Jeremiah 11:16
New International Version
The LORD called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.

New Living Translation
I, the LORD, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit. But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken.

English Standard Version
The LORD once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.’ But with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed.

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.

King James Bible
The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

New King James Version
The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are broken.

New American Standard Bible
The LORD named you “A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the noise of a great tumult He has set fire to it, And its branches are worthless.

NASB 1995
The LORD called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form"; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.

NASB 1977
The LORD called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.

Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its foliage has an evil demise.

Amplified Bible
The LORD [acknowledged you once as worthy and] called your name, “A green olive tree, fair and beautiful in fruit and form”; But with the roar of a great tempest He has set fire to it, And its branches are worthless.

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD named you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. He has set fire to it, and its branches are consumed with the sound of a mighty tumult.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD named you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. He has set fire to it, and its branches are consumed with a great roaring sound.

American Standard Version
Jehovah called thy name, A green olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

Contemporary English Version
Once you were like an olive tree covered with fruit. But soon I will send a noisy mob to break off your branches and set you on fire.

English Revised Version
The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD called you a large olive tree that has beautiful fruit to look at. He will set fire to you with a mighty storm, and your branches will be broken.

Good News Translation
I once called them a leafy olive tree, full of beautiful fruit; but now, with a roar like thunder I will set its leaves on fire and break its branches.

International Standard Version
The LORD once called you a green olive tree, with beautiful shape and fruit. With a great roaring sound, he has set fire to it and its branches will be destroyed.

Majority Standard Bible
The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.

NET Bible
I, the LORD, once called you a thriving olive tree, one that produced beautiful fruit. But I will set you on fire, fire that will blaze with a mighty roar. Then all your branches will be good for nothing.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD called your name, "A green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit." With the noise of a great tumult he has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken.

Webster's Bible Translation
The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

World English Bible
Yahweh called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit.” With the noise of a great roar he has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
An olive, green, beautiful, of good fruit, "" Has YHWH called your name, "" At the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire against it, "" And its thin branches have been broken.

Young's Literal Translation
'An olive, green, fair, of goodly fruit,' Hath Jehovah called thy name, At the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire against it, And broken have been its thin branches.

Smith's Literal Translation
A green olive tree, fair, of fruit of figure, Jehovah called thy name; by the voice of a great noise he kindled a fire upon her, and its branches were evil.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord called thy name, a plentiful olive tree, fair, fruitful, and beautiful: at the noise of a word, a great fire was kindled in it and the branches thereof are burnt.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Lord has called your name: a beautiful, fruitful, splendid, and productive olive tree. At the voice of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and its greenery was burned up.

New American Bible
when you hear the great tumult? The LORD has named you “a spreading olive tree, a pleasure to behold”; Now he sets fire to it, its branches burn.

New Revised Standard Version
The LORD once called you, “A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit”; but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The LORD called your name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit; but now with the noise of a great condemnation he has kindled fire upon it, and its branches are destroyed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Olive tree, thick and beautiful of fruit and beautiful of appearance”, LORD JEHOVAH called your name. With the voice of a great decree he set fire upon it, and you shall destroy its branches
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The LORD called thy name A leafy olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit; With the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire upon it, And the branches of it are broken.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The Lord called thy name a fair olive tree, of a goodly shade in appearance, at the noise of its being lopped, fire was kindled against it; great is the affliction coming upon thee: her branches are become good for nothing.
Audio Bible



Context
The Broken Covenant
15What right has My beloved in My house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your doom, so that you can rejoice? 16The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed. 17The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”…

Cross References
Hosea 14:6-7
His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. / They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Psalm 52:8
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.

Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. ...

Ezekiel 15:6-8
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the people of Jerusalem. / And I will set My face against them. Though they may have escaped the fire, yet another fire will consume them. And when I set My face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. / Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

Romans 11:17-24
Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, / do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. / You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ...

Matthew 3:10
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

John 15:1-6
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

Isaiah 27:11
When its limbs are dry, they are broken off. Women come and use them for kindling; for this is a people without understanding. Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.

Psalm 80:8-16
You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it. / You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. / The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. ...

Ezekiel 17:22-24
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. / I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches. / Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”

Matthew 21:19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

Luke 13:6-9
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. / So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ / ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ...

Isaiah 10:33-34
Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled. / He will clear the forest thickets with an axe, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Isaiah 44:23-24
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and revealed His glory in Israel. / Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,

2 Kings 19:30-31
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above. / For a remnant will go forth from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.


Treasury of Scripture

The LORD called your name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he has kindled fire on it, and the branches of it are broken.

A green.

Psalm 52:8
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

Romans 11:17-24
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; …

with.

Psalm 80:16
It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

Isaiah 1:30,31
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water…

Isaiah 27:11
When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.

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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.














The LORD once called you
The phrase "The LORD once called you" indicates a past action by God, highlighting His initial intention and relationship with Israel. The Hebrew root for "called" is קָרָא (qara), which means to call out, proclaim, or name. This signifies a personal and purposeful designation by God, reflecting His covenant relationship with Israel. Historically, God chose Israel as His people, setting them apart for His purposes, much like a parent naming a child, indicating identity and belonging.

a flourishing olive tree
The imagery of "a flourishing olive tree" is rich with symbolism. In ancient Israel, the olive tree was a symbol of beauty, prosperity, and blessing. The Hebrew word for "flourishing" is רַעֲנָן (ra'anan), meaning luxuriant or green. This suggests vitality and health. The olive tree, deeply rooted and enduring, represents Israel's intended role as a nation blessed by God, meant to be fruitful and a source of light and peace to the world.

beautiful with well-formed fruit
The description "beautiful with well-formed fruit" emphasizes the potential and intended productivity of Israel. The Hebrew word for "beautiful" is יָפֶה (yafeh), which conveys aesthetic beauty and goodness. "Well-formed fruit" suggests not only physical beauty but also spiritual and moral integrity. This phrase underscores God's original design for Israel to produce good works and righteousness, reflecting His glory to the nations.

But with a mighty roar
The transition "But with a mighty roar" introduces a dramatic shift. The "mighty roar" (Hebrew: קוֹל גָּדוֹל, qol gadol) signifies God's powerful and authoritative intervention. This imagery evokes the sound of a lion or a storm, symbolizing judgment and the seriousness of Israel's disobedience. It serves as a warning of the consequences of turning away from God's covenant, emphasizing His sovereignty and justice.

He will set it on fire
The phrase "He will set it on fire" indicates divine judgment. Fire, in biblical terms, often represents purification, destruction, or the presence of God. Here, it signifies the consuming judgment due to Israel's unfaithfulness. The Hebrew root בָּעַר (ba'ar) means to burn or consume, illustrating the severity of the consequences for breaking the covenant. This serves as a sobering reminder of the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin.

and its branches will be consumed
Finally, "and its branches will be consumed" completes the picture of judgment. The branches, representing the people of Israel, will face the consequences of their actions. The Hebrew word for "consumed" is כָּלָה (kalah), meaning to end, finish, or perish. This highlights the totality of the judgment and the loss of the blessings once promised. It serves as a call to repentance and a return to faithfulness, reminding believers of the importance of abiding in God's covenant to avoid spiritual decay and destruction.

(16) A green olive tree.--The parable is essentially the same, though a different symbol is chosen, as that of the vine of Isaiah 5:1; Jeremiah 2:21, or the fig-tree of Luke 13:6. The olive also was naturally a symbol of fertility and goodness, as in Psalm 52:8; Hosea 14:6; Zechariah 4:3; Zechariah 4:11. In the words "the Lord called thy name" we have the expression of the Divine purpose in the "calling and election" of Israel. This was what she was meant to be. . . . Verse 16. - A green olive tree. The olive tree is "one of the most thriving, hardy, and productive trees in the East" (it was the first tree elected king in the parable, Judges 9:8), and with its "foliage of a deep, perennial green," furnishes a striking symbol of healthful beauty. A psalmist, speaking in the character of the typical righteous man, compares himself to a "green olive tree in the house of God' (Psalm 52:8). The word rendered "green "is one of those which are the despair of translators (see on Jeremiah 2:20). It gives a picture in itself. We seem to see a flourishing, sappy tree, with abundance of pliant, gracefully moving, perennially green branches. With the noise of a great tumult. Either the tumult of the melee of battle is meant (the same uncommon word is used with such a reference in Ezekiel 1:24) or the crashing of thunder. "With a rushing mighty sound" would be a more forcible rendering. (For the concluding figure, comp. Ezekiel 31:12.) He hath kindled fire, etc. There is no occasion to explain this as merely the perfect of prophetic certitude. It was literally true that the fire of war had already devastated the fairest portion of the Holy Land. Israel (expressly referred to in Ver. 17) had already been carried into captivity, and Judah was, to the prophetic eye, as good as destroyed. Here, no doubt, that wonderful perfect of faith does come in.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

once called
קָרָ֥א (qā·rā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

you
שְׁמֵ֑ךְ (šə·mêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

a flourishing
רַֽעֲנָן֙ (ra·‘ă·nān)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7488: Verdant, new, prosperous

olive tree,
זַ֤יִת (za·yiṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2132: An olive, the tree, the branch, the berry

beautiful
יְפֵ֣ה (yə·p̄êh)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3303: Fair, beautiful

with well-formed
תֹ֔אַר (ṯō·’ar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8389: Outline, figure, appearance

fruit.
פְרִי־ (p̄ə·rî-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6529: Fruit

But with a mighty
גְדֹלָ֗ה (ḡə·ḏō·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

roar
לְק֣וֹל ׀ (lə·qō·wl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

He will set fire
הִצִּ֥ית (hiṣ·ṣîṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3341: To burn, set on fire, to desolate

to it,
עָלֶ֔יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

and its branches
דָּלִיּוֹתָֽיו׃ (dā·lî·yō·w·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1808: Something dangling, a bough

will be consumed.
וְרָע֖וּ (wə·rā·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 11:16 Yahweh called your name A green olive (Jer.)
Jeremiah 11:15
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