What is the meaning of Jeremiah 15:10? Woe to me Jeremiah opens with the cry, “Woe to me”, a raw lament that echoes Job 3:1 and Jeremiah 20:14–18. •The prophet feels crushed beneath the weight of Judah’s rebellion and the judgment he must announce (Jeremiah 6:11). •This is not sinful self-pity but honest grief, similar to Paul’s sorrow for Israel in Romans 9:2–3. •Such laments remind us that God’s servants may feel overwhelmed, yet their words are recorded as trustworthy testimony (Lamentations 3:1–3). my mother Addressing his mother makes the lament intensely personal: “my mother.” •Like Jabez, whose name reflected pain at birth (1 Chronicles 4:9), Jeremiah links his existence to ongoing sorrow. •The invocation of his mother also highlights how opposition hurts families of those who stand for God (Matthew 10:35–36). that you have borne me He wishes his birth had never happened. •This mirrors Job 10:18–19 and foreshadows Jeremiah 20:17, yet stands in tension with Jeremiah 1:5, where God affirms he formed Jeremiah for a purpose. •The verse underscores the literal reality that God’s call can place faithful people in agonizing circumstances (2 Timothy 3:12). a man of strife and conflict in all the land Jeremiah feels branded as the nation’s troublemaker. •Like Elijah facing Ahab’s accusation, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17), Jeremiah’s words provoke hostility because they expose sin (Jeremiah 26:8). •Amos was called a “conspirator” (Amos 7:10); Jesus foretold similar treatment for His followers (John 15:18). •The conflict is not regional or occasional—Jeremiah senses it “in all the land,” illustrating the widespread rejection of God’s truth (Jeremiah 8:5). I have neither lent nor borrowed Financial dealings often spark quarrels (Exodus 22:25; Nehemiah 5:1–5; Proverbs 22:7), but Jeremiah insists he has avoided even common causes of social resentment. •This line defends his integrity: no one can claim he enriched himself at another’s expense (Acts 20:33–34). •It highlights that persecution can come solely from speaking God’s Word, not from personal wrongdoing (1 Peter 4:15–16). yet everyone curses me Despite innocence, “everyone curses me.” •The curse is universal, not isolated (Jeremiah 11:18–19; 18:18). •Luke 6:22 affirms that those cursed for righteousness are blessed, while Luke 6:26 warns against universal praise when truth is compromised. •Jeremiah’s experience previews Christ’s, who was reviled without cause (John 15:25). summary Jeremiah 15:10 records a literal, Spirit-inspired lament from a prophet who feels crushed by universal hostility. Though guiltless of ordinary offenses, he is hated for faithfully proclaiming God’s judgment. His sorrow shows the personal cost of obedience, yet his honesty—and God’s subsequent reassurance (15:20–21)—demonstrate that the Lord sustains those who stand firm for truth even when the world curses them. |
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