Jeremiah 15:11

Jer 15:11 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.

Ver. 11. Verily it shall be well with thy remnant.] Heb., If it be not well, q.d., then trust me no more; thy latter end shall be comfortable; {Psa 37:37} the end of that man is peace, be his beginning and middle never so troublesome.

Verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well.] Or, I will intercede for thee with the enemy. See this fulfilled, Jer 40:4. God can speak for his in the hearts of their enemies, and make their foes to favour them, as many of the Papists here did Wycliffe, and after him Bradford.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

the Lord said

The Remnant, of whom Jeremiah was the representative, are carefully distinguished from the unbelieving mass of the people. The coming captivity, which they must share, for they too have sinned Jer 15:13 though Jehovah’s judgment upon the nation, will be but a purifying chastisement to them, and they receive a special promise Jer 15:11. Verses Jer 15:15-18 give the answer of the Remnant to verses Jer 15:11-14. Two things characterize the believing Remnant always-loyal to the word of God, and separation from those who mock at that word Jer 15:16; Jer 15:17 Cf. Rev 3:8-10.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:11-14 The Lord replied to Jeremiah’s lament with reassurance and then explained what would be happening soon.

15:11 When trouble and distress fell upon the people, they would ask Jeremiah to plead on their behalf.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In this perplexity the Lord comforted me, and said that my last days should be quiet: and by the enemy he meaneth here, Nebuzaradan the captain of Nebuchadnezzar, who gave Jeremiah the choice either to remain in his country, or to go whither he would: or by the enemy he meaneth the Jews, which should afterward know Jeremiah’s fidelity, and therefore favor him.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verily--literally, "Shall it not be?" that is, "Surely it shall be."

thy remnant--the final issue of thy life; thy life, which now seems to thee so sad, shall eventuate in prosperity [CALVIN]. They who think that they shall be the surviving remnant, whereas thou shalt perish, shall themselves fall, whereas thou shalt remain and be favored by the conquerors [JUNIUS], (Jer 40:4-5; Jer 39:11-12). The Keri reads, "I will set thee free (or as MAURER, 'I will establish thee') for good" (Jer 14:11; Ezr 8:22; Psa 119:122).

to entreat thee well--literally, "to meet thee"; so "to be placable, nay, of their own accord to anticipate in meeting thee with kindness" [CALVIN]. I prefer this translation as according with the event (Jer 39:11-12; Jer 40:4-5). GESENIUS, from Jer 7:16; Jer 27:18; Job 21:15, translates (not only will I relieve thee from the enemy's vexations, but) "I will make thine enemy (that now vexeth thee) apply to thee with prayers" (Jer 38:14; Jer 42:2-6).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil] This was literally fulfilled; see Jer 39:11, &c. Nebuchadnezzar had given strict charge to Nebuzar-adan, commander in chief, to look well to Jeremiah, to do him no harm, and to grant him all the privileges he was pleased to ask.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

God at the beginning of this verse no doubt intimates that he would be propitious to his servant, and grant him what he asked. We then conclude that the Prophet’s prayer was heard; and hence also becomes manifest what I have stated, that the Prophet was not so led away by the force of grief, but that he chiefly regarded the benefit of the people. God then was so propitious to his request, that he said that it would be well with his remnant, that what remained would be blessed.

Interpreters differ as to the second clause: some apply what is said to the people, I will make the enemy to meet thee in the time of evil, and in the time of trouble: and so they take this view, that God at the beginning of the verse answers the Prophet, and intimates that his request was accepted, so that there would be a better and happier end than what then appeared; and they think that God then turns his discourse to the people, “With regard to you, I will make the enemy to meet you in the day of affliction.” But this explanation seems forced. I prefer to regard the whole verse as addressed to the Prophet. God promises first that his remnant would be prosperous; and by remnant he means the remaining time or the end of life, as though he had said, “I will at length have pity on thee, so that the things which cause thee the greatest grief shall turn into joy: thine end then shall be more prosperous than thou thinkest.” Then the words which follow confirm the previous sentence: for the Prophet might have objected and said, “Then either the people shall be delivered from all trouble, or I shall not escape a part of the calamity.” To this God replies and says, “Thou and others nmst suffer many things, but I will make the enemy to meet thee, that is, I will make the enemy to be propitious to thee, and even of his own accord to anticipate thee.

Interpreters differ still farther respecting the verb הפגעתי epegoti; some regard it in a transitive sense, “To meet thee will I make the enemy;” others render the sentence thus, “I will meet the enemy for thee,” or, “I will cause the enemy to ask for thee.” The verb, פגע pego, means sometimes to meet, either in a good or bad sense; as when one goes as an enemy against another, he is said to meet him; or, when one offers help and shews kindness to another, he is said to meet him. But the word has another meaning, and signifies sometimes to ask, and so some take it here, “I will cause the enemy to ask for thee.” But this is far — fetched: God did not send messengers to pacify the Babylonians towards his servant Jeremiah. I prefer to render the words thus, “I will meet the enemy for thee,” or, “I will cause the enemy to meet thee;” that is, “I will pacify him by my secret influence, so that he will of himself spare thee and treat thee kindly.” And we know that it so happened; for Jeremiah was loosed from his chains and was allowed his liberty, so that he was permitted to go wherever he wished. As then the enemies treated him with so nmch kindness, it appears evident that what God had before promised was fulfined.

As to the main thing intended, there is no ambiguity in the words: God promised that the latter end of Jeremiah would be happy, and that though he was to suffer somewhat in the common calamity of the whole people, yet the enemy would treat him kindly, so that his condition would be better and more desirable than that of others.

But why did Jeremiah make this public? why did he give this description? why did he commit it to writing? even that the Jews might understand that they who harassed him, when he had done them no injury, dealt unjustly with him. They had indeed been excited by him, but it was through what his office required, for he could not deny obedience to God. Jeremiah then made public what God only knew before, that he might produce an impression on them, provided any hope of repentance yet remained. And for the same reason also was the promise of God added; for the Jews ought to have been terrified, when they saw that such an end was promised by God to the Prophet; for what must have happened to them, except the curse of God to the utter-most? We hence see, that in the complaint of the Prophet, and in the answer given by God, the salvation of the people was regarded; for the complaint contains a most severe reproof and the answer of God threatens a most dreadful judgment to the rebellious people. It follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(11) Verily it shall be well with thy remnant.—The passage is obscure, and the reading uncertain; (1) Thy freedom shall be for good, or (2) I afflict thee for thy good, or (3) I strengthen thee for thy good, have been proposed as better renderings. The second seems to give the meaning most in harmony with the context. Jehovah comforts the despairing prophet by the promise that in due time there shall be a deliverance from the discords of his life, and that “all things shall work together for his good.”

I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well.—The final adverb, which is not found in the Hebrew, obscures the sense, suggesting the English phrase of “treating well.” Better, I will cause the enemy to be a suppliant to thee in time of evil. Partial fulfilments of the promise are found in Jer_21:1; Jer_37:3; Jer_42:2.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. The v. is difficult without applying considerable conjectural emendation. The whole is best taken as Jeremiah’s utterance. “The Lord said “is not a formula which elsewhere in Jeremiah introduces a Divine utterance. The LXX’s rendering of the passage, however, suggests that their text had the usual formula. The verb translated “strengthen” is not pure Heb. but Aramaic. Jer_15:10 seems to want rather an assertion that the prophet on his side had deserved the reverse of revilings from the people. Hence Co. with certain changes in MT. renders “Amen, Jehovah, to their curses, if I did not make intercession with Thee for the enemy’s welfare at the time of their misfortune and need.”

strengthen] mg. suggests release, which is perhaps the meaning of the reading in MT. R.V. text follows the mg. of MT.

I will cause, etc.] mg. I will intercede for thee with the enemy. But see above.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord said,.... In answer to the prophet's complaint:

verily it shall be well with thy remnant: not with the remnant of his people, or those that should escape the threatened calamities; but the sense is, that it should be well with him in his latter end; the remainder of his days should be comfortable or be spent in peace and prosperity; and so the Targum,

"if thine end shall not be for good.''

The words are in the form of an oath, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; and the meaning is, that if it is not well with thee in thy last days, then say I am unfaithful, and not true to my word. According to Donesh, cited by Jarchi, the word translated "remnant" has the signification of loosing; and he renders it, "if I loose thee not for good" (m); which accordingly was done, Jer 40:4, and this sense is confirmed by the note of the Masorites: "verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well"; or, "if I do not", &c. for it is also in the form of an oath, as before, as Jarchi notes; and so it was, Nebuchadnezzar gave charge to Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to look well to him, and do him no harm; who, when he loosed him, gave him his choice to go with him to Babylon, or continue in the land, Jer 39:11, or, "verily I will", or, "shall I not entreat the enemy for thee?" (n) and make him gentle and humane, so that he shall use thee kindly. Jarchi interprets this of Zedekiah and his courtiers seeking to Jeremiah, in the time of their distress, to pray for them, Jer 37:2, and to which sense the Targum inclines,

"if they shall not come and help thee, &c.''

in the time of evil, and in the time of affliction; when the city is taken, and the people carrying captive.

(m) "si non absolvero te in bonum", Schmidt. Vid. De Dieu in loc. (n) "sed faciam hostem occurrere tibi", Calvin: "annon intervenirem pro te apud inimicum?" Junius & Tremellius; "nisi interveniam pro te apud inimicum", Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Shall be well with thy remnant - Or, thy loosing shall be for good; in the sense of being set free, deliverance.

To entreat thee well ... - Rather, “to supplicate thee in the time of evil etc.;” fulfilled in Jer 21:1-2; Jer 37:3; Jer 42:2.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Remnant; posterity, (Calmet) or rather possessions, as the prophet never married, chap. xvi. 2. (Haydock) --- God assures him that he shall be protected. (Menochius) --- The Chaldeans treated him with respect, chap. xxxix. 2., and xl. 1. Sedecias and the people had often recourse to him. Chaldean, "They will come to intreat thee, when the enemy shall straiten them." (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The latter words of the verse expound the former; for by remnant is here meant the residue or remnant of days Jeremiah had yet to live, not the remnant of the people who should come out of Babylon.

I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction; I will, by my providence, so order it, that how cruelly and severely soever the enemy deals with thy country, yet he shall use thee kindly when he shall take the city. See the fulfilling of this prophecy Jer 39:11; 40:3,4.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. It shall be well with thy remnant — The passage is exceedingly difficult. This difficulty pressed upon the Jews themselves, for the keri is manifestly a struggle for relief. Many translations have been given, for the most important of which see the critical note of Nagelsbach in loc. The following deserve mention: “I afflict thee for thy good,” Gesenius, Meyer, Nagelsbach. “I will strengthen thee for good,” Ewald, Keil. “I will loose thee for good,” Furst, Rosenmuller. Of these the last is preferable, both on the score of etymology and sense, combining, as it does, substantially both the kethil and keri. The word occurs elsewhere only in Job_37:3, where it applies to the lightning, and is rendered in the English version “directeth,” but probably should be translated hath set loose.

To entreat thee well — Rather, to supplicate thee, a prophecy which was literally fulfilled. See Jer_21:1, etc.; Jer_37:3; Jer_38:14, etc.; Jer_43:2.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord said. The prophets are usually so tenacious of the same formulae that even their slight deviations are noteworthy. "The Lord said," for "Thus saith the Lord," occurs only here and in Jer_46:25 (where, however, the phrase has possibly been detached by mistake from the preceding verse). It shall be well with thy remnant; rather, I have loosed thee for (thy) good, or, thy loosing (shall be) for (thy good), according as we adopt the reading of the Hebrew text or that of the margin, which differs in form as slightly as it is possible to do. If we accept the historical setting proposed by Gratz for this paragraph, the reference will be to the "loosing" of Jeremiah from his chains mentioned in Jer_40:4. The rendering given here is, however, only a probable one; it is in conformity with the Aramaic usage of the verb, (the Targum uses it in this sense in Jer_40:4) and is supported by its suitability to the context and, philologically, by the fact of the growing influence of Aramaic upon Hebrew. Gesenius, in his anxiety to keep close to the native use of the root, produces a rendering (of the Hebrew marginal reading) which does not suit the context, viz. "I afflict thee for (thy) good." Jeremiah does not complain of being afflicted by God, but that all the world is against him; Ewald, comparing a different Aramaic verb to that appealed to above, renders, "I strengthen thee," etc., which is adopted by Keil, but does not accord with the second half of the verse so well as the rendering adopted. The Authorized Version follows the Targum, the Vulgate, Aquila, Symmachus, Rashi, and Kimchi, assuming that sherith is contracted from sh"erith, (as in 1Ch_12:38) and that "remnant" is equivalent to "remnant of life." But, though the sense is not unacceptable (comp. Vers. 20, 21), the form of expression is unnatural; we should have expected akharith"ka, "thy latter end". (comp. Job_8:7) I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well. This expression is as difficult as the preceding, and our rendering of it will depend entirely on our view of the context. If "the enemy" means the Chaldeans, the Authorized Version will be substantially correct. Rashi has already mentioned the view that the phrase alludes to Nebnzar-adan"s respectful inquiry as to the wishes of Jeremiah in Jer_40:2-5. In this ease, the literal rendering is, I will cause the enemy to meet thee (as a friend); comp. Isa_47:3 Isa_64:4. But if "the enemy" means the Jews, then we must render, I grill cause the enemy to supplicate thee , and illustrate the phrase by the repeated applications of Zedekiah to the prophet, (Jer_21:1, 2 37:3 38:14) and the similar appeal of the "captains of the forces," in Jer_42:1-3.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thy remnant - The latter words of the verse expound the former; for by remnant is meant the remnant of days that Jeremiah had to live.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

1 leave you over I leave you over, an expression of a remnant. In this manner, Menahem (Machbereth p. 181) interpreted it, but Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 36) interpreted it as an expression of release. And שֵרִיתִיךָ is like (Dan. 5:12) “And untying (וּמְֹשָרֵא) knots,” and the interpretation of שֵרִיתִיךָ is so, as it is stated (below 40:4): “Behold I have released you from the chains that are on your hand.” That is to say, on that day that the Lord fulfilled His word, it was said to him, “And now, behold I have released you today from the chains that are on your hand, if it pleases you to come with me to Babylon.” And also, Israel begged him to pray for them, as it was said to him (below 42:4): “Pray on our behalf to the Lord our Cod, for we remain few from many.”

Verily I will lit., if not, an expression of an oath.

I will cause [them] to beg you in time of evil with the enemy. When evil befalls them, they will beg you to supplicate God for mercy upon them, for example, Zedekiah said to him, (below 21:2) “Beseech God now on our behalf, etc.” Another explanation. Nebuzaradan will beg you (below 40:4), “If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.