Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:21-23

Those who oppose God’s word by persecuting His servants ultimately face the judgment of the God whose message they rejected.

Jeremiah 11:21-23 (WEB)

21 “Therefore Yahweh says concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy in Yahweh’s name, that you not die by our hand;’

22 therefore Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine.

23 There will be no remnant to them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.’ ”

Central Idea

Those who oppose God’s word by persecuting His servants ultimately face the judgment of the God whose message they rejected.

Authorial Intent

To reveal the specific threat against Jeremiah from the men of Anathoth and to declare the LORD’s judgment upon those who sought to silence His prophet.

Literary Context

Following Jeremiah’s lament about the conspiracy against him in Jeremiah 11:18–20, the LORD now reveals that the plot originates from Jeremiah’s own hometown of Anathoth.

Historical Context

Anathoth was a priestly town near Jerusalem and Jeremiah’s place of origin, making the opposition particularly painful and ironic.

Chapter: Jeremiah 11

The Broken Covenant and the Plot Against the Prophet

Judah has broken the covenant by refusing the LORD's voice, multiplying idols, and resisting his prophet, so covenant curses, forbidden intercession, and judgment on rebellious Anathoth reveal the seriousness of treachery against the LORD.