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

Jeremiah 19:5 starkly exposes Judah's profound apostasy by sacrificing their children to the Canaanite god Baal. It describes their active construction of pagan altars, specifically for the abhorrent ritual of burning their sons alive as offerings. The verse culminates with a forceful triple denial from God, emphatically stating that He neither commanded, spoke, nor even conceived such an atrocity, underscoring its absolute repugnance and foreignness to His divine nature and moral character. This highlights the severity of Judah's rebellion and their deviation from covenant principles.

Jeremiah 19 5 Context

Jeremiah 19 is part of the prophet's dramatic symbolic actions, delivered to King Zedekiah's officials and leading priests in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehinnom). Jeremiah has just shattered an earthen jar (verses 1-13) as a visual parable of Jerusalem's impending destruction due to its egregious idolatry and wickedness. Verse 5 specifically pinpoints the heinous sin of child sacrifice to Baal at the "high places"—pagan altars, likely located in the Topheth area within the Valley of Hinnom (Jer 7:31; Jer 32:35). This ritual was an abomination to YHWH, directly violating the covenant and illustrating the depth of Judah's moral corruption. Historically, this occurred during a period leading up to the Babylonian exile, a time of national decline and intense prophetic warnings against adopting pagan practices, particularly those of the surrounding Canaanite and Ammonite cultures, which included the worship of Baal and Molech.

Jeremiah 19 5 Word analysis

• They have built (וּבָנוּ - u-va-nu):

  • Significance: Denotes intentionality and establishment. Not a sporadic act but an organized, communal effort, implying a system of idolatrous worship was in place.
  • Implication: Reflects a society actively investing resources and effort into apostasy.

• also the high places (גַּם־אֶת־בָּמ֖וֹת - gam-et-ba-mot):

  • gam-et (גם־את): "also," connecting this specific abomination to previous acts of idolatry (Jer 19:4 speaks of innocent blood).
  • bamot (בָּמוֹת): Plural of bamah, meaning "high place." These were elevated cultic sites, often on hills, for non-Yahwistic worship. Their construction symbolized a rejection of the single, legitimate place of worship, the Temple in Jerusalem, appointed by YHWH. They were points of pagan intrusion into the land.

• of Baal (הַבַּ֫עַל - ha-ba'al):

  • Ha-Ba'al: The definite article emphasizes a specific pagan deity. Baal was a primary Canaanite storm and fertility god.
  • Context: Worship involved rituals for rain and crops, often accompanied by ecstatic and depraved practices. Attributing power to Baal directly denied YHWH's sovereignty over creation.

• to burn their sons (לִשְׂרֹף אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם - lis-rof et-bə-ne-hem):

  • Lis-rof: "to burn." A chilling description of actual immolation, not merely "passing through fire" in a purification rite, as some might interpret it, but a consuming destruction.
  • et-bə-ne-hem: "their sons." Points to the unimaginable cruelty and profound violation of parental bonds. The most precious gift, a child, turned into an offering for a false god. This act directly contravened the natural law and YHWH's valuing of human life.

• with fire (בָּאֵשׁ - ba'esh):

  • Reinforces the brutal method, leaving no room for symbolic interpretation of "burning." It means total consumption.

• for burnt offerings (לַעֹל֖וֹת - la-'o-lot):

  • La-'olot: Plural of olah, a Hebrew term for a whole burnt offering to YHWH, totally consumed on the altar as a pleasing aroma, signifying complete dedication.
  • Twisted Meaning: Here, the term is tragically applied to child sacrifice, perverting a sacred term meant for devotion to YHWH and applying it to an abhorrent practice dedicated to Baal. This demonstrates the extent of syncretism and distortion of true worship.

• unto Baal (לַבַּ֔עַל - la-ba'al):

  • Reiterates the recipient of the offering, firmly establishing the idolatrous nature of the act.

• which I commanded not (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־צִוִּיתִי - 'asher lo'-tsiv-vi-ti):

  • Explicit and categorical negation. This practice was never part of YHWH's divine law or covenant. It directly refutes any claim that such a deed could be an act of worship to Him.

• nor spake it (וְלֹא דִבַּרְתִּי - wə-lo' dib-bar-ti):

  • An emphatic reinforcement of the previous denial. Not only was it not formally commanded in writing, but it was also never spoken or suggested, even implicitly. It stresses the absence of any divine endorsement.

• neither came it into my mind (וְלֹא עָלְתָ֖ה עַל־לִבִּֽי - wə-lo' 'al-tah al-lib-bi):

  • The strongest denial possible. 'Al-tah al-lib-bi literally means "it did not go up upon My heart/mind." It conveys God's utter repugnance; such a thought is fundamentally alien and abhorrent to His nature and being. It was never conceived or contemplated by Him, not even for a moment.

Words-group analysis:

• "They have built also the high places of Baal": This phrase highlights the systematic and intentional establishment of foreign worship systems that defied God's exclusive claim to worship. It suggests a proactive movement towards idolatry, not merely passive assimilation.

• "to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal": This entire clause details the horrific act. It's not a generic act of idolatry but child sacrifice—the pinnacle of moral depravity and religious aberration. The perversion of "burnt offerings" (which were to YHWH) for child sacrifice to Baal underlines the deep spiritual sickness.

• "which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind": This triple negative is a powerful theological declaration. It definitively separates YHWH from this monstrous practice. It defends God's character against any notion that He would endorse or even contemplate such an evil, establishing His absolute moral purity and the profound difference between true worship and pagan barbarity. It is God Himself asserting that such acts are utterly alien to His being.

Jeremiah 19 5 Bonus section

The location mentioned contextually, the Valley of Hinnom, also known as Gehenna (Γέεννα in the New Testament), became a symbolic name for hell or eternal judgment due to its association with child sacrifice and the constant burning of refuse there (e.g., Matt 10:28; Mark 9:43). This transformation underscores the severity and the ultimate spiritual consequences associated with the sins committed in that very valley. Jeremiah's prophetic act of breaking a pottery jar (Jer 19:1-13) was a powerful visual aid, symbolizing God's judgment and the shattering of Jerusalem for its sin, making the valley an indelible emblem of divine wrath and destruction. The idea of offering children "to Baal" contrasts sharply with God's provision in Genesis 22, where Abraham was prevented from sacrificing Isaac, God substituting a ram instead, proving that the Lord abhors human sacrifice while desiring faithful obedience. This deep theological distinction underscores the perversion enacted by Judah in Jeremiah's day.

Jeremiah 19 5 Commentary

Jeremiah 19:5 captures the ultimate perversion of faith: offering human life, specifically one's children, to a false god, Baal. This was not a misunderstood command but a direct imitation of the surrounding pagan cultures, demonstrating the depths of Judah's spiritual apostasy and their utter rejection of the Lord God. The chilling act of burning children "for burnt offerings" highlights the grotesque misappropriation of a sacred sacrificial term for a demonic ritual. God's emphatic threefold denial—"I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into My mind"—is crucial. It serves as a vehement protest against any accusation that such cruelty could originate from Him or be part of His will. It declares the profound moral chasm between the God of Israel, who values and redeems life, and the bloodthirsty deities invented by man. The verse therefore functions as both a severe indictment of Judah's sin and a profound vindication of God's holy and loving character, providing clear boundaries for human understanding of divine morality and what constitutes true worship. This denial from God reveals not only His utter dissociation from this practice but also the horror and unthinkability of it to Him, demonstrating that such depravity lies outside the realm of His very thought.