4 Trust H982 ye not in lying H8267 words, H1697 saying, H559 The temple H1964 of the LORD, H3068 The temple H1964 of the LORD, H3068 The temple H1964 of the LORD, H3068 are these.
And when the people H5971 were come H935 into the camp, H4264 the elders H2205 of Israel H3478 said, H559 Wherefore hath the LORD H3068 smitten H5062 us to day H3117 before H6440 the Philistines? H6430 Let us fetch H3947 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 out of Shiloh H7887 unto us, that, when it cometh H935 among H7130 us, it may save H3467 us out of the hand H3709 of our enemies. H341 So the people H5971 sent H7971 to Shiloh, H7887 that they might bring H5375 from thence the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 which dwelleth H3427 between the cherubims: H3742 and the two H8147 sons H1121 of Eli, H5941 Hophni H2652 and Phinehas, H6372 were there with the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of God. H430
Behold, ye trust H982 in lying H8267 words, H1697 that cannot profit. H3276 Will ye steal, H1589 murder, H7523 and commit adultery, H5003 and swear H7650 falsely, H8267 and burn incense H6999 unto Baal, H1168 and walk H1980 after H310 other H312 gods H430 whom ye know H3045 not; And come H935 and stand H5975 before H6440 me in this house, H1004 which is called H7121 by my name, H8034 and say, H559 We are delivered H5337 to do H6213 all these abominations? H8441 Is this house, H1004 which is called H7121 by my name, H8034 become a den H4631 of robbers H6530 in your eyes? H5869 Behold, even I have seen H7200 it, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 But go H3212 ye now unto my place H4725 which was in Shiloh, H7887 where I set H7931 my name H8034 at the first, H7223 and see H7200 what I did H6213 to it for H6440 the wickedness H7451 of my people H5971 Israel. H3478
And G2532 think G1380 not G3361 to say G3004 within G1722 yourselves, G1438 We have G2192 Abraham G11 to our father: G3962 for G1063 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 that G3754 God G2316 is able G1410 of G1537 these G5130 stones G3037 to raise up G1453 children G5043 unto Abraham. G11 And G1161 now G2235 also G2532 the axe G513 is laid G2749 unto G4314 the root G4491 of the trees: G1186 therefore G3767 every G3956 tree G1186 which bringeth G4160 not G3361 forth G4160 good G2570 fruit G2590 is hewn down, G1581 and G2532 cast G906 into G1519 the fire. G4442
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 7
Commentary on Jeremiah 7 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Vanity of Putting Trust in the Temple and in the Sacrificial Service, and the Way to Safety and Life - Jeremiah 7-10
This discourse divides itself into three sections. Starting with the people's confident reliance in the possession of the temple and the legal sacrificial worship, Jeremiah in the first section, by pointing to the destruction of Shiloh, where in the old time the sanctuary of the ark of the covenant had been, shows that Jerusalem and Judah will not escape the fate of Shiloh and the kingdom of Ephraim, in case they persist in their stiffneckedness against the Lord their God (Jer 7:1-8:3). For the confirmation of this threatening he goes on, in the second section, further to tell of the people's determined resistance to all reformation, and to set forth the terrible visitation which hardened continuance in sin draws down on itself (Jer 8:4-9:21). To the same end he finally, in the third section, points out the means of escape from impending destruction, showing that the way to safety and life lies in acknowledging the Lord as the only, everlasting, and almighty God, and in seeing the nothingness of the false gods; and, as the fruit of such knowledge, he inculcates the fear of the Lord, and self-humiliation under His mighty hand (Jer 9:22-10:25).
This discourse also was not uttered at any one particular time before the people in the temple, and in the shape in which it comes before us; but it has been gathered into one uniform whole, out of several oral addresses delivered in the temple by Jeremiah upon various occasions in the days of Josiah. According to Jer 26, Jeremiah, at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, and in the court of the temple before the people, uttered the threatening that if they would not hear the words addressed to them by the prophets, nor reform their lives, the Lord would make the temple like Shiloh, and make the city a curse to all nations. For this speech he was found worthy of death by the priests and false prophets, and was saved only through the interference of the princes of the people Now the present discourse opposes to the people's vain confidence in the temple the solemn warning that the temple will share the fate of Shiloh; and hence many commentators, especially Graf and Nהg. , have inferred the identity of this with the discourse in Jer 26, and have referred its composition to the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign. But the agreement of the two chapters on this one point is not sufficient to justify such an inference. Jeremiah is wont often to repeat his leading thoughts in his discourses; and so it is not unlikely that more than once, during the eighteen years of his ministry under Josiah, he may have held up the fate of Shiloh and the sanctuary there, as a warning to the people which built its confidence on the possession of the temple and the performance of the legal cultus. If the foundation even of the first section of the present discourse were to be found in that given in Jer 26, taken in connection with the impression it made on the priests and prophets, with the violent feeling it excited, and the storm against Jeremiah which it called forth, then certainly the continuation of this discourse from Jeremiah 7:16 onwards would have been something different from what we find it. In writing down the discourse, Jeremiah would certainly not have passed immediately from threatening the people with the fate of Shiloh to the repudiation of all intercessory prayers, and to the statement there made as to the sacrificial service. This we mention without entering on the discussion of the other portions of the discourse. In the whole of the rest of the discourse, as continued Jer 8-10, there is not the least trace of hostility against Jeremiah on the part of priests or people, or any hint of anything that would carry us beyond the time of Josiah into the reign of Jehoiakim.
Jeremiah 7:1-8:3
Warning against a False Trust in the Temple and the Sacrificial Service. The temple does not afford protection from the threatened punishment. If Judah does not change its manner of life, the temple will suffer the fate of Shiloh, and Judah will, like Ephraim, be rejected by the Lord (Jeremiah 7:1-15). Neither intercession on behalf of the corrupt race, nor the multitude of its burnt and slain offerings, will turn aside from Jerusalem the visitation of wrath (Jeremiah 7:16-28); for the Lord has cast away the hardened sinners on account of their idolatry, and will make Jerusalem and Judah a field of death (v. 29-8:3).
The vanity of trusting in the temple. - Jeremiah 7:1. "The word that came to Jeremiah from Jahveh, saying, Jeremiah 7:2. Stand in the gate of the house of Jahveh, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of Jahveh, all ye of Judah, that enter these gates to worship before Jahveh: Jeremiah 7:3. Thus hath spoken Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, Make your ways and your doings good, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Jeremiah 7:4. Trust ye not in lying words, when they say, The temple of Jahveh, the temple of Jahveh, the temple of Jahveh, is this. Jeremiah 7:5. But if ye thoroughly make your ways good, and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute right amongst one another; Jeremiah 7:6. Oppress not stranger, fatherless, and widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither follow after other gods to your hurt; Jeremiah 7:7. Then I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land which I have given unto your fathers, from eternity unto eternity. Jeremiah 7:8. Behold, ye trust in lying words, though they profit not. Jeremiah 7:9. How? to steal, to murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer odours to Baal, and to walk after other gods whom ye know not? Jeremiah 7:10. And then ye come and stand before my face in this house, upon which my name is named, and think, We are saved to do all these abominations. Jeremiah 7:11. Is then this house become a den or murderers, over which my name is named, in your eyes? I too, behold, have seen it, saith Jahveh. Jeremiah 7:12. For go ye now to may place which was at Shiloh, where I formerly caused my name to dwell, and see what I have done unto it for the wickedness of my people Israel. Jeremiah 7:13. And now, because ye do all these deeds, saith Jahve, and I have spoken to you, speaking from early morning on, and ye have not heard; and I have called you, and ye have not answered; Jeremiah 7:14. Therefore I do unto this house, over which my name is named, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I have given to you and to your fathers, as I have done unto Shiloh. Jeremiah 7:15. And cast you away from my face, as I have cast away all your brethren, the whole seed of Ephraim."