Jeremiah 16:11

Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

Then shalt thou say {H559} unto them, Because your fathers {H1} have forsaken {H5800} me, saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}, and have walked {H3212} after {H310} other {H312} gods {H430}, and have served {H5647} them, and have worshipped {H7812} them, and have forsaken {H5800} me, and have not kept {H8104} my law {H8451};

then you are to say to them, 'It is because your ancestors abandoned me, says ADONAI, and went after other gods, serving and worshipping them, but abandoned me and did not keep my Torah.

Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction.

then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith Jehovah, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

Commentary on Jeremiah 16:11 (KJV)

Jeremiah 16:11 is a pivotal verse that directly answers the question of why God's judgment is coming upon Judah, a question implied in the preceding verses. It lays bare the core reasons for the impending divine punishment, primarily focusing on the nation's spiritual infidelity.

Context

The prophet Jeremiah delivered his message during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, leading up to the Babylonian exile. The people of Judah were deeply entrenched in idolatry and had repeatedly broken the covenant relationship with the LORD their God. In Jeremiah 16:10, the people ask, "Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?" Verse 11 provides the direct, stern, and clear answer, attributing their downfall to a long-standing pattern of disobedience and spiritual apostasy inherited from their forefathers.

Key Themes

  • Idolatry and Apostasy: The primary accusation is the worship of "other gods." This wasn't merely a casual deviation but an active choice to "walk after," "serve," and "worship" false deities, a direct violation of the first commandment. This spiritual adultery demonstrates a profound betrayal of their covenant with the LORD.
  • Forsaking the LORD: The phrase "forsaken me" is repeated, emphasizing the deliberate and severe nature of their turning away from the one true God. It speaks to a breaking of relationship, a rejection of His authority and love.
  • Disregard for God's Law: The statement "and have not kept my law" highlights their systemic disobedience to God's commandments, which were given for their blessing and guidance. This neglect of the divine statutes was a natural consequence of their idolatry, as allegiance to false gods inherently meant rejecting the true God's ways.
  • Generational Sin and Consequences: The verse attributes the sin to "your fathers," indicating a deeply rooted, generational pattern of rebellion that had accumulated over time, leading to the severe judgment now facing the current generation. While individuals are responsible for their own choices, the cumulative effect of a nation's persistent sin brings corporate consequences.

Linguistic Insights

The term "LORD" (KJV) in this verse represents the Hebrew name YHWH (Yahweh), God's personal covenant name. The use of this name underscores the deeply personal nature of the betrayal; they had forsaken not just a deity, but their covenant-keeping God who had delivered them from Egypt and sustained them. The Hebrew word for "forsaken" (עָזַב, 'azav) implies abandonment, desertion, or leaving something behind, emphasizing a deliberate and grievous act of turning away from the relationship.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 16:11 serves as a timeless warning about the dangers of spiritual compromise and the consequences of abandoning God. While ancient Israel's idolatry involved physical idols, modern-day "other gods" can include anything that takes precedence over God in our lives—material wealth, power, fame, self-indulgence, or even intellectual pursuits. This verse calls us to:

  • Examine Our Allegiances: To whom or what do we give our ultimate loyalty, time, and worship? Are we truly keeping God's law, or are we forsaking Him in subtle ways?
  • Understand Consequences: Persistent disobedience and spiritual apathy have consequences, both individually and corporately. God is just, and He holds His people accountable.
  • Seek Repentance and Return: The underlying message in Jeremiah, though often stern, is always a call to return to the LORD. Understanding the gravity of past and present sin is the first step toward genuine repentance and restoration.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 106:35

    But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

  • Psalms 106:41

    And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.

  • 1 Peter 4:3

    For the time past of [our] life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

  • 1 Kings 9:9

    And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.

  • Jeremiah 5:7

    How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by [them that are] no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

  • Jeremiah 5:9

    Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

  • Nehemiah 9:26

    Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

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