The Meaning of Jeremiah 7:16 Explained

Jeremiah 7:16

KJV: 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.

YLT: And thou dost not pray for this people, Nor lift up for them crying and prayer, Nor intercede with Me, for I hear thee not.

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

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 7:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord told His prophet not to waste his time praying for Him to be merciful to the people, even with earnest prayers, because they would not cause Him to relent (cf. Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:11). The only thing that would prevent invasion, destruction, and captivity would be His people"s repentance (cf. Jeremiah 7:3; Jeremiah 7:5-7).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 7

1  Jeremiah is sent to call to true repentance, to prevent the Jews' captivity
8  He rejects their vain confidence,
12  by the example of Shiloh
17  He threatens them for their idolatry
21  He rejects the sacrifices of the disobedient
29  He exhorts to mourn for their abominations in Tophet;
32  and the judgments for the same

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 7:16 mean?

Therefore you not do pray for people this nor lift up for them a cry or prayer make intercession to Me for not I will hear you
וְאַתָּ֞ה אַל־ תִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל ׀ בְּעַד־ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה וְאַל־ תִּשָּׂ֧א בַעֲדָ֛ם רִנָּ֥ה וּתְפִלָּ֖ה תִּפְגַּע־ בִּ֑י כִּי־ אֵינֶ֥נִּי שֹׁמֵ֖עַ אֹתָֽךְ

וְאַתָּ֞ה  Therefore  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
תִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל ׀  do  pray 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
הָעָ֣ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֗ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וְאַל־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּשָּׂ֧א  lift  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
בַעֲדָ֛ם  for  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
רִנָּ֥ה  a  cry 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִנָּה  
Sense: ringing cry.
וּתְפִלָּ֖ה  or  prayer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
תִּפְגַּע־  make  intercession 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּגַע  
Sense: to encounter, meet, reach, entreat, make intercession.
בִּ֑י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
שֹׁמֵ֖עַ  I  will  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.