“Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 11:14 Mean?
"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble." God commands Jeremiah to STOP praying for Judah. The instruction is devastating: don't pray, don't cry out, don't petition — because God will not hear. The intercessory channel is closed. The prayer that should be the prophet's primary activity is prohibited. The people's crisis won't produce God's response.
The phrase "pray not thou for this people" (al titpallel be'ad ha'am hazzeh — do not intercede on behalf of this people) is one of the most terrifying commands in Scripture: God tells His own prophet to stop doing what prophets do — intercede. The prohibition means the window for intercession has closed. The time when prayer could change the outcome has passed.
The "I will not hear them" (eyneni shomea — I am not hearing/will not listen) means divine attention has been withdrawn: not that God CAN'T hear but that He WILL NOT. The hearing is refused. The ear that hears all prayers has chosen not to hear these. The silence isn't inability. It's decision.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Is there a prayer window in your life still open — and are you using it?
- 2.What does God telling a prophet to STOP praying teach about the limits of intercession?
- 3.How does 'I will not hear them when they cry' address the difference between crisis-crying and genuine repentance?
- 4.What sustained rebellion might be closing a prayer window you've been taking for granted?
Devotional
Stop praying for them. I won't listen. God tells His own prophet — the intercessor, the one standing between God and the people — to stop interceding. The prayer window is closed. The petition is rejected before it's spoken. The time when prayer could have changed things is OVER.
The 'pray not for this people' is among the most frightening commands in Scripture: prayer is supposed to be always available. Intercession is supposed to be always welcome. But God says: not for this people. Not anymore. The opportunity for effective intercession has expired. The prayers that could have prevented judgment needed to have been accompanied by the repentance that never came.
The 'I will not hear them in the time that they cry' adds the cruelest detail: they WILL cry. When the trouble arrives, the people will finally cry out to God. And God will not hear. The crying will happen. The hearing will not. The prayers that should have been prayed before the crisis — accompanied by changed behavior — are now being offered during the crisis, unaccompanied by change. The timing has made the crying ineffective.
This verse doesn't mean God never forgives or that prayer is ever truly useless. It describes a specific moment when a specific people has exhausted God's patience through sustained, unrepentant rebellion. The door that was open for years finally closed. The window that was available for decades finally shut. The hearing that was always offered was finally withdrawn.
Is there a prayer window in your life that's still open — and are you using it before it closes?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
What hath my beloved to do in mine house,.... These are either the words of the prophet, as Kimchi and Ben Melech think,…
A parenthesis. As in Jer 7:16, all intercession is forbidden, and for this reason. Prayer for others for the forgiveness…
This paragraph, which contains so much of God's wrath, might very well be expected to follow upon that which goes next…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture