Yirmeyah 11:21

21 Therefore thus saith Hashem of the anshei Anatot, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not B’Shem Hashem, that thou die not by our yad;

Yirmeyah 11:21 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 11:21

Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth
That is, "unto", or "concerning the men of Anathoth", the townsmen of Jeremiah, and who were the persons that combined together to destroy him; of this place, (See Gill on Jeremiah 1:1) that seek thy life;
or "soul"; that is, to take it away: saying, prophesy not in the name of the Lord;
without their leave, and such hard things as he did, unless he would prophesy smooth things, and then he might go on, otherwise he must expect to die: that thou die not by our hand;
or means; they intimate, that, should he persist in this way of prophesying, they should not stay to carry on a judicial process against him, to bring him and accuse him before a judge, or the sanhedrim, or any court of judicature; but should do as those called zealots in later times did; lay violent hands upon him, and dispatch him themselves at once; perhaps this they said after they found that the prophet had knowledge of their designs against him.

Yirmeyah 11:21 In-Context

19 But I was like an innocent keves (lamb) that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised machashavot (plots) against me, saying, Let us destroy the etz (tree) with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from Eretz Chayyim, that shmo may be no more remembered.

20 But, Hashem Tzva’os, Shofet Tzedek, that testeth the kelayot (kidneys) and the lev, let me see Thy vengeance on them; for unto Thee have I committed my cause.

21 Therefore thus saith Hashem of the anshei Anatot, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not B’Shem Hashem, that thou die not by our yad;

22 Therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, Look! I will punish them; the bochurim shall die by the cherev; their banim and their banot shall die by ra’av (famine);

23 And there shall be no she’erit (remnant) of them; for I will bring ra’ah (evil) upon the Anshei Anatot, even the year of their visitation [i.e., divine visitation for punishment].