Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah 11:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Ver. 1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord.] To him it came, but to be imparted to other prophets, say some; priests of Anathoth, say others, [Jeremiah 11:2] which might be the reason why they were so enraged against him, and sought his life, [Jeremiah 11:18-19] as the Popish priests did Mancinel’s, Savonarola’s, and other faithful preachers’, for exciting them to do their duties.

Jeremiah 11:2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

Ver. 2. Hear ye the words - and speak ye.] Ye priests, whose ordinary office it is to teach Jacob God’s judgments, and Israel his law. [Deuteronomy 33:10]

Jeremiah 11:3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed [be] the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

Ver. 3. And say thou unto them.] Thou, Jeremiah, whether the rest will join with thee or not.

Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant.] It is probable that Jeremiah, when he said thus, held the book in his hand, viz., the book of Deuteronomy, which the Rabbis call Sepher Tochechoth, because of the many increpations and curses therein contained.

Jeremiah 11:4 Which 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:

Ver. 4. From the iron furnace.] Where iron is melted, and a fierce fire required.

Obey my voice.] See Jeremiah 7:23.

Jeremiah 11:5 That 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.

Ver. 5. A land flowing with milk and honey.] With plenty of dainties. The city of Aleppo is so called by the Turks, of alep, milk; for if the via lactea milky way, it would be found there, saith one.

So be it, O Lord.] Amen, fiat, fiat. Oh that there were a heart in this people to obey thy voice! and oh that thou wouldst still continue them in this good land! &c. Our hearts should be stretched out after our amen, and we should be swallowed up in God, say the Rabbis.

Jeremiah 11:6 Then 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.

Ver. 6. Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.] Else ye hear to no purpose; as the salamander liveth in the fire, and is not made hot by the fire; as the Ethiopian goeth black into the bath, and as black he cometh forth.

Jeremiah 11:7 For 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.

Ver. 7. Rising early,] i.e., Endeavouring earnestly. See Jeremiah 5:8.

Jeremiah 11:8 Yet 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.

Ver. 8. Yet they obeyed not.] See Jeremiah 7:24.

Therefore I will bring.] Heb., And I brought upon them.

Jeremiah 11:9 And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Ver. 9. A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah.] A combination in sinful courses, this is not unity but conspiracy. See Ezekiel 22:25, Hosea 6:9. Such is the unity of the Antichristian crew. [Revelation 17:13] The Turks have as little dissension in their religion as any, yet are a rabble of rebels conspiring against Heaven.

Jeremiah 11:10 They 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.

Ver. 10. They are turned away to the iniquities of their forefathers.] Showing themselves herein to be a race of rebels, as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as ever their fathers were, and are therefore justly chargeable with their iniquities, which needeth not.

Jeremiah 11:11 Therefore 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.

Ver. 11. Which they shall not be able to escape.] To avert, avoid, or abide.

I will not hearken unto them.] See Proverbs 1:28, Zechariah 7:13 {See Trapp on "Proverbs 1:28"} {See Trapp on "Zechariah 7:13"}

Jeremiah 11:12 Then 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.

Ver. 12. Then shall the cities of Judah … go and cry unto the gods.] Or, Let them go and cry unto them - q.d., let them for me. This is one of those bitter answers that God giveth to wicked suitors. [Ezekiel 14:3-5 10:14] Or, if he give them better at any time, it is in wrath, and for a mischief to them.

Jeremiah 11:13 For [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.

Ver. 13. For according to the number of thy cities.] See Jeremiah 2:28.

And according to the number of thy streets.] See Ezekiel 16:31.

Jeremiah 11:14 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.

Ver. 14. Therefore pray not thou for this people.] See on Jeremiah 7:16.

When they cry unto me for their trouble.] It is not the cry of the spirit for grace, but of the flesh only for ease; it is but the fruit of sinful self-love. In thee indeed it proceedeth from a better principle, but I am at a point.

Jeremiah 11:15 What 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.

Ver. 15. What hath my beloved to do in mine house?] i.e., Mine once beloved people, which had the liberty of mine house, and was welcome thither, but is now discarded and discovenanted, as if a husband should say to his adulterous wife, What maketh this strumpet in my bed, since she hath so many paramours? ^(a)

And the holy flesh.] The sacrifice sanctified by the altar.

Is passed from thee.] Shall be wholly taken away from you, together with the temple.

When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.] Thou revellest in thine impurities and sensualities, as dreading no danger, but slighting all admonition.

Jeremiah 11:16 The 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.

Ver. 16. The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree.] Green all the year long, fair and fruitful; this was thy prosperous and flourishing condition, but now thy best days are over; for,

With the noise of a great tumult.] Barritu militari; the battle cry of soldiers, such as soldiers make when they storm a city.

Jeremiah 11:17 For 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.

Ver. 17. For the evil of the house of Israel.] That "evil" by a specialty, that land desolating sin of idolatry.

Jeremiah 11:18 And the LORD hath given me knowledge [of it], and I know [it]: then thou shewedst me their doings.

Ver. 18. And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it,] i.e., Of the treacherous plot of my countrymen of Anathoth against me, who should never have dreamt of any such danger; Deus pro suis excubat. God keeps watch for his own.

Jeremiah 11:19 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, [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.

Ver. 19. But I was like a lamb or an ox.] Harmless and blameless, busied in my function, and not in the least suspecting any such evil design against me. "I send you forth as lambs among wolves," saith Christ, [Matthew 10:16] who, himself being the Lamb of God, was slain from the beginning of the world; his servants also are slain all the day long, and counted as sheep to the slaughter. [Romans 8:36]

Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof.] Let us poison his food, so the Chaldee senseth it, Ponamus tignum taxi in sorbitiunculam. Others, Let us destroy the prophet and his prophecies together: others, Let us make an end of him either by sword or by famine, as the punishment threatened [Jeremiah 11:22] pointeth us to.

That his name may be no more remembered.] Sic veritas odium peperit. So the Papists have given order that wheresoever Calvin’s name is found, it shall be blotted out; and by a most malicious anagram they have turned Calvin into Lucian. One of them recently took a long journey to Rome only to have his name changed from Calvin to some other, and that out of devilish hatred of that most learned and holy man,

“ Ipsa a quo virtus virtutem discere posset. ”

Jeremiah 11:20 But, 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.

Ver. 20. But, O Lord of hosts.] Thou who art potentissimus et liberrimus, a most powerful and free agent.

That triest the reins and the heart.] And so knowest with what mind I make this complaint and request.

Let me see thy vengeance upon them.] A prophetic imprecation guided by God’s Spirit, and not lightly to be imitated. So the Church prayed against Julian the apostate, whom they knew to be a desperate enemy, and to have committed that sin unto death. So perhaps had these men of Anathoth.

Jeremiah 11:21 Therefore 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:

Ver. 21. Of the men of Anathoth that seek thy life.] Where shall a man find worse friends than at home? A prophet is nowhere so little set by as in his own country. [Matthew 13:57] Probatissimuset optimus quisque peregre vivit, saith Ennius, in Cicero. ^(a)

Saying, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord.] A desperate speech, proceeding from a height of hatred, and coasting upon the unpardonable sin.

Jeremiah 11:22 Therefore 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:

Ver. 22. Behold, I will punish them.] Sic tandem bona causa triumphat. The visible vengeance of God followeth close at the heels of the persecutors of his faithful messengers.

Jeremiah 11:23 And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, [even] the year of their visitation.

Ver. 23. And there shall be no remnant.] Behold the severity of God: their bloody design was to destroy Jeremiah’s stock and fruit, stalk and grain together. [Jeremiah 11:19] God meteth unto them the self-same measure, leaveth them not a remnant. This is not ordinary justice. [Jeremiah 4:27 Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 10:20-22] A remnant shall be left, saith he; here not so. Let Rome, that shambles of the saints and prophets, especially look to it; God is now coming to make inquisition for blood, &c.