Jeremiah 11 6

Jeremiah 11:6 kjv

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.

Jeremiah 11:6 nkjv

Then the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: 'Hear the words of this covenant and do them.

Jeremiah 11:6 niv

The LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them.

Jeremiah 11:6 esv

And the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them.

Jeremiah 11:6 nlt

Then the LORD said, "Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, 'Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires.

Jeremiah 11 verses

Jeremiah 11 6 Meaning

Jeremiah 11:6 conveys a direct command from the LORD to His prophet Jeremiah. God instructs Jeremiah to publicly proclaim the terms of His covenant throughout all the cities of Judah and specifically in the prominent streets of Jerusalem. The core of this message is an urgent call for the people to "hear" – not just physically listen, but to actively comprehend, acknowledge, and internalize – "the words of this covenant," and, crucially, to "do them," implying consistent and obedient action in accordance with its stipulations. It underscores God's steadfast expectation for His people to faithfully adhere to their foundational relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 11 6 Context

Jeremiah 11 begins with God instructing Jeremiah to remind the people of Judah about the covenant He made with their ancestors after bringing them out of Egypt (Jer 11:1-5). This "covenant" is primarily the Mosaic Law, reiterated in Deuteronomy, which promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The specific context is that despite Josiah's earlier reforms (2 Kgs 22-23), during which the Book of the Law was rediscovered and a national covenant renewal was proclaimed, much of the people's repentance was superficial.

Verse 6, therefore, is God's direct command for Jeremiah to reactivate and underscore the urgent call to uphold these covenant terms, emphasizing that mere external adherence is insufficient; genuine listening and active obedience are required. It highlights God's patience and persistent efforts to call His people back to Himself before the impending judgment due to their deep-seated idolatry and disregard for His laws, despite the reforms. This instruction sets the stage for God's subsequent condemnation of their breaking of this very covenant.

Jeremiah 11 6 Word analysis

• Then: (waw conjunction) Indicates a sequential flow, linking this divine command to the preceding narrative of God’s instructions and the historical covenant review in Jer 11:1-5. It marks a shift from God merely reminding Jeremiah of the covenant's past to God commanding Jeremiah to proclaim it in the present.

• the LORD (Yahweh, יְהֹוָה): The sacred, covenantal name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship with Israel and His unchangeable nature as the faithful God who initiated and upheld this covenant. This is the God to whom Israel owed loyalty.

• said to me: Signifies a direct divine commission to Jeremiah, affirming his role as an authoritative prophet delivering God's very words, not his own human opinions. This legitimizes the message as emanating directly from Yahweh.

• 'Proclaim (qara', קָרָא): To call out, read aloud, or summon. This is not a subtle whisper but an imperative for a public, loud, and official declaration, implying urgency and divine authority behind the message. It means to preach forcefully.

• all these words: Refers comprehensively to the stipulations, commands, warnings, and principles of the Mosaic/Deuteronomic covenant (Jer 11:3-4). It underscores that God's people were expected to uphold the entirety of His revealed will, not just selectively.

• in the cities of Judah: A broad geographical mandate, signifying that the message was for all people across the territory of Judah, not confined to a single locality or group. It highlights the pervasive nature of their apostasy and God's comprehensive call to repentance.

• and in the streets of Jerusalem: Specifically targets the capital city, its main public thoroughfares where people gathered. This implies a high-visibility, undeniable declaration in the political and religious heartland, ensuring the message reached everyone and leaving no excuse for ignorance.

• saying: Introduces the precise, core content of the message Jeremiah was to deliver.

• "Hear (shama', שָׁמַע): More than just auditory perception. It denotes active listening, heeding, obeying, and understanding with the intent to comply. In biblical context, shama is inextricably linked to obedience, meaning to "hear and respond obediently."

• the words of this covenant (berith, בְּרִית): Refers to the divine agreement, the foundational set of laws and promises that bound God and Israel, specifically the Mosaic/Deuteronomic covenant. This was the defining charter of their relationship and existence as God's chosen people.

• and do them": The critical and practical imperative. It moves beyond passive listening or intellectual assent to demanding active, consistent, and practical obedience to the covenant's stipulations. This emphasizes that genuine shama always culminates in tangible action and adherence to God's will.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Proclaim all these words... saying: 'Hear the words... and do them.'": This phrase succinctly captures the entire prophetic mandate and the core demand of the covenant. It reveals the divine process: God's command to the prophet, the prophet's public declaration, and the people's required response of attentive, obedient action. This highlights God's persistent efforts to bring His people to obedience through clear and urgent communication.
  • "in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem": This dual geographic directive underscores the extensive and inescapable nature of Jeremiah's mission. The message was to penetrate every part of society, from the rural towns to the urban capital, ensuring that all within the covenant community had ample opportunity to hear and respond to God's ultimate command for obedience. It signified God's universal expectation for all of Judah, leaving no place untouched by His Word.

Jeremiah 11 6 Bonus section

This verse powerfully highlights the recurring theme throughout the Bible: God’s profound desire for a relationship with His people built on active obedience rather than mere ritualistic performance or intellectual acknowledgment. The public nature of the proclamation in every "city" and "street" emphasizes that God holds the entire community, not just its leaders or religious elite, accountable to His covenant. This broad call for shama and doing underscores the communal aspect of covenant responsibility. It is also an ironic call given Judah's pervasive idolatry at the time, indicating the depth of their spiritual blindness that necessitated such a direct and explicit reminder of what they already knew but failed to practice. Their inability to "hear and do" truly led directly to the necessity of God revealing the "new covenant" later in Jeremiah, where obedience would be written on hearts rather than stone.

Jeremiah 11 6 Commentary

Jeremiah 11:6 serves as a foundational declaration of God's enduring claim upon His covenant people. It is a fresh imperative from the LORD to Jeremiah, instructing him to ensure that the terms of the Mosaic Covenant, already broken by Israel, are forcefully reiterated throughout all Judah. The command to "proclaim" (qara) highlights the urgency and public nature of the message, leaving no room for ignorance or pretense. By specifying "all these words," God stresses the comprehensive nature of His Law, not just select parts. The call to "hear" (shama) is profound; it requires not just passive listening, but active understanding, internalizing, and the willingness to respond in obedience. The concluding "and do them" is the ultimate expectation, transforming mere knowledge into living fidelity. This verse reveals God's faithfulness in continuously calling His people to repentance and adherence, even when they have repeatedly strayed, underscoring the spiritual crisis that led to the subsequent prophecies of judgment but also hinting at the need for a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) where such obedience would be genuinely enabled. It is a stark reminder that true faith necessitates both hearing and doing.