1The wordH1697 that came to JeremiahH3414 from the LORDH3068, sayingH559, 2HearH8085 ye the wordsH1697 of this covenantH1285, and speakH1696 unto the menH376 of JudahH3063, and to the inhabitantsH3427 of JerusalemH3389; 3And sayH559 thou unto them, Thus saithH559 the LORDH3068 GodH430 of IsraelH3478; CursedH779 be the manH376 that obeyethH8085 not the wordsH1697 of this covenantH1285, 4Which I commandedH6680 your fathersH1 in the dayH3117 that I brought them forthH3318 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714, from the ironH1270 furnaceH3564, sayingH559, ObeyH8085 my voiceH6963, and doH6213 them, according to all which I commandH6680 you: so shall ye be my peopleH5971, and I will be your GodH430: 5That I may performH6965 the oathH7621 which I have swornH7650 unto your fathersH1, to giveH5414 them a landH776 flowingH2100 with milkH2461 and honeyH1706, as it is this dayH3117. Then answeredH6030 I, and saidH559, So be itH543, O LORDH3068. 6Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 unto me, ProclaimH7121 all these wordsH1697 in the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063, and in the streetsH2351 of JerusalemH3389, sayingH559, HearH8085 ye the wordsH1697 of this covenantH1285, and doH6213 them. 7For I earnestlyH5749 protestedH5749 unto your fathersH1 in the dayH3117 that I brought them upH5927 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714, even unto this dayH3117, rising earlyH7925 and protestingH5749, sayingH559, ObeyH8085 my voiceH6963. 8Yet they obeyedH8085 not, nor inclinedH5186 their earH241, but walkedH3212 every oneH376 in the imaginationH8307 of their evilH7451 heartH3820: therefore I will bringH935 upon them all the wordsH1697 of this covenantH1285, which I commandedH6680 them to doH6213 ; but they didH6213 them not. 9And the LORDH3068 saidH559 unto me, A conspiracyH7195 is foundH4672 among the menH376 of JudahH3063, and among the inhabitantsH3427 of JerusalemH3389. 10They are turned backH7725 to the iniquitiesH5771 of their forefathersH7223 H1, which refusedH3985 to hearH8085 my wordsH1697; and they wentH1980 afterH310 otherH312 godsH430 to serveH5647 them: the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478 and the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 have brokenH6565 my covenantH1285 which I madeH3772 with their fathersH1. 11Therefore thus saithH559 the LORDH3068, Behold, I will bringH935 evilH7451 upon them, which they shall not be ableH3201 to escapeH3318 ; and though they shall cryH2199 unto me, I will not hearkenH8085 unto them. 12Then shall the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063 and inhabitantsH3427 of JerusalemH3389 goH1980, and cryH2199 unto the godsH430 unto whom they offer incenseH6999 : but they shall not saveH3467 them at allH3467 in the timeH6256 of their troubleH7451. 13For according to the numberH4557 of thy citiesH5892 were thy godsH430, O JudahH3063; and according to the numberH4557 of the streetsH2351 of JerusalemH3389 have ye set upH7760 altarsH4196 to that shameful thingH1322, even altarsH4196 to burn incenseH6999 unto BaalH1168. 14Therefore prayH6419 not thou for this peopleH5971, neither lift upH5375 a cryH7440 or prayerH8605 for them: for I will not hearH8085 them in the timeH6256 that they cryH7121 unto me for their troubleH7451. 15What hath my belovedH3039 to do in mine houseH1004, seeing she hath wroughtH6213 lewdnessH4209 with manyH7227, and the holyH6944 fleshH1320 is passedH5674 from thee? when thou doest evilH7451, then thou rejoicestH5937 . 16The LORDH3068 calledH7121 thy nameH8034, A greenH7488 olive treeH2132, fairH3303, and of goodlyH8389 fruitH6529: with the noiseH6963 of a greatH1419 tumultH1999 he hath kindledH3341 fireH784 upon it, and the branchesH1808 of it are brokenH7489 . 17For the LORDH3068 of hostsH6635, that plantedH5193 thee, hath pronouncedH1696 evilH7451 against thee, forH1558 the evilH7451 of the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478 and of the houseH1004 of JudahH3063, which they have doneH6213 against themselves to provoke me to angerH3707 in offering incenseH6999 unto BaalH1168. 18And the LORDH3068 hath given me knowledgeH3045 of it, and I knowH3045 it: then thou shewedstH7200 me their doingsH4611. 19But I was like a lambH3532 or an oxH441 that is broughtH2986 to the slaughterH2873 ; and I knewH3045 not that they had devisedH2803 devicesH4284 against me, saying, Let us destroyH7843 the treeH6086 with the fruitH3899 thereof, and let us cut him offH3772 from the landH776 of the livingH2416, that his nameH8034 may be no more rememberedH2142 . 20But, O LORDH3068 of hostsH6635, that judgestH8199 righteouslyH6664, that triestH974 the reinsH3629 and the heartH3820, let me seeH7200 thy vengeanceH5360 on them: for unto thee have I revealedH1540 my causeH7379. 21Therefore thus saithH559 the LORDH3068 of the menH582 of AnathothH6068, that seekH1245 thy lifeH5315, sayingH559, ProphesyH5012 not in the nameH8034 of the LORDH3068, that thou dieH4191 not by our handH3027: 22Therefore thus saithH559 the LORDH3068 of hostsH6635, Behold, I will punishH6485 them: the young menH970 shall dieH4191 by the swordH2719; their sonsH1121 and their daughtersH1323 shall dieH4191 by famineH7458: 23And there shall be no remnantH7611 of them: for I will bringH935 evilH7451 upon the menH582 of AnathothH6068, even the yearH8141 of their visitationH6486.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 EPITOME OF THE COVENANT FOUND IN THE TEMPLE IN JOSIAH'S REIGN. JUDAH'S REVOLT FROM IT, AND GOD'S CONSEQUENT WRATH. (Jer. 11:1-23)
this covenant--alluding to the book of the law (
Deut 31:26) found in the temple by Hilkiah the high priest, five years after Jeremiah's call to the prophetic office (2Ki. 22:8-23:25).
Hear ye--Others besides Jeremiah were to promulgate God's will to the people; it was the duty of the priests to read the law to them (
Mal 2:7).
3 (
Deut 27:26;
Gal 3:10).
4 in the day--that is, when. The Sinaitic covenant was made some time after the exodus, but the two events are so connected as to be viewed as one.
iron furnace-- (
Deut 4:20;
1Kgs 8:51). "Furnace" expresses the searching ordeal; "iron," the long duration of it. The furnace was of earth, not of iron (
Ps 12:6); a furnace, in heat and duration enough to melt even iron. God's deliverance of them from such an ordeal aggravates their present guilt.
do them--namely, the words of the covenant (
Jer 11:3).
so, &c.-- (
Lev 26:3,
Lev 26:12).
5 oath-- (
Ps 105:9-
Ps 105:10).
a land flowing with milk and honey--(See on
Num 14:8).
as it is this day--These are the concluding words of God to the Israelites when formerly brought out of Egypt, "Obey . . . that I may at this time make good the promise I made to your fathers, to give," &c. [MAURER]. English Version makes the words apply to Jeremiah's time, "As ye know at this time, that God's promise has been fulfilled," namely, in Israel's acquisition of Canaan.
So be it--Hebrew, Amen. Taken from
Deut 27:15-
Deut 27:26. Jeremiah hereby solemnly concurs in the justice of the curses pronounced there (see
Jer 11:3).
6 Jeremiah was to take a prophetic tour throughout Judah, to proclaim everywhere the denunciations in the book of the law found in the temple.
Hear . . . do-- (
Rom 2:13;
Jas 1:22).
7 rising early-- (
Jer 7:13).
8 imagination--rather, "stubbornness."
will bring--The words, "even unto this day" (
Jer 11:7), confirm English Version rather than the rendering of ROSENMULLER: "I brought upon them."
words--threats (
Jer 11:3;
Deut 27:15-
Deut 27:26).
9 conspiracy--a deliberate combination against God and against Josiah's reformation. Their idolatry is not the result of a hasty impulse (
Ps 83:5;
Ezek 22:25).
11 cry unto me--contrasted with "cry unto the gods," (
Jer 11:12).
not hearken-- (
Ps 18:41;
Pro 1:28;
Isa 1:15;
Mic 3:4).
12 cry unto the gods . . . not save-- (
Deut 32:37-
Deut 32:38). Compare this verse and beginning of
Jer 11:13;
Jer 2:28.
in the time of their trouble--that is, calamity (
Jer 2:27).
13 shameful thing--Hebrew, "shame," namely, the idol, not merely shameful, but the essence of all that is shameful (
Jer 3:24;
Hos 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 (
Exod 32:10, in the Chaldee version, "leave off praying";
Jer 7:16;
1Sam 16:1;
1Sam 15:35;
1John 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
Jer 11:12.
15 my beloved--My elect people, Judea; this aggravates their ingratitude (
Jer 12:7).
lewdness with many-- (
Ezek 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
Jer 7:10;
Ezek 23:39) [HENDERSON].
holy flesh-- (
Hag 2:12-
Hag 2:14;
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
Pro 2:14).
16 called thy name--made thee.
olive-- (
Ps 52:8;
Rom 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
Ps 23:5;
Ps 104:15).
with . . . noise of . . . tumult--or, "at the noise," &c., namely, at the tumult of the invading army (
Isa 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-- (
Jer 2:21;
Isa 5:2).
against themselves--The sinner's sin is to his own hurt (see on
Jer 7:19).
18 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 (
Jer 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 (
2Sam 12:3). His own familiar friends had plotted against the prophet. The language is exactly the same as that applied to Messiah (
Isa 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 (
Gal 2:20;
Phil 3:10;
Col 1:24). This adapted both the more experimentally to testify of Christ.
devices-- (
Jer 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
Matt 7:17, which also refers to prophets and their doctrines.
20 triest . . . heart-- (
Rev 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 (
Ps 37:34;
Ps 54:7;
Ps 112:8;
Ps 118:7).
21 Prophesy not-- (
Isa 30:10;
Amos 2:12;
Mic 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-
Luke 4:29).
22 The retribution of their intended murder shall be in kind; just as in Messiah's case (Psa. 69:8-28).
23 (
Jer 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.
He ventures to expostulate with Jehovah as to the prosperity of the wicked, who had plotted against his life (
Jer 12:1-
Jer 12:4); in reply he is told that he will have worse to endure, and that from his own relatives (
Jer 12:5-
Jer 12:6). The heaviest judgments, however, would be inflicted on the faithless people (
Jer 12:7-
Jer 12:13); and then on the nations co-operating with the Chaldeans against Judah, with, however, a promise of mercy on repentance (
Jer 12:14-
Jer 12:17).