ירמיהו, פרק י״א, פסוק כ׳

In a moment of profound isolation, a persecuted prophet turns to God, seeking true justice against those secretly plotting his downfall. Recognizing God as the ultimate judge, he appeals to the One who sees far beyond open actions and peers directly into the hidden depths of human intentions.

This appeal to God as a righteous judge who examines the deepest thoughts and inner counsel of a person highlights the absolute perfection of divine justice. Such justice can never be twisted by unfairness or a lack of evidence [מלבי״ם]. While a human court cannot prosecute secret schemes that have not yet been carried out, God is fully aware of the intense hatred surrounding the prophet [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The process of divine examination probes the very core of human thought and counsel, trying and testing a person's true nature [מצודת ציון].

Commentators offer different perspectives on the exact target of this divine examination. One approach suggests that God tested the hearts of the enemies, exposing their malicious thoughts to the prophet so he could protect himself [רד״ק]. Conversely, another view explains that God is actually examining the prophet's own heart. Through this, God knows that he harbors no joy in being forced to deliver harsh prophecies against his people [מצודת דוד].

Overwhelmed by a sense of relentless persecution, the prophet cries out to witness divine retribution. This plea serves as a curse directed specifically at the people of his hometown of Anathoth [רש״י], accompanied by a prayer that he will not die before seeing God punish them [רד״ק]. However, this is not a request for petty personal revenge. The enemies do not hate him as a private individual; they seek his death solely because he speaks in God's name. Therefore, the only fitting response is heavenly justice [מלבי״ם].

The prophet's declaration that he has revealed his case to God exposes his absolute isolation. He has no brother or relative to confide in, as his own family members have risen up to kill him, leaving him with no choice but to direct his pain solely to God [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Although presenting his situation is described as revealing it, this raises a natural question, since everything is already known to God. The explanation is simply that the text employs regular human language, meaning that he is stating or laying out his claims before God, rather than uncovering unknown information [רד״ק, חומת אנך].