Jeremiah 19 5

Jeremiah 19:5 kjv

They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

Jeremiah 19:5 nkjv

(they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind),

Jeremiah 19:5 niv

They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal?something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.

Jeremiah 19:5 esv

and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind ?

Jeremiah 19:5 nlt

They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!

Jeremiah 19 verses

Jeremiah 19 5 Meaning

This verse describes God's severe judgment upon Judah for the sins of their kings, specifically their involvement in child sacrifice and the construction of high places for idolatry at Topheth. God declares He never commanded nor even thought of such practices.

Jeremiah 19 5 Context

Jeremiah 19 occurs within the broader context of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry during the late Judean monarchy, a period marked by deep spiritual and political corruption. King Josiah had instituted reforms, but the sins of his predecessors, particularly Manasseh and Amon, had left a lasting impact. This chapter continues God's message of impending judgment upon Judah. Jeremiah is instructed to take a clay jar and go to the Valley of Hinnom (Topheth) to illustrate the totality and irreversibility of God's judgment against Jerusalem and its people due to their persistent idolatry and especially their abhorrent practice of child sacrifice, which even reached the level of "burning their sons and daughters in the fire," an act God unequivocally states He never commanded or conceived. This act represented the ultimate rebellion and defiance against God.

Jeremiah 19 5 Word Analysis

• וְכִי (v'ki): "And also" or "and it came to pass that." It links this action to previous pronouncements.
• אָנֹכִי (anokhi): "I." Emphasizes God's personal involvement and direct speech.
• לֹא (lo): "Not." Absolute negation.
• צִוִּיתִ֗י (tsivviti): "I commanded." God’s absolute denial of ever ordaining this practice. The verb comes from tsavah, meaning to command, charge, or give an order.
• וְלֹא (v'lo): "Nor." A further emphatic negation.
• עָלְתָה (alah): "It came up" or "it ascended." The perfect tense indicates a completed action, or in this context, something that entered into His mind or was brought before Him.
• עַל־ (al): "Upon" or "against." Indicates the object or direction of the thought.
• לִבִּי (libbi): "My heart" or "my mind." Refers to God’s inner being, His will and thoughts.
• לַעֲשׂוֹת (la'asot): "To do" or "to perform." The infinitive of asah, signifying the act of carrying out the wicked practice.
• תּוֹעֵבָה (to'evah): "Abomination" or "detestable thing." A strong word for something utterly repugnant and contrary to God’s nature and commands. This term is frequently used for idolatry and its associated practices.
• לְמַעַן (lema'an): "In order to" or "for the purpose of."
• קְדֹשׁ (qedosh): "Holy." In this context, referring to the forbidden "holy" places or practices related to idol worship, which are a perversion of true holiness. It's used ironically here, as these were defiled, not truly holy.
• קְדֹשִׁים (qedoshim): "Holies" or "holy ones." Here, likely referring to the high places consecrated for idolatrous worship, a twisted imitation of true worship.
• בְּחַטָּאת (b'khatat): "In sin" or "as a sin offering." Refers to the children offered as sacrifices.
• אֲבֹתֵיכֶם (avoteikhem): "Your fathers." Points to the continuity of sin from previous generations.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis

• "I never commanded, nor did it come into my mind": This is a powerful divine denial. It emphasizes that these acts of child sacrifice were not only against God's revealed will but were also entirely foreign to His perfect nature and intent. God's being is utterly opposed to such cruelty and defilement.
• "To do iniquities": The infinitive phrase indicates the purpose behind the high places – the commission of gross sin.
• "Against my Holy Ones" / "Holy": This phrase is debated. It might refer to:
  1. The dedication of their sons and daughters to Molech as a profane offering, thus defiling what was meant to be holy (e.g., children, lineage).
  2. The high places themselves being dedicated to idols, which were mock "holies."
  3. A perversion of the concept of true holiness by setting up idols as objects of devotion.
• "To sin": This could relate to offering them "as sin" or in connection with the concept of sin, as these sacrifices were made to appease demonic entities for sin or in a context of sin.

Jeremiah 19 5 Bonus Section

The location of Topheth in the "Valley of the Son of Hinnom" is significant. This valley, historically associated with child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31, 32:35), became a symbol of hell and God's judgment in later Jewish and Christian thought. Jesus himself refers to "Gehenna" (the Greek for Hinnom), associating it with a place of fiery judgment. The depth of this verse’s meaning is tied to the absolute perversion of parent-child relationships and the most sacred trust being violated in the name of false gods, a practice utterly abhorrent to the God who commanded love and protection for one’s children.

Jeremiah 19 5 Commentary

Jeremiah 19:5 reveals the absolute abhorrence God has for child sacrifice. It was not merely an infraction of a divine rule, but an act so fundamentally contrary to God’s very essence that it never even entered His thoughts to command or desire it. This underscores the depravity of the practice in Judah. The "high places" and the sacrifices offered there at Topheth were the epitome of rebellion, a deliberate turning away from the true God to pagan deities. God’s absolute negation of ever commanding such things highlights the purity and righteousness He demands and embodies. It's a strong indictment of King Manasseh's reign and the lingering pagan practices that even Josiah's reforms couldn't entirely eradicate. This verse serves as a stark reminder that genuine worship must align with God’s revealed character and commands, not human innovation or perverted tradition.