Jeremías 7:13-23

13 Ahora, pues, por cuanto habéis vosotros hecho todas estas obras, dijo el SEÑOR, y bien que os hablé, madrugando para hablar, no oísteis, y os llamé, y no respondisteis

14 Haré también a esta Casa sobre la cual es llamado mi nombre, en la cual vosotros confiáis, y a este lugar que di a vosotros y a vuestros padres, como hice a Silo

15 Que os echaré de mi presencia, como eché a todos vuestros hermanos, a toda la simiente de Efraín

16 Tú, pues, no ores por este pueblo, ni levantes por ellos clamor ni oración, ni me ruegues; porque no te oiré

17 ¿No ves lo que éstos hacen en las ciudades de Judá y en las plazas de Jerusalén

18 Los hijos cogen la leña, y los padres encienden el fuego, y las mujeres amasan la masa, para hacer tortas a la reina del cielo y para hacer ofrendas a dioses ajenos, para provocarme a ira

19 ¿Por ventura me provocarán ellos a ira, dijo el SEÑOR, y no antes a ellos mismos para confusión de sus rostros

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

Jeremías 7:13-23 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.