Jeremiah 11:2

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

Hear {H8085} ye the words {H1697} of this covenant {H1285}, and speak {H1696} unto the men {H376} of Judah {H3063}, and to the inhabitants {H3427} of Jerusalem {H3389};

Complete Jewish Bible

"Listen to the words of this covenant; then speak to the people of Y'hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim;

Berean Standard Bible

“Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 11:2 initiates a solemn divine directive delivered through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This verse serves as a foundational command, urging the people to heed and internalize the terms of the covenant God had established with their ancestors. It underscores God's unwavering commitment to His promises and expectations, even as it sets the stage for a profound indictment of the nation's widespread disobedience and impending judgment for their failure to uphold their end of the sacred agreement.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 11:2 marks the beginning of a significant section (Jeremiah 11:1-17) often titled "The Broken Covenant." This passage immediately follows a series of general prophetic warnings and laments, transitioning into a direct and specific confrontation regarding Israel's covenant infidelity. The divine command to "hear" and "speak" establishes the prophetic oracle's authority and urgency, setting the tone for the subsequent enumeration of covenant curses and the declaration of God's righteous judgment against a rebellious people who have forsaken the very foundation of their relationship with Him. The following verses detail the specific terms of the covenant and Judah's failure to adhere to them, leading to the pronouncement of severe consequences.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The prophetic ministry of Jeremiah took place during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, primarily in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC, leading up to the Babylonian exile. This era was characterized by political instability, shifting allegiances between regional powers (Egypt and Babylon), and profound spiritual apostasy despite the religious reforms initiated by King Josiah. While Josiah's rediscovery of the Book of the Law (likely a portion of Deuteronomy) in [2 Kings 22:8](/2_kings/22-8 "2 Kings 22:8 - Discovery of the Book of the Law") had sparked a national revival, the heart of the people, particularly after Josiah's death, remained largely unchanged. The "covenant" referred to in this verse is primarily the Mosaic Covenant, established at Mount Sinai, which formed the bedrock of Israel's identity and relationship with Yahweh. Culturally, covenants were binding legal and social agreements, often ratified with solemn rituals, and their violation carried severe penalties, making God's reminder a stark warning.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully introduces several major theological and narrative themes prevalent throughout Jeremiah and the broader Old Testament. The most prominent is **Covenant Obligation**, emphasizing God's enduring covenant with Israel, particularly the Mosaic Covenant (see [Exodus 19:5](/exodus/19-5 "Exodus 19:5 - God's Covenant with Israel at Sinai")). This covenant, rooted in God's gracious initiative, demanded faithful obedience from His people, promising blessings for adherence and curses for transgression, as detailed in [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses for Obedience and Disobedience"). Another key theme is **Divine Communication**, highlighting God's active engagement with His people through His chosen prophet, Jeremiah. This demonstrates God's desire to warn and guide before judgment. The imperative "Hear ye" also underscores the **Call to Hear and Obey**, implying not just passive listening but an active, transformative response to God's revealed will. Finally, the verse establishes the theme of **Accountability**, setting the stage for God's indictment of Judah and Jerusalem for their widespread disobedience and their failure to uphold the terms of their sacred agreement.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Hear (Hebrew, _shâmaʻ'_):** From H8085, this primitive root means "to hear intelligently," often implying attention, understanding, and crucially, obedience. It's more than just auditory perception; it denotes an active listening that leads to internalizing and acting upon what is heard. In the context of a covenant, "hearing" is synonymous with heeding and obeying.
* **words (Hebrew, _dâbâr'_):** From H1697, this term refers to "a word," but by implication, it encompasses a matter, a thing, a decree, a message, or even a deed. Here, "words of this covenant" signifies the entire body of stipulations, laws, promises, and warnings contained within the Mosaic Law, representing the full expression of God's will and the terms of His relationship with Israel.
* **covenant (Hebrew, _bᵉrîyth'_):** From H1285, this term signifies "a compact" or "a league," often made by "cutting" (referencing the ancient practice of cutting animals in half and passing between them to solemnize an agreement). It denotes a solemn, binding agreement or treaty, typically initiated by a superior party (God) and involving mutual obligations, promises, and consequences for faithfulness or infidelity. It is foundational to understanding God's relationship with His people throughout biblical history.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Hear ye the words of this covenant,"**: This is a direct, imperative command from God, delivered through Jeremiah. The plural "ye" indicates a universal address to the people. "Hear" (Hebrew: _shâmaʻ_) implies not just listening with the ears, but understanding, internalizing, and obeying. The "words" refer to the comprehensive stipulations, laws, and promises of the Mosaic Covenant, which defined Israel's relationship with Yahweh. This opening clause immediately establishes the gravity of the message, calling the nation back to the foundational agreement they had with God.
* **"and speak unto the men of Judah,"**: This clause specifies Jeremiah's prophetic commission. He is not merely to hear, but to actively proclaim this message. "Men of Judah" refers to the male population of the southern kingdom, representing the entire community. This highlights the widespread nature of the covenant breaking and the need for a public, authoritative declaration of God's indictment.
* **"and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;"**: This further specifies the target audience, emphasizing the capital city as the spiritual and political heart of Judah. Jerusalem, as the seat of the temple and the Davidic monarchy, bore a particular responsibility for upholding the covenant. By addressing both the broader "men of Judah" and the specific "inhabitants of Jerusalem," the message underscores that no one is exempt from accountability to God's covenant.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 11:2 employs several powerful **literary devices** to convey its urgent message. The use of the **imperative mood** ("Hear ye," "speak") immediately establishes the divine authority behind the command and the urgency of its reception, demanding an immediate and active response from the audience. There is also clear **parallelism** in the address: "the men of Judah" is paralleled with "the inhabitants of Jerusalem." This rhetorical device emphasizes the widespread nature of the message, ensuring that both the general populace of the kingdom and the specific residents of its capital city understand that the covenant applies to all. Furthermore, the phrase "words of this covenant" can be seen as a form of **metonymy**, where "words" stands in for the entire body of the Mosaic Law and its stipulations. This concise phrasing effectively encapsulates the vast and weighty content of God's foundational agreement with His people, highlighting that the core issue is their disregard for the divine revelation itself.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 11:2 serves as a stark reminder of the enduring biblical theme of covenant, particularly the tension between God's faithfulness and humanity's propensity for infidelity. The verse highlights that God's relationship with His people is not arbitrary but founded on a solemn, binding agreement, the terms of which are divinely revealed. The command to "hear" and "speak" underscores the critical importance of divine revelation and the human responsibility to both receive and transmit God's truth. The theological implication is profound: disobedience to the covenant is not merely a legal infraction but a betrayal of a sacred relationship, leading inevitably to divine judgment. This sets the stage for the prophetic lament over Israel's brokenness and foreshadows the ultimate necessity for a new and better covenant, one that would address the very heart of human rebellion.

* [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses of the Covenant")
* [Jeremiah 31:31](/jeremiah/31-31 "Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The Promise of a New Covenant")
* [Hebrews 8:6](/hebrews/8-6 "Hebrews 8:6-13 - Christ's Superior New Covenant")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 11:2 resonates deeply with believers today, serving as a powerful call to active engagement with God's Word and a sober reflection on our covenant relationship with Him through Christ. Just as God commanded Jeremiah to remind Judah of their obligations, so too are we called to continually "hear" and live by the truths of the New Covenant. This is not a passive exercise but an active, Spirit-empowered commitment to understanding, internalizing, and obeying the Gospel. Our spiritual vitality and effectiveness in the world are intrinsically linked to our intentional adherence to God's revealed will. The verse challenges us to examine the depth of our listening, the authenticity of our faith, and the faithfulness of our witness, urging us to be both diligent hearers and bold communicators of God's unchanging truth in a world that desperately needs to hear it.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How actively do I "hear" and internalize God's Word, moving beyond mere reading to genuine understanding and obedience?**
* **In what specific ways does my daily life reflect my commitment to the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ?**
* **Like Jeremiah, what opportunities do I have to "speak" God's truth and share the good news of the covenant of grace with those in my sphere of influence?**

### FAQ
**What is "this covenant" referred to in Jeremiah 11:2?**

Answer: "This covenant" primarily refers to the Mosaic Covenant, which God established with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai, as recorded in books like [Exodus 19-24](/exodus/19 "Exodus 19 - The Covenant at Sinai") and [Deuteronomy](/deuteronomy/1 "Deuteronomy - The Second Giving of the Law"). This foundational covenant outlined the terms of God's unique relationship with His chosen people, including moral laws, ceremonial regulations, and civil statutes. It promised blessings for obedience (e.g., prosperity, protection) and curses for disobedience (e.g., famine, defeat, exile). While King Josiah had recently initiated reforms and rediscovered the Book of the Law, the people's hearts had largely returned to idolatry and social injustice, necessitating this prophetic reminder of their solemn obligations.

**Why was it necessary for Jeremiah to "speak" these words to Judah and Jerusalem?**

Answer: It was necessary for Jeremiah to "speak" these words because the people of Judah and Jerusalem had largely forgotten, neglected, or willfully ignored their covenant obligations to God. Despite earlier warnings from other prophets and even Josiah's reforms, widespread idolatry, injustice, and spiritual apathy persisted. Jeremiah was commissioned as God's prophet, acting as a divine messenger to call the nation back to repentance, remind them of the binding terms of their relationship with Yahweh, and warn them of the impending judgment that would result from their continued unfaithfulness. His speaking was an act of divine mercy, offering a final opportunity for the people to turn back before the full weight of the covenant curses, specifically the Babylonian exile, came upon them.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 11:2, with its emphasis on a broken covenant and the call to hear and obey, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the mediator of a superior, New Covenant. The Old Covenant, though righteous and good, revealed humanity's inability to perfectly keep God's law, leading to the very brokenness Jeremiah prophesied. Jesus did not come to abolish the law or the prophets but to fulfill them ([Matthew 5:17](/matthew/5-17 "Matthew 5:17 - Jesus Fulfills the Law")), perfectly embodying the obedience that Israel failed to render. His life of perfect righteousness and His sacrificial death on the cross inaugurated the New Covenant, prophesied in [Jeremiah 31:31-34](/jeremiah/31-31 "Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The Promise of a New Covenant"), where God's law is written not on tablets of stone but on human hearts. Through His shed blood, Jesus established a covenant of grace, providing forgiveness for the very covenant-breaking sins that plagued Judah. Now, through faith in Christ, believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to genuinely "hear" and obey God's Word, not out of fear of curses, but out of love and gratitude for the perfect and lasting redemption secured by the [Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God") This New Covenant, ratified in Christ's blood ([Luke 22:20](/luke/22-20 "Luke 22:20 - The New Covenant in Christ's Blood")), offers true reconciliation and an enduring relationship with God, fulfilling the deepest longings of the human heart that the Old Covenant could only foreshadow.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

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.

Exodus 19:5

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:

2 Kings 11:17

¶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king also and the people.

2 Kings 23:2

And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

2 Kings 23:3

And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all [their] heart and all [their] soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

2 Chronicles 29:10

Now [it is] in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

2 Chronicles 34:31

And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.