The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:7 Explained

Jeremiah 11:7

KJV: For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

YLT: For I certainly testified against your fathers, In the day of My bringing them up out of the land of Egypt -- till this day, Rising early and testifying, saying, Hearken to My voice,

Darby: For I earnestly protested unto your fathers, in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Hearken unto my voice.

ASV: For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For I earnestly  protested  unto your fathers  in the day  [that] I brought them up  out of the land  of Egypt,  [even] unto this day,  rising early  and protesting,  saying,  Obey  my voice. 

What does Jeremiah 11:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The importance of doing so was clear, in that the Lord had commanded His people to hear and obey the covenant, when He first gave it and ever since.

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 11:7 mean?

For earnestly I exhorted your fathers in the day I brought up them out of the land of Egypt and until day this rising early and exhorting saying Obey My voice
כִּי֩ הָעֵ֨ד הַעִדֹ֜תִי בַּאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם בְּיוֹם֩ הַעֲלוֹתִ֨י אוֹתָ֜ם מֵאֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ וְעַד־ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה הַשְׁכֵּ֥ם וְהָעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹ֑ר שִׁמְע֖וּ בְּקוֹלִֽי

הָעֵ֨ד  earnestly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
הַעִדֹ֜תִי  I  exhorted 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בַּאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם  your  fathers 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בְּיוֹם֩  in  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַעֲלוֹתִ֨י  I  brought  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מֵאֶ֤רֶץ  out  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְעַד־  and  until 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הַיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הַשְׁכֵּ֥ם  rising  early 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
וְהָעֵ֖ד  and  exhorting 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שִׁמְע֖וּ  Obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּקוֹלִֽי  My  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.