They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

JEREMIAH 11:10KJV
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Jeremiah 11:10 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 11:10 mean?

Jeremiah 11:10 says that the people of Israel and Judah have turned away from God, repeating the wrongdoings of their ancestors by refusing to listen to God’s words and worshiping other gods. Because of this, they have broken the special agreement—God’s covenant—that He made with their ancestors.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah and Israel during a time when they were ignoring God’s instructions and following other gods. The verse highlights that this is not a new problem; their ancestors did the same, and now the current generation is repeating those choices, breaking the relationship God had established with them.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 11:10

  • "Back" (שׁוּב, shuv): This word means to turn back or return, often used for turning away from God’s ways. Here, it emphasizes that the people are not just failing but actively returning to old patterns of disobedience.
  • "Iniquities" (עָוֹן, avon): This word refers to guilt or wrongdoing, especially the kind that twists what is right. It shows that the people’s actions are not just mistakes but serious moral failures.
  • "Broken" (פָּרַר, parar): This verb means to break, annul, or make void. It stresses that the covenant with God was not just ignored but actively violated.
  • "Covenant" (בְּרִית, berit): This is a binding agreement or promise, especially the one God made with Israel. The verse points out that this relationship was supposed to be lasting and sacred, making its breaking especially serious.

Why Jeremiah 11:10 matters

  • Jeremiah 11:10 clarifies that the people’s unfaithfulness is not a new problem but a repeated pattern, connecting their current actions to a long history of disobedience.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of breaking the covenant (בְּרִית, berit), showing that the relationship with God was meant to be binding and mutual, not casual or temporary.
  • This verse sets up the reason for the warnings and consequences that follow in Jeremiah, helping the reader understand why God is so concerned and why judgment is coming.

Where else these words appear

“refused” Hebrew H3985 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
  • 1 Samuel 8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
  • Proverbs 21:7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

“broken” Hebrew H6565 · used in 46 verses

  • Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
  • Ezra 4:5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
  • Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.