The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:5 Explained

Jeremiah 11:5

KJV: That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.

YLT: In order to establish the oath that I have sworn to your fathers, To give to them a land flowing with milk and honey, as this day. And I answer and say, 'Amen, O Jehovah.'

Darby: that I may perform the oath that I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. And I answered and said, Amen, Jehovah!

ASV: that I may establish the oath which I sware unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then answered I, and said, Amen, O Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That I may perform  the oath  which I have sworn  unto your fathers,  to give  them a land  flowing  with milk  and honey,  as [it is] this day.  Then answered  I, and said,  So be it,  O LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 11:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Mosaic Covenant was to be the means by which God would fulfill His earlier promises to Abraham concerning the Promised Land ( Genesis 12:7). Jeremiah replied, "So be it, Yahweh," a standard response to a covenant (cf. Exodus 19:8; Exodus 24:7; Deuteronomy 27:15-26). He promised to do what God had just told him to do.
"There"s no growth without challenge, and there"s no challenge without change. As they get older, many people resist change, forgetting that without the challenge of change, they"re in danger of deteriorating physically, mentally, and spiritually. God wanted Jeremiah to grow, and He also wants us to grow." [1]

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 11:5 mean?

that I may establish - the oath which I have sworn to your fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey as [it is] day This and I answered and said Amen Yahweh -
לְמַעַן֩ הָקִ֨ים אֶת־ הַשְּׁבוּעָ֜ה אֲשֶׁר־ נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתִּי לַאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם לָתֵ֤ת לָהֶם֙ אֶ֣רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֛ב וּדְבַ֖שׁ כַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וָאַ֥עַן וָאֹמַ֖ר אָמֵ֥ן ׀ יְהוָֽה ס

לְמַעַן֩  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
הָקִ֨ים  I  may  establish 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
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.
הַשְּׁבוּעָ֜ה  the  oath 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: oath, curse.
נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתִּי  I  have  sworn 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לַאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם  to  your  fathers 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לָתֵ֤ת  to  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶ֣רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
זָבַ֥ת  flowing  with 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: זוּב  
Sense: to flow, gush, issue, discharge.
חָלָ֛ב  milk 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלָב  
Sense: milk, sour milk, cheese.
וּדְבַ֖שׁ  and  honey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.
כַּיּ֣וֹם  as  [it  is]  day 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֑ה  This 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וָאַ֥עַן  and  I  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
וָאֹמַ֖ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָמֵ֥ן ׀  Amen 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָמֵן  
Sense: verily, truly, amen, so be it.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation