Jeremiah 12:6
in Jeremiah 12Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; even they have cried aloud after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
KJV
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
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This verse in Jeremiah 12
Commentary
8 notes on this verseFor even thy brethren, and the house of thy father - Thou hast none to depend on but God: even thy brethren will betray thee when they have it in their power. Believe them not - Do not trust to them, do not commit thyself to them; they are in heart thy enemies, and will betray thee.
This site's exposition
If you have raced with men on foot
on Jeremiah 12:5-6
The LORD answers, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses”. The thickets of the Jordan are worse ground still to come. Verse 6 names the betrayal inside his own family, “your own father’s household”.
This site's exposition
Even your brothers
Jeremiah's own brothers and his father's household have betrayed him. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown compare the case of Christ in Psalm 69:8. Kind words from such men are a trap, as Proverbs 26:25 also warns.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 6.) For even your brothers and the household of your father themselves fought against you, and they cried out after you with a loud voice: do not believe them when they speak good things to you.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
They are indeed such as thou canst not believe, though they speak fair words to thee. They seem to be thy friends, but are really thy enemies." Note, God's faithful servants must not think it at all strange if their foes be those of their own house ( Matt. x.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father,....
We often find the prophets admonished, whose business it was to admonish others, as Isa. viii. Ministers have lessons to learn as well as lessons to teach, and must themselves hear God's voice and preach to themselves.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
even thy brethren--as in Christ's case (Ps 69:8; Godly faithfulness is sure to provoke the ungodly, even of one's own family. called a multitude after thee-- (Isa 31:4). JEROME translates, "cry after thee with a loud (literally, 'full') voice." believe . . . not . . . though . . . speak fair-- (Pr 26:25).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֧י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| גַם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אַחֶ֣יךָ | ʾacheikha | brothers your | H251 → | 630 times |
| וּבֵית־ | uveit- | and [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִ֗יךָ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הֵ֙מָּה֙ | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| בָּ֣גְדוּ | bagedu | they have dealt treacherously | H898 → | 49 times |
| בָ֔ךְ | vakh | with <the> you | ||
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הֵ֛מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| קָרְא֥וּ | kareu | they have called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ | ʾachareikha | after you | H310 → | 715 times |
| מָלֵ֑א | male' | full | H4392 → | 64 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּאֲמֵ֣ן | taamen | you trust | H539 → | 106 times |
| בָּ֔ם | bam | in <the> them | ||
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יְדַבְּר֥וּ | yedaberu | they speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלֶ֖יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| טוֹבֽוֹת׃ ס | tovot | good things | H2896 → | 538 times |
כִּ֧יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
גַם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
אַחֶ֣יךָbrothers your
ʾacheikhaH251 →630 times
וּבֵית־and [the] house of
uveit-H1004 →2046 times
אָבִ֗יךָfather your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
הֵ֙מָּה֙they
hemahH1992 →553 times
בָּ֣גְדוּthey have dealt treacherously
bageduH898 →49 times
בָ֔ךְwith <the> you
vakh
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
הֵ֛מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
קָרְא֥וּthey have called out
kareuH7121 →733 times
אַחֲרֶ֖יךָafter you
ʾachareikhaH310 →715 times
מָלֵ֑אfull
male'H4392 →64 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּאֲמֵ֣ןyou trust
taamenH539 →106 times
בָּ֔םin <the> them
bam
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יְדַבְּר֥וּthey speak
yedaberuH1696 →1141 times
אֵלֶ֖יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
טוֹבֽוֹת׃ סgood things
tovotH2896 →538 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Proverbs 26:25When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
it leads to
- Proverbs 6:16–19
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
- Psalms 28:3
Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.
- Jeremiah 9:2–8
If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.
- Proverbs 6:16–19
Through
Psalms 12:2They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
it leads to
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Jeremiah 9:8
Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.
- Psalms 41:6
My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad.
- Romans 16:18
Through
Jeremiah 9:4“Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
it leads to
- Micah 7:5–6
Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
- Proverbs 26:24–25
A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
- Micah 7:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.