God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 11:19
19I was like a trusting lamb brought to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they were plotting against me. They were saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit. Let’s cut Jeremiah off from this world of the living so that we won’t be reminded of him anymore.”
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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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.”
Context of Jeremiah 11:19
17The Lord of Armies planted you. He has pronounced disaster on you. This is because of the evil things that Israel and Judah have done. They have made him furious by burning incense as an offering to Baal. 18The Lord revealed their plot to me so that I would understand. He showed me what they were doing. I was like a trusting lamb brought to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they were plotting against me. They were saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit. Let’s cut Jeremiah off from this world of the living so that we won’t be reminded of him anymore.” 20O Lord of Armies, you judge fairly and test motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I’ve brought my case to you. 21This is what the Lord says: The people of Anathoth want to kill you. They say, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord, or we’ll kill you.”
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 7:22He immediately follows her like a steer on its way to be slaughtered, like a ram hobbling into captivity
- Isaiah 53:7He was abused and punished, but he didn’t open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn’t open his mouth.
- Jeremiah 18:18Then they said, “Let’s plot against Jeremiah, because the teachings of the priests, the advice of wise people, and the word of the prophets won’t disappear. Accuse him! Pay no attention to anything he says.”
- Jeremiah 20:10I have heard many ⌞people⌟ whispering, “Terror is everywhere! Report him! Let’s report him!” All my closest friends are waiting to see me stumble. They say, “Maybe he will be tricked. Then we can overpower him and take revenge on him.”
- Psalms 31:13I have heard the whispering of many people— terror on every side— while they made plans together against me. They were plotting to take my life.
- Psalms 35:15Yet, when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered together against me. Unknown attackers tore me apart without stopping.
- Psalms 37:32The wicked person watches the righteous person and seeks to kill him.
- Isaiah 32:7The tricks of scoundrels are evil. They devise wicked plans in order to ruin poor people with lies, even when needy people plead for justice.
- Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the leaders of the people gathered in the palace of the chief priest Caiaphas.
- Psalms 83:4They say, “Let’s wipe out their nation so that the name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
- Isaiah 53:8He was arrested, taken away, and judged. Who would have thought that he would be removed from the world? He was killed because of my people’s rebellion.
- Daniel 9:26But after the sixty-two sets of seven time periods, the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The city and the holy place will be destroyed with the prince who is to come. His end will come with a flood until the end of the destructive war that has been determined.
- Luke 20:10“At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing.
- Job 28:13No mortal knows where it is. It cannot be found in this world of the living.
- Psalms 27:13I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in this world of the living.
- Psalms 52:5But God will ruin you forever. He will grab you and drag you out of your tent. He will pull your roots out of this world 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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