Jeremiah 11:7

For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Rising early.—The phrase in its spiritual meaning, as applied to Jehovah, is almost peculiar to Jeremiah, and is used by him twelve times. In its literal sense, or as denoting only ordinary activity, it is found often, e.g., Genesis 20:8; Proverbs 27:14. (See Note on Jeremiah 7:13.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:1-10 God never promised to bestow blessings on his rational creatures, while they persist in wilful disobedience. Pardon and acceptance are promised freely to all believers; but no man can be saved who does not obey the command of God to repent, to believe in Christ, to separate from sin and the world, to choose self-denial and newness of life. In general, men will hearken to those who speak of doctrines, promises, and privileges; but when duties are mentioned, they will not bend their ear.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Proclaim ... - Probably Jeremiah accompanied Josiah in his progress 2 Kings 23:15-20, and everywhere read to the people the words of the newly-found book.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. rising early—(Jer 7:13).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

In protesting I protested, a usual way in the Hebrew, by which they express the seriousness and vehemency of an action. By protesting he meaneth the same with charging and commanding, with promises annexed to obedience, and threatenings denounced in case of disobedience. This God saith he had done with a great deal of patience and diligence, even from the time that this people were brought by him out of the land of Egypt.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For I earnestly protested unto your fathers,.... Or "witnessing, witnessed" (g); testified his great affection for them; importunately solicited their observation of his precepts for their good; and strictly cautioned them against neglect and disobedience:

the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt; See Gill on Jeremiah 11:4,

even unto this day, rising early, and protesting, saying, obey my voice; that is, from the time of the giving of the law, in all successive ages, to the present time, he had sent his prophets to them, time after time, morning by morning, early and late, to press, exhort, and stir them up to an obedience to his will, and to warn them of the evils that would come by disobedience to it.

(g) "testificando tesficatus sum", Schmidt; "contestando contestatus sum", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius.

Geneva Study Bible

For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, {c} rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

(c) Read Jer 7:13.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. rising early] Cp. ch. Jeremiah 7:13.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 7, 8. - A condensation of Jeremiah 7:23-26. Imagination; rather, stubbornness (see on Jeremiah 3:17). I will bring; rather, I brought. All the words. "Word" sometimes means "thing spoken of;" here, for instance, the curses specified in Deuteronomy 28. Jeremiah 11:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Having set forth the curse to which transgressors of the law are exposed, God commands the prophet to proclaim the words of the covenant to the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, and to call upon them to do these. "All these words" are those subsequently specified, i.e., the commandments of the law (cf. Jeremiah 11:2). Jeremiah is to proclaim these, because, in spite of unremitting exhortation to hear and give heed to the voice of the Lord, the fathers had paid no regard thereto. קתא, not: read aloud (Hitz., Graf), but: proclaim, make known, as in Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 3:12, etc. העיד with בּ, to testify against any one, equivalent to: solemnly to enforce on one with importunate counsel and warning; cf. Deuteronomy 30:19; Psalm 50:7, etc. On השׁכּם והעד, see at Jeremiah 7:13. - But they have not hearkened, Jeremiah 11:8, running almost literally in the words of Jeremiah 7:24. "And I brought upon them," etc., i.e., inflicted upon them the punishments with which transgressors of the law were threatened, which curses had been, in the case of the greater part of the people, the ten tribes, carried to the extreme length, i.e., to the length of their banishment from their own land into the midst of the heathen; cf. 2 Kings 17:13.