Jeremiah 11:12

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. THEN SHALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM GO AND CRY UNTO THE GODS UNTO WHOM THEY OFFER INCENSE, BUT THEY SHALL NOT SAVE THEM - (). Compare with this verse and beginning of ; . IN THE TIME OF THEIR TROUBLE - i:e., calamity ()....

The Prophet then shews in these words that they were not touched by a true and sincere feeling of repentance who cried thus indiscriminately to God and to idols. (40) But another question may be here raised, How could they flee to God and to foreign gods too? The ready answer is this, that the unbelieving, in a turbulent state of mind, turn here and there, so that they lay hold of nothing certain, or sure and fixed. This we see in the Papists — they cry to God and at the same time to a great number of gods. Let us therefore know, that there is in all the unbelieving a spirit, as it were, of giddiness, which turns them into different expedients, so that now they call on God, then they flee to their idols. Men naturally are led to God when any distress holds them bound; hence they call on God: but afterwards, being not satisfied with him alone, they betake themselves to their own devices,...

11-17 Evil pursues sinners, and entangles them in snares, out of which they cannot free themselves. Now, in their distress, their many gods and many altars stand them in no stead. And those whose own prayers will not be heard, cannot expect benefit from the prayers of others. Their profession of religion shall prove of no use. When trouble came upon them, they made this their confidence, but God has rejected it. His altar shall yield them no satisfaction. The remembrance of God's former favours to them shall be no comfort under troubles; and his remembrance of them shall be no argument for their relief. Every sin against the Lord is a sin against ourselves, and so it will be found sooner or later....

Verse Jeremiah 11:12. _GO, AND CRY UNTO THE GODS_] See Jeremiah 2:28....

EXPOSITION The superscription in Jeremiah 11:1 evidently belongs to the three chapters 11-13, though Jeremiah 11:1 and Jeremiah 12:1 are more closely connected with each other than with Jeremiah 13:1. To which period the group of prophecies belongs—whether to the reign of Josiah, or of Jehoiakim, or of Jehoiachin, or to various periods, is a matter of dispute. It contains at any rate one passage (Jeremiah 12:7) which was almost certainly put in by a later editor. It is doubtless Jeremiah's work, but seems out of place her

THEN SHALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH, AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM,.... That is, the inhabitants of the cities of Judah, as well as the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem; the former being in distress through the enemy being in their land, as well as the latter besieged by him: GO AND CRY UNTO THE GODS UNTO WHOM THEY OFFER INCENSE; Baal, the queen of heaven, sun, moon, planets, and all the hosts of heaven, as in Jeremiah 44:15, these they should cry unto for help and deliverance in vain: BUT THEY SHALL NOT SAVE THEM AT ALL IN THE TIME OF THEIR TROUBLE; not yield them the least relief and comfort in their trouble, so far from saving them entirely from it....

CHAPTER 11 The Broken Covenant and the Plot Against Jeremiah _ 1. The broken covenant (Jeremiah 11:1) _ 2. The plot revealed and Jehovah's answer (Jeremiah 11:18) Jeremiah 11:1. Jehovah had made a covenant with His people. He tells the prophet about it and the responsibility which was connected with that covenant. They were to obey His voice. Then should they be His people and He their God. And of this covenant it was written, “Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant.” The prophet answered the Lord: “So be it LORD” (Amen). Then he is commanded to proclaim this covenant and tell the people that they had broken the covenant. They had followed the evil exampl

GO, AND CRY, &C. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:37; Deuteronomy 32:38). TROUBLE. Same word as evil (verses: Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 11:15; Jeremiah 11:17). So in Jeremiah 11:14....

See summary at commencement of section....

B. Exposure of the Conspiracy Jeremiah 11:9-17 TRANSLATION (9) And the LORD said unto me: Conspiracy is found among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (10) They have returned to the iniquities of their first fathers who refused to listen to My words, and they walked after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers. (11) Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to bring unto them a calamity which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry unto Me but I will not hearken unto them. (12) And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall go and cry unto the gods to whom they continue to make offerings, but they shall utterly fail to save them in the time of their calamity. (13) For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah, and ac