Chapter Text
The Covenant Is Broken
The 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.
Plot Against Jeremiah
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.
Summary
God commands Jeremiah to stand in the gate of the Lord's house and proclaim a message of warning. The people trust in lying words, saying "The temple of the LORD" as though the building itself guarantees safety.
God challenges them: will they steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, then come and stand in His house claiming to be delivered? He points to Shiloh, where His tabernacle once stood, now destroyed. So shall He do to this temple and to this people.
Meaning
The Temple sermon strikes at the heart of false religious security. The people believed that God's temple made Jerusalem inviolable, regardless of their conduct. This superstitious trust in sacred buildings rather than sacred living is a perennial temptation.
The reference to Shiloh provides historical proof that God does not protect religious institutions that harbor wickedness. True worship requires moral obedience, not mere ritual attendance. This chapter teaches that no outward form of religion can substitute for genuine righteousness.
Background
Shiloh was the location of the tabernacle during the period of the Judges. It was destroyed by the Philistines around 1050 BC, and its ruins served as a powerful object lesson in Jeremiah's day.
The Temple sermon likely occurred early in the reign of Jehoiakim, around 609 BC. Jeremiah 26 records the hostile reaction this sermon provoked, including a death threat against the prophet.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-5The Covenant Reaffirmed
- vv. 6-8A History of Disobedience
- vv. 9-13Conspiracy and Idolatry Exposed
- vv. 14-17The Green Olive Tree Set Ablaze
- vv. 18-20Jeremiah the Innocent Lamb
- vv. 21-23Judgment on the Men of Anathoth
Key Verses
“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:”— 11:4
This verse encapsulates the Sinai covenant formula—obedience as the condition of the unique LORD-people relationship. The striking image of Egypt as an 'iron furnace' frames redemption as forging, lending theological weight to the call for covenant fidelity.
“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.”— 11:14
One of three times the LORD forbids Jeremiah to intercede (cf. 7:16; 14:11), signaling that judgment has passed the point of recall. It reveals the sobering doctrine that persistent rebellion can exhaust the season of mercy.
“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.”— 11:19
Long read by the church as a messianic foreshadowing, this verse anticipates Isaiah 53 and the passion of Christ. Jeremiah's innocent suffering at the hands of his own townsmen prefigures the Lamb led silently to slaughter.
“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.”— 11:20
The first of Jeremiah's 'confessions,' this prayer entrusts vindication to God who searches the inmost being. It models surrendering personal vengeance to the righteous Judge, a posture later echoed in Romans 12:19.
People & Places
People
- Jeremiah — The prophet of Anathoth, recipient of the covenant lawsuit and target of a plot against his life.
- Baal — Canaanite storm-god whose altars Judah multiplied throughout Jerusalem's streets.
Places
- Judah — The southern kingdom under covenant indictment for breaking the Sinai charter.
- Jerusalem — Capital city whose streets are filled with altars to false gods.
- Egypt — The 'iron furnace' from which the LORD redeemed Israel, invoked as the covenant's historical anchor.
- Anathoth — Jeremiah's hometown, a priestly village in Benjamin whose men conspire to silence him.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Verse 19 has been read since the early church as a messianic type: the innocent prophet, ignorant of the plot, compared to a lamb led to the slaughter, prefigures Isaiah 53:7 and the passion of Jesus Christ. The conspirators' aim to 'cut him off from the land of the living' echoes the language later applied to the suffering Servant. Jeremiah's experience at Anathoth thus becomes a living shadow of Christ's rejection by his own people (John 1:11). The chapter also announces the imminent fulfillment of the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28 upon Judah.
Devotional
Jeremiah 11 confronts us with the seriousness of covenant. God remembers what we promised long ago, and faithfulness is not measured by feelings but by daily obedience. The chapter warns that idols multiply quietly—as many as the streets of our lives—until they crowd out the One who redeemed us.
When Jeremiah discovers his neighbors plotting against him, he does not retaliate. He hands his cause to the God who tries the heart. That is the harder, holier path: to keep speaking truth, to refuse vengeance, and to trust that righteous judgment belongs to the Lord alone.
Literary Style
Prophetic covenant lawsuit (rîb) blending divine oracle, historical retrospect, and lament. The chapter shifts from second-person indictment to first-person prophetic confession, employing vivid agricultural imagery (iron furnace, green olive tree, lamb to the slaughter) and Deuteronomic curse language.