Jeremiah 11:16
in Jeremiah 11The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah called thy name, A green olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
KJV
The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
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This verse in Jeremiah 11
Commentary
9 notes on this verseIt is probable, therefore, that Jesus compares the synagogue of the Jews with a fig tree, for the sacred Scripture also compares them with various plants: the vine, for instance, and the olive, and even a forest. … Jeremiah says, "The Lord called you a beautiful olive tree, well shaded in appearance. At its pruning time, a fire was kindled in it. Great tribulation came to it. Its branches were destroyed." And another of the holy prophets, comparing it with Mount Lebanon, thus speaks: "Open your doors, O Lebanon, and the fire shall devour your cedars."
This site's exposition
do not pray for these people
on Jeremiah 11:14-17
The order “do not pray for these people” repeats 7:16 nearly word for word. The LORD “once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit”. Verse 16 then turns the tree to kindling, “He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed”.
This site's exposition
The LORD once called you a flourishing
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the olive as Judah adopted by free grace, its oil an image of plenty. The mighty roar is the noise of the invading army, as Maurer takes it. Fire follows the noise.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 15, 16.) What is it that my beloved has done many wicked deeds in my house? Will the holy flesh take away your malice, in which you have boasted? The Lord called your name a fruitful, beautiful, and pleasant olive tree, but when the great fire of his voice blazed in it, its branches were consumed.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Their remembrance of them shall be no comfort to them under their troubles, and God's remembrance of them shall be no argument for their relief. It is true God had done great things for them; that people had been favourites above any people under the sun; they had been the darlings of heaven.
Fair - The Lord fixed thee when he brought thee first into Canaan, in a flourishing condition, like a fair olive-tree, fit to bear goodly fruit. Broken - But thou hast so behaved thyself, that he who planted thee, is about to pluck thee up. God is about to kindle a fire which will burn thee up, and to break thy branches.
The Lord called thy name a green olive tree,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
called thy name--made thee. olive-- (Ps 52:8; The "olive" is chosen to represent the adoption of Judah by the free grace of God, as its oil is the image of richness (compare Ps 23:5; 104:15). with . . . noise of . . . tumult--or, "at the noise," &c., namely, at the tumult of the invading army (Isa 13:4) [MAURER].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree - That is, he made thee like a green olive - fair, flourishing, and fruitful; but thou art degenerated, and God hath given the Chaldeans permission to burn thee up.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
to the sound of a great tumult Heb. המולה, an expression of the tumult of a large multitude that will come upon them.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
What has my beloved to do in My house What reason has My treasured people to come anymore into My house?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| זַ֤יִת | zayit | an olive tree | H2132 → | |
| רַֽעֲנָן֙ | raanan | luxuriant | H7488 → | 20 times |
| יְפֵ֣ה | yepeh | beautiful of | H3303 → | |
| פְרִי־ | feri- | fruit of | H6529 → | 119 times |
| תֹ֔אַר | toar | form | H8389 → | |
| קָרָ֥א | kara' | he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| שְׁמֵ֑ךְ | shemekh | name your | H8034 → | 864 times |
| לְק֣וֹל׀ | lekol | to [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| הֲמוּלָּ֣ה | hamulah | a rainstorm | H1999 → | |
| גְדֹלָ֗ה | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הִצִּ֥ית | hitzit | he has kindled | H3341 → | 29 times |
| אֵשׁ֙ | ʾesh | a fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| עָלֶ֔יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְרָע֖וּ | verau | and they are bad | H7489 → | 107 times |
| דָּלִיּוֹתָֽיו׃ | daliyotav | branches its | H1808 → |
זַ֤יִתan olive tree
zayitH2132 →
רַֽעֲנָן֙luxuriant
raananH7488 →20 times
יְפֵ֣הbeautiful of
yepehH3303 →
פְרִי־fruit of
feri-H6529 →119 times
תֹ֔אַרform
toarH8389 →
קָרָ֥אhe called
kara'H7121 →733 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
שְׁמֵ֑ךְname your
shemekhH8034 →864 times
לְק֣וֹל׀to [the] sound of
lekolH6963 →506 times
הֲמוּלָּ֣הa rainstorm
hamulahH1999 →
גְדֹלָ֗הgreat
gedolahH1419 →526 times
הִצִּ֥יתhe has kindled
hitzitH3341 →29 times
אֵשׁ֙a fire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
עָלֶ֔יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
וְרָע֖וּand they are bad
verauH7489 →107 times
דָּלִיּוֹתָֽיו׃branches its
daliyotavH1808 →
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
Psalms 52:8But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.
it leads to
- Psalms 92:12–14
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
- Hosea 14:6–8
His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.
- Psalms 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
- Psalms 13:5
But I have trusted in Your loving devotion; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation.
- Psalms 147:11
The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.
- Psalms 92:12–14
Through
Psalms 80:16Your vine has been cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
it leads to
- Psalms 39:11
You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah
- John 15:6
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
- Psalms 39:11
Through
Psalms 83:2See how Your enemies rage, how Your foes have reared their heads.
it leads to
- Psalms 81:15
Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.
- Psalms 81:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 96; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Calvin, Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.