaithfulness (2 Kings 17:19-20). Now Judah seems headed the same way.
The prophet dares to intercede again, asking if God has utterly rejected the tribe from which the Messiah would come (Gill references Gen 49:10). Zion, the place of God's throne, appears abhorred. The questions recall earlier laments (Psalm 89:38) and the phrase “we looked for peace” echoes Jeremiah 8:15. The historical context is the final years before the Babylonian destruction (ca. 605-586 BC), when reform under Josiah had not produced lasting repentance. The people's hope in peace (shalom) proves false; instead comes “terror” (be'atah). The covenant relationship is stretched to breaking, but the very fact that Jeremiah prays shows a thread of trust remains.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 14:19. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts, with the rhetorical structure of the infinitive absolute and finite verb preserved. The main differences in English translations are stylistic (e.g., “utterly rejected” vs. “rejected completely”).
Reception History
Early Jewish interpretation saw this verse as part of the people's repentance liturgy during times of drought. The Geneva Bible notes reflect the Reformation emphasis on prayer as a response to God's seeming absence. Calvin used the passage to teach that even the most desperate lament can be a vehicle for turning hearts back to God. Matthew Henry, in the Puritan tradition, treated it as an example of the prophet's bold intercession even when forbidden. In modern times, the verse has been embraced by lament-focused ministries as a scriptural warrant for bringing raw questions to God. Its placement in a context that moves toward confession (vv.20-21) ensures that the lament does not become an endpoint but a pathway back to covenant trust.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Language of Lament: The prophet uses the strongest Hebrew intensification to ask if God has rejected them. Honest questions can be prayer.
- The Context of Covenant: The question is not abstract; it arises from God's specific promises to Judah and Zion. The very asking appeals to those promises.
- The Movement to Confession: The lament does not end in despair; it leads to “we acknowledge our wickedness” in v.20. Desperation opens the door to repentance.
Five-point outline
- Perceived Rejection: “Hast thou utterly rejected Judah?”, the depth of covenant pain.
- Desperate Question: “Why have you struck us with no healing?”, the cry that expects an answer.
- Disappointed Hope: “We looked for peace, but no good came”, the collapse of human expectation.
- Confession of Sin: “We acknowledge our wickedness” (v.20), the turn that makes lament holy.
- Appeal to God's Name and Covenant: “Do not abhor us for your name's sake” (v.21), God's own glory becomes our plea.
Illustration hooks
- Waiting for test results from a serious illness, hoping for good news but receiving bad.
- A community that expects a promised breakthrough (a job, a harvest, peace) but receives only more trouble.
- The experience of praying for healing and watching the condition worsen.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it a sin to question God's love or faithfulness when suffering?
- How do we pray when it feels like God has rejected us?
- What hope can we hold onto when our expectations of peace and healing collapse?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 14:19 shows us that raw, honest questions can be part of faithful prayer. The prophet does not hide his confusion; he brings it before God. Yet his lament does not stay in despair, it moves toward confession (v.20) and appeal to God's covenant (v.21). This passage invites us to examine how we pray when God seems distant.
Discussion questions
- What does the Hebrew construction “hama'os ma'asta” (infinitive absolute plus finite verb) tell you about the intensity of the prophet's question?
- Why does Jeremiah ask “has your soul loathed Zion?”, what would that mean for the people hearing him?
- How does the phrase “no healing” (ein marpe) reflect the severity of the situation? Have you ever felt that way?
- Read verses 20-22 together. What arguments does the prophet use to persuade God after his initial lament?
- How does this passage shape your understanding of the relationship between lament and repentance?
- In what situations might it be appropriate to ask God if He has rejected you? How does the cross of Christ provide an answer to such questions?
- How can this passage help you pray honestly without losing hope?
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)
| II Kings 17:19 | Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. |
| II Kings 17:20 | Yahweh rejected all the offspring of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of raiders, until he had cast them out of his sight. |
| II Chronicles 36:16 | but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy. |
| Job 30:26 | When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came. |
| Psalms 78:59 | When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel, |
| Psalms 80:12 | Why have you broken down its walls, so that all those who pass by the way pluck it? |
| Psalms 80:13 | The boar out of the wood ravages it. The wild animals of the field feed on it. |
| Psalms 89:38 | But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed. |
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
We looked for peace - We expected prosperity when Josiah purged the land of idolatry. And there is no good - For we have relapsed into our former ways.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the broken, passionate nature of the original Hebrew in this prayer, describing it as a series of desperate cries. He notes that the appeal is grounded not in the nation’s merit but in God’s own name and covenant, and that no pagan idol can end the distress—only Yahweh, who made the heavens.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Jeremiah shifting from teaching to prayer as a dramatic tactic: since the people are too hardened to listen, the prophet confronts God directly with the apparent contradiction between His promises and the destruction of Judah and Zion. The point is to provoke the people to self-examination by showing how unthinkable it would be for God to abandon what He swore to preserve.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Hast thou vtterly reiected Iudah, or hath thy soule abhorred Zion? why hast thou smitten vs, that we cannot be healed? Wee looked for peace, and there is no good, and for the time of health, and behold trouble.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the prophet’s desperate appeal: how can God utterly reject Judah, the tribe He chose, where He dwelt, and from which the Messiah would come? The prophet argues from God’s own covenant promises, insisting that such total rejection contradicts everything God has said and done for this people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that the people themselves now plead with God because Jeremiah has been forbidden to intercede for them. Their cry echoes earlier laments: no healing has come, and the hoped-for peace brings no good.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that after repeated rejection, the people's prayer shifts to a frank confession of their own wickedness and their fathers' iniquity. They do not plead innocence but appeal solely to God's own name, His royal throne, and His covenant, trusting that He alone, not false gods, holds power over rain and creation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry sees the prophet's lament and prayer here as effectively reversing the earlier command not to intercede for Judah. He notes that the prophet understood that prohibition as a discouragement, not an absolute ban, since he now prays freely for the people.