Jeremiah 11:9-19

9 Then the LORD said to me, "A 1conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 "They have 2turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who 3refused to hear My words, and they 4have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have 5broken My covenant which I made with their fathers."
11 Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold I am 6bringing disaster on them which they will 7not be able to escape; though they will 8cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.
12 "Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will 9go 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 10as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the 11shameful thing, altars to 12burn incense to Baal.
14 "Therefore 13do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will 14not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
15 "What right has My 15beloved in My house When 16she 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 17green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form "; With the 18noise of a great tumult He has 19kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.
17 The LORD of hosts, who 20planted you, has 21pronounced 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 22offering up sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

18 Moreover, the LORD 23made it known to me and I knew it; Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle 24lamb led to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had 25devised plots against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, And 26let us cut him off from the 27land of the living, That his 28name be remembered no more."

Jeremiah 11:9-19 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 28

  • 1. Ezekiel 22:25; Hosea 6:9
  • 2. 1 Samuel 15:11; Jeremiah 3:10, 11; Ezekiel 20:18
  • 3. Deuteronomy 9:7; Psalms 78:8-10; Jeremiah 13:10
  • 4. Judges 2:11-13
  • 5. Jeremiah 3:6-11; Ezekiel 16:59
  • 6. 2 Kings 22:16; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 11:17
  • 7. Isaiah 24:17; Jeremiah 25:35
  • 8. Psalms 18:41; Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 8:18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13
  • 9. Deuteronomy 32:37; Jeremiah 44:17
  • 10. 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 2:28
  • 11. Jeremiah 3:24
  • 12. Jeremiah 7:9
  • 13. Exodus 32:10; Jeremiah 7:16; Jeremiah 14:11; 1 John 5:16
  • 14. Psalms 66:18; Jeremiah 11:11; Hosea 5:6
  • 15. Jeremiah 13:27
  • 16. Ezekiel 16:25
  • 17. Psalms 52:8; Romans 11:17
  • 18. Psalms 83:2
  • 19. Psalms 80:16; Isaiah 27:11; Jeremiah 21:14
  • 20. Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 2:21; Jeremiah 12:2
  • 21. Jeremiah 1:14; Jeremiah 16:10; Jeremiah 19:15
  • 22. Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 11:13; Jeremiah 32:29
  • 23. 1 Samuel 23:11, 12; 2 Kings 6:9, 10; Ezekiel 8:6
  • 24. Isaiah 53:7
  • 25. Jeremiah 18:18; Jeremiah 20:10
  • 26. Psalms 83:4; Isaiah 53:8
  • 27. Job 28:13; Psalms 52:5
  • 28. Psalms 109:13

Footnotes 7

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.