Why do Jeremiah’s enemies say, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more”?
It now becomes evident to the reader that there are people plotting to kill Jeremiah.
His enemies were saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit.
This is probably a proverb that refers to getting rid of someone and removing forever any influence they may have had. Jeremiah’s enemies want to be rid of him and of the message that he has been preaching.1 They also said, let is cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.
To be cut off from the land and forgotten forever was a great tragedy for any Jewish man; a total removal of any blessings from the Lord.2
19 J'étais comme un agneau familier qu'on mène à la boucherie, Et j'ignorais les mauvais desseins qu'ils méditaient contre moi: Détruisons l'arbre avec son fruit! Retranchons-le de la terre des vivants, Et qu'on ne se souvienne plus de son nom!