Jeremiah 11 10

Jeremiah 11:10 kjv

They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went 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.

Jeremiah 11:10 nkjv

They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers 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."

Jeremiah 11:10 niv

They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.

Jeremiah 11:10 esv

They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers.

Jeremiah 11:10 nlt

They have returned to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.

Jeremiah 11 verses

Jeremiah 11 10 Meaning

Jeremiah 11:10 states that the people of Judah have reverted to the sins and behaviors of their ancestors, specifically their refusal to obey God's word and their active pursuit and worship of other gods. This widespread spiritual unfaithfulness, encompassing both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, is presented as a definitive breach of the sacred covenant God had established with their forefathers. The verse portrays a profound and collective rejection of their foundational relationship with God, leading to severe consequences.

Jeremiah 11 10 Context

Jeremiah 11 is a crucial chapter within the book, part of Jeremiah's initial phase of ministry (around 626-609 BC, largely during Josiah's reign). It opens with God commanding Jeremiah to proclaim the terms of the covenant to the people of Judah (Jer 11:2-3). This covenant refers primarily to the Mosaic Covenant made at Sinai (Exo 19-24) and reiterated in Deuteronomy (Deut 27-30), which outlined the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The present verse, Jer 11:10, serves as the divine indictment, declaring why the people are subject to the covenant's curses.

Historically, this period followed Josiah's reforms, an attempt to cleanse Judah of idolatry and restore covenant fidelity (2 Kgs 23). However, Jeremiah reveals that these reforms were largely superficial, not reaching the hearts of the people. They outwardly conformed but inwardly maintained their allegiance to foreign gods and practices, continuing the patterns of sin established by previous generations and even the northern kingdom of Israel (which had been exiled over a century prior). The verse highlights that Judah is about to face similar judgments due to the same fundamental unfaithfulness, specifically the twin sins of idolatry and rejection of God's revealed will.

Jeremiah 11 10 Word analysis

• They have turned back (שָׁבוּ shavu):

  • Word Level: From the Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv), which commonly means "to return," "to turn back." While it can denote repentance towards God (turning back to Him), here the context shows a negative "turning back to" old ways, a relapse into ingrained sinful patterns. It implies a conscious regression.
  • Significance: This emphasizes the cyclical nature of Israel's apostasy. Despite previous judgments or reform efforts, they revert to former rebellious actions, illustrating a profound lack of genuine transformation.

• to the iniquities (לַעֲוֹנֹת la'avonot):

  • Word Level: Plural of עָוֹן (avon), meaning "iniquity," "guilt," "punishment for iniquity." It denotes not just isolated sinful acts, but the inherent crookedness, perversity, and moral depravity that results in these acts. It often carries the sense of sin as a burden or a condition requiring judgment.
  • Significance: The use of the plural implies a multitude and pervasive nature of these wrongs, a deep-seated spiritual corruption that affects the entire nation.

• of their forefathers (אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם avoteihem):

  • Word Level: From אָב (av), "father," plural "fathers," here referring to ancestors or previous generations.
  • Significance: Establishes a continuity of rebellion through history, dating back to the Exodus generation in the wilderness (Exo 32, Num 14) and throughout the periods of the Judges and kings (1 Sam 8, 1 Kgs 11, 2 Kgs 17). It's a statement about their inheritance of a rebellious legacy.

• who refused to hear (מֵאֲנוּ לִשְׁמוֹעַ me'anu lishmoa):

  • Word Level: מֵאֲנוּ (me'anu) from מָאַן (ma'an), "to refuse," "to decline," "to reject." לִשְׁמוֹעַ (lishmoa) is the infinitive "to hear." It's not a physical inability to hear, but an active, deliberate refusal to heed, to pay attention, and ultimately, to obey.
  • Significance: This points to a hardening of heart and will against divine instruction. "Hearing" in the biblical sense implies both understanding and obeying. Their refusal to hear is therefore a refusal to obey God's will and law, a fundamental aspect of covenant breach.

• My words (דְּבָרָי dvarai):

  • Word Level: From דָּבָר (davar), "word," "matter," "thing," "command." The suffix is first-person possessive, "My."
  • Significance: These are not mere human suggestions but authoritative divine pronouncements, directly from God. Their rejection is therefore a direct affront to God's authority and wisdom.

• and they have gone after (וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי vayyelchu acharei):

  • Word Level: Literally "and they walked after." This idiomatic expression signifies following, pursuing, or serving. It implies devotion and allegiance.
  • Significance: It speaks of an active pursuit and allegiance. Their "going after" false gods is a willful spiritual adultery, turning their loyalty away from the true God.

• other gods (אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים elohim acherim):

  • Word Level: "Gods other," plural of אֱלֹהִים (elohim), "gods," "God," and אָחֵר (acher), "other," "another."
  • Significance: This is a direct violation of the First Commandment (Exo 20:3). It identifies the specific nature of their apostasy—polytheism and syncretism, worshipping foreign deities alongside (or instead of) Yahweh. These false gods were often fertility deities (Baals, Asherim) or astral deities from neighboring cultures.

• to serve them (לְעָבְדָם le'ovdam):

  • Word Level: From עָבַד (avad), "to serve," "to work," "to worship."
  • Significance: It emphasizes the active, practical outworking of their loyalty to false gods. It was not just an intellectual belief but involved rituals, sacrifices, and devoted acts of worship, constituting outright idolatry.

• the house of Israel and the house of Judah:

  • Significance: This phrase encompasses both the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms. This is significant because, by Jeremiah's time, the northern kingdom had long been destroyed and exiled by Assyria (722 BC) for its idolatry. Jeremiah stresses that Judah is repeating the exact sins that led to Israel's downfall, unifying their collective guilt under a common charge of covenant betrayal, foreshadowing Judah's impending fate.

• have broken My covenant (הֵפֵרוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתִי heferu et-beriti):

  • Word Level: הֵפֵרוּ (heferu) from פָּרַר (parar), "to break," "to annul," "to violate," "to frustrate," "to make void." בְּרִיתִי (beriti) is "My covenant."
  • Significance: This is the most serious charge. The covenant was a foundational relationship, like a treaty, between God and His people, sealed at Sinai. Its terms were explicit, promising blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deut 28). To "break" it means they actively invalidated their side of the agreement, incurring the severe penalties outlined within it. It demonstrates their unfaithfulness and rebellion against their sovereign Lord.

Jeremiah 11 10 Bonus section

• The mention of "My covenant which I made with their fathers" links directly to the Mosaic covenant, emphasizing its enduring claims on subsequent generations. It implies a continuous moral and spiritual accountability spanning centuries.
• The "other gods" were not abstract philosophical concepts but often included Baal, Asherah, Molech, and the host of foreign deities whose worship involved ritual prostitution, child sacrifice, and syncretistic practices deeply abhorrent to Yahweh.
• This verse underpins the concept of divine justice: God acts according to the terms He himself established. The breaking of the covenant isn't arbitrary but invokes the curses previously stipulated.
• The inclusion of both "house of Israel and house of Judah" despite their centuries of political separation underlines the shared identity and destiny under the covenant. They are one people in terms of their relationship with God, and their collective apostasy affects the whole.
• The profound sin here is not just an error, but a betrayal. They deliberately turned away from the source of life and blessing, echoing Adam's rebellion in the garden by choosing self-will over divine instruction.

Jeremiah 11 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 11:10 is a divine summary judgment, forcefully declaring the primary reasons for Judah's impending doom. It unveils a grim theological indictment against God's covenant people. First, it identifies a regressive pattern: Judah's present iniquities are not new, but a return to the long-standing rebellions of their ancestors, particularly their deliberate refusal to obey God's revealed will. This implies a systemic, generational, and ingrained resistance to divine authority, showcasing a continuity of stubbornness throughout their history. Second, it highlights the ultimate spiritual treason: their active pursuit and devoted service to "other gods," directly violating the core commandment against idolatry. This wasn't passive neglect but an enthusiastic embracing of foreign religious practices. Finally, by explicitly naming "the house of Israel and the house of Judah," the verse draws a direct parallel to the northern kingdom's tragic fate, affirming that both halves of the divided kingdom ultimately shared the same spiritual corruption that inevitably led to the "breaking" of God's covenant. This breach activates the covenant curses, leaving them without recourse, signaling the justice of the looming judgment and exile.