Jeremiah 12:6

Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Jeremiah (and the nation behind him) in the middle of a complaint about suffering (v. 1–4), answering with the reason the situation is as dire as it is: the inner circle has turned.

The words — בָּגְדוּ (bāgədû, H898) means "they have dealt treacherously," a verb of active betrayal of trust, not mere absence of help; the doubled גַּם (gam, "even/also") hammers that this comes from the closest kin.

The thread — Jeremiah 9:4 states the principle outright: "do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily." Proverbs 26:25 and Psalms 12:2 add the diagnostic: gracious speech masking a corrupt heart.

Why it lands — It removes the safety net of familiar voices; when those who should be nearest are the ones crying out against you, their later words of approval carry no weight.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֧יkifor גַם־gam-also אַחֶ֣יךָ'a.Chei./khabrothers/ your וּבֵית־u./veit-and/ [the] house of אָבִ֗יךָ'a.Vi./khafather/ your גַּם־gam-also הֵ֙מָּה֙he.mahthey בָּ֣גְדוּBa.ge.duthey have dealt treacherouslyבָ֔ךְVa/khwith <the>/ youגַּם־gam-also הֵ֛מָּהHe.mahthey קָרְא֥וּka.re.'Uthey have called out אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ'a.cha.Rei./khaafter/ you מָלֵ֑אma.Le'full אַל־'al-may not תַּאֲמֵ֣ןta.'a.Menyou trustבָּ֔םBa/min <the>/ themכִּֽי־ki-for יְדַבְּר֥וּye.da.be.Ruthey speak אֵלֶ֖יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ you טוֹבֽוֹת׃ סto.Votgood things

King James Version

For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

Cross-references

Proverbs 26:25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
Psalms 12:2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
Jeremiah 9:4 “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
Genesis 37:4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Micah 7:5 Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
Matthew 10:21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.
Psalms 69:8 I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,
Jeremiah 11:19 For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
Jeremiah 11:21 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the people of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “You must not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand.”
Job 6:15 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow,