TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI-Tzva'ot, righteous judge, tester of motives and thoughts, I have committed my cause to you; so let me see your vengeance on them.
Berean Standard Bible
O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.
American Standard Version
But, O Jehovah of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the heart and the mind, I shall see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
World English Bible Messianic
But, the LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I shall see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But O Lord of hostes, that iudgest righteously, and triest the reines and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for vnto thee haue I opened my cause.
Young's Literal Translation
And O Jehovah of Hosts, judging righteousness, Trying reins and heart, I do see Thy vengeance against them, For unto Thee I have revealed my cause.'
See also
In the KJVVerse 19,247 of 31,102
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Commentary on Jeremiah 11 verses 18–23
18 ¶ And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 18–23. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(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.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
ON JEREMIAH 3:11.20
There was a reason that God allowed the prophet to be tested by troubles. Since Jeremiah had often tried to offer intercession for the transgressors—in his desire to convince Jeremiah that God was not compassionate but the harsh treasury of goodness—he allowed the rebellion to occur. In his deep grief, however, Jeremiah implores God to judge justly and exact penalties from the unholy. The Lord accepts his petition, gives a reply, threatens punishment and notes that some will be slaughtered in war and others destroyed by famine.
BedeAD 735
Homilies on the Gospels 2:12
Hence they rightly believed and confessed that as God he knew all things and that as the Son of God He had come from God. It is a clear indication of divinity to know the secret things of another’s thoughts, as Solomon affirmed when he said in supplication to God, “For you alone know the hearts of all the children of human beings.” Hence, Jeremiah too said, “You, O Lord of Sabaoth, are the one who judges righteously and probes the loins and hearts of human beings.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 11:20 presents a fervent and deeply personal prayer from the prophet Jeremiah, appealing to the sovereign God for righteous judgment and vindication. Amidst a treacherous plot against his life, Jeremiah expresses profound trust in the LORD's omniscient character, acknowledging His ability to discern the deepest intentions of the heart. The prophet petitions God to execute divine justice upon his adversaries, confident that his plight, fully revealed to the Almighty, will be addressed by the ultimate arbiter of righteousness.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 11:20 employs several powerful literary devices that amplify its emotional and theological impact. The direct address "O LORD of hosts" is an example of Apostrophe, where the speaker addresses an absent person or an abstract entity, underscoring the prophet's intimate and desperate plea to God, acknowledging His supreme authority. The phrase "that triest the reins and the heart" utilizes Anthropomorphism, attributing human-like actions (testing, discerning) to God, thereby emphasizing His profound and penetrating knowledge of human interiority in a relatable manner. Furthermore, "reins and the heart" functions as a Merism, a figure of speech in which two contrasting or complementary parts are used to represent the whole, signifying the entirety of a person's inner being—their deepest thoughts, emotions, and moral core, from the subconscious to the conscious. This verse also carries a strong sense of Pathos, evoking deep emotion and sympathy for the suffering prophet who, having faithfully delivered God's word, now turns to God for justice against those who unjustly seek his life, highlighting his vulnerability and unwavering faith.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 11:20 profoundly articulates the biblical truth of God's absolute righteousness and omniscience as the foundation for divine justice. It reassures believers that God is not merely aware of external actions but intimately understands the hidden motives and intentions of the heart, making Him the perfect and ultimate judge. This verse underscores the principle that vengeance belongs to the Lord, encouraging His people to entrust their grievances to Him rather than seeking personal retribution. It also highlights the reality of suffering for those who faithfully serve God, and the appropriate response of crying out to Him for vindication, knowing that His justice is both certain and perfectly applied.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 11:20 offers profound solace and a clear directive for believers navigating injustice and persecution in their own lives. It reminds us that our God is not distant or unaware but is the "LORD of hosts," who "judgest righteously" and "triest the reins and the heart." When we face betrayal, false accusations, or plots against our well-being, this verse invites us to emulate Jeremiah's posture: to lay our "cause" completely before the Lord, trusting in His perfect knowledge and unwavering justice. It frees us from the burden of seeking personal revenge, empowering us to release our grievances into the hands of the One who sees all and will act in His perfect timing and wisdom. This trust fosters peace, knowing that no hidden sin or injustice escapes God's notice, and that He will ultimately vindicate His faithful, bringing forth truth and righteousness in His appointed time.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is it permissible for a believer to pray for "vengeance" as Jeremiah did?
Answer: Jeremiah's prayer for "vengeance" must be understood within its biblical context. It is not a call for personal, malicious retribution, but a plea for divine justice. Jeremiah, as God's prophet, was facing a plot against his life precisely because he was faithfully delivering God's word. His request is for God to uphold His own righteous character and covenant faithfulness by acting against those who oppose His will and persecute His servant. In the New Testament, believers are explicitly commanded not to take vengeance into their own hands, but to leave room for God's wrath, knowing that "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord". Therefore, while we do not pray for personal revenge, we can and should pray for God's justice to prevail, for the wicked to be restrained, and for His righteous will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
What is the significance of God "testing the reins and the heart"?
Answer: This phrase highlights God's absolute omniscience and His profound insight into the innermost being of humanity. In ancient Hebrew thought, the "reins" (kidneys) were considered the seat of deep emotions, conscience, and hidden thoughts, while the "heart" represented the mind, will, and moral character. Together, they signify the totality of one's inner life—conscious and subconscious motives, intentions, and desires. God "testing" them means He thoroughly examines and discerns these hidden aspects, seeing beyond outward appearances or deceptive words. This truth assures the righteous that their true motives are known and affirmed by God, and it serves as a warning to the wicked that no secret sin or hidden agenda escapes His perfect scrutiny (Psalm 139:1-4).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah's plea for righteous judgment and vindication finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Like Jeremiah, Jesus was the faithful messenger of God, who faced intense opposition, betrayal, and a plot against His life, ultimately being led "like a lamb to the slaughter". He, too, entrusted His cause to the One "who judges righteously," as 1 Peter 2:23 states, "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." The cross, while appearing to be the ultimate injustice, was in fact the ultimate display of God's righteous judgment, where the "vengeance" against sin itself was poured out upon Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! His resurrection was God's resounding vindication of His suffering Servant, declaring Him to be the Son of God in power (Romans 1:4). Thus, in Christ, we see the perfect model of entrusting our cause to God, knowing that the One who suffered unjustly has become our righteous Judge and ultimate Vindicator, promising that He will return to execute final, perfect justice upon all who reject Him (Revelation 19:11).