Jeremiah 7 19

Jeremiah 7:19 kjv

Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

Jeremiah 7:19 nkjv

Do they provoke Me to anger?" says the LORD. "Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?"

Jeremiah 7:19 niv

But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?

Jeremiah 7:19 esv

Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame?

Jeremiah 7:19 nlt

Am I the one they are hurting?" asks the LORD. "Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame."

Jeremiah 7 verses

Jeremiah 7 19 Meaning

Jeremiah 7:19 is a rhetorical question posed by the LORD, highlighting the ultimate futility and self-destructive nature of Judah's idolatry. God asks if their rebellious actions and pagan worship genuinely harm Him or diminish His being. The immediate answer implied is a resounding no. Instead, their sin directly brings shame, disgrace, and humiliation upon themselves. Their efforts to provoke God to anger ultimately rebound upon them, leading to their own downfall and public confusion as their false gods prove impotant and God's judgment arrives.

Jeremiah 7 19 Context

Jeremiah chapter 7 opens with Jeremiah delivering his famous "Temple Sermon" at the gate of the LORD's house. The people of Judah had developed a false sense of security, believing that simply having the Temple of God within Jerusalem guaranteed their safety from divine judgment, despite their rampant sin. They deluded themselves with the chant, "The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, are these!" (Jer 7:4).

Verse 19 fits directly into Jeremiah's denouncement of this spiritual hypocrisy. The preceding verses detail Judah's specific sins, including idolatry of the "Queen of Heaven" and offering drink offerings to other gods (Jer 7:17-18), even child sacrifice (Jer 7:31). God expresses His rejection of their insincere worship and declares impending judgment. In this verse, He underscores that their blatant rebellion does not threaten His power or glory but rather condemns themselves. It highlights that God is beyond their ability to "provoke" or impact negatively; the true victim of their sin is their own nation and people. This historical context of profound spiritual decline under kings like Manasseh and Jehoiakim, marked by a blend of outward piety and inward paganism, is crucial for understanding the verse's stark warning.

Jeremiah 7 19 Word analysis

• Do they provoke: The Hebrew term for "provoke to anger" (מַכְעִסִים, makh'isīm) indicates actively vexing or causing intense indignation. It implies deliberate and persistent rebellion against God's commands and character. The rhetorical question here points out the absurdity of thinking God's anger is like human petulance.
• me: Refers to Yahweh, the God of Israel, highlighting that the offense is directly against the sovereign and holy Creator.
• to anger?: God's anger (ka'as) is not a loss of temper, but a righteous, judicial response to sin, disobedience, and violation of His covenant. It is a holy displeasure against injustice and rebellion. In this context, it implies they think their actions can somehow undermine or truly harm God Himself.
• saith the LORD: (נְאֻם יְהוָה, ne'um Yahweh). This is a frequent prophetic formula that authenticates the message as a direct oracle from God, not Jeremiah's personal opinion. It imbues the statement with absolute divine authority.
• do they not provoke themselves: The second part of the rhetorical question uses the same root for "provoke," but shifts the focus onto the self-inflicted nature of the consequences. Their actions primarily harm themselves, not God.
• to the confusion: The Hebrew word (בֹשֶׁת, boshet) signifies shame, disgrace, humiliation, or dishonor. It denotes public exposure and a deep sense of ignominy that causes one to hide one's face.
• of their own faces?: (פְּנֵיהֶם, pneiyhem). "Confusion of face" is a powerful Hebrew idiom representing complete and utter public humiliation, remorse, and ultimate defeat. It indicates that they will be exposed, disgraced, and left with no defense or hope, having nowhere to hide from the consequences of their actions.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD:" This phrase sets up a stark contrast between human understanding and divine reality. God rhetorically challenges the assumption that finite human sin can genuinely wound or diminish the infinite, all-powerful God. It emphasizes God's self-sufficiency and transcendence.
• "do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?": This segment provides the answer to the rhetorical question. Their provocation doesn't harm God, but instead circles back to cause their own undoing. "Confusion of their own faces" paints a vivid picture of the ultimate result of their rebellion: public disgrace, spiritual desolation, and personal ruin, a testament to their profound foolishness.

Jeremiah 7 19 Bonus section

The rhetorical questions in Jeremiah 7:19 serve as a didactic tool, forcing the audience to confront the logical outcome of their behavior. It subtly counters a common misconception that often arises in humanity: that sin is primarily an offense against God in a way that truly damages Him. Instead, God emphasizes His own immutable nature, incapable of being genuinely harmed or provoked to "anger" in the volatile human sense. His anger is the just and necessary response of a holy God to unholy acts, and it serves to purify, to judge, and ultimately, to correct, leading to a self-inflicted discipline for the one in rebellion. This theological clarity safeguards against anthropopathic views of God that might reduce Him to an easily offended deity, rather than the sovereign, righteous judge whose standards uphold the moral order of the universe.

Jeremiah 7 19 Commentary

Jeremiah 7:19 is a penetrating declaration from God that aims to shatter Judah's dangerous illusion of security. The people believed they could commit grave sins like idolatry and child sacrifice while maintaining their covenant relationship with God simply by performing rituals at the Temple. God challenges this mindset by asking if their rebellion actually wounds or diminishes Him. The implied answer is a resounding "No!" God's eternal nature, power, and glory are not affected by human sin. He does not become weaker or less divine when His people turn away.

Instead, the verse emphatically states that their actions bring "confusion of their own faces." This means their sin causes them profound shame, humiliation, and disgrace. It is a picture of total defeat and public exposure, where their reliance on false gods proves fruitless, and God's just judgment brings their self-deception to light. The consequences of sin are not absorbed by God but ultimately boomerang back onto the sinner. The spiritual, national, and personal destruction they faced was not an arbitrary act by a vengeful God, but the inevitable harvest of their own persistent rebellion and spiritual infidelity. This serves as a timeless principle: sin's true cost is always paid by the one who commits it.