Jeremiah 12 11

Jeremiah 12:11 kjv

They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

Jeremiah 12:11 nkjv

They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, Because no one takes it to heart.

Jeremiah 12:11 niv

It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.

Jeremiah 12:11 esv

They have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate, but no man lays it to heart.

Jeremiah 12:11 nlt

They have made it an empty wasteland;
I hear its mournful cry.
The whole land is desolate,
and no one even cares.

Jeremiah 12 verses

Jeremiah 12 11 Meaning

The Lord declares that the land of Israel has become a desolate wasteland. This desolation is a consequence of the wickedness of its inhabitants. The people have acted as if they have no heritage, no inheritance from God. This judgment extends to all the surrounding nations as well, implying a widespread spiritual and moral corruption that has grieved the Lord.

Jeremiah 12 11 Context

This verse is part of a prophecy by Jeremiah, delivered during a time of great spiritual and moral decay in Judah. The chapter as a whole addresses the wickedness of Jeremiah's own people, the Israelites, who have forsaken the Lord and followed after other gods and ways of impurity. God expresses his grief and disappointment, highlighting the spiritual adultery of His chosen people. The verse specifically laments the devastation that has befallen the land as a direct consequence of this rebellion and apostasy. It signifies the loss of God's favor and the resulting barrenness, mirroring the consequences promised for breaking the covenant.

Jeremiah 12 11 Word analysis

• Them (their): Refers to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of the land of Israel.
• Have made: Denotes the active participation of the people in bringing about the current state of desolation through their actions.
• It: Refers to the land of Israel, the promised inheritance given by God.
• Desolate: Indicates emptiness, barrenness, and a state of ruin, often associated with divine judgment.
• Dry: Suggests a lack of life-giving water, symbolizing spiritual dryness and the absence of God's presence and blessing.
• And ruined: Reinforces the idea of destruction and decay.
• By the land: This phrase is somewhat idiomatic and can imply that the land itself bears the scars of the people's sin, or that the land has become intrinsically corrupted due to its occupants' wickedness.
• For the possessors: Refers to the inhabitants who claimed ownership of the land, but whose possession has been tainted and destructive.
• Have destroyed it: Emphasizes the finality and totality of the damage caused by the people's unfaithfulness.
• No one: Highlights the complete abandonment and emptiness of the land.
• Makes his way: Implies normal habitation and movement; the land is no longer a place where people can thrive or journey peacefully.
• There: Signifies the specific location, the land of Israel.
• The LORD: Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel.
• Has brought: Indicates God as the ultimate orchestrator of events, even judgments, that are a direct result of His people's actions.
• All this evil: Encompasses the desolation, ruin, and lack of habitation as a unified consequence of sin.
• Upon them: Directing the judgment back to the perpetrators of the sin.
• For they have forsaken: This clause provides the primary reason for the judgment. Forsaken signifies abandoning, neglecting, or turning away from God.
• The LORD, the God of their fathers: Emphasizes the personal relationship God had with them, a relationship built upon the covenant made with their ancestors, highlighting their betrayal of this sacred bond.
• Who brought them out: Reminds them of God's powerful redemptive act from Egyptian bondage, underscoring the magnitude of their ingratitude and rebellion.
• The land of Egypt: The place from which God liberated them, a symbol of slavery and oppression.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Them have made it desolate, yes, it is dry and ruined by the land;": This is a declaration of God's assessment of the state of His land. The inhabitants have actively, through their sin, caused the land to become devoid of life and prosperity. The phrase "ruined by the land" might also imply a spiritual desolation inherent in the land itself when its covenant connection is broken.
• "for the possessors have destroyed it.": This identifies the reason for the destruction not as an external enemy initially, but as the people who possessed the land, namely the Israelites themselves. Their stewardship, marked by disobedience, has led to ruin.
• "No one makes his way there.": This illustrates the extent of the desolation – it has become uninhabitable, bypassed even by travelers, signifying a loss of God's protection and blessing that once made the land a place of safe passage and dwelling.
• "The LORD has brought all this evil upon them;": This underscores God's sovereignty. While the people's actions caused the evil, it is God who brings it to fruition as a consequence of their covenant breaking.
• "for they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt.": This is the core sin identified. It's not just a political or social failure, but a profound spiritual apostasy—abandoning the God who delivered them and established a covenant.

Jeremiah 12 11 Bonus section

The verse reflects a consistent pattern in the Old Testament where the land's fertility and inhabitants' well-being are directly tied to their covenant relationship with God. This theme is established in Deuteronomy and echoed throughout the prophetic books. The judgment described here is not merely a physical consequence but also a spiritual one, indicating the loss of God’s presence which sustained the land and its people. The people's actions of making the land "dry and ruined" can also be seen as a reflection of their inner spiritual dryness and ruin. Their embrace of idols, even when carrying stolen goods (often interpreted as ill-gotten gains from exploitative practices), is evidence of their deeply ingrained sin, which ultimately turns them into something akin to the soulless idols they worship.

Jeremiah 12 11 Commentary

Jeremiah 12:11 pronounces a dire judgment on Judah. Their spiritual unfaithfulness—abandoning the Lord who liberated them from Egypt and established a covenant with them—has rendered their land desolate and uninhabitable. This devastation is a direct consequence of their sin, which has not only corrupted their relationship with God but also marred the land itself, making it barren and deserted. The statement signifies that their actions have not only earned God's displeasure but have also caused Him grief. Their apostasy is likened to straying like lost sheep or animals without direction. This destruction serves as a potent reminder that obedience is the condition for experiencing God's blessings and presence in the Promised Land. The verse anticipates future restoration but first emphasizes the inescapable consequences of persistent disobedience.