Jeremías 7:20-30

20 Por tanto, dijo el Señor DIOS: He aquí que mi furor y mi ira se derrama sobre este lugar, sobre los hombres, sobre los animales, sobre los árboles del campo, y sobre los frutos de la tierra; y se encenderá, y no se apagará

21 Así dijo el SEÑOR de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel: Añadid vuestros holocaustos sobre vuestros sacrificios, y comed carne

22 Porque nunca hablé yo con vuestros padres, ni les mandé de holocaustos y de víctimas el día que los saqué de la tierra de Egipto

23 mas esto les mandé, diciendo: Escuchad mi voz, y seré a vosotros por Dios, y vosotros me seréis por pueblo; y andad en todo camino que os mandare, para que os vaya bien

24 Y no oyeron ni inclinaron su oído; antes caminaron en sus consejos, en la dureza de su corazón malvado, y fueron hacia atrás y no hacia adelante

25 desde el día que vuestros padres salieron de la tierra de Egipto hasta hoy. Y os envié a todos los profetas mis siervos, cada día madrugando y enviándolos

26 mas no me oyeron ni inclinaron su oído; antes endurecieron su cerviz, e hicieron peor que sus padres

27 Tú, pues, les dirás todas estas palabras, mas no te oirán; aun los llamarás, y no te responderán

28 Les dirás por tanto: Esta es la gente que no escuchó la voz del SEÑOR su Dios, ni tomó castigo; se perdió la fe, y de la boca de ellos fue cortada

29 Trasquila tu cabello, y arrójalo, y levanta llanto sobre las alturas; porque el SEÑOR arrojó y dejó la nación de su furor

30 Porque los hijos de Judá han hecho lo malo ante mis ojos, dijo el SEÑOR; pusieron sus abominaciones en la Casa sobre la cual mi nombre fue llamado, contaminándola

Jeremías 7:20-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 7

In this chapter the Lord, by the prophet, calls the people of the Jews to repentance and reformation; reproves them for their vain confidence; and threatens them with destruction for their many sins, and particularly idolatry. The preface to all this is in Jer 7:1,2, the exhortation to amendment, encouraged to by a promise that they should dwell in the land, is in Jer 7:3, but this was not to be expected on account of the temple, and temple service; but through a thorough reformation of manners; an exercise of justice, and avoiding all oppression and idolatry, Jer 7:4-7, their vain confidence in the temple is exposed; they fancying that their standing there, and doing the service of it, would atone for their theft, murder, adultery, perjury, and idolatry; and that they might commit these with impunity; wherefore they are let to know, that so doing these they made the temple a house of thieves; and that for such wickedness, what the Lord had done to his place in Shiloh, which they are reminded of, he would to the temple, and to them, reject and cast them off, Jer 6:8-15, and seeing they also had a dependence on the prophet's prayer, he is bid not to pray for them, for his prayers would not he heard; and he is directed to observe their wretched idolatry, of which an instance is given, whereby they provoked the Lord to anger; and therefore he was determined to pour out his fury on man and beast, and on the trees and fruit of the field, Jer 7:16-20 and whereas they trusted in their burnt offerings and sacrifices, these are rejected, as being what were not originally commanded; but obedience to the moral law, and the precepts of it, which they refused to hearken to, though they were oft called upon to it by his servants the prophets, Jer 7:21-26, and it is foretold that the Prophet Jeremy would meet with the same treatment; that they would not hearken to his words, nor answer to his call; and therefore he should declare them a disobedient, incorrigible, and an unfaithful people, Jer 7:27,28 hence, either he, or Jerusalem, is called upon to cut off the hair, as a sign of mourning; for their rejection of the Lord, occasioned by their sins, and especially their idolatry, of which instances are given, Jer 7:29-31 and it is threatened that the place of their idolatry should be a place of slaughter and of burial, till there should be no room for more; and the carcasses of the rest should be the food of fowls and beasts; and all joy should cease from Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 7:32-34.