Jeremiah 6:20

20 ¹What use to me is ²frankincense that comes from ³Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? ⁴Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.

Jeremiah 6:20 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 6:20

To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba
In Persia or Arabia, from whence incense was brought, and perhaps the best; see ( Isaiah 60:6 ) , and yet the offering of this was of no esteem with God, when the words of the prophet, and the law of his mouth, were despised; see ( Isaiah 1:13 ) : and the sweet cane from a far country?
either from the same place, Sheba, which was a country afar off, ( Joel 3:8 ) , or from India, as Jerom interprets it; this was one of the spices in the anointing oil, ( Exodus 30:23 ) and though this was of divine appointment, and an omission of it is complained of, ( Isaiah 43:24 ) yet when this was brought with a hypocritical heart, and to atone for neglects of the moral law, and sins committed against that, it was rejected by the Lord: your burnt, offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet
unto me:
being offered up with a wicked mind, and without faith in Christ, and in order to expiate the guilt of black crimes unrepented of, and continued in; they were not grateful to God, nor could he smell a sweet savour in them, but loathed and abhorred them; see ( Isaiah 1:11 ) .

Jeremiah 6:20 In-Context

18 Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.

19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

20 What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.

21 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish. ’”

22 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.

Cross References

• 1. 6:20 Isa. 1:11
• 2. 6:20 Isa. 43:23; 60:6
• 3. 6:20 See 1 Kgs. 10:1
• 4. 6:20 ch. 7:21, 22; 14:12; Ps. 40:6; Isa. 1:11; Amos 5:21