Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 15:15-18

"O Jehovah, thou knowest; remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach. Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O Jehovah, God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of them that make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand; for thou hast filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful [brook], as waters that fail?" — Jeremiah 15:15-18 (ASV)

Here the prophet's petition is presented, which has two parts: first, his own prayer, and second, the Lord's response, which begins with the words, because of this the Lord spoke these things (Jeremiah 15:19). The first part, the prophet's prayer, consists of three points.

1. He presents the comfort he seeks from God. He says, you know what I suffer and what I have done. He asks God to Remember, that is, to act out of mercy, as in Lamentations 3:19: Remember my poverty and my transgression, wormwood and gall. He seeks comfort, asking, and visit me with consolation, for Your consolation has kept my spirit (Job 10:12). He asks God not to delay, saying, do not take me away in your forbearance, for the Most High repays with patience .

2. He mentions his own merit by describing the reproach he has patiently endured for God. He speaks of the injustice done to him, crying know—that is, show by your actions that you know. He explains this was for your sake, because he obeyed God's commands and proclaimed difficult things to the people. As the psalmist says, For your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face (Psalms 68:8).

   He also speaks of his experience of spiritual joy: your words were found, meaning they came to him, and I ate them, meaning he delighted in them. This recalls the psalm: How sweet are your words to my throat; they are sweeter than honey to my mouth (Psalms 119:103). He gives the reason for this joy: for I am called by your name, that is, he is known as a prophet of the Lord. This echoes the earlier prayer, your name is called upon us (Jeremiah 14:9).

   Furthermore, he describes the company he wisely avoided, highlighting his solitude: I have not sat in the assembly of mockers, much less of the wicked, so that he would not set aside his heavy heart and be free from God's commands. This is similar to the prayer in Tobit 3:17: I have never associated with jesters, nor have I made myself a companion of those who walk in frivolity. He speaks of his inner exaltation, saying, and I have gloried because of the presence of your correcting hand. This is like the Apostle's statement, Gladly will I glory in my infirmities (2 Corinthians 12:9). Alternatively, this "hand" could be the hand that consoles with spiritual gifts. Finally, he gives the reason for his solitude: I sat alone, for you have filled me with indignation. It is as if he were saying, "I have been weighed down by so many bitter things that I have had no time for amusement." As he says elsewhere, He has filled me with bitterness (Lamentations 3:15).

3. Third, he expresses wonder at the sting of his inflicted pain. He asks, why has my sorrow become continual? It is as if he is saying, "How is it that this trouble has not subsided after so many prayers and merits?" This echoes a later passage: your breach is incurable, your wound very grievous (Jeremiah 30:12). According to some Jewish interpretations, he speaks here in the person of Jerusalem.

   He adds a source of consolation, interpreting the phrase it has become to me as the falsehood of treacherous waters to mean: "Nevertheless, I will be consoled in this, because this kind of distress will pass swiftly, just like treacherous waters that gather from the rains and then disappear." This is compared to the cry, The waters have come in unto my soul (Psalms 68:1). An alternative interpretation is that the prophet says this because of the deceit of his adversaries.