The Meaning of Jeremiah 11:8 Explained

Jeremiah 11:8

KJV: Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.

YLT: And they have not hearkened nor inclined their ear, And they walk each in the stubbornness of their evil heart, And I bring on them all the words of this covenant, That I commanded to do, and they did not.'

Darby: But they have not hearkened, nor inclined their ear, but have walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart; and I have brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, and they have not done.

ASV: Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart: therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet they obeyed  not, nor inclined  their ear,  but walked  every one  in the imagination  of their evil  heart:  therefore I will bring  upon them all the words  of this covenant,  which I commanded  [them] to do;  but they did  [them] not. 

What does Jeremiah 11:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Nevertheless the Israelites had failed to listen and obey. Consequently, the Lord had brought all the curses warned of in the covenant upon them. The root of the problem was Israel"s stubborn and evil heart.
"We are prone to hope that God will be like the modern indulgent parent and that there will be no reckoning if we, also, disobey Him. It is a vain hope. Judgment is sure to come. As God punished Israel, so will He punish all whose hearts are confirmed in disobedience toward Him." [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 11:8 mean?

And yet not they did obey or incline - their ear but followed everyone the dictates of his heart evil therefore I will bring upon them - all the words of covenant this which I commanded [them] to do but [which] not they have done -
וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ וְלֹֽא־ הִטּ֣וּ אֶת־ אָזְנָ֔ם וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ אִ֕ישׁ בִּשְׁרִיר֖וּת לִבָּ֣ם הָרָ֑ע וָאָבִ֨יא עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶֽת־ כָּל־ דִּבְרֵ֧י הַבְּרִית־ הַזֹּ֛את אֲשֶׁר־ צִוִּ֥יתִי לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת וְלֹ֥א עָשֽׂוּ ס

וְלֹ֤א  And  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָֽׁמְעוּ֙  they  did  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הִטּ֣וּ  incline 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
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.
אָזְנָ֔ם  their  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ  but  followed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אִ֕ישׁ  everyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בִּשְׁרִיר֖וּת  the  dictates 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁרִרוּת  
Sense: stubbornness, hardness, firmness.
לִבָּ֣ם  of  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
הָרָ֑ע  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וָאָבִ֨יא  therefore  I  will  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֧י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַבְּרִית־  of  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
הַזֹּ֛את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
צִוִּ֥יתִי  I  commanded  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְלֹ֥א  but  [which]  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָשֽׂוּ  they  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation