Jeremiah 7:16

As for you, do not pray for these people, do not offer a plea or petition on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord addresses Jeremiah directly during a period of impending national judgment, commanding the prophet to stop interceding for Judah. This order follows the declaration that God will remove the people from His presence just as He did with Ephraim.

The words — The Hebrew verb תִּתְפַּלֵּל (tit.pa.Lel) means "you pray," intensified by the prohibition אַל־ (ʾal-) "may not." The verb תִּשָּׂא (ti.Sa') literally translates to "you lift up," denoting the physical raising of hands or petitions in prayer.

The thread — This prohibition repeats in Jeremiah 11:14 and Jeremiah 14:11, where the Lord explicitly forbids prayer for the people. Isaiah 1:15 mirrors the concept by stating that God hides His eyes from multiplied prayers when the people persist in rebellion.

Why it lands — The text declares that God will not listen to intercession because judgment is finalized. It requires the reader to accept divine silence as a closed boundary rather than a signal to continue pleading.

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

וְאַתָּ֞הve./'a.Tahand/ you אַל־'al-may not תִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל׀tit.pa.Lelyou pray בְּעַד־be.'ad-for הָעָ֣םha./'Amthe/ people הַזֶּ֗הha./Zeh<the>/ this וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not תִּשָּׂ֧אti.Sa'you lift up בַעֲדָ֛םva.'a.Da/mfor/ them רִנָּ֥הri.Naha cry of entreaty וּתְפִלָּ֖הu./te.fi.Lahand/ a prayer וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not תִּפְגַּע־tif.ga'-you entreatבִּ֑יB/i<in> <the>/ meכִּי־ki-for אֵינֶ֥נִּי'ei.Ne./ninot/ I שֹׁמֵ֖עַsho.Me.a'[will be] hearing אֹתָֽךְ׃'o.Ta/kh<obj.>/ you

King James Version

Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 11:14 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.
Jeremiah 14:11 Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people.
Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
Jeremiah 15:1 Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go!
Ezekiel 14:14 then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.
Exodus 32:10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
Jeremiah 18:20 Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.
Micah 3:4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.
Deuteronomy 9:14 Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.”
1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.