Jeremiah 7:29

29 Clip thine hair, and cast (it) away, and take thou wailing straightly (and take up thou wailing on high places); for the Lord hath cast away, and hath forsaken the generation of his strong vengeance.

Jeremiah 7:29 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 7:29

Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away
This supplement is made, because the word is feminine; and therefore cannot be directed to the prophet, but to Jerusalem, and its inhabitants; shaving the head is a sign of mourning, ( Job 1:20 ) and this is enjoined, to show that there would soon be a reason for it; wherefore it follows: and take up a lamentation on high places:
that it might be heard afar off; or because of the idolatry frequently committed in high places. The Targum is,

``pluck off the hair for thy great ones that are carried captive, and take up a lamentation for the princes:''

for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath;
a generation of men, deserving of the wrath of God, and appointed to it, on whom he determined to pour it out; of which his rejection and forsaking of them was a token: this was remarkably true of that generation in which Christ and his apostles lived, who disbelieved the Messiah, and had no faith in him, and spoke lying and blasphemous words concerning him; and therefore were rejected and forsaken by the Lord; and wrath came upon them to the uttermost.

Jeremiah 7:29 In-Context

27 And thou shalt speak to them all these words, and they shall not hear thee; and thou shalt call them, and they shall not answer to thee. (And thou shalt speak to them all these words, but they shall not listen to thee; and thou shalt call them, but they shall not answer thee.)

28 And thou shalt say to them, This is the folk, that heard not the voice of their Lord God, neither received chastising; faith perished, and is taken away from the mouth of them. (And thou shalt say to them, This is the nation, that did not listen to, or obey, the voice of the Lord their God, nor accepted his discipline, or his correction; truth perished, and is taken away from their mouths.)

29 Clip thine hair, and cast (it) away, and take thou wailing straightly (and take up thou wailing on high places); for the Lord hath cast away, and hath forsaken the generation of his strong vengeance.

30 For the sons of Judah have done evil before mine eyes, saith the Lord; they have set their offendings in the house, in which my name is called to help, that they should defoul that house; (For the people of Judah have done evil before my eyes, saith the Lord; they have put their offences in the House, where my name is called on for help/which is called by my name, so that they would defile that House;)

31 and they builded high things in Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that they should burn their sons and their daughters by fire, which things I commanded not, neither thought in mine heart. (and they built the high places, or the hill shrines, of Tophet, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, so that they could burn their sons and their daughters with fire, which things I did not command, nor ever thought of in my heart.)