Jeremiah 14:7 Meaning and Explanation
“O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →When guilt is real, prayer can become evasive, defensive, or silent. Jeremiah gives another path. He speaks openly of iniquity and backsliding, then turns toward the LORD's name. This verse matters because confession and hope stand together: sin is named truthfully, and God's mercy is still sought.
Jeremiah's prayer admits Judah's many sins without excuse and appeals to the LORD's name. The people have no claim of innocence, yet they ask God to act in a way faithful to his revealed character.
The Context of Jeremiah 14:7
Jeremiah 14 opens during a devastating dearth affecting Judah, Jerusalem, farmers, and animals. After portraying the empty water pits and ruined ground, verses 7 through 9 voice a communal plea to the LORD. The prayer calls him Israel's hope and saviour in trouble, asking him not to leave a people called by his name. The LORD then answers that the people have loved to wander and that their sins will be remembered. The chapter later exposes prophets who promise safety without God's command. Verse 7 therefore begins a plea spoken amid deserved judgment and urgent distress.
What Does Jeremiah 14:7 Mean?
The prayer begins, "O LORD," directing the whole confession toward the God against whom Judah has sinned. Their iniquities "testify against us": their own conduct supplies the evidence, so there is no attempt to conceal the charge. "Backslidings" describes repeated turning away, not a single accidental failure. The words "are many" and "we have sinned against thee" make the admission collective and plain. Yet the prayer asks, "do thou it for thy name's sake." The request rests on the LORD's own name, his character and public faithfulness, rather than on Judah's worthiness. Confession here is relational. Sin has been committed against the covenant Lord whom they now address.
The rest of the chapter shows why this prayer is both necessary and difficult. Verses 8 and 9 continue the appeal, asking why the LORD should seem distant when he is in their midst and they bear his name. Verses 10 through 12 answer with the seriousness of their settled wandering and the coming sword, famine, and pestilence. Jeremiah does not use confession to deny the reality of judgment. The prayer recognizes that God has every reason to act against their sins, while still asking him to uphold the honor of his name and covenant. Verses 20 and 21 return to this same pattern of acknowledgment and appeal.
The Bible repeatedly joins God's name with mercy, covenant faithfulness, and the restoration of a people who have dishonored him. Ezekiel later speaks of the Lord acting for his holy name among the nations, where Israel's conduct had profaned it. That echo clarifies Jeremiah's appeal without turning it into a formula for escape from consequences. God's name gives solid ground for repentance because he is faithful to what he has revealed. Christ makes this hope especially clear in the forgiveness he proclaims and accomplishes. Through him, confession is brought into the light before the God who is able to cleanse and restore.
Bible Verses Related to Jeremiah 14:7
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”
- Exodus 34:6
“For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.”
- Psalm 25:11
“Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.”
- Ezekiel 36:22
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- 1 John 1:9
Where Jeremiah 14:7 Echoes in Scripture
Ezekiel 36:22 is an especially strong canonical echo because it also speaks of the Lord acting for his holy name in relation to Israel's sin among the nations. Jeremiah 14:7 does not appeal to human merit. It appeals to God's name while admitting guilt. Ezekiel develops the same concern by showing that God's sanctifying work will display the holiness of the name his people have dishonored. Together, the passages make confession hopeful and serious.
How to Apply Jeremiah 14:7 Today
We can learn to pray with words that are specific enough to be true. Instead of presenting ourselves as misunderstood or merely unfortunate, we may acknowledge patterns of wandering, harm, neglect, and divided loyalty before God. Such prayer does not require despair. The LORD's name gives us reason to seek mercy, correction, and renewal even when our record speaks against us. In shared life, this also encourages confession that avoids shifting blame onto others. We can ask God to make his goodness visible in the repair of what our sins have damaged, including relationships, responsibilities, and communities.
Reflection & Prayer
What would it mean to name one recurring backsliding before the Lord without defending it? Let the verse guide a prayer that holds confession and trust together. Suggested prayer: "O LORD, our sins are known to thee. Deal with us according to the goodness of thy name, turn our feet toward thee, and repair what our wandering has harmed. Amen."