Jeremiah 12:13

Lexham English Bible

Contextual Overview

⁷ I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my inheritance. I have given the beloved one of my heart into the hand of her enemies. ⁸ My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She has lifted up against me her voice; therefore I hate her. ⁹ The lair of the hyena is my inheritance to me, the birds of prey are all around her. Go, gather all of the animals of the field, bring them to come and devour. ¹⁰ Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trampled down my plot of land. They have made my pleasant field like the desert of desolation. ¹¹ They have made it a desolation. Desolate, it mourns to me. All the land is made desolate, but there is no person taking it to heart. ¹² Upon all the barren heights in the desert destroyers have come, for the sword of Yahweh devours, from one end of the land to the other end of the land, there is no peace for all flesh. ¹³ They have sown wheat and they have reaped thorns. They are exhausted, they do not profit. And they will be ashamed of your produce, because of the burning anger of Yahweh."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sown: Leviticus 26:16, Deuteronomy 28:38, Micah 6:15, Haggai 1:6, Haggai 2:16, Haggai 2:17

put: Jeremiah 3:23-25, Isaiah 30:1-6, Isaiah 31:1-3, Isaiah 55:2, Habakkuk 2:13, Romans 6:21

they: or, ye

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:18 - Thorns Deuteronomy 28:30 - build Isaiah 17:10 - shalt thou Hosea 8:7 - it hath Galatians 6:8 - reap

Cross-References

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of the wife of Abram was Sarai, and the name of the wife of Nahor was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 12:3
And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you."

Genesis 12:5
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and all the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan. And they went to the land of Canaan.

Genesis 12:6
And Abram traveled through the land up to the place of Shechem, to the Oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time.

Genesis 12:8
And he moved on from there to the hill country, east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent at Bethel on the west, and at Ai on the east. And he built an altar there to Yahweh. And he called on the name of Yahweh.

Genesis 12:12
and it shall happen that, if the Egyptians see you, then they will say, ‘This is his wife,' then they will kill me but let you live.

Genesis 12:13
Please say you are my sister so that it will go well for me on your account. Then I will live on account of you."

Genesis 20:2
And Abraham said about Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Genesis 20:5
Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister'? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.' With integrity of my heart and with cleanness of my hands I did this."

Genesis 26:7
When the men of the place asked concerning his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," thinking "the men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she was beautiful."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns,.... Which may be understood literally, the land of Judea being cursed for their sins, and become barren and unfruitful, as the earth originally was for the sin of the first man, Genesis 3:19, or rather figuratively, which some interpret of the prophets as Kimchi, sowing the good seed of the word among the Jews; but it did not take place in them, and bring forth fruit; instead thereof thorns sprung up, or evil works were done by them, comparable thereunto; but it seems better to understand it of the people; not, as Jarchi, of their prayers, which were not accepted, because unattended with repentance and good works; but of their schemes, which they thought were prudently laid, in forming an alliance with Egypt, and sending thither for help against the Chaldeans, but all in vain; these proved in the issue like thorns, grievous and vexatious to them. The Septuagint version reads imperatively, "sow ye": and Jarchi makes mention of a copy, in which the word was pointed as to be so read, as in Hosea 10:12, and may be understood ironically. The Targum is,

"be ye not like those who sow wheat in untilled land, and can gather nothing but thorns.''

They have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit; were at a great deal of pains and trouble to make Egypt their ally, and send thither for assistance, and all to no purpose. Kimchi's father interprets this of their uneasiness and grief, at parting with so much money to the king of Egypt, without having any advantage by it; which is to be preferred to the sense Jarchi gives, of the people crying to God, and grieving because not regarded by him. Some render the words, "they have got an inheritance", as the Vulgate Latin; the land of Canaan, but they will not be able to keep it; it shall no longer be theirs, or any advantage to them.

And they shall be ashamed of your revenues; not the prophets of the evil works of the people, but rather the people of their own evil works; and, particularly, of their schemes, counsels, and preparations, to secure themselves against the enemy; of their alliances with other nations, and of vain confidences; the success not answering to the pains and expense they had been at; but these failing and disappointing them, would fill them with shame and confusion.

Because of the fierce anger of the Lord; against which there was no standing; this being infinitely more powerful than the Chaldean army, by the means of which it came upon them, and from which no schemes and alliances could protect them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall reap ... shall not profit - Rather, have reaped ... have profited nothing. The force of the proverb is that all their labors had ended only in disappointment.

And they shall be ashamed of your revenues - Or, yea, be ashamed of your produce - the produce of the fields.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 12:13. They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns — All their projects shall fail: none of their enterprises shall succeed. They are enemies to God, and therefore cannot have his blessing.