Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

JEREMIAH 11:12KJV
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Jeremiah 11:12 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 11:12 mean?

Jeremiah 11:12 says that when trouble comes, the people of Judah and Jerusalem will turn to the gods they have worshiped with incense, but those gods will not be able to help or save them. The verse highlights the futility of relying on idols instead of the true God, especially in times of crisis.

In this verse, Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, warning them about the consequences of their idolatry. The setting is a time when many in Judah had turned away from worshiping God and instead offered incense to other gods. The verse points out that, despite their devotion to these idols, those idols are powerless to deliver them when real trouble comes.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 11:12

  • "gods" (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim): This word can mean gods in general, not just the God of Israel. Here, it refers to the idols the people worshiped, showing these are not true divine beings.
  • "incense" (קָטַר, qatar): This word means to burn incense, a common act of worship in the ancient world. The verse notes that the people’s religious rituals to these gods are empty.
  • "save" (יָשַׁע, yasha‘): This verb means to deliver or rescue. The verse stresses that these idols have no power to rescue the people from disaster.

Why Jeremiah 11:12 matters

  • Jeremiah 11:12 clears up any idea that religious rituals alone—like burning incense—can guarantee help or protection if they are directed to false gods.
  • The verse connects to the larger message of Jeremiah, where God repeatedly warns that turning away from Him leads to disaster, and that idols are powerless.
  • It emphasizes personal responsibility: the people’s own choices to trust in powerless gods leave them without help when they need it most.

Where else these words appear

“cry” Hebrew H2199 · used in 73 verses

  • Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
  • 1 Samuel 28:12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
  • Isaiah 26:17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.

“incense” Hebrew H6999 · used in 112 verses

  • Exodus 29:13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
  • Leviticus 9:20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
  • 2 Chronicles 28:3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.