Jeremiah 11:1-17

The Broken Covenant

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 "1Hear the words of this 2covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3 and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "3Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant
4 which I commanded your forefathers in the 4day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the 5iron furnace, saying, '6Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be 7My people, and I will be your God,'
5 in order to confirm the 8oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day."' " Then I said, "9Amen, O LORD."
6 And the LORD said to me, "10Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, '11Hear the words of this covenant and 12do them.
7 'For I solemnly 13warned your fathers in the 14day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, 15warning persistently, saying, "16Listen to My voice."
8 'Yet they 17did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the 18words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.' "
9 Then the LORD said to me, "A 19conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 "They have 20turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who 21refused to hear My words, and they 22have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have 23broken My covenant which I made with their fathers."
11 Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold I am 24bringing disaster on them which they will 25not be able to escape; though they will 26cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.
12 "Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will 27go 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 28as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the 29shameful thing, altars to 30burn incense to Baal.
14 "Therefore 31do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will 32not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
15 "What right has My 33beloved in My house When 34she 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 35green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form "; With the 36noise of a great tumult He has 37kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.
17 The LORD of hosts, who 38planted you, has 39pronounced 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 40offering up sacrifices to Baal.

Jeremiah 11:1-17 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 40

  • 1. Jeremiah 11:6
  • 2. Exodus 19:5
  • 3. Deuteronomy 27:26; Jeremiah 17:5; Galatians 3:10
  • 4. Exodus 24:3-8; Jeremiah 31:32
  • 5. Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51
  • 6. Leviticus 26:3; Deuteronomy 11:27; Jeremiah 7:23; Jeremiah 26:13
  • 7. Jeremiah 24:7; Zechariah 8:8
  • 8. Exodus 13:5; Deuteronomy 7:12; Psalms 105:9; Jeremiah 32:22
  • 9. Jeremiah 28:6
  • 10. Jeremiah 3:12; Jeremiah 7:2
  • 11. Jeremiah 11:2
  • 12. John 13:17; Romans 2:13; James 1:22
  • 13. 1 Samuel 8:9
  • 14. Jeremiah 11:4
  • 15. Exodus 15:26; 2 Chronicles 36:15; Jeremiah 7:25
  • 16. Jeremiah 11:7
  • 17. Jeremiah 7:24; Jeremiah 9:14; Jeremiah 35:15; Ezekiel 20:8
  • 18. Leviticus 26:14-43
  • 19. Ezekiel 22:25; Hosea 6:9
  • 20. 1 Samuel 15:11; Jeremiah 3:10, 11; Ezekiel 20:18
  • 21. Deuteronomy 9:7; Psalms 78:8-10; Jeremiah 13:10
  • 22. Judges 2:11-13
  • 23. Jeremiah 3:6-11; Ezekiel 16:59
  • 24. 2 Kings 22:16; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 11:17
  • 25. Isaiah 24:17; Jeremiah 25:35
  • 26. Psalms 18:41; Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 8:18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13
  • 27. Deuteronomy 32:37; Jeremiah 44:17
  • 28. 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 2:28
  • 29. Jeremiah 3:24
  • 30. Jeremiah 7:9
  • 31. Exodus 32:10; Jeremiah 7:16; Jeremiah 14:11; 1 John 5:16
  • 32. Psalms 66:18; Jeremiah 11:11; Hosea 5:6
  • 33. Jeremiah 13:27
  • 34. Ezekiel 16:25
  • 35. Psalms 52:8; Romans 11:17
  • 36. Psalms 83:2
  • 37. Psalms 80:16; Isaiah 27:11; Jeremiah 21:14
  • 38. Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 2:21; Jeremiah 12:2
  • 39. Jeremiah 1:14; Jeremiah 16:10; Jeremiah 19:15
  • 40. Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 11:13; Jeremiah 32:29

Footnotes 8

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