The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:15 Explained

Jeremiah 11:15

KJV: What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

YLT: What -- to My beloved in My house, Her doing wickedness with many, And the holy flesh do pass over from thee? When thou dost evil, then thou exultest.

Darby: What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing that the more part practise their evil devices, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

ASV: What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

What hath my beloved  to do in mine house,  [seeing] she hath wrought  lewdness  with many,  and the holy  flesh  is passed  from thee? when thou doest evil,  then thou rejoicest. 

What does Jeremiah 11:15 Mean?

Study Notes

holy flesh
See Haggai 2:12 i.e. to what purpose the "holy flesh" of sacrifices? Its efficacy is "passed from thee" who rejoicest in evil. Cf. Isaiah 1:13-15 .

Verse Meaning

The Judahites, even though they were beloved by the Lord, had no right to come into His temple to worship Him, because they had committed so many sins, and had not repented. Their sacrifices alone could not make things right with Him. Judgment was inevitable.

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 11:15 mean?

What [has to do] My beloved in My house Having done lewd [deeds] with many and the flesh holy has passed from you when you do evil then you rejoice
מֶ֣ה לִֽידִידִ֞י בְּבֵיתִ֗י עֲשׂוֹתָ֤הּ הַֽמְזִמָּ֙תָה֙ הָֽרַבִּ֔ים וּבְשַׂר־ קֹ֖דֶשׁ יַעַבְר֣וּ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ כִּ֥י רָעָתֵ֖כִי אָ֥ז תַּעֲלֹֽזִי

מֶ֣ה  What  [has  to  do] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
לִֽידִידִ֞י  My  beloved 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָדִיד  
Sense: one beloved, beloved adj.
בְּבֵיתִ֗י  in  My  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עֲשׂוֹתָ֤הּ  Having  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַֽמְזִמָּ֙תָה֙  lewd  [deeds] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מְזִמָּה  
Sense: purpose, discretion, device, plot.
הָֽרַבִּ֔ים  with  many 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וּבְשַׂר־  and  the  flesh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
קֹ֖דֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
יַעַבְר֣וּ  has  passed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ  from  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, second person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רָעָתֵ֖כִי  you  do  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
תַּעֲלֹֽזִי  you  rejoice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: עָלַז  
Sense: (Qal) to exult, rejoice, triumph.