Jeremiah 12:6

6 For why both thy brethren and the house of thy father, yea, they fought against thee, and cried with full voice after thee; believe thou not to them, when they speak goods to thee (do not thou believe them, when they say their fine words to thee).

Jeremiah 12:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 12:6

For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father
The men of Anathoth; even they have dealt treacherously with thee;
by laying schemes, and consulting methods, to take away his life privately; his enemies were those of his own house; which is oftentimes the case of good men, and especially of such that are in public office: yea, they have called a multitude after thee;
a multitude of men, which they gathered together, and instigated to call after him in a clamorous and reproachful way: or, they called after thee with a full voice,
as the Vulgate Latin ^F26 version renders it; and which De Dieu approves of; they not only gathered a mob about him, and drew men after him, but they hooted him as he went along, and called aloud after him, giving him the most reproachful names they could think of: believe them not, though they speak fair words to thee;
this must be understood of some of them, who did not appear so openly against him, as to call after him, or gather a mob about him; but of such who pretended to be his friends, and to have respect for him, and yet had evil designs against him, and therefore were not to be trusted; their words were not to be believed; their company to be shunned; nor was he safe in their houses; nor was it safe for him to be with them, to eat with them, or converse with them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (alm Kyrxa warq hmh) "illi clamarunt post te plena voce", V. L. Tigurine version, Calvin; "pleno gutture", Piscator, Cosceius.

Jeremiah 12:6 In-Context

4 How long shall the earth mourn, and each herb of the field shall be dried, for the malice of them that dwell therein? A beast is wasted, and a bird, for they said, The Lord shall not see our last things. (How long shall the land mourn, and the grass on each field shall be dried up, because of the malice of those who live there? Yea, a beast is destroyed, and also a bird, because those people said, The Lord shall not see what we do.)

5 If thou travailest running with footmen, how shalt thou be able to strive with horses? but when thou art secure in the land of peace, what shalt thou do in the pride of Jordan? (what shalt thou do in the thickets of the Jordan River?)

6 For why both thy brethren and the house of thy father, yea, they fought against thee, and cried with full voice after thee; believe thou not to them, when they speak goods to thee (do not thou believe them, when they say their fine words to thee).

7 I have left mine house, I have forsaken mine heritage; I gave my loved soul into the hands of enemies thereof. (I have left my house, I have abandoned my inheritance; I gave the beloved of my soul into the hands of their enemies.)

8 Mine heritage is made as a lion in the wood to me; it gave voice against me, therefore I hated it. (My inheritance is made like a lion in the woods to me; they gave voice against me, and so I hated them.)