Jeremiah 15:10 Meaning: When Obedience Brings Curses
Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them curses me.
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.
Woe to me, my mother, For thou hast borne me a man of strife, And a man of contention to all the land, I have not lent on usury, Nor have they lent on usury to me--All of them are reviling me.
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole land! I have not lent on usury, nor have they lent to me on usury; [yet] every one of them doth curse me.
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah cries out because his faithful service has made him a target. Learn how to handle the pain of opposition when you've done no wrong.
Context
Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. He carried God's message of judgment to a people who refused to listen. In chapter 15, God has just declared that Judah is beyond hope. The people have rejected Him completely. Then Jeremiah speaks. He is alone in his calling. Everyone he knows is against him. The words he delivers cause anger, not repentance. In this verse he cries out from the depths of his pain. He feels that his very birth was a curse, because his life has become nothing but conflict. He has done nothing to provoke this hatred, no shady deals, no quarrels over money. Yet everyone curses him. His lament is raw and honest.
Key Words
The verse opens with a single Hebrew word: oy. It is a cry of agony, like a person who has been wounded. Jeremiah calls himself a man of strife (riv) and a man of contention (madon). These are courtroom words. He is like someone constantly in a legal dispute, but he never chose to be. God put him in this position. Then he mentions lending. The verb nashah means to lend at interest. In ancient Israel, borrowing and lending were common causes of lawsuits. Jeremiah says he has not done any of that. He has given no one a reason to hate him. Yet everyone curses him. The word for curse, qalal, means to treat as light or worthless. They make him feel like nothing. Even so, he brings this pain to God.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have seen different layers in this verse. Many note that Jeremiah is not sinning; he is expressing honest grief. Reformers like Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasize that his complaint is human but not rebellion. He still trusts God. Others have drawn a parallel to Jesus, who also faced opposition for His message, though He was innocent. Some traditions caution against reading this as a model for cursing one's birth. Instead, they see it as a record of how a faithful servant can feel when the calling is hard. What unites these views is the recognition that God does not reject Jeremiah's cry. He meets it with a promise of strength.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to think Jeremiah is sinfully rebelling against God. He sounds like Job, who cursed the day of his birth. In fact, Jeremiah is not cursing God. He is pouring out his honest pain. The Bible includes many such laments. They teach us that we can bring raw feelings to God without being punished. Jeremiah's prayer is followed by God's answer, not a rebuke.
Living This Out
Maybe this week you are doing the right thing, speaking up for someone, saying no to dishonesty, or staying faithful when it would be easier to walk away. And the people around you are angry. They curse you under their breath. You wonder if it is worth it. Jeremiah's words give you permission to tell God exactly how that feels. You do not have to pretend you are fine. Bring Him your oy, your woe. He already knows. And He will answer, as He answered Jeremiah, with strength for the next step.
Main takeaway: You can bring your deepest pain to God when serving Him brings hatred, and He will not turn away.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jeremiah told people what God said, but they got mad. He felt very sad. You can tell God when you feel sad too.
For ages 9, 12
Jeremiah was a prophet who had to give a warning to his people. They didn't want to hear it, so they were angry with him. He felt like everyone hated him, even though he hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't pretend to be okay. He told God how he really felt. God didn't punish him for being honest; He promised to help him. It's okay to be honest with God about your hard feelings.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jeremiah say 'my mother' in this verse?
It is a way of expressing deep sorrow by calling on the closest human relationship. He is not blaming his mother for his troubles. It is a poetic cry of anguish, as if asking her to share his grief over his difficult calling.
What does 'lent on usury' mean here?
Usury means charging interest on loans. In ancient Israel, lending at interest to a fellow Israelite was forbidden and often led to quarrels and lawsuits. Jeremiah says he has not been involved in such financial disputes. He has given people no reason to be angry with him.
Is Jeremiah sinning by complaining like this?
Many Christians understand that honest lament is not sin. Jeremiah is not rebelling against God or cursing Him. He is expressing real pain to the God who listens. Scripture is full of such prayers, and in the very next verses God answers Jeremiah directly, showing He accepts the cry.
How does God answer Jeremiah's complaint?
In the following verses (Jeremiah 15:11-14), God reassures Jeremiah that He will strengthen him for good and that his enemies will eventually ask for his help. God does not promise to remove the conflict, but He promises to be with Jeremiah through it.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study