TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 11:18–23. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The prophet Jeremiah has much in his writings concerning himself, much more than Isaiah had, the times he lived in being very troublesome. Here we have (as it should seem) the beginning of his sorrows, which arose from the people of his own city, Anathoth, a priest's city, and yet a malignant one. Observe here,
I.Their plot against him, Jer 11:19.
They devised devices against him, laid their heads together to contrive how they might be in the most plausible and effectual manner the death of him. Malice is ingenious in its devices, as well as industrious in its prosecutions. They said concerning Jeremiah, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof - a proverbial expression, meaning, "Let us utterly destroy him root and branch. Let us destroy both the father and the family" (as, when Naboth was put to death for treason, his sons were put to death with him), or rather "both the prophet and the prophecy; let us kill the one and defeat the other. Let us cut him off from the land of the living, as a false prophet, and load him with ignominy and disgrace, that his name may be no more remembered with respect. Let us sink his reputation, and so spoil the credit of his predictions." This was their plot; and 1. It was a cruel one; but so cruel have the persecutors of God's prophets been. They hunt for no less than the precious life, and very precious the lives are that they hunt for. But, (2.) It was a baffled one. They thought to put an end to his days, but he survived most of his enemies; they thought to blast his memory, but it lives to this day, and will be blessed while time lasts.
II.The information which God gave him of this conspiracy against him.
He knew nothing of it himself, so artfully had they concealed it; he came to Anathoth, meaning no harm to them and therefore fearing no harm from them, like a lamb or an ox, that thinks he is driven as usual to the field, when he is brought to the slaughter; so little did poor Jeremiah dream of the design his citizens that hated him had upon him. None of his friends could, and none of his enemies would, give him any notice of his danger, that he might shift for his own safety, as Paul's sister's son gave him intelligence of the Jews that were lying in wait for him. There is but a step between Jeremiah and death; but then the Lord gave him knowledge of it, by dream or vision, or impression upon his spirit, that he might save himself, as the king of Israel did upon the notice Elisha gave him, Kg2 6:10. Thus he came to know it. God showed him their doings; and such were their devices that the discovering of them was the defeating of them. If God had not let him know his own danger, it would have been improved by unreasonable men against the reputation of his predictions, that he who foretold the ruin of his country could not foresee his own peril and avoid it. See what care God takes of his prophets: He suffers no man to do them wrong; all the rage of their enemies cannot prevail to take them off till they have finished their testimony. God knows all the secret designs of his and his people's enemies, and can, when he pleases, make them know. A bird of the air shall carry the voice.
III.His appeal to God hereupon, Jer 11:20.
His eye is to God as the Lord of hosts, that judges righteously. It is a matter of comfort to us, when men deal unjustly with us, that we have a God to go to who does and will plead the cause of injured innocency and appear against the injurious. God's justice, which is a terror to the wicked, is a comfort to the godly. His eye is towards him as the God that tries the reins and the heart, that perfectly sees what is in man, what are his thoughts and intents. He knew the integrity that was in Jeremiah's heart, and that he was not the man they represented him to be. He knew the wickedness that was in their hearts, though ever so cunningly concealed and disguised. Now,
1.Jeremiah prays judgment against them: "Let me see thy vengeance on them, that is, do justice between me and them in such a way as thou pleasest." Some think there was something of human frailty in this prayer; at least Christ has taught us another lesson, both by precept and by pattern, which is to pray for our persecutors. Others think it comes from a pure zeal for the glory of God and a pious and prophetic indignation against men that were by profession priests, the Lord's ministers, and yet were so desperately wicked as to fly out against one that did them no harm, merely for the service he did to God. This petition was a prediction that he should see God's vengeance on them.
2.He refers his cause entirely to the judgment of God: "Unto thee have I revealed my cause; to thee I have committed it, not desiring nor expecting to interest any other in it." Note, It is our comfort, when we are wronged, that we have a God to commit our cause to, and our duty to commit it to him, with a resolution to acquiesce in his definitive sentence, to subscribe, and not prescribe, to him.
IV.Judgment given against his persecutors, the men of Anathoth.
It was to no purpose for him to appeal to the courts at Jerusalem, he could not have justice done him there: the priests there would stand by the priests at Anathoth, and rather second them than discountenance them; but God will therefore take cognizance of the cause himself, and we are sure that his judgment is according to truth. Here is,
1.Their crime recited, on which the sentence is grounded, Jer 11:21. They sought the prophet's life, for they forbad him to prophesy upon pain of death; they were resolved either to silence him or to slay him. The provocation he gave them was his prophesying in the name of the Lord without license from those that were the governors of the city which he was a member of, and not prophesying such smooth things as they always bespoke. Their forbidding him to prophesy was in effect seeking his life, for it was seeking to defeat the end and business of his life and to rob him of the comfort of it. It is as bad to God's faithful ministers to have their mouth stopped as to have their breath stopped. But especially when it was resolved that if he did prophesy, as certainly he would notwithstanding their inhibition, he should die by their hand; they would be accusers, judges, executioners, and all. It used to be said that a prophet could not perish but at Jerusalem, for there the great council sat; but so bitter were the men of Anathoth against Jeremiah that they would undertake to be the death of him themselves. A prophet then shall find not only no honour, but no favour, in his own country.
2.The sentence passed upon them for this crime, Jer 11:22, Jer 11:23. God says, I will punish them; let me alone to deal with them. I will visit this upon them; so the word is. God will enquire into it and reckon for it. Two of God's four sore judgments shall serve to ruin their town: - The sword shall devour their young men, though they were young priests, not men of war (their character shall not be their protection), and famine shall destroy the children, sons and daughters, that tarry at home, which is a more grievous death than that by the sword, Lam 4:9. The destruction shall be final (Jer 11:23): There shall be no remnant of them left, none to be the seed of another generation. They sought Jeremiah's life, and therefore they shall die; they would destroy him root and branch, that his name might be no more remembered, and therefore there shall be no remnant of them; and herein the Lord is righteous. Thus evil is brought upon them, even the year of their visitation, and that is evil enough, a recompence according to their deserts. Then shall Jeremiah see his desire upon his enemies. Note, Their condition is sad who have the prayers of good ministers and good people against them.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
In Jeremiah, too, he likens himself to a lamb, as thus: "I was as a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter." These and other similar sayings he applies to himself.
If we examine the declaration about Jesus who is pointed out by John in the words, "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," from the standpoint of the dispensation itself of the bodily sojourn of the Son of God in the life of people, we will assume that the lamb is none other than his humanity. For he was "led as a sheep to the slaughter and was dumb as a lamb before its shearer," saying, "I was as an innocent lamb being led to be sacrificed."
That the Jews would fasten Christ to the cross.… Also in Jeremiah: “Come, let us cast the tree into his bread, and let us blot out his life from the earth.”
Jeremiah, too, said, “Show me, O Lord, and I shall know. Then I saw their plots. And I was carried as a meek lamb to be the victim. They devised counsels against me, saying, ‘Let us put wood on his bread and cut him off from the land of the living, and his name shall be remembered no more.’ ” Now the wood signifies the cross and the bread his body, because he is himself the food and life of all who believe in the flesh that he put on and by which he hung on the cross.
Listen to Jeremiah and be convinced: “I was as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim. Did I not know it?” (Read it thus as a question, as I have put it. For he who said, “You know that after two days the Passover shall be here, and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified,” did he not know?) “I was a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim. Did I not know it?” (What sort of lamb? Let John the Baptist interpret, when he says, “Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”) “They devised a wicked counsel against me, saying (Was it that he who knew the counsels did not know their result? And what did they say?): “Come, and let us put wood on his bread.” (If the Lord shall count you worthy, hereafter you shall learn that his body, according to the Gospel, bore the figure of bread.) “Come, and let us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living (Life is not cut off. Why do you toil to no purpose?) And let his name be remembered no more.”
He was led to the cross, and the life of the whole world hung suspended from its wood. Would you care to have this, too, confirmed by the testimony of prophets? Listen to what Jeremiah has to say about it: “Come, and let us put wood on his bread, and let us cut him off from the land of the living.” Moses again, lamenting over them, remarked, “And your life shall be hanging suspended before your eyes, and you shall fear by day and by night, neither shall you trust your life.”
It is the consensus of all the church that these words are spoken by Christ through the person of Jeremiah. For the Father made it known to him how he should speak and revealed to him the zealotry of the Jews—he who was led like a lamb to the slaughter, not opening his mouth and not knowing. But the word sin is implicitly added to this last phrase, in agreement with what was said by the apostle: “When he did not know sin, he was made to be sin on our account.” And they said, “Let us put wood on his bread,” clearly referring to the cross on the body of the Savior, for he is the one who said, “I am the bread that descended from heaven.”They also said “let us destroy (or eradicate) him from the land of the living.” And they conceived the evil in their soul that they would delete his name forever. In response to this, from the sacrament of the assumed body, the Son speaks to the Father and invokes his judgment while praising his justice and acknowledging him as the God who inspects the interior and the heart. He asks that the Father would return to the people what they deserve, saying, “Let me see your vengeance on them,” obviously referring only to those who continue in sin, not to those who repent. Concerning the latter, he said on the cross: “Father forgive them, for they do not realize what they are doing.” He also “disclosed his cause” to the Father, that he was crucified not because he deserved it but for the sins of the people, as he declared: “Behold, the prince of the world came and found nothing against me.” The Jews and our Judaizers believe that all of this was said only by Jeremiah, arguing from prophecy that the people have sustained these evils in their captivity. But I fail to see how they hope to prove that Jeremiah was the one crucified, since such an event is nowhere recorded in Scripture. Perhaps it is just a figment of their imagination.
(Verse 18 onwards) But you, Lord, have shown me and I have known: you have revealed to me their desires, and I, like a gentle lamb being led to the sacrifice, did not know that they were plotting against me. Let us cast wood into his bread, and let us wipe him from the land of the living, so that his name may be remembered no more. But you, Lord of hosts, who judge justly and test the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for I have revealed my cause to you. This is the consensus of all the churches, that under the person of Jeremiah, these things may be understood to be said by Christ, that the Father has shown him how he ought to speak, and has revealed to him the intentions of the Jews, and that he himself, like a lamb led to the slaughter, has not opened his mouth and has not known, sin being implied; according to what is said by the apostle: He who knew no sin, was made sin for us: and they have said: Let us place wood in his bread, namely the cross in the body of the Savior. For it is he who says: I am the bread that came down from heaven; and we will uproot or crush him from the land of the living (John 6:51). For they have conceived this wickedness in their hearts, that they may erase his name forever. But on the contrary, in accordance with the sacrament of the assumed body, the Son speaks to the Father, and he calls for his judgment, while praising his justice, and invokes God, the observer of the kidneys and the heart, that he may give to the people what they deserve. And he says: Let me see your vengeance upon them, namely, those who persist in wickedness, and not upon those who turn to repentance. He said about them on the cross: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). And he reveals to the Father and opens his cause: because he was crucified not by any merit of his own, but by the crime of the people, saying: Behold, the prince of this world is coming, and he finds nothing in me (John 14:30). The Jews and our Judaizers understand these things to be said in the person of Jeremiah: they confirm that he endured these things from the people on account of his prophecy of future events and the coming evils of captivity. But I do not know how they can approve that Jeremiah was crucified, since the Scripture does not mention it, unless perhaps they have thought about it and not acted upon it.
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Summary
Jeremiah 11:19 poignantly captures the prophet Jeremiah's profound personal anguish and unsuspecting vulnerability, likening himself to a docile lamb or ox being led to slaughter. Unbeknownst to him, his adversaries, likely his own townspeople, had meticulously devised a treacherous plot to utterly destroy him—to "destroy the tree with the fruit thereof," "cut him off from the land of the living," and ensure his name would be forever erased from memory. This verse powerfully conveys the prophet's isolation, the chilling depth of his enemies' malice, and implicitly sets the stage for God's divine awareness and subsequent promise of justice against such wicked schemes.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 11:19 is a deeply personal lament strategically placed within a broader section (Jeremiah 11:1-17) where God re-establishes His covenant with Israel and Judah, immediately followed by stern warnings of impending judgment due to their persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. The people, however, vehemently rejected God's word delivered through Jeremiah. Verses 18-23 mark a significant, dramatic shift from divine pronouncements to the prophet's personal suffering. This verse serves as Jeremiah's initial, raw expression of shock and pain upon discovering the deadly conspiracy against him, particularly from those in his hometown of Anathoth (as hinted in Jeremiah 1:1 and explicitly stated in Jeremiah 11:21). It underscores the personal cost of faithfully delivering God's unpopular message, transitioning the narrative focus from national judgment to the prophet's individual plight.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah ministered during a tumultuous and pivotal period in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, culminating in the Babylonian exile. His prophetic message, primarily one of repentance and impending divine judgment, was profoundly unpopular, often met with fierce opposition from kings, priests, and the general populace who preferred a comforting message of peace and prosperity. The plot against Jeremiah's life, as vividly described in this verse, reflects the extreme hostility and mortal danger faced by true prophets in a society deeply resistant to God's truth. The imagery of leading an animal to slaughter was a common, visceral understanding in an agrarian society, immediately conveying a sense of defenselessness, innocence, and predetermined demise. The desire to "cut him off from the land of the living" and erase his "name" speaks to ancient Near Eastern cultural values where one's legacy, reputation, and progeny were paramount, making the threat of total obliteration a severe curse and the ultimate form of dishonor.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully underscores several critical themes prevalent throughout the book of Jeremiah. Prophetic Suffering and Persecution is vividly portrayed, as Jeremiah's unwavering faithfulness to God's unpopular message leads to intense personal danger, betrayal, and isolation, even from his own community. The theme of Innocence and Vulnerability is central, as Jeremiah likens himself to a defenseless animal, highlighting his unsuspecting nature in the face of malicious intent. The Malice of Unbelief and Rebellion is starkly revealed in the conspirators' desire for total annihilation—not just to silence but to obliterate Jeremiah's existence, influence, and memory. Finally, while not explicitly stated in this verse, the broader context of Jeremiah 11 and subsequent verses (e.g., Jeremiah 11:20) introduces the overarching theme of Divine Justice and Sovereignty, assuring that God is fully aware of such wicked plots and will ultimately execute righteous judgment.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term specifically refers to a young ram, often associated in biblical contexts with innocence, purity, and suitability for sacrifice. In Jeremiah 11:19, its use profoundly emphasizes the prophet's unsuspecting nature and utter defenselessness, portraying him as a guileless victim unknowingly led to his doom, much like an animal destined for the altar or the butcher's block. It powerfully highlights the profound injustice and cruelty of the plot against him.
This primitive root signifies to plait, interpenetrate, or fabricate, but figuratively, it means to plot, contrive, or compute, often with a malicious or cunning intent. The repetition of the root in "devised devices" (from châshab and machashâbâh) intensifies the sense of premeditated, calculated evil. It indicates that the plot against Jeremiah was not a spontaneous act of anger but a carefully thought-out, intricate scheme, reflecting a deep-seated and deliberate animosity.
This verb means to cut (off, down, or asunder), and by implication, to destroy or consume. It denotes a complete and utter severance, annihilation, or termination. In the context of "cut him off from the land of the living," it unambiguously expresses a desire for Jeremiah's physical death. When paired with the subsequent phrase "that his name may be no more remembered" (from zâkar), it reveals a comprehensive goal: to eradicate his physical presence, his legacy, and any memory of his prophetic ministry from history.
Verse Breakdown
"But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter"
Jeremiah vividly expresses his profound vulnerability and unsuspecting innocence. He compares himself to a docile, defenseless animal being led to its predetermined death, underscoring his unawareness of the danger and the cruel, premeditated nature of his enemies' intentions.
"and I knew not that they had devised devices against me"
This clause emphasizes Jeremiah's complete ignorance of the specific, malicious plot being formulated against him. He was unaware of the cunning and calculated schemes, highlighting the treachery and deceit involved in the conspiracy by those who were secretly plotting his demise.
"saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof"
This is a powerful and chilling metaphorical statement revealing the conspirators' ultimate, comprehensive goal. "The tree" represents Jeremiah himself, embodying his life, influence, and prophetic ministry. "The fruit" symbolizes his impact, his message, his legacy, or even his potential descendants. To destroy both signifies a desire for his complete and utter annihilation, leaving no trace or lasting memory.
"and let us cut him off from the land of the living"
This is a direct, unambiguous, and literal threat to Jeremiah's life. It explicitly states the conspirators' intent to kill him, removing him physically and permanently from the realm of the living.
"that his name may be no more remembered"
This final phrase reveals the profound depth of their malice, extending beyond physical death. In ancient Near Eastern culture, to be forgotten was a severe curse, signifying a complete obliteration of one's existence, reputation, and legacy. The conspirators desired to erase Jeremiah's memory, his prophetic impact, and any record of his life from history.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 11:19 is rich with powerful literary devices that amplify the prophet's distress and the enemies' malice. The direct comparison "But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter" is a striking Simile, immediately conveying Jeremiah's innocence, vulnerability, and unsuspecting nature in the face of a predetermined, violent end. The phrase "Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof" functions as a potent Metaphor and a Hebrew Idiom, signifying total destruction and the eradication of a person's entire being, influence, and posterity. This metaphor underscores the extreme malice of the conspirators, aiming not just for Jeremiah's death but for the complete obliteration of his legacy. The repetition of the root word in "devised devices" (Hebrew châshab and machashâbâh) serves as a powerful Polyptoton or Wordplay, intensifying the sense of premeditated, calculated, and malicious evil behind the plot. The entire verse, with its expression of shock, betrayal, and impending doom, functions as a deeply personal Lament, capturing the prophet's profound distress and the profound injustice he experiences.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 11:19 is a profound expression of prophetic suffering, illustrating the inherent conflict between God's truth and human resistance. It highlights that faithfulness to God's call often entails significant personal cost, betrayal, and even mortal danger, echoing the experiences of many prophets throughout biblical history. The prophet's unsuspecting vulnerability in the face of a calculated plot underscores the depth of human depravity and the malicious intent that can arise from rejecting divine revelation. Yet, even in this moment of extreme peril and ignorance, the broader narrative assures us of God's sovereign awareness and ultimate justice over all wicked schemes, providing a theological anchor for those who suffer unjustly for righteousness' sake.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah's experience in this verse offers a sobering yet profoundly comforting reflection for believers today. It reminds us that standing for God's truth in a world often hostile to His word can lead to unexpected opposition, even from those we might consider allies, community members, or family. We are called to cultivate a resilience rooted in unwavering trust in God, knowing that even when we are unaware of the hidden plots or challenges against us, God is fully cognizant and sovereign over all circumstances. This passage encourages us to embrace the reality of spiritual warfare and the potential for suffering in discipleship, not as a sign of God's absence or disapproval, but as a shared experience with the prophets of old and, most profoundly, with Christ Himself. It also calls us to cultivate deep empathy and fervent prayer for those who face persecution for their faith around the world, recognizing the profound isolation and vulnerability they may experience.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Jeremiah unaware of the plot against him?
Jeremiah's unawareness, as explicitly stated in the verse ("I knew not that they had devised devices against me"), highlights his innocence and the deceptive, clandestine nature of his enemies' actions. It suggests that the plot was carried out by those he likely trusted or at least did not perceive as immediate threats, possibly even his own townsmen from Anathoth, as revealed in Jeremiah 11:21. This lack of knowledge intensifies his portrayal as a vulnerable, unsuspecting victim, akin to an animal led to slaughter, thereby emphasizing the profound treachery and malice of his adversaries.
What is the significance of "destroy the tree with the fruit thereof"?
This phrase is a powerful Hebrew idiom signifying complete and utter destruction, aiming for total annihilation. "The tree" represents Jeremiah himself, embodying his life, his influence, and his prophetic ministry. "The fruit" symbolizes his impact, his message, his legacy, his reputation, or even his potential descendants. The conspirators' intent was not merely to kill him but to eradicate his entire being, his impact, and his memory, ensuring that his name would be "no more remembered." This reveals the extreme malice, thoroughness, and spiritual dimension of their destructive desires, seeking to erase him from history and memory.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 11:19 stands as a poignant prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the ultimate innocent Lamb of God. Just as Jeremiah was "like a lamb... brought to the slaughter" and "knew not that they had devised devices" against him, so too was Jesus led to His crucifixion, fulfilling the role of the Suffering Servant. While Jesus certainly knew the ultimate divine plan for His redemptive sacrifice (e.g., John 10:18), the human plots against Him—from the Sanhedrin's conspiracy (Matthew 26:3-4) to Judas's betrayal (Matthew 26:14-16)—were carried out with a similar malicious intent to "cut him off from the land of the living" and silence His message. The enemies of Christ, like Jeremiah's, sought to destroy the "tree" (Jesus) and His "fruit" (His teachings, His followers, His burgeoning kingdom), hoping "that his name may be no more remembered." Yet, in a glorious and divine reversal, God raised Jesus from the dead, ensuring His name is eternally remembered and exalted above every name (Philippians 2:9-11). Thus, Jeremiah's lament finds its ultimate and redemptive fulfillment in the cross and resurrection of Christ, where the innocent Lamb was indeed led to slaughter, but through His sacrifice, secured eternal life and everlasting remembrance for all who believe (John 1:29).