Jeremiah — Chapter 11

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1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

2“Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

3You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,

4which I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey Me, and do everything I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God.’

5This was in order to establish the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is to this day.” “Amen, LORD,” I answered.

6Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant and carry them out.

7For from the time I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I strongly warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’

8Yet they would not obey or incline their ears, but each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant I had commanded them to follow but they did not keep.”

9And the LORD told me, “There is a conspiracy among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

10They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.

11Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.

12Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.

13Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’

14As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me in their time of disaster.

15What right has My beloved in My house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your doom? When you are wicked, then you rejoice.

16The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.

17The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”

18And the LORD informed me, so I knew. Then You showed me their deeds.

19For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”

20O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.

21Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the people of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “You must not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand.”

22So this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine.

23There will be no remnant, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

3And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

4Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:

5That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.

6Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.

7For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.

9And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

11Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

12Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

13For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

14Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

15What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

16The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

17For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

18And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.

19But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

20But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

21Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:

22Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:

23And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

1The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

2Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

3and say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man that heareth not the words of this covenant,

4which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God;

5that I may establish the oath which I sware unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then answered I, and said, Amen, O Jehovah.

6And Jehovah said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.

7For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart: therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.

9And Jehovah said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they are gone after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

11Therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and they shall cry unto me, but I will not hearken unto them.

12Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto which they offer incense: but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

13For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

14Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me because of their trouble.

15What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness [with] many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

16Jehovah called thy name, A green olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

17For Jehovah of hosts, who planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have wrought for themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense unto Baal.

18And Jehovah gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it: then thou showedst me their doings.

19But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, [saying], Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

20But, O Jehovah of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the heart and the mind, I shall see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

21Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, that thou die not by our hand;

22therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine;

23and there shall be no remnant unto them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

1The Lord said to Jeremiah:

2“Hear the terms of the covenant I made with Israel and pass them on to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.

3Tell them that the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Anyone who does not keep the terms of the covenant will be under a curse.

4Those are the terms that I charged your ancestors to keep when I brought them out of Egypt, that place that was like an iron-smelting furnace. I said at that time, “Obey me and carry out the terms of the covenant exactly as I commanded you. If you do, you will be my people and I will be your God.

5Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.” That is the very land that you still live in today.’” And I responded, “Amen. Let it be so, Lord.”

6The Lord said to me, “Announce all the following words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of my covenant with you and carry them out!

7For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me. I warned them again and again, ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.

8But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me! Each one of them followed the stubborn inclinations of his own wicked heart. So I brought on them all the punishments threatened in the covenant because they did not carry out its terms as I commanded them to do.’”

9The Lord said to me, “The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem have plotted rebellion against me.

10They have gone back to the evil ways of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.

11So I, the Lord, say this: ‘I will soon bring disaster on them that they will not be able to escape! When they cry out to me for help, I will not listen to them.

12Then those living in the towns of Judah and in Jerusalem will go and cry out for help to the gods to whom they have been sacrificing. However, those gods will by no means be able to save them when disaster strikes them.

13This is in spite of the fact that the people of Judah have as many gods as they have towns and the citizens of Jerusalem have set up as many altars to sacrifice to that disgusting god, Baal, as they have streets in the city!’

14But as for you, Jeremiah, do not pray for these people. Do not raise a cry of prayer for them. For I will not listen to them when they call out to me for help when disaster strikes them.”

15The Lord says to the people of Judah, “What right do you have to be in my temple, my beloved people? Many of you have done wicked things. Can your acts of treachery be so easily canceled by sacred offerings that you take joy in doing evil even while you make them?

16I, the Lord, once called you a thriving olive tree, one that produced beautiful fruit. But I will set you on fire, fire that will blaze with a mighty roar. Then all your branches will be good for nothing.

17For though I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, planted you in the land, I now decree that disaster will come on you because the nations of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made me angry by offering sacrifices to the god Baal.”

18The Lord gave me knowledge, that I might have understanding. Then he showed me what the people were doing.

19Before this I had been like a docile lamb ready to be led to the slaughter. I did not know they were making plans to kill me. I did not know they were saying, “Let’s destroy the tree along with its fruit! Let’s remove Jeremiah from the world of the living so people will not even be reminded of him anymore.”

20So I said, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you are a just judge! You examine people’s hearts and minds. I want to see you pay them back for what they have done because I trust you to vindicate my cause.”

21Then the Lord told me about some men from Anathoth who were threatening to kill me. They had threatened, “Stop prophesying in the name of the Lord or we will kill you!”

22So the Lord of Heaven’s Armies said, “I will surely punish them! Their young men will be killed in battle. Their sons and daughters will die of starvation.

23Not one of them will survive. I will bring disaster on those men from Anathoth who threatened you. A day of reckoning is coming for them.”

1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

2“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

3and say to them, Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant,

4which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace,’ saying, ‘Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so you shall be my people, and I will be your God;

5that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is today.” Then answered I, and said, “Amen, Yahweh.”

6Yahweh said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.

7For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and protesting, saying, “Obey my voice.”

8Yet they didn’t obey, nor turn their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart. Therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they didn’t do them.’”

9Yahweh said to me, “A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

11Therefore Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on them, which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry to me, but I will not listen to them.

12Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to which they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

13For according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have you set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.’

14“Therefore don’t pray for this people. Don’t lift up cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to me because of their trouble.

15What has my beloved to do in my house, since she has behaved lewdly with many, and the holy flesh has passed from you? When you do evil, then you rejoice.”

16Yahweh called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit.” With the noise of a great roar he has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken.

17For Yahweh of Armies, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense to Baal.

18Yahweh gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it. Then you showed me their doings.

19But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they had devised plans against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”

20But, Yahweh of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I will see your vengeance on them; for to you I have revealed my cause.

21“Therefore Yahweh says concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy in Yahweh’s name, that you not die by our hand;’

22therefore Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine.

23There will be no remnant to them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.’”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

God reminds Judah of the covenant made when He brought their ancestors out of Egypt, a covenant that required obedience and promised blessing, but that this generation, like their fathers, has broken (vv. 1-8). A widespread conspiracy of rebellion runs through Judah and Jerusalem, and the people have returned to the sins of their ancestors, following other gods (vv. 9-10). Because of this, God again tells Jeremiah not to intercede for the people, since He will not listen to their cries when disaster comes (vv. 11, 14). The chapter ends with Jeremiah discovering that the men of his own hometown, Anathoth, are conspiring to kill him and silence his preaching, comparing him to a tree they intend to destroy along with its fruit (vv. 18-21).

Authorship & Background

Author: Jeremiah son of Hilkiah (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Prophetic Oracle + Personal Narrative
Key Themes: The broken covenant, "cursed be the man that obeyeth not," don't pray for them (repeated), the conspiracy against Jeremiah from his own town, the cost of faithful ministry
Historical Context: This chapter likely dates to Josiah's reforms (621 BC) — Jeremiah supporting the covenant renewal based on the rediscovered Book of the Law (2 Kings 22-23). But the response is external only; the people's hearts remain unchanged. Then comes personal crisis: Jeremiah's own family and town (Anathoth) plots to kill him (v.21). The prophets of Anathoth may have resented Jeremiah's support for centralizing worship in Jerusalem (which would eliminate their local priestly income). This is the first of Jeremiah's "confessions" — personal prayers revealing the prophet's inner anguish.
The Words of This Covenant (vv.1-5): Hear ye the words of this covenant, and the word covenant is used five times in five verses. The structure is a document with a curse attached to it, cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, and the promise on the other side is the standard formula, so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God. That shape is Deuteronomy's shape, and many read this chapter against Josiah's discovery of the book of the law in 622 BC, five years after Jeremiah's call. On that reading he is being sent to promote a covenant renewal that has already been held, and the rest of the chapter reports how little it changed. His own reply is two words, so be it, O LORD.
Proclaim These Words (vv.6-8): Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem. What follows is the pattern this book states over and over, and the detail that carries it is the diligence of the sending, I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, rising early and protesting. Then the outcome, yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart.
A Conspiracy Among the Men of Judah (vv.9-13): A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and the word is worth pausing on: apostasy is being described as an organized undertaking rather than a drift. They are turned back to the iniquities of their fathers. Then the count from chapter 2 repeated exactly, according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah, which works out at one shrine per town. And the door closed, though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
Pray Not for This People (vv.14-17): The second of the three prohibitions, therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them, for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble. Then an image chosen for its value, the LORD called thy name a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit, with the fire kindled upon it and the branches broken. An olive was the longest-lived and most valuable tree a family owned, took a generation to come into full bearing, and could not be quickly replaced, which is exactly why it is the tree in the picture.
The Plot from Anathoth (vv.18-23): The first of the confessions. It begins with the prophet learning something he had not seen coming, the LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it, and thou shewedst me their doings, but I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter, and I knew not that they had devised devices against me. The men doing it are from his own town, the men of Anathoth, saying, Let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered. His response is a request for vengeance, let me see thy vengeance on them, for unto thee have I revealed my cause, and the answer granted is in the same terms. Whether a prophet ought to pray that way is a question this book raises repeatedly and never settles.

Map & Geography

  • Jerusalem (v.2, v.6, v.9): Capital of Judah; the holy city where the Temple stood.
  • Egypt (v.4, v.7): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.

Places on this map

  • JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
  • EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Prepared For A Greater Challenge - Jeremiah 11-12
David Guzik

Jeremiah 11-12 | A Covenant of Judgment | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Conspiracies and Competing with Horses - Jeremiah 11-12
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Jeremiah -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • A Covenant Built on Listening (v.4) — God reminds Judah that the covenant's core command was simply to obey His voice and do all He commanded. Is your relationship with God still that simple, or have you complicated what obedience actually requires?
  • When Prayer Gives Way to Acceptance (v.14) — God again tells Jeremiah not to pray for this people because judgment has already been set. Is there a situation where you're still praying for a different outcome instead of accepting what's already unfolding?
  • Even Fruitful Branches Can Be Burned (v.16) — God compares Judah to a green olive tree He planted, yet says fire will consume its branches because of what they've become. Does past faithfulness ever tempt you to think present compromise won't catch up with you?
  • Led Like a Trusting Lamb (v.19) — Jeremiah admits he was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter, unaware of the plot forming against him. When has God opened your eyes to a danger you never saw coming, and how did that change how you trusted Him afterward?
  • Betrayed by Your Own People (v.21) — The threat against Jeremiah's life comes from the men of his own hometown, Anathoth. Have you experienced the particular pain of opposition from people who were supposed to be on your side, and how did you respond?