Jeremiah 32 35

Jeremiah 32:35 kjv

And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Jeremiah 32:35 nkjv

And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.'

Jeremiah 32:35 niv

They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded?nor did it enter my mind?that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

Jeremiah 32:35 esv

They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Jeremiah 32:35 nlt

They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly!

Jeremiah 32 verses

Jeremiah 32 35 meaning

Jeremiah 32:35 powerfully condemns the inhabitants of Judah for establishing sites in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom dedicated to the pagan deities Baal and Molech. Their egregious practice involved offering their own sons and daughters as burnt sacrifices, an act that God emphatically states He neither commanded nor even remotely conceived, labeling it a supreme abomination. The verse underscores the extreme depths of their apostasy and defiance against the Most High God, demonstrating a profound departure from divine law and the very character of the Creator.

Jeremiah 32 35 Context

Jeremiah chapter 32 finds the prophet in a unique position: imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, while Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonian army (around 588 BC). Amidst this dire situation, God commands Jeremiah to purchase a field in Anathoth, his hometown, symbolizing a future restoration for Israel, despite the impending and inevitable judgment. This act of faith, in the face of complete devastation, is followed by Jeremiah's prayer to God, expressing both wonder at God's power and concern about the ongoing judgment.

God responds to Jeremiah's prayer by reiterating the certainty of Jerusalem's fall and its inhabitants' suffering due to their deep-seated sins. Within this explanation of judgment, verse 35 details one of the most heinous offenses that provoked God's wrath: the establishment of child sacrifice. This practice in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom represents the pinnacle of Judah's apostasy, directly contrasting with God's promise of future redemption in the same chapter. It highlights the severity of the sin that necessitates such severe divine discipline before the eventual restoration can occur. The historical context reveals that kings like Ahaz and Manasseh previously engaged in and promoted child sacrifice, making it a persistent and deeply entrenched national sin.

Jeremiah 32 35 Word analysis

• And they built: Hebrew: vayyivnu (וַיִּבְנוּ). This indicates active, deliberate construction and establishment. It wasn't a spontaneous act but a purposeful setting up of pagan worship centers. The imperfect verb in sequence often shows ongoing or continuous action.
• the high places: Hebrew: ha'bamot (הַבָּמוֹת). These were cultic sites, typically on elevated ground or hills, used for worship, often of pagan deities. While sometimes used for Yahweh in earlier, less structured worship, by Jeremiah's time, "high places" almost exclusively denoted syncretistic or purely pagan worship, often including fertility rites and other illicit practices, vehemently condemned by God. Their construction signaled direct rebellion against the singular worship of God at the Jerusalem temple.
• of Baal: Hebrew: la'ba'al (לַבַּעַל). "Baal" was a title meaning "lord" or "master," applied to the Canaanite storm god. Worship of Baal involved attempts to secure agricultural fertility and national prosperity, often through idolatry, ritual prostitution, and child sacrifice, fundamentally challenging the Lord as the true provider and sovereign God of Israel. It was a direct competitor to Yahweh, leading the people into severe idolatry.
• which are in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom: Hebrew: bəḡê' ben-Hinnom (בְּגֵיא בֶן־הִנֹּם). This valley lies to the south and west of Jerusalem. It became infamously associated with human sacrifice, particularly the burning of children. Later, its Aramaic name, Gehinnom, was translated into Greek as Gehenna, a place symbolically connected with fiery judgment and eternal condemnation in later Jewish and Christian tradition (Matt 5:22; 10:28; Mk 9:43). The specific geographic location underscores the real, physical presence of this horror right on Jerusalem's doorstep.
• to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire: Hebrew: leha'avir eth-b'nehem w'et-b'notehem ba'esh (לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם בָּאֵשׁ). This phrase refers to the practice of child sacrifice. While some debated whether it meant merely a purification rite by walking near or through fire, the explicit connection to Molech worship (Lev 18:21; Deut 18:10), along with archaeological findings and strong prophetic condemnations, confirms it refers to literal immolation or burning alive. This was the ultimate transgression, involving the offering of the most precious gift—children—to false gods, a heinous act of spilling innocent blood.
• to Molech: Hebrew: la'molech (לַמֹּלֶךְ). Molech was a Canaanite or Ammonite deity to whom child sacrifices were explicitly made. The name may be related to the Hebrew word for "king" (melek) and sometimes altered by the Masoretes to include vowels from boshet ("shame") to reflect their contempt for this detestable deity. Molech worship often entailed specific ritual requirements for burning children as offerings, promising fertility or protection.
• which I did not command them: Hebrew: 'asher lo-tsivvitim (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־צִוִּיתִים). This strong negation emphasizes God's absolute dissociation from the practice. It was not a misunderstanding of a divine decree; it was an invention completely foreign to God's law (Torah) and His covenant. It contrasts sharply with God's clear commands for holiness, justice, and the sanctity of human life.
• nor did it come into My mind: Hebrew: wəlo` 'alath 'al-libbi (וְלֹא עָלְתָה עַל־לִבִּי). An anthropomorphic expression signifying that this abominable act was entirely alien to God's character, intentions, and even His thoughts or considerations. It conveys divine abhorrence and highlights the profound evil inherent in child sacrifice, asserting that such an atrocity never occurred to God as a possibility for His people. This powerfully refutes any notion that this practice could be remotely justifiable or acceptable in God's eyes.
• that they should do this abomination: Hebrew: laasot hath-toevah hazzot (לַעֲשׂוֹת הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת). "Abomination" (to'evah) is one of the strongest biblical terms for practices that are morally repugnant and utterly detestable to God. In the Old Testament, it's used for idolatry, sexual perversions, human sacrifice, and other acts that desecrate God's name and His covenant with Israel. Child sacrifice represents the epitome of to'evah, violating divine law, moral purity, and natural human parental instincts.

Jeremiah 32 35 Bonus section

• The practice of "passing through the fire" might have roots in broader Near Eastern customs where children were offered to various deities to appease them, ensure lineage, or gain prosperity. Israel's engagement in this practice was a direct assimilation of the "abominations of the nations" they were expressly commanded to avoid.
• The God who requires obedience and a pure heart (Deut 6:5) utterly rejected a practice that inverted true sacrifice. Instead of the people giving themselves to God in wholehearted devotion, they gave their most precious possessions to idols, seeking life outside the source of life itself.
• The dramatic phrase "nor did it come into My mind" highlights the chasm between divine thought and human depravity. God, as the benevolent Giver of children and life (Psa 127:3), could never conceive of such an evil, setting His character diametrically opposed to the false gods demanding such horror.
• This verse provides context for why Judah's destruction was not only justified but necessary from a divine perspective. The profound depth of their sin had become an unholy testament in the very land God had given them.

Jeremiah 32 35 Commentary

Jeremiah 32:35 is a devastating indictment of Judah's spiritual corruption. It unmasks the most extreme form of their apostasy: the cultic practice of child sacrifice in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. By explicitly stating they "built the high places" and deliberately "caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech," the prophet emphasizes the intentional, organized, and systematic nature of their rebellion. This wasn't a fringe activity but a deeply entrenched, state-sanctioned abomination in various periods, especially under kings like Ahaz and Manasseh.

God's vehement declaration, "which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind," is central to the verse. This powerfully expresses His absolute innocence and revulsion. It dispels any idea that this practice, often justified by pagan religions as a means to gain divine favor or secure fertility, could ever be attributed to or approved by the God of Israel. Far from being a command, it was antithetical to His character, His law (which values life and purity), and His very thoughts. Such a declaration underscores the severity of Israel's departure from truth, where they exchanged the life-giving Creator for death-demanding idols.

The phrase "this abomination" (to'evah) categorizes child sacrifice as utterly repulsive to God, a moral defilement of the highest order. The setting, the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, became a symbolic landscape of spiritual decay and divine wrath, later to be associated with Gehenna, signifying ultimate judgment. Thus, this verse serves not only as a historical account of national sin but also as a profound theological statement on God's character—His holiness, His intolerance for evil, and the justice of His impending judgment. It powerfully reminds us that human sin often escalates to unimaginable depths when people willingly turn from God, exchanging His life-giving ways for death-bringing darkness.