Jeremias 7:12

12 For go ye to my place with is in Selo, where I caused my name to dwell before, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

Jeremias 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 7:12

But go ye now unto my place, which was in Shiloh
A city in the tribe of Ephraim, on the north of Bethel, and the south of Lebonah, and not far from Shechem, ( Judges 21:19 ) here were the tabernacle, the ark and altar of the Lord, and the sacrifices; and therefore the tabernacle is called the tabernacle of Shiloh, ( Psalms 78:60 ) , and here the Lord calls it his place; the place of the house of his Shechinah, as the Targum paraphrases it; and where he would have those people go; which is not to be understood locally, but of their taking this place into the consideration of their minds, and observe what was done to it, and became of it; though it was once the place where the Lord dwelt, and where his name was called formerly; as follows: where I set my name at the first;
when the children of Israel first entered into Canaan's land, the tabernacle was set up and established in Shiloh, in Joshua's time, ( Joshua 18:1 ) and there it continued to the times of Eli: and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel;
he refused and forsook his tabernacle there; he suffered the ark, which was fetched from thence in the times of Eli, to be taken and carried captive, and that because of the sins of his people, ( Psalms 78:60 Psalms 78:61 Psalms 78:67 ) ( 1 Samuel 4:4 1 Samuel 4:11 ) . Jerom F13 says, in his time, the altar that was pulled down was shown, though scarce the foundations of it were to be seen. Now the Lord would have these people consider what was done to Shiloh; that though this was the first place where the tabernacle was set in the land of Canaan, and so the inhabitants of it had antiquity on their side; yet this did not secure them, nor the tribe it was in, from being rejected by the Lord, when they sinned against him; nor should the tribes of Judah and Benjamin think themselves secure because of the temple of the Lord, since they might expect he would do to them for their sins what he had done to others before.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 Comment. in Zeph. ch. 1. fol. 94. L. Epitaph. Paulae, fol. 59. L.

Jeremias 7:12 In-Context

10 so that it is evil with you; yet have ye come, and stood before me in the house, whereon my name is called, and ye have said, We have refrained from doing all these abominations.
11 Is my house, whereon my name is called, a den of robbers in your eyes? And, behold, I have seen , saith the Lord.
12 For go ye to my place with is in Selo, where I caused my name to dwell before, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.
13 And now, because ye have done all these deeds, and I spoke to you, but ye hearkened not to me; and I called you, but ye answered not;
14 therefore I also will do to the house whereon my name is called, wherein ye trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Selo.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.