Jeremiah 7:21-31

21 The Lord of hosts, (the) God of Israel, saith these things, Heap ye your burnt sacrifices (on)to your slain sacrifices, and eat ye fleshes.

22 For I spake not with your fathers, and I commanded not to them of the word of burnt sacrifices, and of slain sacrifices, in the day in which I led them out of the land of Egypt. (For I spoke not to your forefathers, and I commanded not to them about burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, on the day when I led them out of the land of Egypt.)

23 But I commanded this word to them, and I said, Hear ye my voice, and I shall be God to you, and ye shall be a people to me; and go ye in all the way which I commanded to you, that it be well to you. (But I commanded this word to them, and I said, Listen ye to my voice, and I shall be your God, and ye shall be my people; and go ye in all the ways to which I command you, so that it can be well with you.)

24 And they heard not, neither bowed down their ear, but they went in their lusts, and in the shrewdness of their evil heart; and they be made behind, and not before, (But they did not listen to me, nor bowed down their ear, but they went in their lusts, and in the depravity of their own evil hearts; and so they be made behind, and not before,)

25 from the day in which their fathers went out of the land of Egypt till to this day. And I sent to you all my servants (the) prophets, and I rose early by the day, and I sent (yea, I rose up early in the day, and I sent them).

26 And they heard not me, neither bowed down their ear; but they made hard their noll, and wrought worse than the fathers of them. (But they did not listen to me, nor bowed down their ear; but they stiffened their necks, or were stubborn, and did worse than their forefathers.)

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.)

Jeremiah 7:21-31 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.