The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:19 Explained

Jeremiah 11:19

KJV: But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

YLT: And I am as a trained lamb brought to slaughter, And I have not known That against me they have devised devices: We destroy the tree with its food, and cut him off From the land of the living, And his name is not remembered again.

Darby: And I was like a tame lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

ASV: But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me,'saying , Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But I [was] like a lamb  [or] an ox  [that] is brought  to the slaughter;  and I knew  not that they had devised  devices  against me, [saying], Let us destroy  the tree  with the fruit  thereof, and let us cut him off  from the land  of the living,  that his name  may be no more remembered. 

What does Jeremiah 11:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He had preached to the people without realizing that some of them were plotting his death. He was as unaware of their intention as a lamb going to its slaughter (cf. Isaiah 53:7; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 2:21). They planned to get rid of him, the tree, as well as his messages, the fruit, so all memory of Jeremiah would end. [1] This would be a tragedy since the existence of descendants demonstrated God"s blessings on one"s life under the Old Covenant.
"It will be recalled that Anathoth was the home of the priestly house of Abiathar, a friend of David. The house was deposed by Song of Solomon , who supplanted it with the house of Zadok. Anathothites resented Jeremiah"s favoring the deposition of the sanctuaries other than Jerusalem. This seemed to them like siding with Zadok against their own ancestor Abiathar. Furthermore, being priests, they doubtless hated his castigation of empty priestly ritual." [2]

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 11:19 mean?

But I [was] like a lamb docile brought to the slaughter and not I did know that against me they had devised schemes [saying] let us destroy the tree with its fruit and let us cut him off from the land of the living that his name no may be remembered more
וַאֲנִ֕י כְּכֶ֥בֶשׂ אַלּ֖וּף יוּבַ֣ל לִטְב֑וֹחַ וְלֹֽא־ יָדַ֜עְתִּי כִּֽי־ עָלַ֣י ׀ חָשְׁב֣וּ מַחֲשָׁב֗וֹת נַשְׁחִ֨יתָה עֵ֤ץ בְּלַחְמוֹ֙ וְנִכְרְתֶ֙נּוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים וּשְׁמ֖וֹ לֹֽא־ יִזָּכֵ֥ר עֽוֹד

וַאֲנִ֕י  But  I  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
כְּכֶ֥בֶשׂ  like  a  lamb 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּבֶשׂ  
Sense: lamb, sheep, young ram.
אַלּ֖וּף  docile 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַלּוּף 
Sense: tame, docile.
יוּבַ֣ל  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָבַל  
Sense: to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along.
לִטְב֑וֹחַ  to  the  slaughter 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: טָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, slay, butcher, kill ruthlessly.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָדַ֜עְתִּי  I  did  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָלַ֣י ׀  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
חָשְׁב֣וּ  they  had  devised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
מַחֲשָׁב֗וֹת  schemes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַחֲשָׁבָה  
Sense: thought, device.
נַשְׁחִ֨יתָה  [saying]  let  us  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
עֵ֤ץ  the  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
בְּלַחְמוֹ֙  with  its  fruit 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וְנִכְרְתֶ֙נּוּ֙  and  let  us  cut  him  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ  from  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
חַיִּ֔ים  of  the  living 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וּשְׁמ֖וֹ  that  his  name 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִזָּכֵ֥ר  may  be  remembered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
עֽוֹד  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.