Jeremiah 11:18-19
The LORD made it known to me and I knew; then you showed me their deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed is the suddenness of God's revelation. Jeremiah wasn't actively investigating his neighbors; he was unaware of their murderous plot until the Lord showed him their deeds, interrupting his previous knowledge of their general wickedness. This emphasizes that God often intervenes to reveal hidden dangers, especially when we are personally threatened by those we least expect.
Jeremiah suddenly shifts from speaking about the nation's general sin to revealing a personal plot against him by his own townsmen. He explains that God revealed this conspiracy and their wicked actions to him, catching him completely off guard. This revelation prepares the ground for him to expose their specific murderous intentions.
Have you ever felt blindsided by someone's betrayal, unaware of their true intentions until it was almost too late? Jeremiah experienced this, but he had a divine source of information.
Jeremiah 11:18 reveals a critical moment where God intervenes to inform the prophet. The phrasing, 'The LORD made it known to me and I knew,' isn't just about God telling Jeremiah something; it signifies a direct impartation of understanding. Jeremiah wasn't guessing or inferring; he knew because God gave him knowledge. This highlights a profound truth: in times of hidden danger and plots, our all-knowing God can and does reveal what we need to know, often when we are most vulnerable or unaware.
This divine disclosure wasn't an abstract lesson but a specific unveiling of 'their doings' – the malicious plans of his own townsmen.
Jeremiah's own neighbors plotted against him. How could such betrayal surface so suddenly, and why didn't he see it coming?
The text, particularly in its abrupt transition, suggests that the conspiracy against Jeremiah's life by the men of Anathoth was a sudden and shocking revelation. He wasn't privy to their murderous intent until God directly disclosed it. This isn't a failure on Jeremiah's part, but an illustration of how deeply hidden malice can be.
Understand the original words
kebes · Hebrew Noun
A figure often used in Scripture to represent innocence, vulnerability, and vicarious sacrifice; specifically pointing toward the Messiah in prophetic imagery.
chayyim · Hebrew Noun
The state of being alive on earth; often used in Scripture to contrast the physical domain of God's covenant promises with the realm of the dead.
The conspiracy against Jeremiah from his own townspeople happened during the tumultuous final decades of Judah's existence, a period marked by political upheaval, foreign invasions, and declining spiritual faithfulness. This context highlights the intense personal danger Jeremiah faced as he delivered God's uncompromising message of judgment.
c. 620 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy during the reign of King Josiah, a time of religious reform.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Death in Battle
King Josiah is killed in battle against the Egyptians, marking a turning point towards political instability and a decline in religious reform.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of elites, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more skilled workers and leaders to Babylon.
c. 586 BC
This passage shows a direct, face-to-face communication between God and Moses, mirroring the intimate revelation God gave Jeremiah about the plots against him.
1 Samuel 10:9Similar to Jeremiah, Saul received a divine 'sign' or knowledge of his future calling from God, highlighting how God can reveal hidden truths to chosen individuals.
John 1:48Jesus directly states he saw Nathanael under the fig tree, demonstrating a divine knowledge of a person's private circumstances, much like God revealing the 'doings' of Jeremiah's enemies.
Acts 23:11The Lord stood by Paul in a vision to encourage him, showing that divine revelation often comes with both insight into surrounding dangers and comfort amidst them.
barnesJeremiah 11:18: "And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings."
Rather, "gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it." Jeremiah shows Jeremiah 11:18-23 , that the general conspiracy of the people against Yahweh and the special plot against himself was revealed to him by God.
pulpitJeremiah 11:18: "And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings."
Verse 18. - Here, as Naegelsbaeh puts it, begins the second stage of the "conspiracy." Hath given me knowledge, etc.; rather, gave me knowledge, and I knew it. Then; i.e. when I was in utter unconsciousness. Jeremiah had no presentiment of the murderous purpose of his townsmen, till by some "special providence" it came to his knowledge.
What's easily missed is the suddenness of God's revelation. Jeremiah wasn't actively investigating his neighbors; he was unaware of their murderous plot until the Lord showed him their deeds, interrupting his previous knowledge of their general wickedness. This emphasizes that God often intervenes to reveal hidden dangers, especially when we are personally threatened by those we least expect.
Jeremiah suddenly shifts from speaking about the nation's general sin to revealing a personal plot against him by his own townsmen. He explains that God revealed this conspiracy and their wicked actions to him, catching him completely off guard. This revelation prepares the ground for him to expose their specific murderous intentions.
Jeremiah suddenly shifts from speaking about the nation's general sin to revealing a personal plot against him by his own townsmen. He explains that God revealed this conspiracy and their wicked actions to him, catching him completely off guard. This revelation prepares the ground for him to expose their specific murderous intentions.
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Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic dynasty and exiling the majority of the population.
c. 580s-570s BC— this verse
Jeremiah Warns of Plots
Jeremiah, facing severe opposition and a plot against his life from his own townsmen in Anathoth, reveals God's knowledge of their wicked deeds.
"The LORD made it known to me and I knew; then you showed me their deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the…" — What's easily missed is the suddenness of God's revelation. Jeremiah wasn't actively investigating his neighbors; he was unaware of their murderous plot until the Lord showed him their deeds, int…
