Jeremiah 16:11

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Then you will say to them, Because your fathers have given me up, says the Lord, and have gone after other gods and become their servants and their worshippers, and have given me up and have not kept my law;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם עַל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָזְב֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וְאֹתִ֣י עָזָ֔בוּ וְאֶת־תּוֹרָתִ֖י לֹ֥א שָׁמָֽרוּ׃

Transliteration

And-ʾāmartā to-them: Because ʾăšer-ʿāzḇû ʾăḇôṯêḵem ʾôṯî nəʾum-YHWH and-wayyēləḵû after ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm and-wayyaʿaḇḏûm and-wayyištaḥăwû to-them and-me ʿāzāḇû and-ʾeṯ-tôrāṯî not šāmārû

Grammar Details

• *ʾāmartā*: qal perfect with waw consecutive, 2nd masculine singular - and you shall say
• *ʾăšer*: relative particle - that/which
• *ʿāzḇû*: qal perfect, 3rd common plural - they forsook/abandoned
• *ʾăḇôṯêḵem*: masculine plural noun + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your fathers
• *ʾôṯî*: direct object marker + 1st person singular suffix - me
• *nəʾum*: construct state, masculine singular - declaration of
• *YHWH*: divine name - LORD/Yahweh
• *wayyēləḵû*: qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine plural - and they went
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: masculine plural noun - gods
• *ʾăḥērîm*: masculine plural adjective - other/foreign
• *wayyaʿaḇḏûm*: qal imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine plural + 3rd masculine plural suffix - and they served them
• *wayyištaḥăwû*: hishtaphel imperfect with waw consecutive, 3rd masculine plural - and they bowed down
• *ʿāzāḇû*: qal perfect, 3rd common plural - they forsook/abandoned
• *tôrāṯî*: feminine singular noun + 1st person singular suffix - my law/instruction
• *šāmārû*: qal perfect, 3rd common plural - they kept/observed

Word Meanings

• *ʿāzaḇ*: forsake/abandon/leave
• *tôrāh*: law/instruction/teaching
• *šāmar*: keep/observe/guard

Referenced Verses

• Ps 106:35-41 : 35 But they were joined to the nations, learning their works. 36 And they gave worship to images; which were a danger to them: 37 They even made offerings of their sons and their daughters to evil spirits, 38 And gave the blood of their sons and their daughters who had done no wrong, offering them to the images of Canaan; and the land was made unclean with blood. 39 So they became unclean through their works, going after their evil desires. 40 Then the wrath of the Lord was burning against his people, and he was angry with his heritage. 41 And he gave them into the hands of the nations; and they were ruled by their haters.
• Jer 5:7-9 : 7 How is it possible for you to have my forgiveness for this? your children have given me up, taking their oaths by those who are no gods: when I had given them food in full measure, they were false to their wives, taking their pleasure in the houses of loose women. 8 They were full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain: everyone went after his neighbour's wife. 9 Am I not to give punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?
• Jer 8:2 : 2 And they will put them out before the sun and the moon and all the stars of heaven, whose lovers and servants they have been, after whom they have gone, to whom they have made prayers, and to whom they have given worship: they will not be put together or placed in the earth; they will be waste on the face of the earth.
• Deut 29:25-26 : 25 Then men will say, Because they gave up the agreement of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he took them out of the land of Egypt: 26 And they went after other gods and gave them worship, gods who were strange to them, and whom he had not given them:
• 1 Kgs 9:9 : 9 And their answer will be, Because they were turned away from the Lord their God, who took their fathers out of the land of Egypt; they took for themselves other gods and gave them worship and became their servants: that is why the Lord has sent all this evil on them.
• Neh 9:26-29 : 26 But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority, turning their backs on your law, and putting to death your prophets, who gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you, and they did much to make you angry. 27 And so you gave them up into the hands of their haters who were cruel to them: and in the time of their trouble, when they made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; and in your great mercy gave them saviours, who made them free from the hands of their haters. 28 But when they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their haters, who had rule over them: but when they came back and made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation; 29 And gave witness against them so that you might make them come back again to your law: but their hearts were lifted up, and they gave no attention to your orders and went against your decisions (which, if a man keeps them, will be life to him), and turning their backs on you, made their necks stiff and did not give ear.
• Jer 22:9 : 9 And they will say, Because they gave up the agreement of the Lord their God, and became worshippers and servants of other gods.
• Ezek 11:21 : 21 But as for those whose heart goes after their hated and disgusting things, I will send on their heads the punishment of their ways, says the Lord.
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images;
• Dan 9:10-12 : 10 And have not given ear to the voice of the Lord our God to go in the way of his laws which he put before us by the mouth of his servants the prophets. 11 And all Israel have been sinners against your law, turning away so as not to give ear to your voice: and the curse has been let loose on us, and the oath recorded in the law of Moses, the servant of God, for we have done evil against him. 12 And he has given effect to his words which he said against us and against those who were our judges, by sending a great evil on us: for under all heaven there has not been done what has been done to Jerusalem.
• Judg 2:12-13 : 12 And they gave up the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had taken them out of the land of Egypt, and went after other gods, the gods of the peoples round about them, worshipping them and moving the Lord to wrath. 13 And they gave up the Lord, and became the servants of Baal and the Astartes.
• Judg 10:13-14 : 13 But, for all this, you have given me up and have been servants to other gods: so I will be your saviour no longer. 14 Go, send up your cry for help to the gods of your selection; let them be your saviours in the time of your trouble.
• Jer 9:14 : 14 But they have been walking in the pride of their hearts, going after the Baals, as their fathers gave them teaching.
• Jer 2:8 : 8 The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? and those who were expert in the law had no knowledge of me: and the rulers did evil against me, and the prophets became prophets of the Baal, going after things without value.