Jeremiah 15:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord declares, You have abandoned Me and turned away. The lack of sorrow for Jerusalem, the absence of compassion, and the refusal to pray for its peace can be understood: rather than moving forward as the apostle suggests by forgetting the past, it has tragically regressed, longing for the sustenance of Egypt. I will raise My hand against you and bring destruction; I grow weary of pleading, as the LXX suggests, I will no longer permit your ways. The outstretched hand signifies a punishment, and the destruction of the unrighteous represents an overflow of divine wrath. Additionally, the phrase I grow weary of pleading carries a dual implication—it indicates that God has grown tired of repeatedly offering forgiveness and of persistently calling them to redemption.

The Lord declares, “You have abandoned Me; you have turned away.” The actions you’ve taken will lead to your own suffering. The prophet indicated that this turning away refers to a state of humiliation. “I will extend my hand against you and bring you to death; thus, I will show no mercy.” My patience will no longer be the same. Then, illustrating that he is reluctantly compelled to enact punishment, despite his compassion, he stated: