The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:10 Explained

Jeremiah 11:10

KJV: They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

YLT: They have turned back to the iniquities of their first fathers, Who refused to hear My words, And they have gone after other gods to serve them, The house of Israel, and the house of Judah, Have made void My covenant, that I made with their fathers.

Darby: They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

ASV: They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they are gone after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They are turned back  to the iniquities  of their forefathers,  which refused  to hear  my words;  and they went  after  other  gods  to serve  them: the house  of Israel  and the house  of Judah  have broken  my covenant  which I made  with their fathers. 

What does Jeremiah 11:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

They had returned (Heb. shub) to the sins of their forefathers who had rejected Yahweh"s words and had pursued idols (cf. Exodus 32; Judges 2:11-13; et al.). This constituted breaking the covenant. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were guilty, and the Northern Kingdom had already gone into captivity for its failure.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 11:1-20 - The Penalty Of A Broken Covenant
This and the following two chapters belong to the earlier ministry of Jeremiah, when he still dwelt in his native home of Anathoth. The prophet refers to the covenant which had been lately renewed by Josiah, 2 Kings 22:1-20 and 2 Kings 23:1-37, and quotes largely from the book of Deuteronomy, which had been recently read in the hearing of the people. To that covenant the prophet reverently gives his endorsement, Jeremiah 11:5. His amen reminds us of Him who is God's Amen, and in whom all the promises of God are ratified forever, 2 Corinthians 1:20. Shall we not learn, like our Lord in Matthew 11:26, to look into the Father's face and say, "Even so?" We must do so, that one day we may join with the redeemed in crying, "Amen, Hallelujah," Revelation 19:4.
The repeated relapses of Israel into idolatry were in part due to the licentious rites associated with such worship. The people were seduced from their allegiance to Jehovah by the fascination of passion; and herein we are reminded of the many times that we have been beguiled into sinful thoughts and imaginings, in spite of God's earnest solicitations and protestation, "rising early and protesting." As long as the soul is wedded to its evil ways, it is impervious to the entrance of God's light and love. "There is a sin unto death," says the Apostle, "I do not say that he shall pray for it," a saying which is closely akin to the solemn prohibition of Jeremiah 11:14, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them." [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 11

1  Jeremiah proclaims God's covenant;
8  rebukes the peoples' disobeying thereof;
11  prophesies evils to come upon them;
18  and upon the men of Anathoth, for conspiring to kill him

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 11:10 mean?

They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear - My words and they have gone after gods other to serve them have broken the house of Israel and the house of Judah My covenant which I made with their fathers -
שָׁ֩בוּ֩ עַל־ עֲוֺנֹ֨ת אֲבוֹתָ֜ם הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר מֵֽאֲנוּ֙ לִשְׁמ֣וֹעַ אֶת־ דְּבָרַ֔י וְהֵ֣מָּה הָלְכ֗וּ אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים לְעָבְדָ֑ם הֵפֵ֤רוּ בֵֽית־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וּבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה בְּרִיתִ֕י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אֶת־ אֲבוֹתָֽם ס

שָׁ֩בוּ֩  They  have  turned  back 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
עֲוֺנֹ֨ת  the  iniquities 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֗ים  their  forefathers 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
מֵֽאֲנוּ֙  refused 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָאַן  
Sense: (Piel) to refuse.
לִשְׁמ֣וֹעַ  to  hear 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דְּבָרַ֔י  My  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וְהֵ֣מָּה  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הָלְכ֗וּ  have  gone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחֲרֵ֛י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֱלֹהִ֥ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִ֖ים  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
לְעָבְדָ֑ם  to  serve  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
הֵפֵ֤רוּ  have  broken 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּרַר 
Sense: to break, frustrate.
בֵֽית־  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּבֵ֣ית  and  the  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
בְּרִיתִ֕י  My  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
כָּרַ֖תִּי  I  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
אֲבוֹתָֽם  their  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation