Bible Strands
Jeremiah 15:11
The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Jeremiah directly after the prophet's complaint about universal cursing and isolation (Jeremiah 15:10). This statement occurs at the peak of Jeremiah's distress, immediately preceding a rhetorical question about the unbreakable strength of northern iron (Jeremiah 15:12).
The words — The phrase אִם־לֹא (im-lo) appears twice and literally means "if not," functioning as a Hebrew emphatic particle that translates to "surely." The verb שׁריתִיךָ (sharitiykha) carries the literal sense of "I will set you free" or "deliver you."
The thread — The text declares God's promise to deliver a faithful figure and turn enemy hostility into peace, which runs parallel to the principle that pleasing God causes enemies to live at peace (Proverbs 16:7) and to the declaration of plans to prosper rather than harm (Jeremiah 29:11). It also mirrors the pattern of God making captives show compassion to the oppressed (Psalms 106:46).
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to accept that divine deliverance is initiated by God's purpose, not by human negotiation or favorable circumstances. It demands a posture of waiting on a guaranteed response rather than seeking immediate resolution through visible strength.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
- Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
- Psalms 106:46 He made them objects of compassion to all who held them captive.
- Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
- Jeremiah 37:3 Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
- Jeremiah 21:2 “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
- Jeremiah 40:2 The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place,
- Jeremiah 42:2 Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.
- Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.