The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:16 Explained

Jeremiah 11:16

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.

YLT: 'An olive, green, fair, of goodly fruit,' Hath Jehovah called thy name, At the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire against it, And broken have been its thin branches.

Darby: Jehovah had called thy name, A green olive-tree, fair, of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 11:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even though the Lord had compared His nation to a beautiful and fruitful green olive tree (cf. Hosea 14:6; Psalm 52:8; Psalm 128:3), He would burn it up in a great tumult because it had proved worthless as far as fulfilling His purpose for it (cf. Jeremiah 21:14; Psalm 52:8; Psalm 80:16; Isaiah 27:11; Romans 11:17-24). He would destroy the nation as He might destroy a tree by striking it with lightning.
"The olive [1] was the source of oil for light, cooking, medicine, anointing for the body, and many other uses. It became the symbol of "prosperity and divine blessing, of beauty and strength." Thus it is here an apt picture of the Hebrew people, blessed by God, but now rejected." [2]

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 11:16 mean?

Olive Tree Green Lovely [and] of Fruit Good called Yahweh your name with the noise of a tumult great He has kindled fire on it and are broken its branches
זַ֤יִת רַֽעֲנָן֙ יְפֵ֣ה פְרִי־ תֹ֔אַר קָרָ֥א יְהוָ֖ה שְׁמֵ֑ךְ לְק֣וֹל ׀ הֲמוּלָּ֣ה גְדֹלָ֗ה הִצִּ֥ית אֵשׁ֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ וְרָע֖וּ דָּלִיּוֹתָֽיו

זַ֤יִת  Olive  Tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
רַֽעֲנָן֙  Green 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָעַן 
Sense: (Palel) to be or grow luxuriant or fresh or green adj.
יְפֵ֣ה  Lovely 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: יָפֶה  
Sense: fair, beautiful, handsome.
פְרִי־  [and]  of  Fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
תֹ֔אַר  Good 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תֹּאַר  
Sense: shape, form, outline, figure, appearance.
קָרָ֥א  called 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שְׁמֵ֑ךְ  your  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
לְק֣וֹל ׀  with  the  noise 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
הֲמוּלָּ֣ה  of  a  tumult 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: הֲמֻלָּה  
Sense: .
גְדֹלָ֗ה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הִצִּ֥ית  He  has  kindled 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָצַת  
Sense: to kindle, burn, set on fire.
אֵשׁ֙  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
עָלֶ֔יהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third 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.
וְרָע֖וּ  and  are  broken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
דָּלִיּוֹתָֽיו  its  branches 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּלִית  
Sense: branch, bough.