But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
But I was like a lamb or ox being led to slaughter, completely unaware that they had made plans against me. They were saying, 'Let's destroy the tree along with its fruit, and let's cut him off from the land of the living so that his name will never be remembered again.'
Jeremiah is describing how he was innocent and unaware when his enemies plotted to kill him and erase his memory completely.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is speaking during a time of spiritual decline in Judah, around the late 7th century BC, when the nation was facing God's judgment for widespread idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. Jeremiah, a priest from Anathoth, is personally targeted by his own townspeople who plot to silence him because his prophetic warnings threaten their comfort and status. This verse captures Jeremiah's innocent surprise at the conspiracy, using the metaphor of a lamb or ox led to slaughter to highlight his vulnerability amid betrayal.
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