ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Jeremiah 7

Jer. 7:1–10:25 False Religion and an Idolatrous People. These chapters give evidence of the truth of God’s accusations in chs. 2–6. Judah takes comfort in the temple while breaking God’s commands (7:1–8:3), rejecting the covenantal instruction (8:4–17), living deceitfully (8:18–9:9), grieving the prophet (9:10–26), and engaging in idolatry (10:1–16). Exile awaits this rebellious community (10:17–25).

Jer. 7:1–2 Jeremiah takes God’s message to the temple-going public.

Jer. 7:3 Though the Israelites come to worship (v. 2), they must amend (literally, “make good”) their patterns of life. Such change is necessary if they are to dwell in this place, the Promised Land.

Jer. 7:4 temple of the Lord. Apparently the Israelites either believed the temple would never be destroyed or thought swearing by the temple kept them safe.

Jer. 7:6 sojourner. A resident alien living in Judah. fatherless. Either through death, desertion, or irresponsible sexual acts. widow. Either through death or desertion. These three groups lack social protection and so are given special care (Deut. 24:19–21).

Jer. 7:10 go on doing. The people feel justified in sinning, as they did before they came to “worship.”

Jer. 7:12–14 Shiloh. This was the central sanctuary (about 19 miles [31 km] north of Jerusalem) prior to the monarchy (Judg. 21:19; 1 Sam. 1:3). because of the evil of my people. Constant sin caused God to shut down this old site. What happened to Shiloh will happen to Jerusalem. Judah’s trust in a physical site is misplaced.

Jer. 7:15 cast you out. To foreign lands (Deut. 28:64–68). Ephraim is another name for Israel, the northern kingdom, and also the area where Shiloh was located.

Jer. 7:16 do not pray . . . do not intercede. This is an unusual command for a dire situation. After many warnings, God has made the decision to punish, and he will not hear (respond to) further pleas from Jeremiah. This is a decisive change on God’s part; previously (e.g., Ex. 32:10–14), he would accept intercession.

Jer. 7:22–23 Acceptable sacrifices are based on a right relationship created by faith in the God who delivers (Ex. 19:3–8). Only those who believe will obey; only those who walk in all God’s ways because of their faith can be God’s people.

Jer. 7:25–26 Starting with Moses (Deut. 34:10–12), God sent his servants the prophets to instruct, encourage, and warn Israel. With few exceptions (e.g., Josh. 24:31), each generation did worse than their fathers.

Jer. 7:29 the generation of his wrath. The generation that experienced loss of the Promised Land.

Jer. 7:31 high places of Topheth . . . Hinnom. See 2 Kings 23:10; Isa. 30:33; Jer. 19:6–14. Children were burned alive at these places as sacrifices to Molech and other gods, even though human sacrifice was banned in the law (Lev. 20:2–5). God hated this practice. Child sacrifice was practiced by Canaanites and Phoenicians. The offering of children, especially the firstborn, was seen as a means of manipulating their false deities.

Jer. 7:32 When Babylon conquers Jerusalem, the dead bodies will be heaped so high that the valley will be renamed the Valley of Slaughter (19:1–9).

Jer. 7:34 I will silence . . . the voice of the bridegroom. Normal joy will end, so weddings will not occur (16:9; 25:10). The land shall become a waste—another consequence of covenantal disobedience (Lev. 26:31, 33).