Jeremiah 16:11
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This verse isn't just about past generations' sins; it highlights a crucial point: the current generation is being judged not just for following in their fathers' footsteps but for worse apostasy. The repetition of "forsaken me" emphasizes the profound, intentional turning away from God and His law, indicating their actions were a deliberate escalation of their ancestors' failings.
then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The people of Israel are questioning God about the impending judgment Jeremiah has announced, asking what they’ve done wrong. Jeremiah, guided by God, responds by pointing to the persistent sin of their ancestors: they abandoned the Lord and turned to worship foreign gods, neglecting His law. This verse explains the deep historical roots of their current predicament, a legacy of unfaithfulness that has continued through generations.
When disaster strikes, it's tempting to ask, 'Why me? What did I do to deserve this?' But what if the real danger isn't the punishment, but our inability to see our own sin?
The people of Judah were facing God's judgment, and their immediate reaction was confusion and denial. They asked Jeremiah, 'What is our iniquity? What is our sin?' (Jeremiah 16:10). This wasn't genuine seeking; it was a desperate attempt to justify themselves.
Calvin highlights that this was a 'great blindness, nay, even madness.' They couldn't see their sin because they weren't examining their lives. Instead of humbling themselves, they murmured and complained against God's judgment. This passage shows how easy it is to become so accustomed to sin that we lose the ability to recognize it, even when God's hand is clearly against us.
We often think of sin as personal, but what happens when the sins of our parents and grandparents catch up to us? This passage reveals a sobering truth about inherited consequences.
Jeremiah's answer cuts straight to the heart of the issue: 'Because your fathers have forsaken me... and have gone after other gods... and have forsaken me and have not kept my law.' The people's current suffering wasn't just about their own actions, but a consequence of their ancestors' rebellion.
This doesn't mean God punishes the innocent (Ezekiel 18:20). Instead, children often 'follow the wickedness of their fathers,' becoming complicit in the sins of previous generations. As Barnes notes, this was 'idolatry persisted in through many generations until it has finally deepened into national apostasy.' The repetition of 'forsaken me' emphasizes the gravity of abandoning God for idols and rejecting His law, a pattern that had become deeply ingrained.
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What does it truly mean to 'forsake' God? It's more than just forgetting Him; it's an active choice that carries devastating weight, especially when you've been shown His truth.
The core of Israel's sin, as detailed by Jeremiah, was 'forsaking' God. Gill explains this as forsaking 'his worship' and 'his law.' This wasn't a passive drifting away but a deliberate turning towards 'other gods,' serving and worshiping them instead.
Calvin emphasizes that unlike the heathens who might have had some excuse due to ignorance, the Israelites had been educated in God's law. They knew the true God but chose to follow 'fictitious gods.' This made their apostasy a 'baser impiety'—a willful rejection of the fountain of living water. The repetition of 'forsaken me' underscores that this was not a minor transgression but a fundamental betrayal of their covenant relationship with the Lord.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
In the Hebrew Bible, this is the personal, covenantal name of God (Yahweh), revealed to Moses at the burning bush. It signifies His eternal existence, faithfulness, and His active relationship with His chosen people.
azab · Hebrew Verb
To abandon, desert, or leave behind. In a theological sense, it describes the willful act of turning away from a relationship with God or His covenant.
elohim acherim · Hebrew Noun Phrase
Any object, person, or concept that takes the place of God as the ultimate object of worship and trust. The Bible consistently condemns the pursuit of other gods as spiritual adultery and idolatry.
torah · Hebrew Noun
Divine instruction, teaching, or guidance, often referring to the Pentateuch or the revealed will of God. It is meant to be the standard of conduct for the covenant people to maintain holiness and relationship with God.
Jeremiah's message in this verse isn't just a theological statement; it's a direct response to the people's confusion and denial in the face of impending disaster, rooting their suffering in the long history of their fathers' unfaithfulness and idolatry, a history culminating in the destruction of their nation.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and scattering them among other peoples. This event serves as a stark warning of what awaits the southern Kingdom of Judah if they continue in their ways.
c. 640-609 BC
Reign of King Josiah
Josiah initiates a significant religious reform after the Book of the Law is discovered in the Temple. While a period of renewed devotion, the underlying spiritual decay among the populace persists.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes an initial group of exiles, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's decline.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population and its king, Jehoiachin, to Babylon. This event deepens the crisis for the remaining people in Jerusalem.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population. This is the catastrophic fulfillment of God's judgment for generations of disobedience.
This passage lays the foundation for Jeremiah's accusation by stating the first commandment, which directly addresses the sin of 'going after other gods' and forsaking the LORD.
Deuteronomy 30:17-18Here, Moses warns Israel that disobedience, including turning to other gods and abandoning God's law, will lead to destruction, echoing Jeremiah's prophecy of consequences for forsaking the LORD.
Judges 2:11-13This passage vividly illustrates the cycle of Israel forsaking the LORD and worshipping Baals, highlighting how subsequent generations repeated the sins of their fathers, mirroring the core issue in Jeremiah 16:11.
Isaiah 5:13Isaiah laments the people's exile due to their ignorance of God, stemming from their rejection of His law and His presence, which is a thematic parallel to Jeremiah's message of forsaking God and His law.
Romans 1:21-23Paul describes how humanity, despite knowing God, exchanged His truth for a lie and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, reflecting the spiritual decay and idolatry that Jeremiah addresses.
calvinJeremiah 16:10-13: "And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?"
- And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what…
pooleJeremiah 16:11: "Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;"
Your fathers; the idolatrous kings of Judah that were before Manasseh’s time, since whose time there were hardly forty years yet elapsed.
This verse isn't just about past generations' sins; it highlights a crucial point: the current generation is being judged not just for following in their fathers' footsteps but for worse apostasy. The repetition of "forsaken me" emphasizes the profound, intentional turning away from God and His law, indicating their actions were a deliberate escalation of their ancestors' failings.
The people of Israel are questioning God about the impending judgment Jeremiah has announced, asking what they’ve done wrong. Jeremiah, guided by God, responds by pointing to the persistent sin of their ancestors: they abandoned the Lord and turned to worship foreign gods, neglecting His law. This verse explains the deep historical roots of their current predicament, a legacy of unfaithfulness that has continued through generations.
The people of Israel are questioning God about the impending judgment Jeremiah has announced, asking what they’ve done wrong. Jeremiah, guided by God, responds by pointing to the persistent sin of their ancestors: they abandoned the Lord and turned to worship foreign gods, neglecting His law. This verse explains the deep historical roots of their current predicament, a legacy of unfaithfulness that has continued through generations.
"then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law," — This verse isn't just about past generations' sins; it highlights a crucial point: the current generation is being judged not just for following in their fathers' footsteps but for worse apostasy.…
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Last reviewed October 2026
