Jeremiah 11:19

lamb—literally, a "pet lamb," such as the Jews often had in their houses, for their children to play with; and the Arabs still have (II Samuel 12:3). His own familiar friends had plotted against the prophet. The language is exactly the same as that applied to Messiah (Isaiah 53:7). Each prophet and patriarch exemplified in his own person some one feature or more in the manifold attributes and sufferings of the Messiah to come; just as the saints have done since His coming (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24). This adapted both the more experimentally to testify of Christ.

devices— (Jeremiah 18:18).

tree with . . . fruit—literally, "in its fruit" or "food," that is, when it is in fruit. Proverbial, to express the destruction of cause and effect together. The man is the tree; his teaching, the fruit. Let us destroy the prophet and his prophecies; namely, those threatening destruction to the nation, which offended them. Compare Matthew 7:17, which also refers to prophets and their doctrines.

Jeremiah 11:18-19

Jeremiah here digresses to notice the attempt on his life plotted by his townsmen of Anathoth. He had no suspicion of it, until Jehovah revealed it to him (Jeremiah 12:6).

the Lord . . . thou—The change of person from the third to the second accords with the excited feelings of the prophet.

then—when I was in peril of my life.

their doings—those of the men of Anathoth. His thus alluding to them, before he has mentioned their name, is due to his excitement.