Jeremiah 7:4

4 Do not ye trust in the words of leasing, and say, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord is (this place!). (Do not ye trust in lies, and then say, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, this is the Temple of the Lord!)

Jeremiah 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 7:4

Trust ye not in lying words
In the words of the lying prophets, as the Targum; and to the same purpose is the Arabic version,

``do not trust in lying words, for the false prophets do not profit you in anything;''

the things in which they trusted, and in which the false prophets taught them to place their confidence, were their coming up to the temple at certain times for religious exercises, and their attendance on temple service and worship, offering of sacrifices, and the like. The Septuagint version is, "trust not in yourselves, in lying words"; see ( Luke 18:9 ) , in their external actions of devotion, in their ritual performances, taking them for righteousness; and adds, what is not in the Hebrew text, "for they altogether profit you not"; in the business of justification before God, and acceptance with him: saying, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of
the Lord, are these;
that is, the people that hypocritically worshipped there, as the false prophets told them; and so the Syriac version, "ye are the temple of the Lord"; though that begins the next verse, with the last clause of this, if ye amend your ways
see ( 1 Corinthians 3:16 1 Corinthians 3:17 ) or rather the temple of the Lord are those gates through which they entered, ( Jeremiah 7:2 ) or those buildings which were pointed at with the finger; or (hmh) , "these", is a clause by itself; and the sense is, these are the lying words that should not be trusted in, namely, the temple and temple services; when all manner of sin and wickedness were committed by them, which they thought to atone for by coming to the temple and worshipping there. The mention of these words three times is, as Jarchi thinks, in reference to the Jews appearing in the temple three times a year, at the feast of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; and so the Targum,

``who say (i.e. the false prophets), before the temple of the Lord ye worship; before the temple of the Lord ye sacrifice; before the temple of the Lord ye bow; three times in a year ye appear before him.''

Kimchi's father, R. Joseph, is of opinion, that it refers to the three parts of the temple, the porch, the holy place, and the holy of holies; but Kimchi himself takes it that these words are trebled for the greater confirmation of them; and they may denote the vehemence and ardour of affection for the temple.

Jeremiah 7:4 In-Context

2 Stand in the gate of the house of the Lord, and preach there this word, and say, All Judah, that enter [in] by these gates for to worship the Lord, hear ye the word of the Lord. (Stand at the gate of the House of the Lord, and preach there this word, and say, All Judah, who enter in by these gates to worship the Lord, hear ye the word of the Lord.)

3 The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Make ye good your ways, and your studies, and I shall dwell with you in this place. (The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things, Make ye good your ways, and your deeds, and I shall live with you in this place.)

4 Do not ye trust in the words of leasing, and say, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord is (this place!). (Do not ye trust in lies, and then say, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, this is the Temple of the Lord!)

5 For if ye bless your ways, and your studies; if ye do doom betwixt a man and his neighbour; (But if ye mend your ways, and your deeds; if ye do rightly, or justly, between a man and his neighbour;)

6 if ye make not false challenge to a comeling, and to a fatherless child, and to a widow; neither shed out innocent blood in this place, and go not after alien gods, into evil to yourselves, (if ye do not oppress a newcomer, and a fatherless child, and a widow; nor shed out innocent blood in this place, and do not go after strange, or foreign, gods, into evil for yourselves,)