Jeremiah 11:11

Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) I will bring evil.—The Hebrew expresses immediate action, I am bringing.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:11-17 Evil pursues sinners, and entangles them in snares, out of which they cannot free themselves. Now, in their distress, their many gods and many altars stand them in no stead. And those whose own prayers will not be heard, cannot expect benefit from the prayers of others. Their profession of religion shall prove of no use. When trouble came upon them, they made this their confidence, but God has rejected it. His altar shall yield them no satisfaction. The remembrance of God's former favours to them shall be no comfort under troubles; and his remembrance of them shall be no argument for their relief. Every sin against the Lord is a sin against ourselves, and so it will be found sooner or later.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will bring - Or, am bringing.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. cry unto me—contrasted with "cry unto the gods," (Jer 11:12).

not hearken—(Ps 18:41; Pr 1:28; Isa 1:15; Mic 3:4).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape; a judgment from which they shall by no means be delivered, by any counsels of their own, or assistance of their friends and allies.

And though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them; and though prayer to me hath been their usual course in such cases, and I have delivered them, yet I will no more hear them, though they cry unto me, Proverbs 1:28,29 Zec 7:11,13. God will not hear them crying to him in their adversity, who refuse to hear him speaking to them in their prosperity.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Therefore thus saith the Lord, behold, I will bring evil upon them,.... The evil of punishment for the evil of their sins, such as famine, the sword, captivity, which latter is the evil more especially designed; and there is no evil of this nature but what is of God; it is of his sending and bringing; see Amos 3:6,

which they shall not be able to escape; they should not have wisdom enough to form a scheme, nor power enough to put one in execution when formed, whereby they could extricate themselves out of the difficulties they would be in; doubtless reference is had to their being besieged by the Chaldean army, the evil that should come out of the north, Jeremiah 1:14, which should so closely surround them, that none should escape:

and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them: because their prayers were hypocritical, and not attended with faith and true repentance; otherwise, when men cry to God, under a sense of sin, being truly sorry for it, and put their trust in him, he hears them, and delivers them; but these would be concerned only for the evil that was come upon them, and not the evil they had been guilty of; and such sinners, when they pray to him, the Lord hears not. The Targum is,

"and they shall pray before me, and I will not receive their prayers.''

Geneva Study Bible

Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry to me, {g} I will not hearken to them.

(g) Because they will not pray with true faith and repentance, but for the pain and grief which they feel, Pr 1:28.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11–13. Gi. from considerations of style makes these vv. the work of a later hand. The last two vv. much resemble ch. Jeremiah 2:27 f.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 11-13. - A summary of Jeremiah's usual prophecies (comp. Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 19:3; and especially Jeremiah 2:28; 7:17). Jeremiah 11:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Because of the covenant broken, the Lord will bring on Judah and Jerusalem evil out of which they shall not come forth, i.e., not merely, from which they shall not escape safely, but: in which they shall find no way of rescue; for it in this calamity they cry to the Lord, He will not hear them. Nor will the gods whom they serve, i.e., the false gods, help them then. As to "as many as are," etc., see on Jeremiah 2:28. "(The) Shame," i.e., Baal, as at Jeremiah 3:24.