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Jeremiah 11:12

in Jeremiah 11

Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto which they offer incense: but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

KJV

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.

This verse in Jeremiah 11

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Jeremiah · Written before 420.

(Verse 11, 12.) Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I am bringing upon them evil from which they cannot escape. They will cry out to me, but I will not listen to them. And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer libations, but they will not save them in their time of distress. God does not listen in the time of necessity and distress because they also refused to listen to the voice of the Lord, just as Saul did.

This site's exposition

I am about to bring upon them a disaster

on Jeremiah 11:11-13

The judgment is inescapable and closed to prayer, “They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them”. Verse 13 counts the idols by the cities themselves, “Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah”. The count answers the polemic of chapter 10.

This site's exposition

Then the cities of Judah and the residents

Judah's incense buys no help on the day of need. Matthew Henry notes that the idols cannot help themselves, so they can give no help to those who serve them. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown pair the verse with 2:28, where the same gods are dared to rise and save.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH 7 · Written before 253.

proposed

Though God justly does not hear those who do not hear him, the demons will be unable to save the just in those who burn incense to them, whenever the time of troubles arrives. Thus, whenever God does not listen, it is dangerous to seek help from demons. But one must depend on God, who has turned away from us due to sins, yet who does not disregard the great and lasting refuge in himself.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

They shall not save them at all, shall do nothing towards their salvation, nor give them any prospect of it; they shall not afford them the least comfort, nor relief, nor mitigation of their trouble. It is God only that is a friend at need, a present powerful help in time of trouble. The idols cannot help themselves; how then should they help their worshippers?
Then shall the cities of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

cry unto the gods . . . not save-- (De 32:37, 38). Compare this verse and beginning of Jer 11:13; Jer 2:28. in the time of their trouble--that is, calamity (Jer 2:27).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Go, and cry unto the gods - See Jer 2:28.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְהָֽלְכ֞וּand they will go

    vehalekhuH1980 →1546 times

  • עָרֵ֣י[the] cities of

    ʾareiH5892 →1090 times

  • יְהוּדָ֗הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • וְיֹשְׁבֵי֙and [the] inhabitants of

    veyosheveiH3427 →1079 times

  • יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem

    yerushalimH3389 →643 times

  • וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙and they will cry out

    vezaakuH2199 →73 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔יםthe gods

    haelohimH430 →2601 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • הֵ֥םthey

    hemH1992 →553 times

  • מְקַטְּרִ֖ים[are] making smoke

    mekaterimH6999 →116 times

  • לָהֶ֑םto <the> them

    lahem

  • וְהוֹשֵׁ֛עַand certainly <to deliver>

    vehoshea'H3467 →206 times

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יוֹשִׁ֥יעוּthey will deliver

    yoshiuH3467 →206 times

  • לָהֶ֖ם<to> <the> them

    lahem

  • בְּעֵ֥תat [the] time of

    beetH6256 →296 times

  • רָעָתָֽם׃calamity their

    raatamH7451 →662 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 32:37

    He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge,

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 2:28

      But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 2:28

    But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O…

    it leads to

    • Judges 10:14

      Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Jeremiah 11:13

      Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’

    • Deuteronomy 32:37

      He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge,

    • Isaiah 45:20

      Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

  • Through

    Isaiah 45:20

    Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 10:5

      Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any…

    • Isaiah 44:17–20

      From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

  • Through

    Judges 10:14

    Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”

    it leads to

Where this verse is studied

About Jeremiah

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH 7.