Jeremiah 11:1-8 · Bible study
Jeremiah 11:1-8 Commentary: Covenant, Curse, and Call to Obey
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of Jeremiah 11:1-8 exploring God's covenant summons, the curse for disobedience, and the pattern of human rebellion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God commands Jeremiah to announce the covenant curses for persistent disobedience, reminding Israel of their pledge at Sinai.
- Key words: covenant (בְּרִית berit), hear/obey (שָׁמַע shama), curse (אָרוּר arur), stubbornness (שְׁרִירוּת shĕrîrût).
- Main debate: Whether the passage refers to the original Sinai covenant or specifically to the renewal under Josiah (2 Kings 23).
- Theological theme: The conditional nature of the covenant, obedience leads to life, disobedience to curse.
- Best use: A foundational text for preaching on covenant faithfulness, warning, and the seriousness of hearing God’s word.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2“Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.
3You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,
4which I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey Me, and do everything I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God.’
5This was in order to establish the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is to this day.” “Amen, LORD,” I answered.
6Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant and carry them out.
7For from the time I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I strongly warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’
8Yet they would not obey or incline their ears, but each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant I had commanded them to follow but they did not keep.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
2“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3and say to them, Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant,
4which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace,’ saying, ‘Obey my voice and do them, according to all which I command you; so you shall be my people, and I will be your God;
5that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is today.” Then I answered, and said, “Amen, Yahweh.”
6Yahweh said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.
7For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and protesting, saying, “Obey my voice.”
8Yet they didn’t obey, nor turn their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart. Therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they didn’t do them.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
4Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:
5That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O Lord.
6Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
7For 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.
8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
2Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3and say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man that heareth not the words of this covenant,
4which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God;
5that I may establish the oath which I sware unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then answered I, and said, Amen, O Jehovah.
6And Jehovah said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
7For 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.
8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart: therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying:
2`Hear ye the words of this covenant, and ye have spoken unto the men of Judah, and unto the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
3and thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah God of Israel: Cursed is the man who doth not obey the words of this covenant,
4That I commanded your fathers, In the day of My bringing them out from the land of Egypt, Out of the iron furnace, saying, Hearken to My voice, and ye have done them, According to all that I command you, And ye have been to Me for a people, And I am to you for God,
5In order to establish the oath that I have sworn to your fathers, To give to them a land flowing with milk and honey, as this day. And I answer and say, `Amen, O Jehovah.'
6And Jehovah saith unto me, `Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear ye the words of this covenant, And ye have done them.
7For 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,
8And they have not hearkened nor inclined their ear, And they walk each in the stubbornness of their evil heart, And I bring on them all the words of this covenant, That I commanded to do, and they did not.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
2Hear ye the words of this covenant; and speak ye unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
3And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant
4which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Hearken unto my voice and do them, according to all that I command you; so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:
5that I may perform the oath that I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. And I answered and said, Amen, Jehovah!
6And Jehovah said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.
7For 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.
8But they have not hearkened, nor inclined their ear, but have walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart; and I have brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded [them] to do, and they have not done.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1The word that came from the Lord to Jeremiah, saying:
2Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
3And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Cursed is the man that shall not hearken to the words of this covenant,
4Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying: Hear ye my voice, and do all things that I command you: and you shall be my people, and I will be your God:
5That I may accomplish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. And I answered and said: Amen, O Lord.
6And the Lord said to me: Proclaim aloud all these words in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear ye the words of the covenant, and do them:
7For protesting I conjured your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt even to this day: rising early I conjured them, and said: Hearken ye to my voice:
8And they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear: but walked every one in the perverseness of his own wicked heart: and I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 11:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jeremiah 11:1-8 presents a formal covenant lawsuit. The passage recalls the Mosaic covenant made at Sinai, especially the blessings and curses recorded in Deuteronomy 27, 28. Calvin stresses that God “by protesting protested”, the Hebrew infinitive absolute intensifies the verb: God did not warn casually but with repeated, solemn testimony. Barnes and Keil & Delitzsch connect the passage to the Book of the Law discovered under Josiah, whose public reading sparked a national covenant renewal (2 Kings 23). Matthew Henry reads the passage as a prophetic indictment: the people stand accused of breaking a pact they had sworn to keep. The consensus is that the “cursed” of verse 3 quotes Deuteronomy 27:26, making the entire nation liable to the covenant sanctions. The passage reaffirms the conditional nature of the relationship: “Obey my voice . . . so you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Josiah’s covenant renewal: The phrase 'this covenant' is linked to the book found in the temple (2 Kings 23:2-3) which Jeremiah would have promoted.
- Original Sinai covenant: The language mirrors Exodus 19:5-6 and Deuteronomy 27-28, suggesting a direct recall of the Mosaic pact.
- Prophetic lawsuit (rîb): The structure resembles a courtroom scene where God indicts His people for breach of contract.
What is clear: Regardless of the exact historical occasion, the passage affirms that God entered into a binding relationship with Israel, that disobedience brings covenant curses, and that God’s persistent warnings demonstrate both patience and justice.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical setting of the covenant | The passage draws on the Mosaic covenant from Exodus and Deuteronomy. | Some scholars (e.g., Barnes) tie it specifically to the covenant renewal under Josiah (2 Kings 23), while others (e.g., Calvin) see it as a general reminder of the Sinai covenant applicable to any generation. |
| Meaning of 'hear' in verse 3 | All traditions agree that 'hear' implies obedient response, not just listening. | Some emphasize a literal hearing of the words read publicly, while others stress internal submission of the heart. |
| The nature of the curse | The curse comes as a consequence of breaking the covenant; God is faithful to His own word. | Views differ on whether the curse is entirely temporal (exile, suffering) or includes eternal judgment. Most see it as primarily national and historical in context. |
| Textual integrity of verses 7-8 | The verses express God's persistent warning and the people's refusal. | The LXX omits these verses, leading some scholars (e.g., Cambridge Bible) to suggest they are a later addition. The Hebrew MT includes them, and most commentators treat them as original. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The opening phrase, “The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh,” establishes prophetic authority. The exact date is not given, but most commentators place this oracle early in Jeremiah’s ministry, likely during the reign of King Josiah (640, 609 BC) or the first years of Jehoiakim. Josiah’s reform, triggered by finding the Book of the Law in the temple (2 Kings 22, 23), is the immediate backdrop. The “covenant” in view is the Mosaic agreement, but specifically the renewed covenant that the king and people made when they publicly pledged to follow the law (2 Kings 23:3). Jeremiah’s task is to take that same message to every city and street, making sure no one remains ignorant of the terms.
The phrase “iron furnace” (verse 4) recalls Deuteronomy 4:20, using the image of a smelter to describe the harsh slavery in Egypt. God rescued them from that furnace, and the natural response should be obedience. The repeated phrase “rising early and protesting” (verse 7) is an idiom for persistent, diligent warning, God’s patient outreach through prophets. Despite this, the people “walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart.” The Hebrew word shĕrîrût (H8307) denotes hardness, a theme that runs through Jeremiah (3:24; 7:24; 9:14). The passage ends with a chilling logic: because they did not do the covenant commands, God brought upon them “all the words of this covenant”, the curses they had ignored.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew Masoretic Text includes all eight verses. However, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) omits verses 7 and 8, which correspond to the last two verses of the passage. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that some scholars (e.g., Giessbrecht) regard these verses as a later insertion drawn from Jeremiah 7:23-24. The consulted commentaries do not settle the question, but most, including Calvin, Barnes, and Keil & Delitzsch, treat the full MT text as authoritative for interpretation. The meaning of the passage is not substantially altered by the variant.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Jeremiah 11:1-8 has been understood as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of the covenant relationship. The early church father Jerome cited the passage to argue that God’s warnings are always grounded in His prior acts of deliverance. During the Reformation, the passage was used to support the idea that the law reveals sin and drives people to grace, John Calvin‘s lectures on Jeremiah emphasize God’s patience and the people’s guilt. In Protestant covenant theology, these verses became a key warrant for reading the Old Testament as a unified narrative of promise and judgment. The prophet’s “Amen” has also been taken as a model for liturgical response, affirming God’s truth even when it includes threat. Modern preachers often turn to this text to address the cost of cheap grace, reminding congregations that God’s mercy does not cancel His justice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s covenant is both promise and warning. The terms were set at Sinai and renewed in Josiah’s day. The “land flowing with milk and honey” is a gift, but it comes with conditions.
- Human rebellion is stubborn and persistent. From Egypt to Jeremiah’s day, the pattern repeats: God warns, people refuse to listen or incline their ear.
- The curse is not arbitrary, it follows a broken agreement. God brings the words of the covenant, not new punishments. The people’s own vow stands against them.
Five-point outline
- Preaching the covenant (vv.1-3): Jeremiah is sent to proclaim the terms publicly.
- God’s saving act as the ground of obedience (v.4): Deliverance from Egypt precedes the command.
- The goal: a people and a God (vv.4-5): The covenant relationship is the purpose, not mere rule-keeping.
- Persistent outreach (vv.6-7): God’s “rising early” shows patience and urgency.
- The tragedy of refusal (v.8): Stubbornness leads to the covenant’s own curse.
Illustration hooks
- Signing a contract without reading the fine print, then being held to every line.
- A parent who repeatedly warns a child about a hot stove, finally letting the burn teach the lesson.
- A coach who posts the team rules in the locker room, then enforces them equally for every player.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still operate by this kind of covenant? Is salvation conditional on obedience?
- Why does God keep warning if people never listen? Does He care that much?
- What does it mean to “hear” in the Bible, is it just listening, or something more?
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to look squarely at the covenant relationship God initiated with His people. It is not cold law, it is love framed by promise, with serious consequences for rejection. The repeated warnings show God’s patience, but also the certainty of accountability.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 1-3. Who is speaking, and why does the phrase “thus says Yahweh” matter for the weight of the message?
- The word “hear” in Hebrew (shama) often means to obey. How does the context make that meaning clear?
- What does the image of an “iron furnace” (v.4) add to our understanding of the exodus? Why does God mention it here?
- Verse 5 records Jeremiah’s response: “Amen, Yahweh.” What does this response signify about the prophet’s role?
- In verses 7-8, God says He “earnestly protested” or “warned” from the very beginning. How does this shape your view of God’s character, toward anger or toward love?
- The people “walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart.” Why does the Bible focus on the heart as the root of disobedience?
- How does this passage challenge or confirm the way you understand the relationship between God’s grace and our response?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 19:5 | Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; |
| II Kings 11:17 | Jehoiada made a covenant between Yahweh and the king and the people, that they should be Yahweh’s people; also between the king and the people. |
| II Kings 23:2 | The king went up to Yahweh’s house, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him—with the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in Yahweh’s house. |
| II Kings 23:3 | The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before Yahweh to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book; and all the people agreed to the covenant. |
| II Chronicles 23:16 | Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be Yahweh’s people. |
| II Chronicles 29:10 | Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. |
| II Chronicles 34:31 | The king stood in his place and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. |
| Jeremiah 34:13 | “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying: |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Jeremiah likely read aloud the covenant made at Sinai, including its blessings and curses, and then summed it up plainly: obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings a curse. The prophet was commanded to proclaim this same covenant throughout Judah so all the people would know their duty, privileges, and danger.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes situates this prophecy in the period following Josiah's reform, when the people did not truly embrace the renewed covenant. He highlights how Jeremiah's language, especially the phrase "from the iron furnace" and the call for "Amen," directly echoes the recently rediscovered Book of the Law.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the Jews boasted in God’s name but had broken the covenant entirely, so Jeremiah’s message was not his own cause but God’s law itself. He compares them to the Papists, who claim to receive all that is from God while openly rejecting Scripture. For Calvin, the word “covenant” strips away every excuse.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that verses 7-8 in this passage appear to have been inserted from an earlier section, since they are missing in the Greek translation. It also suggests that the phrase "and do them" in verse 4 may have been mistakenly added by a scribe familiar with another passage.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the covenant in this passage as the Mosaic law itself, not the one renewed under Josiah. He stresses its conditional character: blessing requires perfect obedience, and failure brings the curse. This covenant of works stands in contrast to the unconditional covenant of grace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB ties this passage directly to the book of the law rediscovered in Josiah's temple. The "iron furnace" of Egypt was a long, severe ordeal; God's deliverance from it makes Judah's revolt far more serious. Jeremiah now tours the land to proclaim the covenant curses.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the initial call to "hear" the covenant in Jeremiah 11 is addressed not to the people directly, but to all the prophets, to remind them of the covenant so they can enforce it on Judah. Jeremiah's own "Amen" then represents the entire congregation's ongoing obligation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange organizes these chapters around the deliberate contrast between covenant and conspiracy. The people have not merely broken the covenant; they have actively conspired against God, a rebellion that spreads from the nation at large down to Jeremiah's own family and hometown.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees Jeremiah acting as a prosecutor in God's name, formally drawing up a legal indictment against Judah for willful disobedience to their rightful Sovereign. The charge is not merely sin but covenant-breaking, a deliberate refusal to obey the commands that came with God's claim on them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley distinguishes the heathen, who do not know God, from God's own people, and stresses that the plea for God's fury should be against enemies, not Israel. The covenant here is the law given through Moses, and the prophet's "Amen" either affirms God's word or expresses a wish that the people would obey it. Disobedience brings the covenant's threatened judgments.