Jeremiah 11:8

8 But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. So I made all the curses of this agreement come upon them. I commanded them to obey the agreement, but they did not.'"

Jeremiah 11:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 11:8

Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear
Though they had such strong solicitations and fair warnings, and these repeated again and again; all which was an aggravation of their disobedience and stubbornness: but walked everyone in the imagination of their evil heart;
which is desperately wicked, and is evil, and that continually, even every imagination of it; wherefore walking herein must be very wide and different from walking in the law of the Lord, and obeying that; see ( Jeremiah 3:17 ) ( 7:24 ) : therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant;
that is, all the curses and threatenings denounced in it against the disobedient; and so the Targum,

``and I brought upon them vengeance (or punishment) because they received not the words of this covenant:''
which I commanded them to do, but they did them not; because they did not do the commands of the law, therefore the curses of it lighted on them; for the words of the preceding clause may be rendered, "and I brought upon them" F8; and it is suggested that the like punishment would be inflicted on the present generation, they imitating and pursuing the iniquities of their fathers; as follows:
FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Mhyle aybaw) "et induxi", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "ideo adduxi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "et feci ut venirent", Cocceius.

Jeremiah 11:8 In-Context

6 The Lord said to me, "Announce this message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the words of this agreement and obey them.
7 I warned your ancestors to obey me when I brought them out of Egypt. I have warned them again and again to this very day: "Obey me!"
8 But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. So I made all the curses of this agreement come upon them. I commanded them to obey the agreement, but they did not.'"
9 Then the Lord said to me, "I know the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem have made secret plans.
10 They have gone back to the same sins their ancestors did. Their ancestors refused to listen to my message and followed and worshiped other gods instead. The families of Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.