Jeremiah 7 31

Jeremiah 7:31 kjv

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

Jeremiah 7:31 nkjv

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.

Jeremiah 7:31 niv

They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire?something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

Jeremiah 7:31 esv

And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

Jeremiah 7:31 nlt

They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!

Jeremiah 7 verses

Jeremiah 7 31 Meaning

Jeremiah 7:31 describes God's utter condemnation of the Israelites building cultic sites, specifically "Topheth" in the "Valley of Ben-Hinnom," for the purpose of sacrificing their own children by burning them in fire. The verse emphasizes that this horrific practice was not only never commanded by God but also profoundly alien and unthinkable to His nature and character, highlighting the extreme depth of Judah's spiritual rebellion and the abhorrence of this act to the divine.

Jeremiah 7 31 Context

Jeremiah 7 introduces the powerful "Temple Sermon," where the prophet confronts the people of Judah with their false sense of security in the Jerusalem Temple. Despite widespread idolatry, social injustice, and covenant disobedience, they mistakenly believed that God would protect them simply because His dwelling place was among them. Jeremiah shatters this delusion, calling them to true repentance and righteous living. Within this larger plea for covenant faithfulness, verse 31 exposes one of the most horrifying and blatant acts of rebellion: the institutionalized child sacrifice. This practice, borrowed from Canaanite and Ammonite religious traditions (often associated with Molech), took place in Topheth within the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, a ravine located just outside the city walls of Jerusalem. This abhorrent act symbolized the depth of Judah's spiritual adultery, demonstrating a complete abandonment of the Mosaic covenant and the fundamental character of YHWH, who utterly condemned such atrocities.

Jeremiah 7 31 Word analysis

• And they have built (וּבָנ֧וּ ū-vanū): This plural past tense verb indicates deliberate, active participation by the people of Judah, signifying a societal and religious system engaged in the practice. It was not a sporadic event but involved construction for such worship.

• the high places (הַבָּמ֛וֹת ha-bāmot): These were elevated outdoor altars or shrines used for worship, often associated with fertility cults and pagan deities, and considered illicit for true YHWH worship, even if co-opted for it.

• of Topheth (הַתֹּ֖פֶת ha-Tophet): This proper noun refers to a specific place infamous for child sacrifice. The name itself might derive from the Aramaic for "fireplace" or be onomatopoeic for drums (toph) used to drown out the cries of the burning children. It represents a focal point of idolatry and evil.

• which is in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom (אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּגֵֽיא־בֶן־הִנֹּ֔ם asher be-Gey Ben-Hinnom): This precisely locates Topheth in the ravine south and west of Jerusalem. Gey means "valley." "Ben-Hinnom" (son of Hinnom) might refer to an early owner or inhabitant. This valley would later become a metaphor for ultimate judgment (Gehenna).

• to burn their sons and their daughters (לִשְׂרֹ֧ף אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם וְאֶת־בְּנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ liśrōf et-bəneyhem wə-et-bənoteyhem): This phrase graphically describes the act of human sacrifice. Liśrōf means "to burn up completely," indicating immolation. The deliberate offering of one's own children—the most precious of God's gifts—highlights the perversion of true worship and natural parental love.

• in the fire (בָּאֵ֖שׁ bā-ēš): Specifies the horrific means of execution, emphasizing the brutal and consuming nature of the sacrifice.

• which I did not command (אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־צִוִּ֗יתִי asher lō-ṣivvîtî): This is a direct, emphatic divine negation. It utterly disavows any divine origin or authorization for such acts, exposing them as pure human invention and rebellion against God's holy will. God's commands are for life, not death by burning.

• nor did it come into my mind (וְלֹ֥א עָֽלְתָה֙ עַל־לִבִּ֔י wə-lō ʿāl-tāh ʿal-libbî): An intense anthropomorphism that conveys God's profound abhorrence. The Hebrew lēv ("heart/mind") encompasses thought, will, and emotion. For something "not to come upon the heart/mind" means it was completely alien, unthinkable, and utterly outside of God's conceptualization or intention, signaling the strongest possible repudiation and disgust.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "And they have built the high places of Topheth": This phrase shows the institutionalization and public nature of this evil. It was not a hidden, solitary act but an established cultic practice, implying widespread societal involvement and a departure from pure YHWH worship.
  • "which is in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire": This precisely identifies the location and details the abhorrent ritual. The geographical precision gives gravity, while the horrific act of child immolation is highlighted as the ultimate purpose.
  • "which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind": This powerful double negation forms the divine judgment, distinguishing YHWH from the pagan deities who allegedly demanded such sacrifices. It underscores God's pure, life-affirming nature and establishes an unbridgeable gulf between His will and such atrocities.

Jeremiah 7 31 Bonus section

• From Valley to Inferno (Gehenna): The "Valley of Ben-Hinnom" became Gehenna (γέεννα) in the New Testament, used by Jesus to symbolize a place of fiery, eternal punishment and judgment for the wicked (e.g., Matt 5:22). This evolution transformed a historical site of abhorrent human sacrifice into a potent metaphor for ultimate divine condemnation and suffering for those who reject God.
• Ultimate Counter-Covenant: The covenant demanded the dedication of the firstborn to YHWH, but for redemption or service, never sacrifice by fire (Exod 13:2, Num 3:13). The pagan child sacrifice in Topheth was a twisted, anti-covenant inversion, profoundly blasphemous and directly opposite to God's heart, who is a Giver of life, not a consumer of it.
• God's Personal Anguish: The phrase "nor did it come into my mind" uses anthropomorphism to convey not just legal or intellectual rejection but an almost personal shock, grief, and indignation from God. It communicates the utter foreignness and profound offense of this act to His divine being, emphasizing that such evil is utterly contrary to His very nature.

Jeremiah 7 31 Commentary

Jeremiah 7:31 serves as a stark and condemning witness to the depths of Judah's spiritual and moral decay. The act of sacrificing one's children by fire in Topheth, a practice explicitly borrowed from pagan cultures, represents the zenith of apostasy. It signifies a complete breakdown of the covenant relationship, where the very Giver of life was defied by the horrific taking of innocent lives for false gods. God's declaration that He neither commanded nor ever even conceived of such a practice highlights His profound revulsion and emphasizes the purity and sanctity of His nature, setting Him apart from the cruel demands of idols. This verse is not merely a historical account; it is a profound theological statement on the incompatibility of God's character with human depravity, ultimately providing a decisive reason for the inevitable judgment that would fall upon Judah.