Jeremiah 16:11

Authorized King James Version (1611)

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;

📖 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 were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. 36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. 37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 38 And shed innocent blood, [even] the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. 40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. 41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
• Jer 5:7-9 : 7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by [them that are] no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. 8 They were [as] fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. 9 Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
• Jer 8:2 : 2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
• Deut 29:25-26 : 25 Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: 26 For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and [whom] he had not given unto them:
• 1 Kgs 9:9 : 9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
• Neh 9:26-29 : 26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. 27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies; 29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
• Jer 22:9 : 9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
• Ezek 11:21 : 21 But [as for them] whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 For the time past of [our] life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
• Dan 9:10-12 : 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
• Judg 2:12-13 : 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
• Judg 10:13-14 : 13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
• Jer 9:14 : 14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
• Jer 2:8 : 8 The priests said not, Where [is] the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after [things that] do not profit.