The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:12 Explained

Jeremiah 11:12

KJV: Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

YLT: And the cities of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem have gone, And they have cried unto the gods, To whom they are making perfume, And they give no deliverance at all to them, In the time of their vexation.

Darby: Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto whom they have burned incense; but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

ASV: Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto which they offer incense: but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then shall the cities  of Judah  and inhabitants  of Jerusalem  go,  and cry  unto the gods  unto whom they offer incense:  but they shall not save  them at all  in the time  of their trouble. 

What does Jeremiah 11:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Receiving no relief from the Lord, the people would appeal to their idols, but they would not save them either.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 11:1-20 - The Penalty Of A Broken Covenant
This and the following two chapters belong to the earlier ministry of Jeremiah, when he still dwelt in his native home of Anathoth. The prophet refers to the covenant which had been lately renewed by Josiah, 2 Kings 22:1-20 and 2 Kings 23:1-37, and quotes largely from the book of Deuteronomy, which had been recently read in the hearing of the people. To that covenant the prophet reverently gives his endorsement, Jeremiah 11:5. His amen reminds us of Him who is God's Amen, and in whom all the promises of God are ratified forever, 2 Corinthians 1:20. Shall we not learn, like our Lord in Matthew 11:26, to look into the Father's face and say, "Even so?" We must do so, that one day we may join with the redeemed in crying, "Amen, Hallelujah," Revelation 19:4.
The repeated relapses of Israel into idolatry were in part due to the licentious rites associated with such worship. The people were seduced from their allegiance to Jehovah by the fascination of passion; and herein we are reminded of the many times that we have been beguiled into sinful thoughts and imaginings, in spite of God's earnest solicitations and protestation, "rising early and protesting." As long as the soul is wedded to its evil ways, it is impervious to the entrance of God's light and love. "There is a sin unto death," says the Apostle, "I do not say that he shall pray for it," a saying which is closely akin to the solemn prohibition of Jeremiah 11:14, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them." [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 11

1  Jeremiah proclaims God's covenant;
8  rebukes the peoples' disobeying thereof;
11  prophesies evils to come upon them;
18  and upon the men of Anathoth, for conspiring to kill him

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 11:12 mean?

And will go the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense to whom but at all not they will save them in the time of their trouble
וְהָֽלְכ֞וּ עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה וְיֹשְׁבֵי֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ אֶל־ הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם מְקַטְּרִ֖ים לָהֶ֑ם וְהוֹשֵׁ֛עַ לֹֽא־ יוֹשִׁ֥יעוּ לָהֶ֖ם בְּעֵ֥ת רָעָתָֽם

וְהָֽלְכ֞וּ  And  will  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עָרֵ֣י  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָ֗ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וְיֹשְׁבֵי֙  and  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙  and  cry  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים  the  gods 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲשֶׁ֛ר  to  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מְקַטְּרִ֖ים  offer  incense 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
לָהֶ֑ם  to  whom 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וְהוֹשֵׁ֛עַ  but  at  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
יוֹשִׁ֥יעוּ  they  will  save 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
בְּעֵ֥ת  in  the  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
רָעָתָֽם  of  their  trouble 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.