Jeremiah 7 22

Jeremiah 7:22 kjv

For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

Jeremiah 7:22 nkjv

For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.

Jeremiah 7:22 niv

For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices,

Jeremiah 7:22 esv

For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Jeremiah 7:22 nlt

When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them.

Jeremiah 7 verses

Jeremiah 7 22 Meaning

God declares that He did not ordain burnt offerings and sacrifices when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Instead, His primary command was for them to obey His voice. This verse emphasizes the primacy of obedience over ritualistic acts of worship. True devotion to God is demonstrated through adherence to His will and commands, not merely through outward religious practices.

Jeremiah 7 22 Context

Jeremiah 7 is known as the "Temple Sermon." The prophet Jeremiah stands at the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem and proclaims God's message to the people who are coming to worship. They are engaging in religious rituals and sacrifices, believing that their outward observance guarantees God's protection, even as their hearts are far from Him and they live in injustice and sin.

Historically, this was a time of significant apostasy and social injustice in Judah, leading up to the Babylonian exile. The people had perverted the true worship of God, substituting the form of religion for its substance. They were complacent, relying on the physical presence of the Temple and their rituals to shield them from judgment, much like the Israelites had done previously with the tabernacle.

The "command" mentioned in verse 22 was given at the Exodus (Deuteronomy 5:33), and God explicitly stated that obedience was paramount, not just outward ritual. Jeremiah reminds them that their ancestors were commanded to "obey my voice," and their covenant relationship depended on this.

The passage is a polemic against the corrupted worship of the people, highlighting God's true expectations. They were offering sacrifices, but their lives were filled with idolatry, oppression, and disregard for God's law. Jeremiah contrasts their current empty religiosity with the fundamental covenantal requirement of obedience, which God originally intended when leading them out of Egypt.

Jeremiah 7 22 Word Analysis

• kî (כִּי): "for," "surely," "indeed." Introduces a reason or confirmation.
• ’ānōḵî (אָנֹכִי): "I." Emphatic subject, placing direct responsibility on God.
• lō’ (לֹא): "not." Absolute negation.
• hiṯpāḥaṯî (הִתְפָּחַתִּי): "I delighted in," "I cared about," "I sought out." From the root paḥaḏ (פַּחַד), meaning to fear or be anxious, here in the Hithpael conjugation it takes on a sense of intense desire or earnest seeking. This highlights that such actions were not God's principal desire for them at their inception.
• mā’ôṯ (מְאֹת): "burnt offerings." Refers to sacrifices where the entire animal was consumed by fire.
• wə­’eṯ- (וְאֵת): "and." Conjunction linking two types of offerings.
• zə­ḥû­îm (זְבָחִים): "sacrifices," specifically referring to peace offerings or fellowship offerings, often involving shared meals between the worshiper and God.
• ’ēṯ­­­- (אֶת): Not the preposition but possibly a scribal error or dialectal form for ’et (אֵת), meaning "with" or "at the time of."
• yōm (יוֹם): "day."
• hā­‘ô­lî­ḵî (הוֹצֵאתִיכֶם): "when I brought you out." From the root yā­ṣā’ (יָצָא), "to go out," "to bring out." Refers to the Exodus.
• ’ereṣ (אֶרֶץ): "land."
• miṣ­­­ra­yim (מִצְרָֽיִם): "Egypt."
• kî (כִּי): "but," "however." Signals a contrast.
• ’ēṯ­­­- (אֶת): This ’et here acts as a direct object marker, connecting to the following clause.
• dā­ḇā­r (דָּבָר): "thing," "word," "commandment."
• ’ă­nō­ḵî (אָנֹכִי): "I."
• mə­ṯî (מִתִּי): "commanded." From the root mā­wāh (מָוָה), "to command." This is a poetic or archaic form. The standard form would be ṣā­wāh (צָוָה).
• ’ō­ḏ­­­ə­nō­ḵem (אָזְנֵיכֶם): "your ears," referring to the act of listening and obedience.
• lî (לִ֖י): "to me," "my."
• wə­hā­yî­ṯî (וְהָיִיתִִי): "and I will be."
• ’ĕ­lō­hê­kem (אֱלֹהֵיכֶם): "your God."
• wə­’a­têm (וְאַתֶּם): "and you."
• tih­yeh­­­- (תִּהְיוּ): "shall be."
• ‘a­mî (עַמִּי): "my people."

Word Groups Analysis

• "burnt offerings and sacrifices": This pairing encompasses the two primary categories of offerings prescribed in the Levitical system, highlighting the formal ritualistic aspect of worship that God now declares as secondary to obedience.
• "day I brought you out of the land of Egypt": This phrase refers to the foundational event of the Exodus, the pivotal moment of God's deliverance and the establishment of His covenant with Israel. It connects their present disobedience to their historical rescue and the accompanying covenant responsibilities.
• "the command I commanded you": This repetitive phrasing in Hebrew emphasizes the authority and clarity of God's instruction. It underscores that the core requirement was not the offerings, but a specific instruction given at the time of their deliverance.
• "obey my voice": This is the pivotal command. "Voice" (qol, קוֹל) here represents the totality of God's revealed will, His spoken word, and His authoritative commands, not just audible sounds.

Jeremiah 7 22 Bonus Section

The emphasis on "obey my voice" points to the covenantal nature of God's relationship with Israel. Their participation in the sacrificial system was part of the covenant, but obedience was the fundamental requirement that undergirded it. When obedience failed, the rituals lost their efficacy.

This passage provides a crucial theological insight that anticipates the New Testament emphasis on an inward transformation and a spiritual approach to worship, as described by Jesus in John 4:24 and Paul in Romans 12:1. The Levitical system of animal sacrifices found its ultimate fulfillment and completion in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10), and true worship now involves offering our whole selves, living sacrifices, in obedience to the Spirit. The emphasis shifts from external ceremonies to an internal disposition of the heart.

Jeremiah 7 22 Commentary

This verse is a stark pronouncement from God through Jeremiah, redirecting the focus of worship from elaborate rituals to the core principle of obedience. When God brought Israel out of Egypt, His primary intention was not that they would perform sacrifices, but that they would actively listen to and obey His voice.

The Hebrew word hithpaḥatî (הִתְפָּחַתִּי) suggests God was not eagerly anticipating or finding pleasure in these specific rituals when establishing the covenant with them initially. Instead, the foundation of their relationship was to be based on hearkening to His commands. This aligns with later prophetic pronouncements and Jesus' own teachings, which consistently prioritize love for God and neighbor, mercy, and justice over mere external religious acts.

Jeremiah's message directly challenges the people's misplaced confidence in the Temple and their sacrifices. They believed these performances automatically ensured God's favor and protection, a belief that had become hollow and detached from righteous living. God is essentially saying that their meticulous adherence to ritual, divorced from true obedience and heartfelt devotion, is unacceptable and does not honor Him. The true sacrifice God desires is a life lived in accordance with His will, characterized by righteousness and justice.