English Standard Version
Jeremiah 11:19
19But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more."
Jeremiah 11:19 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”
Context of Jeremiah 11:19
17The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal." 18The Lord made it known to me and I knew; then you showed me their deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." 20But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. 21Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, "Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hand"—
Read all of Jeremiah 11Jeremiah 11:19 word by word
וַאֲנִ֕י כְּכֶ֥בֶשׂ אַלּ֖וּף יוּבַ֣ל לִטְב֑וֹחַ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֜עְתִּי כִּֽי־עָלַ֣י׀ חָשְׁב֣וּ מַחֲשָׁב֗וֹת נַשְׁחִ֨יתָה עֵ֤ץ בְּלַחְמוֹ֙ וְנִכְרְתֶ֙נּוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים וּשְׁמ֖וֹ לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֥ר עֽוֹד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- like a lambכֶּ֫בֶשׂkebeώ · lambH3532
- an oxאַלּוּף'alûph 'allûph · tameH441
- is broughtיָבַלyâbal · to conductH2986
- to the slaughterטָבַחţâbach · to slaughterH2873
- and I knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not that they had devisedחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: deviseH2803
- devicesמַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh machăshebeth · plotH4284
- Let us destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- the treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- with the fruitלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- thereof, and let us cut him offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- from the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- that his nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- may be no more rememberedזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
Cross-references for Jeremiah 11:19
- Proverbs 7:22All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast
- Isaiah 53:7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
- Jeremiah 18:18Then they said, "Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words."
- Jeremiah 20:10For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."
- Psalms 31:13For I hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
- Psalms 35:15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
- Psalms 37:32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
- Isaiah 32:7As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.
- Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
- Psalms 83:4They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"
- Isaiah 53:8By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
- Daniel 9:26And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
- Luke 20:10When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
- Job 28:13Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.
- Psalms 27:13I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
- Psalms 52:5But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
Commentaries on Jeremiah 11:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I was like a lamb or an ox - Dahler translates, "I was like a fattened lamb that is led to the slaughter." Blayney, "I was like a tame lamb that is led to slaughter." The word אלוף alluph, which we translate ox, is taken by both as an adjective, qualifying the noun כבש kebes, a lamb. It may probably signify a lamb brought up in the house-fed at home, (אלוף alluph ), instructed or nourished at home; perfectly innocent and unsuspecting, while leading to the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Like a lamb or an ox - Rather, “like a tame lamb.” Jeremiah had lived at Anathoth as one of the family, never suspecting that, like a tame lamb, the time would come for him to be killed. The tree with the fruit thereof - The words are those of a proverb or dark saying. All the Churches agree in understanding that under the person of Jeremiah these things are said by Christ.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 The prophet Jeremiah tells much concerning himself, the times he lived in being very troublesome. Those of his own city plotted how they might cause his death. They thought to end his days, but he outlived most of his enemies; they thought to blast his memory, but it lives to this day, and will be blessed while time lasts. God knows all the secret designs of his and his people's enemies, and can, when he pleases, make them known. God's…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-19The Lord warned Jeremiah during his commissioning (Jeremiah 1:19) that opposition would threaten his life. Jeremiah felt like a lamb led to slaughter, powerless to resist. This opposition happened before Jeremiah's trial in the Temple courtyard, early in Jehoiakim's reign (between 608 and 605 BC; see Jeremiah 26). Some scholars think this verse foreshadows Christ's death, similar to the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:7.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-1918-19. Jeremiah here digresses to notice the attempt on his life plotted by his townsmen of Anathoth. He had no suspicion of it, until Jehovah revealed it to him (Jr 12:6). the Lord ... thou--The change of person from the third to the second accords with the excited feelings of the prophet. then--when I was in peril of my life. their doings--those of the men of Anathoth. His thus alluding to them, before he has mentioned their name, is due to his…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 11:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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