Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 11:9
And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
9. They have silently agreed to apostatize.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
9 14. See summary at commencement of section.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
9 17. Judah has fallen back into apostasy. It is now clear that Josiah’s reforms have had no lasting results. The passage may therefore be placed in Jehoiakim’s reign.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A conspiracy – The defection from the covenant was as general as if it had been the result of preconcerted arrangement. The decided course taken by Josiah may, however, have led the opposite party to secret combinations against him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 11:9
And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found
A sad relapse
1.
The prophet calls the peoples relapse a plot or conspiracy; thereby suggesting, perhaps, the secrecy with which the prohibited worships were at first revived, and the intrigues of the unfaithful nobles and priests and prophets, in order to bring about a reversal of the policy of reform.
2. The word further means a bond, which is the exact antithesis of the covenant with Jehovah, and it implies that this bond has about it a fatal strength and permanence, involving as its necessary consequence the ruin of the nation. Breaking covenant with Jehovah meant making a covenant with other gods. If you have broken faith with God in Christ, it is because you have entered into an agreement with another; it is because you have surrendered to the proposals of the tempter, and preferred his promises to the promises of God. (C. J. Ball, M. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. A conspiracy is found] They were all fratres conjurati, sworn brothers, determined to cast off the Divine yoke, and no longer to have God to reign over them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
All sorts of people, whether of the city or country, have done alike, as if they had conspired together to break my law, and to provoke me to wrath, they are all alike and act alike. The thing is manifest, it is not done secretly, nor is it done rashly, but upon a conspiracy, upon counsel and deliberation.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. conspiracya deliberatecombination against God and against Josiah’s reformation. Theiridolatry is not the result of a hasty impulse (Psa 83:5;Eze 22:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord said unto me,…. After he had given him the order to publish and proclaim the words of the covenant, and exhort to obedience to them; he showed the prophet the reason of it, and opened to him a secret he was not acquainted with:
a conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem; not against the king, and against the civil government, but against the King of kings, against God and his covenant, his word and his worship; some designs were forming to cashier these, and introduce a new religion, the idolatry of the Gentiles; and it was not a few only that were in the scheme, the combination was general, city and country were in it; the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the more polite part of the nation, and the country people, that dwelt in the several cities of Judah, were all united in this affair; and this was found out by him who sees and knows all things. It is common for innovators in religion to lay schemes privately, and secretly inculcate them, before things are ripe for the open introduction of them. The Syriac version renders it, “a rebellion”; and conspiracies often issue in open rebellion; and so the Targum,
“and it is found that the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, have rebelled against my word.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Va. 9-13: AN EVIL CONSPIRACY
1. The revolt of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, is regarded by God as a conspiracy against Himself – though they did not actually regard it as such themselves, (vs. 9; comp. Eze 22:25-28; Hos 6:7-11).
2. Following a time of outward reformation, Judah is turning again to the iniquities of her forefathers, (vs. 10).
a. Refusing to hear the word of the Lord (Jer 3:10; Jer 13:10; Psa 78:8-11), they are turning to serve other gods, (vs. 10a; Jdg 2:11-13).
b. Both Israel and Judah have BROKEN THE COVENANT that God made with their ancient fathers, (vs. 1 Eze 16:59; Hos 8:1).
3. Now Judah faces INESCAPABLE JUDGMENT because of her sins, (vs. 11-12).
a. Though they cry to Jehovah, He will not hearl
b. Then they will go to the gods to whom they offer incense; but that will be a total waste, for there is NO LIFE in them i
4. Since Judah and Jerusalem have been filled with the shameful incense-altars of Baal (Jer 3:24), God will abandon them unto Baal until they learn the wretchedness of their evil way! (vs. 13).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Here the Prophet joins closer battle with the men of his age, and says, that they were worse than their fathers; for this is the meaning of the word, banding or joining together. For when the Israelites concurred in a body in ungodly superstitions, it was more excusable at the beginning, for they had not yet struck deep roots in true religion; but when God by his prophets had endeavored many times, and in various ways, to restore them to the right way, and when his diligence and assiduous efforts had proved fruitless, it was an evidence of confirmed and hopeless obstinacy. He then says, that this had been discovered; for this is what he means by saying, that it had been found out This verb is often used in Scripture in another sense, but it means here the same, as though he had said, that the conspiracy of the people had been discovered or proved, as it is said of thieves when found out, that they are caught in the very act. So God says here, that it was no matter of dispute whether the people had designedly and from sheer wickedness perverted his true and lawful worship; the conspiracy, (36) he says, is sufficiently notorious
We then understand the meaning of the Prophet to be, — that not a part of the people was implicated in impiety, but that all, from the least to the greatest, were together defiled, and that this was done, not by some foolish impulse of the moment, but designedly, for they banded together; and further, that this was sufficiently evident, so that they could no longer contend as to the fact, for their wickedness was sufficiently manifest.
And he says between Judah and Israel (37) There is here implied a sharp reproof; for we know that these two kingdoms had not only entertained a hidden grudge, but fiercely contended with one another, Since then the discord had been such between the ten tribes and the tribe of Judah, that it was as it were an insane hatred, so that they wished wholly to destroy one another, for the Jews sent for the Egyptians when the Israelites had called to arms the Syrians and the Assyrians for the destruction of Judah. Since then they so inimically treated one another for so many ages, what did this now mean? What a monstrous thing it was, that they conspired together to subvert the worship of God, to overturn everything true in religion, and to set up their own idols! We now then perceive the meaning of the Prophet; he intimates, that they had in all other things been enemies, and that they only united in this one thing, that is, in carrying on war against God, in subverting his worship, and rendering void his law. We hence see what the Spirit of God had in view in saying, that a conspiracy was found out; which was, that the Prophet might not use many words, as though the matter was doubtful! God then bids him positively to declare this fact, like at scribe who records the sentence of a judge; and thus God shews that he dealt with the Jews, as men deal with those who are condemned.
(36) Rendered “ σύνδεσμος, binding together,” by the Sept., — “ conjuratio, confederacy, or conspiracy,” by the Vulg. and Arab., — “rebellion,” by the Syr. and Targ., — “combination,” as given by Gataker and Blayney, would express better the meaning of the original word. — Ed
(37) There is here an oversight. “Israel” is not mentioned here, but the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. “Israel” is mentioned at the end of the next verse, as having with “Judah” annulled the covenant. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
B. Exposure of the Conspiracy Jer. 11:9-17
TRANSLATION
(9) And the LORD said unto me: Conspiracy is found among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (10) They have returned to the iniquities of their first fathers who refused to listen to My words, and they walked 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. (11) Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to bring unto them a calamity which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry unto Me but I will not hearken unto them. (12) And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall go and cry unto the gods to whom they continue to make offerings, but they shall utterly fail to save them in the time of their calamity. (13) For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have made altars to Shame, altars for making offering to Baal. (14) But as for you, do not pray on behalf of this people and do not raise up a cry and prayer on their behalf; for I will not hear in the time of their calling unto Me, because of their calamity. (15) What business does My beloved have in My house since she commits treachery? Will a multitude (of sacrifices) and holy flesh remove (sin) from you When you do evil then you rejoice. (16) The LORD has given you the name a green olive tree, beautiful, with well-formed fruit. At the noise of great tumult He has kindled a fire against it and its branches are broken. (17) For the LORD of host, who planted you, has spoken evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and Judah, which they have committed to their own harm in order to provoke Me by offering to the Baal.
COMMENTS
Sin is treason against the heavenly King! The people of Judah are accused of national conspiracy to renounce their allegiance to the Lord. This is not a cloak and dagger conspiracy carried on in secret but an open and evident revolt against God. The men of Judah were encouraging one another to engage in apostasy and idolatry and this in the eyes of God constituted a conspiracy (Jer. 11:9). For awhile under the influence of the godly king Josiah the men of Judah had discontinued the sin of their fathers; but now, says the prophet, they have returned to the sins of their first fathers, the Israelites of the wilderness period and the period of the Judges. Like their forefathers the present generation has walked after other gods to serve them. The house of Judah as well as the house of Israel had violated the terms of the ancient covenant made at Sinai (Jer. 11:10). Rebellion against the crown brings inevitable punishment. In that hour of calamity the men of Judah will desperately try to call upon God but He will not be inclined to answer their prayers (Jer. 11:11). They shall turn in that time of crisis to the gods they have continued to worship;[193] but these man-made gods shall be powerless to save (Jer. 11:12). Every city had its tutelary deity. Altars to Shame, i.e., Baal could be found on every street of Jerusalem (Jer. 11:13). Like the men of Athens the population of Jerusalem was very religious. But their religiosity would not save them from the wrath of the God of judgment.
[193] The Hebrew participle suggests that even while they were crying to God they continued to make offerings to their gods.
Because of the apostate condition of the men of Judah it is useless for Jeremiah to continue to pray on their behalf. God will not hem. The Hebrew here uses a participle which implies that God will continue to refrain from hearing no matter how hard or long the people might cry unto Him (Jer. 11:14). Because of her adulterous apostasy Gods beloved, the nation Judah, no longer has any business in the House of God. As long as the nation continues in this treachery no amount of sacrifices will be able to remove their sin. Sacrifice without repentance and contrition is valueless. Far from feeling any remorse or shame because of their evil the people of Judah actually rejoiced in wrong doing (Jer. 11:15). In earlier days God had regarded Israel as beautiful green olive tree because the nation had produced the finest fruit. The olive tree is one of the most hardy and productive trees of Palestine. But that tree is now worthless. The branches are dead and unfruitful. When the tumult of battle is heard in the land the enemy soldiers will break off the branches of that tree and use them for firewood (Jer. 11:16). The Lord of hosts, who had planted that olive tree, has the power to also uproot it and that is just what He plans to do. The house of Israel and the house of Judah, the two branches of the olive tree, engaged in evil practices to their own hurt. They have provoked God by offering sacrifices to Baal. The Lord has therefore pronounced evil or calamity against His people. One branch, Israel, had already been destroyed by the Assyrian empire. The second branch, Judah, is about to experience the same fate at the hands of the Chaldeans.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(9) A conspiracy.The words explain the rapid apostasy that followed on the death of Josiah. There had been all along, even while he was urging his reforms, an organised though secret resistance to the policy of which he was the representative.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE BREAKING OF THE COVENANT BY JUDAH, Jer 11:9-13.
9. Conspiracy Such unanimity as would be brought about by formal preconcertment.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Israel’s Conspiracy Against the Lord and its Punishment
v. 9. And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, v. 10. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, v. 11. Therefore, thus saith the Lord, v. 12. Then shall the cities of Judah, v. 13. For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah, v. 14. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them, v. 15. What hath My beloved to do in Mine house, v. 16. The Lord called thy name “A green olive-tree,” fair and of goodly fruit, v. 17. For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, v. 18. And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it, v. 19. But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter, v. 20. But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, v. 21. Therefore, thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, v. 22. therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will punish them, v. 23. And there shall be no remnant of them,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Jer 11:9. A conspiracy is found, &c. By a conspiracy is meant a general consent and agreement to forsake the worship of the true God, and to serve other gods. It was also a part of this conspiracy in the citizens of Jerusalem, to take off Jeremiah by poison, which he tells us the Lord discovered to him, Jer 11:18.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Was there ever a more pitiable view of degeneracy, than Judah here affords? Was this the great and understanding people, that was once the astonishment and envy of the whole earth? What? had they indeed a dunghill god, for every city? How is the most fine gold become dim?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 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 Eze 22:25 Hos 6:9 . Such is the unity of the Antichristian crew. Rev 17:13 The Turks have as little dissension in their religion as any, yet are a rabble of rebels conspiring against Heaven.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 11:9-13
9Then the LORD said to me, A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and 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 thus says the LORD , Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. 12Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13For your gods are as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.
Jer 11:9
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, NJBA conspiracy
TEVplotting against
LXXa bond of union
NET Bibleplotted rebellion
The Hebrew VERB (BDB 905) denotes a planning together or binding of men to do harm (used often in Kings and Chronicles). It is found only here in Jeremiah. What is shocking is that it was the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem against YHWH.
Jer 11:10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors The current generation refused to acknowledge the sin and rebellion of their ancestors. They themselves became covenant breakers and idolaters just as their ancestors had (cf. Exo 20:5). Consequences of sin move through time!
the house of Israel and the house of Judah The Jewish united monarchy (Saul, David, Solomon) split in 922 B.C. over the issue of taxation and forced labor between Solomon’s son Rehoboam and the Ephraimatic leader Jeroboam. From this point on the Northern Ten Tribes are known as Israel (collective term), Ephraim (the largest tribe), or Samaria (the capital city).
have broken My covenant The VERB is a Hiphil PERFECT (BDB 830 I, KB 974), which denotes an intensified, settled condition!
What a shocking phrase. The covenants with the Patriarchs were conditional. Successive generations violated it (the PERFECT denotes a settled condition). It had stated consequences (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-29). YHWH abrogated the covenant and Jeremiah states clearly in Jer 31:31-34 that a new covenant was necessary, one not based on human performance which, because of the Fall (Genesis 3), was impossible. Therefore, God Himself would act redemptively on their behalf (cf. Eze 36:22-38). The new covenant of Jeremiah is the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 3:21-31; Galatians 3; and the book of Hebrews).
Jer 11:11 The covenant curses come to fruition (cf. Jer 6:19).
though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them What a shocking phrase! God pleaded again and again with them and they would not listen. Even now, their cry to Him is from the fear of consequences, not true repentance! The covenant is broken! YHWH will not respond (cf. Jer 11:11; Jer 7:16).
Jer 11:12 will go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense The lifeless idols cannot hear, see, or save!
they surely will not save them This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 446, KB 448), which shows intensity. There is no possible deliverance from non-existent gods made with human hands!
Jer 11:13 For your gods are as many as your cities, O Judah Every city had their own Ba’al/Asherah worship site (cf. Jer 2:28, see Special Topic: Fertility Worship of the Ancient Near East ).
the shameful thing The Hebrews often took the vowels from the Hebrew word shame and combined them with the names of foreign deities (i.e., Ishbosheth = man of shame, cf. 2Sa 2:8, instead of Eshbaal, 1Ch 8:33). This was done to ridicule the idols. The term shame (BDB 102) became a word for the fertility worship of Ba’al and Asherah of the Canaanite pantheon (see W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Jer 11:9-17
Jer 11:9-13
And Jehovah said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They 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. Therefore 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. Then 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. For 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.
Conspiracy. among the men of Judah …..
(Jer 11:9). There are two views of when this conspiracy occurred. Dummelow thought it happened during the reign of Josiah but Henderson placed it in the times of Jehoiachim’s first four years, When those who were hostile to Josiah’s reforms bound themselves to introduce again all of the idolatrous practices (popularized by Manasseh) which had been abolished by Josiah. A common denominator in both positions is that the whole population (except the righteous remnant) of the Chosen People (Israel and Judah alike) had given themselves completely to idolatry. This is the background of the crucial announcement in the following verse that all Israel had broken the covenant.
The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant…
(Jer 11:10). Graybill observed that, God was now in the act of terminating the covenant and bringing the punishment; but, a better view appears to be that this declaration from God Himself then and there terminated the racial covenant with Abraham finally and irrevocably, except as it should be renewed in the New Israel without any racial overtones whatever.
Hosea’s unhappy marriage with Gomer was terminated exactly in the same manner at the time when he bought back his adulterous wife from slavery and returned her to his home, not as his wife, but as his slave. Prior to the terminal action registered here, the whole racial Israel had been judicially hardened (always with the exception of the righteous remnant), as repeatedly mentioned by both Isaiah and Jeremiah.
The pressing question that always surfaces in the consideration of such things is “Why did God continue to preserve Israel?” In the case of judicial hardening, except for Israel, it always meant the summary and final end of the person or cities hardened; why then was it to be different in the case of Israel? The answer lies squarely in the truth that the Messiah had not yet been born. Until that glorious event should come to pass, it was absolutely necessary for fleshly Israel to be preserved and continued as an identifiable entity upon the earth, because that only could make the identification of the Son of God absolutely indisputable for all time to come!
According to the number of the cities of Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem…
(Jer 11:13) Such a proliferation of altars erected to Baal indicates that the rampant idolatry of the times of Manasseh had indeed come back full force, At this point the conspiracy which God revealed to Jeremiah had achieved one of its purposes. However, there was another purpose of it; and that included the destruction of the prophet himself, which would be revealed later in the chapter.
Jer 11:14-17
Therefore 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. What 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. Jehovah 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. For 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.
Pray not for this people…
(Jer 11:14). There is a climax of guilt which admits of no further intercessory prayer. Our minds should be at one with God in all that he is doing, even in the rejection of the reprobate. That this is really true appears in God’s command to Moses (Exo 32:10), also in God’s forbidding Samuel to grieve any longer for Saul (1Sa 16:1). This is now the second time that God has forbidden Jeremiah to pray any more for the apostate nation (Jer 7:16); and this admonition is still applicable to God’s people as in 1Jn 5:16.
A goodly olive-tree, fair and goodly fruit…
(Jer 11:15). This figure of Israel as the olive-tree was adopted by the apostle Paul in Rom 11:17-24.
What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many? and the holy flesh is passed from thee…
(Jer 11:15) This refers to the hypocrisy of cloaking their apostasy by offering sacrifices in the temple and passing themselves off as worshippers of God.
The holy flesh is passed from thee…
(Jer 11:15). This is not a reference to the sacrifices and their lack of efficacy, because the sacrifices of hypocrites has no efficacy, or holiness. What is meant is that the lewd and immoral practices of the people have robbed them (the people) of that holiness, without which no man shall see God.
The evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah…
(Jer 11:10; Jer 11:17). The reason for the double reference repeatedly to both Israel and Judah is to show that the whole Chosen People are meant. In context, Israel means the northern kingdom; and Judah means the southern kingdom, the whole nation. The licentious worship of the Baalim had finally destroyed the whole nation of the Chosen People, morally, nationally, politically, and religiously, the righteous remnant alone being excepted.
JEREMIAH’S PERSONAL LAMENT (Jer 11:18 – Jer 12:6)
Ash identified the six passages in this prophecy which are classified as personal laments of Jeremiah thus: (1) Jer 11:18 – Jer 12:6; (2) Jer 15:12-21; (3) Jer 17:14-18; (4) Jer 18:18-23; (5) Jer 20:7-13; and (6) Jer 20:14-18. He added that, “This is a form of writing unique to Jeremiah in the prophetic books.”
Exposure of the Conspiracy Jer 11:9-17
Sin is treason against the heavenly King! The people of Judah are accused of national conspiracy to renounce their allegiance to the Lord. This is not a cloak and dagger conspiracy carried on in secret but an open and evident revolt against God. The men of Judah were encouraging one another to engage in apostasy and idolatry and this in the eyes of God constituted a conspiracy (Jer 11:9). For awhile under the influence of the godly king Josiah the men of Judah had discontinued the sin of their fathers; but now, says the prophet, they have returned to the sins of their first fathers, the Israelites of the wilderness period and the period of the Judges. Like their forefathers the present generation has walked after other gods to serve them. The house of Judah as well as the house of Israel had violated the terms of the ancient covenant made at Sinai (Jer 11:10). Rebellion against the crown brings inevitable punishment. In that hour of calamity the men of Judah will desperately try to call upon God but He will not be inclined to answer their prayers (Jer 11:11). They shall turn in that time of crisis to the gods they have continued to worship; but these man-made gods shall be powerless to save (Jer 11:12). The Hebrew used here suggests that even while they were crying to God they continued to make offerings to their gods. Every city had its tutelary deity. Altars to Shame, i.e., Baal could be found on every street of Jerusalem (Jer 11:13). Like the men of Athens the population of Jerusalem was very religious. But their religiosity would not save them from the wrath of the God of judgment.
Because of the apostate condition of the men of Judah it is useless for Jeremiah to continue to pray on their behalf. God will not hem. The Hebrew here uses a participle which implies that God will continue to refrain from hearing no matter how hard or long the people might cry unto Him (Jer 11:14). Because of her adulterous apostasy Gods beloved, the nation Judah, no longer has any business in the House of God. As long as the nation continues in this treachery no amount of sacrifices will be able to remove their sin. Sacrifice without repentance and contrition is valueless. Far from feeling any remorse or shame because of their evil the people of Judah actually rejoiced in wrong doing (Jer 11:15). In earlier days God had regarded Israel as beautiful green olive tree because the nation had produced the finest fruit. The olive tree is one of the most hardy and productive trees of Palestine. But that tree is now worthless. The branches are dead and unfruitful. When the tumult of battle is heard in the land the enemy soldiers will break off the branches of that tree and use them for firewood (Jer 11:16). The Lord of hosts, who had planted that olive tree, has the power to also uproot it and that is just what He plans to do. The house of Israel and the house of Judah, the two branches of the olive tree, engaged in evil practices to their own hurt. They have provoked God by offering sacrifices to Baal. The Lord has therefore pronounced evil or calamity against His people. One branch, Israel, had already been destroyed by the Assyrian empire. The second branch, Judah, is about to experience the same fate at the hands of the Chaldeans.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Jer 5:31, Jer 6:13, Jer 8:10, Eze 22:25-31, Hos 6:9, Mic 3:11, Mic 7:2, Mic 7:3, Zep 3:1-4, Mat 21:38, Mat 21:39, Mat 26:3, Mat 26:4, Mat 26:15, Joh 11:53, Act 23:12-15
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 11:9. It is bad enough for one man to commit sin Independently of any others, but it is worse when he forms an alliance with other persons for the purpose of doing wrong. This principle is recognized by the laws of civilized nations and penalties for such misdeeds are severer than for other kinds. Even the daughters of Zelophehad understood it and gained a point with the Lord and Moses on the basis of it. (See Numbers 27; Numbers 3.) The men of Judah had conspired together for wrong and Gods wrath was kindled against them which is here being threatened through the prophets words.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 11:9-11. And the Lord said, A conspiracy is found, &c. Namely, by him whose eye is upon the hidden works of darkness. There is a combination formed among them against God and religion, a dangerous design to overthrow the government of Jehovah, and to bring in counterfeit deities. In other words, All sorts of people have been alike disobedient, as if they had conspired together to break my law. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers They made some steps toward a reformation in the former part of the reign of Josiah, but now they have agreed to turn back to their former idolatries. Therefore behold, I will bring evil upon them, &c. The evil of punishment for the evil of sin, which they shall not be able to escape by any evasion whatsoever. Let us remember, those who will not submit to Gods government, shall not be able to escape his wrath. Evil pursues sinners, and entangles them in snares, out of which they cannot extricate themselves. And though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken God will not hear them crying to him in their adversity, who refuse to hear him speaking to them in their prosperity.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11:9 And the LORD said to me, A {f} conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
(f) That is, general consent to rebel against me.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Another word from the Lord informed Jeremiah of a conspiracy among his people.