Jeremiah 11 13

Jeremiah 11:13 kjv

For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

Jeremiah 11:13 nkjv

For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.

Jeremiah 11:13 niv

You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.'

Jeremiah 11:13 esv

For your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to make offerings to Baal.

Jeremiah 11:13 nlt

Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame ? altars for burning incense to your god Baal ? as there are streets in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 11 verses

Jeremiah 11 13 Meaning

Jeremiah 11:13 delivers a stark indictment of the Judean nation's profound and pervasive idolatry. It explicitly links the widespread existence of pagan deities and altars to the sheer number of their cities and even the streets within Jerusalem itself. The verse identifies the "shameful thing" as Baal, clarifying that these numerous altars were erected specifically for burning incense to this Canaanite fertility god. This signifies that idolatry had thoroughly permeated every aspect of public and private life, directly challenging God's exclusive claim to worship.

Jeremiah 11 13 Context

Jeremiah 11 unfolds as a divine warning and lament over Judah's violation of the covenant, often referred to as the Deuteronomic covenant (Jer 11:1-5). God reminds them of the curses associated with disobedience (Jer 11:3), yet the people stubbornly refuse to listen (Jer 11:8). The passage reveals a deep-seated spiritual rebellion, where Judah, alongside Israel, has returned to the "iniquities of their forefathers" (Jer 11:10), meaning their ancestral idolatry. Jeremiah 11:13 provides the evidence and scale of this covenant breach, illustrating just how thoroughly the nation had forsaken Yahweh for pagan worship. Historically, Judah, like its northern counterpart Israel, repeatedly fell into the worship of Canaanite deities, particularly Baal, which was a dominant cult in the region associated with fertility, storms, and agriculture. Despite God's persistent warnings through prophets, the people adopted these practices, sometimes even incorporating them into the worship of Yahweh (syncretism).

Jeremiah 11 13 Word analysis

• For (כִּי, ki): This conjunction establishes a causal link. It explains why the judgment declared in the preceding verses (e.g., God's strong warning and the breaking of the covenant) is justly being brought against Judah. It signals the evidence of their transgression.
• according to the number of your cities (לְמִסְפַּר עָרֶיךָ, ləmispar ‘āreykā): This phrase emphasizes the vast and comprehensive scale of Judah's idolatry. It suggests that every town and city, regardless of its size, harbored its own set of false gods or localized shrines, reflecting a deep decentralization of faith from Yahweh.
• were your gods (אֱלֹהֶיךָ, ‘ĕlōheyḵā): The plural "gods" directly contradicts the singular nature of Yahweh, indicating a profound breach of the first commandment. These were deities chosen and fabricated by Judah, a reflection of their own desires rather than divine truth. The use of "your" makes the possession personal and condemnatory.
• O Judah (יְהוּדָה, Yəhūdāh): This direct address makes the accusation personal and undeniable to the specific kingdom. It underscores that this sin was not confined to a rebellious minority but permeated the very identity of the nation.
• and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem (וּכְמִסְפַּר חוּצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, ūḵəmispar ḥûṣôṯ Yərûšālayim): This specific focus on Jerusalem, the spiritual and political heart of Judah, highlights the extremity of their idolatry. Even in the holy city, designed for Yahweh's sole worship, public spaces were polluted. "Streets" implies open, communal participation, not hidden or secretive worship, reinforcing the flagrant nature of the sin.
• you have set up altars (שַׂמְתֶּם מִזְבְּחוֹת, śamtɛm mizbəḥōṯ): "Set up" (שַׂמְתֶּם) signifies deliberate and active construction. These "altars" (מִזְבְּחוֹת) were sites for sacrificial offerings and worship, mirroring the legitimate altars to Yahweh, but perverted for pagan devotion. This verb indicates intentional rebellion against God's prescribed worship.
• to the shameful thing (לַבֹּשֶׁת, labōšeṯ): "Bōšeṯ" (shame) is a prophetic and polemical substitution for Baal, which means "lord" or "master." This rhetorical device stripped Baal of his perceived authority and associated him with disgrace, corruption, and the degradation brought upon those who worshipped him. It served as a verbal denunciation, asserting God's contempt for this rival deity.
• altars to burn incense to Baal (מִזְבְּחוֹת לְקַטֵּר לַבַּעַל, mizbəḥōṯ ləqaṭṭêr labba‘al): This specifies the ritual act performed on these altars – the burning of "incense" (qaṭṭêr), an act of reverence and invocation for deities. Explicitly naming "Baal" after "the shameful thing" leaves no ambiguity about the object of their worship. It also underlines the direct rejection of Yahweh, as incense offerings were due to Him alone (e.g., Exod 30:1).

Words-group analysis:

• "according to the number of your cities... and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem": This parallel structure emphasizes both the widespread nature (cities, general regions) and the deeply ingrained corruption (streets, public life, even in the holy capital) of Judah's idolatry. It's a statement of hyper-pervasiveness.
• "your gods... the shameful thing... Baal": This progression shows first the generic sense of false worship, then uses a derogatory term for a specific pagan deity, and finally identifies the deity explicitly. It moves from general accusation to precise identification of the main offender against Yahweh's exclusivity.
• "set up altars... to burn incense": This combination describes the deliberate establishment of a pagan religious system with its associated cultic acts, indicating a conscious and active rejection of the covenant relationship with Yahweh.

Jeremiah 11 13 Bonus section

• The Hebrew concept of God's "jealousy" (Exod 34:14, Deut 6:15) is directly provoked by this kind of widespread idolatry. God demands exclusive devotion, and Judah's actions were a direct challenge to His nature as the one true sovereign.
• The phrase "the shameful thing" (Baal/Molech) points to an early form of theological polemic, where biblical writers intentionally debased the names of pagan gods to highlight their powerlessness and corrupting influence compared to Yahweh. This renaming was a clear signal to the original audience about the futility of these idols.
• Archaeological findings often support the prophetic denunciations of pervasive idol worship. Excavations throughout ancient Judah reveal numerous domestic altars, Asherah figurines, and other cultic objects, underscoring the deep entrenchment of polytheism in everyday life, even in homes.

Jeremiah 11 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 11:13 powerfully encapsulates the devastating extent of Judah's apostasy, forming a crucial link in the chain of their covenant unfaithfulness. The prophet exposes not merely a clandestine act of rebellion, but a wholesale adoption of paganism, publicly manifested across the nation. The imagery of "the number of your cities" and "the streets of Jerusalem" filled with altars serves as a graphic demonstration of a society entirely saturated with idol worship, leaving no sacred space for Yahweh alone. This brazen proliferation of "gods" and "altars" stands in stark contrast to the singular command for worship given by the God of Israel. By substituting "Baal" with "the shameful thing," Jeremiah ridicules the false deity, declaring it worthless and disgraceful, thereby condemning the choices of those who elevated it. This was an affront of cosmic proportions, deserving the severe judgment God promised to enact. The verse serves as a reminder of how easily outward expressions of faith can become utterly hollow, even destructive, when the heart turns away from the true object of devotion.