Jeremiah 11

13. shameful thing--Hebrew, "shame," namely, the idol, not merely shameful, but the essence of all that is shameful ( Jeremiah 3:24 , Hosea 9:10 ), which will bring shame and confusion on yourselves [CALVIN].

14. There is a climax of guilt which admits of no further intercessory prayer ( Exodus 32:10 , in the Chaldee version, "leave off praying"; Jeremiah 7:16 , 1 Samuel 16:1 , 15:35 , 1 John 5:16 ). Our mind should be at one with God in all that He is doing, even in the rejection of the reprobate.
for their trouble--on account of their trouble. Other manuscripts read, "in the time of their trouble" a gloss from Jeremiah 11:12 .

15. my beloved--My elect people, Judea; this aggravates their ingratitude ( Jeremiah 12:7 ).
lewdness with many--( Ezekiel 16:25 ). Rather, "that great (or, manifold) enormity"; literally, "the enormity, the manifold"; namely, their idolatry, which made their worship of God in the temple a mockery (compare Jeremiah 7:10 , Ezekiel 23:39 ) [HENDERSON].
holy flesh--( Haggai 2:12-14 , Titus 1:15 ), namely, the sacrifices, which, through the guilt of the Jews, were no longer holy, that is, acceptable to God. The sacrifices on which they relied will, therefore, no longer protect them. Judah is represented as a priest's wife, who, by adultery, has forfeited her share in the flesh of the sacrifices, and yet boasts of her prerogative at the very same time [HORSLEY].
when thou doest evil--literally, "when thy evil" (is at hand). PISCATOR translates, "When thy calamity is at hand (according to God's threats), thou gloriest" (against God, instead of humbling thyself). English Version is best (compare Proverbs 2:14 ).

16. called thy name--made thee.
olive--( Psalms 52:8 , Romans 11:17 ). The "olive" is chosen to represent the adoption of Judah by the free grace of God, as its oil is the image of richness (compare Psalms 23:5 , 104:15 ).
with . . . noise of . . . tumult--or, "at the noise," &c. namely, at the tumult of the invading army ( Isaiah 13:4 ) [MAURER]. Or, rather, "with the sound of a mighty voice," namely, that of God, that is, the thunder; thus there is no confusion of metaphors. The tree stricken with lightning has "fire kindled upon it, and the branches are broken," at one and the same time [HOUBIGANT].

17. that planted thee--( Jeremiah 2:21 , Isaiah 5:2 ).
against themselves--The sinner's sin is to his own hurt

18, 19. Jeremiah here digresses to notice the attempt on his life plotted by his townsmen of Anathoth. He had no suspicion of it, until Jehovah revealed it to him ( Jeremiah 12:6 ).
the Lord . . . thou--The change of person from the third to the second accords with the excited feelings of the prophet.
then--when I was in peril of my life.
their doings--those of the men of Anathoth. His thus alluding to them, before he has mentioned their name, is due to his excitement.

19. lamb--literally, a "pet lamb," such as the Jews often had in their houses, for their children to play with; and the Arabs still have ( 2 Samuel 12:3 ). His own familiar friends had plotted against the prophet. The language is exactly the same as that applied to Messiah ( Isaiah 53:7 ). Each prophet and patriarch exemplified in his own person some one feature or more in the manifold attributes and sufferings of the Messiah to come; just as the saints have done since His coming ( Galatians 2:20 , Philippians 3:10 , Colossians 1:24 ). This adapted both the more experimentally to testify of Christ.
devices--( Jeremiah 18:18 ).
tree with . . . fruit--literally, "in its fruit" or "food," that is, when it is in fruit. Proverbial, to express the destruction of cause and effect together. The man is the tree; his teaching, the fruit. Let us destroy the prophet and his prophecies; namely, those threatening destruction to the nation, which offended them. Compare Matthew 7:17 , which also refers to prophets and their doctrines.

20. triest . . . heart--( Revelation 2:23 ).
revealed--committed my cause. Jeremiah's wish for vengeance was not personal but ministerial, and accorded with God's purpose revealed to him against the enemies alike of God and of His servant ( Psalms 37:34 , 54:7 , 112:8 , 118:7 ).

21. Prophesy not--( Isaiah 30:10 , Amos 2:12 , Micah 2:6 ). If Jeremiah had not uttered his denunciatory predictions, they would not have plotted against him. None were more bitter than his own fellow townsmen. Compare the conduct of the Nazarites towards Jesus of Nazareth ( Luke 4:24-29 ).

22. The retribution of their intended murder shall be in kind; just as in Messiah's case ( Psalms 69:8-28 ).

23. ( Jeremiah 23:12 ).
the year of . . . visitation--The Septuagint translates, "in the year of their," &c., that is, at the time when I shall visit them in wrath. JEROME supports English Version. "Year" often means a determined time.