Jeremiah 11:11-21

11 Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold I am 1bringing disaster on them which they will 2not be able to escape; though they will 3cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.
12 "Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will 4go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their disaster.
13 "For your gods are 5as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the 6shameful thing, altars to 7burn incense to Baal.
14 "Therefore 8do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will 9not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
15 "What right has My 10beloved in My house When 11she has done many vile deeds? Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster, So that you can rejoice?"
16 The LORD called your name, "A 12green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form "; With the 13noise of a great tumult He has 14kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.
17 The LORD of hosts, who 15planted you, has 16pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by 17offering up sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

18 Moreover, the LORD 18made it known to me and I knew it; Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle 19lamb led to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had 20devised plots against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, And 21let us cut him off from the 22land of the living, That his 23name be remembered no more."
20 But, O LORD of hosts, who 24judges righteously, Who 25tries the feelings and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You have I committed my cause.
21 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of 26Anathoth, who 27seek your life, saying, "28Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, so that you will not 29die at our hand ";

Jeremiah 11:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 11

This chapter gives an account of the covenant God had made with the people of the Jews; their breach of it; and the evils threatened them on that account; and particularly against the men of Anathoth, for their ill treatment of the prophet. It begins with the order to Jeremiah to rehearse the words of the covenant in the ears of the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 11:1-3, which covenant is described by the sanction of it; a curse in case of disobedience; and a promise of being their God, and bringing them into the good land, in case of obedience; and by the time when it was made, when the Israelites were brought out of Egypt, Jer 10:3-5, which order, the prophet agreeing to, is repeated, Jer 10:5,6 declaring the earnest protestation and exhortation of God to obey it, which they not observing, were threatened with the curses of it, Jer 11:7,8, the present Jews doing as their forefathers had done, breaking the covenant, particularly by their idolatry, are threatened also with punishment they should not escape, Jer 11:9-11 which is aggravated by a resolution to show no regard to their cries, Jer 11:11, by the impotence of their idols to save them, though so numerous, Jer 11:12,13, by forbidding the prophet to pray for them, Jer 11:14, by their having no longer a place and protection in the house of God, because of their wickedness, Jer 11:15, by comparing their former and present state together, having been as a beautiful and fruitful olive tree, but now burnt, and its branches broken, Jer 11:16, next follows an account of a design of the men of Anathoth against the prophet, to take away his life, which he was ignorant of, till the Lord gave him knowledge of it, Jer 11:17-19, when he imprecates vengeance on them, Jer 11:20, and, under a spirit of prophecy from the Lord, foretells their utter ruin and destruction, Jer 11:21,22.

Cross References 29

  • 1. 2 Kings 22:16; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 11:17
  • 2. Isaiah 24:17; Jeremiah 25:35
  • 3. Psalms 18:41; Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 8:18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13
  • 4. Deuteronomy 32:37; Jeremiah 44:17
  • 5. 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 2:28
  • 6. Jeremiah 3:24
  • 7. Jeremiah 7:9
  • 8. Exodus 32:10; Jeremiah 7:16; Jeremiah 14:11; 1 John 5:16
  • 9. Psalms 66:18; Jeremiah 11:11; Hosea 5:6
  • 10. Jeremiah 13:27
  • 11. Ezekiel 16:25
  • 12. Psalms 52:8; Romans 11:17
  • 13. Psalms 83:2
  • 14. Psalms 80:16; Isaiah 27:11; Jeremiah 21:14
  • 15. Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 2:21; Jeremiah 12:2
  • 16. Jeremiah 1:14; Jeremiah 16:10; Jeremiah 19:15
  • 17. Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 11:13; Jeremiah 32:29
  • 18. 1 Samuel 23:11, 12; 2 Kings 6:9, 10; Ezekiel 8:6
  • 19. Isaiah 53:7
  • 20. Jeremiah 18:18; Jeremiah 20:10
  • 21. Psalms 83:4; Isaiah 53:8
  • 22. Job 28:13; Psalms 52:5
  • 23. Psalms 109:13
  • 24. Genesis 18:25; Psalms 7:8; Jeremiah 20:12
  • 25. 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalms 7:9; Jeremiah 17:10
  • 26. Jeremiah 1:1
  • 27. Jeremiah 12:5, 6; Jeremiah 20:10
  • 28. Amos 2:12
  • 29. Jeremiah 26:8; Jeremiah 38:4

Footnotes 8

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