Jeremiah 11:1-7

1 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, and said, (The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremiah, and said,)

2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak ye to the men of Judah, and to the dwellers of Jerusalem; (Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak ye to the people of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;)

3 and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Cursed be the man that heareth not the words of this covenant, (and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Cursed be the person who would not listen to, or obey, the words of this covenant,)

4 which I commanded to your fathers, in the day in which I led them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace; and I said, Hear ye my voice, and do ye all things which I commanded to you, and ye shall be into a people to me, and I shall be into God to you;

5 that I raise (up) the oath which I swore to your fathers, that I should give to them a land flowing with milk and honey, as this day is (as it is this day). And I answered, and said, Amen, Lord.

6 And the Lord said to me, Cry thou [out] all these words in the cities of Judah, and without[forth] Jerusalem, and say thou, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do ye them;

7 for I witnessing have witnessed to your fathers, in the day in which I led them out of the land of Egypt, unto this day; I rose (up) early, and witnessed, and said, Hear ye my voice.

Jeremiah 11:1-7 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.