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 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 7:31 | "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 commanded them not, neither came it into my heart." | Jer 19:5-6, Lev 18:21, Deut 18:10, 2 Kings 23:10 |
| Leviticus 18:21 | "You shall not give any of your offspring to pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD." | Lev 20:2-5, Jer 32:35, Ps 106:37-38 |
| Deuteronomy 18:10 | "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer," | Ex 22:18, Deut 12:31, 2 Kings 17:17 |
| 2 Kings 23:10 | "And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the sons of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech." | 2 Kings 21:6, Jer 7:30-31, Isa 30:33 |
| Jeremiah 19:5 | "and they built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it enter my mind." | Jer 32:35, Deut 12:31, Ps 106:37-38 |
| Jeremiah 32:35 | "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 my mind, that they should do this abomination, to make Judah sin." | Jer 7:31, Deut 18:10, Lev 18:21 |
| Psalm 106:37-38 | "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons and poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood." | Num 33:56, Deut 12:31, Jer 7:31 |
| Isaiah 30:33 | "For Topheth has long been prepared; indeed, it is made ready for the king. He has made it deep and wide, a pyre for fire with abundant kindling; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulfur, ignites it." | Jer 7:31, Jer 19:10-13, Isa 34:9-10 |
| Ezekiel 23:37-39 | "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even offered their children, whom they bore to me, to them as food." | Ezek 16:20-22, Jer 7:31, Ps 106:37-38 |
| Hosea 11:1-2 | "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they called them, the farther they went from me; they sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to idols." | Ex 4:22, Jer 31:20, Jer 7:31 |
| Romans 1:23 | "and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images and likenesses resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things." | Rom 1:21-25, Deut 4:15-19, Jer 10:14 |
| Galatians 3:13 | "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'." | Deut 21:23, Gal 3:10-14, 1 Pet 2:24 |
| 1 John 3:4 | "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." | 1 John 5:17, Rom 6:19, Jer 7:31 |
| Deuteronomy 12:31 | "You shall not do so to the LORD your God, for their every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done to their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods." | Lev 18:21, Deut 18:10, Jer 7:31 |
| 2 Chronicles 33:6 | "He made his sons pass through fire in the Valley of the son of Hinnom, and practiced sorcery and used divination and dealt with spirits and wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger." | 2 Kings 21:6, Jer 7:31, 2 Chr 28:3 |
| 1 Kings 11:7 | "Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem." | 1 Kings 11:1-8, 2 Kings 23:13, Jer 7:31 |
| Jeremiah 2:34 | "Even in your skirts is found the lifeblood of innocent poor people. In none of these was destruction found. Yet you say, 'I am innocent; surely his anger has turned from me.'" | Jer 2:22, Jer 7:6, Jer 22:3 |
| Jeremiah 7:30 | "For the people of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the LORD. They have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to make it unclean." | Jer 7:14, Jer 7:31, 2 Chron 7:14 |
| Matthew 5:22 | "but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire." | Matt 5:21-22, James 1:20, 1 John 3:15 |
Jeremiah 7 verses
Jeremiah 7 31 Meaning
This verse proclaims the Lord's condemnation of a specific ritualistic action: the offering of one's firstborn child in the Valley of Hinnom, specifically at a place called Topheth. This practice was considered an abomination to the Lord, marking a profound departure from His commands and an act of deep disobedience and defilement.
Jeremiah 7 31 Context
This verse is part of Jeremiah's impassioned sermon delivered at the entrance of the Temple, known as the Temple Sermon (Jeremiah 7:1-15). Jeremiah is rebuking the people of Judah for their hypocrisy, outward show of worship, and continued engagement in abominable practices. Despite their religious observances and perceived security in the Temple, their hearts had turned away from God, and they were practicing idolatry and immoral behaviors. The specific sin addressed in verse 31, the worship of Molech by burning children, was a grave offense against God's covenant and was prevalent in the surrounding Canaanite cultures, which Judah had adopted. The setting of the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) later became associated with the final judgment and punishment, foreshadowing the divine wrath that would fall upon Jerusalem for its persistent sin.
Jeremiah 7 31 Word Analysis
- וַיִּבְנוּ (way-yiv-nu): "And they built." This is a consecutive imperfect, indicating a past action that continues or is described as a continuous process in their history of rebellion.
- בָּמ֯וֹת (bamot): "high places." These were pagan altars or sanctuaries erected on elevated spots, typically for the worship of false gods.
- תֹּפֶת (Toph-feth): "Topheth." This is a proper noun referring to a specific location in the Valley of Hinnom. Its etymology is uncertain, possibly related to "drum" or "fire pit."
- אֲשֶׁר (asher): "which." A relative pronoun.
- בְּגֵי (b'-gei): "in the valley of." A preposition "b" (in) with the noun "gei" (valley).
- בֶּן־הִנֹּם (ben-Hinnom): "the son of Hinnom." The specific valley's designation.
- לִשְׂרֹף (lish-rof): "to burn." An infinitive construct indicating purpose.
- אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם (et-b'-nei-hem): "their sons." "et" is a direct object marker. "b'nei-hem" means "their sons."
- וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵיהֶם (v'-et-b'-no-tei-hem): "and their daughters." Connects "sons" and "daughters" as offerings.
- בָּאֵשׁ (ba-esh): "in the fire." Preposition "b" (in) with the noun "esh" (fire).
- אֲשֶׁר (asher): "which."
- לֹא־צִוִּיתִ֕י (lo-tzi-vi-ti): "I commanded not." Emphatic negation of divine command.
- וְלֹ֥א (v'-lo): "and not." Further negation.
- עָלְתָה (alah): "came up" or "entered." Used idiomatically to mean it did not enter into God's thoughts or intentions.
- עַל־לִבִּֽי׃ (al-lib-bi): "upon my heart." Implies it was not conceived of, considered, or desired by God.
Group of words analysis:
- "high places of Topheth... to burn their sons and their daughters": This phrase encapsulates the full extent of the pagan ritual, linking a specific place of worship with the horrific act of child sacrifice to foreign deities like Molech or Baal. This was a stark violation of the Mosaic Law, which expressly forbade such practices.
- "which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart": This powerful statement highlights the complete alien nature of this act from God's will and character. It was not just forbidden; it was something so abhorrent that it did not even cross the divine mind as a possibility for His people. It underscores God's holiness and His absolute rejection of such cruelty and defilement.
Jeremiah 7 31 Bonus Section
The Valley of Hinnom was a physical location that became a symbol of ultimate judgment and punishment, particularly in later Jewish thought and the New Testament, where "Gehenna" (Greek for Valley of Hinnom) is used to describe the place of eternal punishment. The children sacrificed were often offered to the god Molech, who was associated with fire and possibly presided over by the Ammonites, neighbors of Israel. The Deuteronomic Law was explicit in forbidding this practice, marking it as a fundamental betrayal of Israel's unique relationship with Yahweh. Jeremiah's denunciation here is part of a consistent prophetic theme against syncretism and the syncretistic blending of Yahweh worship with Canaanite idolatry. This verse stands as a powerful testament to God's unwavering standard for righteousness and His profound grief over His people's deviation into utter depravity.
Jeremiah 7 31 Commentary
The Lord addresses a specific, grievous sin committed by the people of Judah: the construction of high places for idolatry in the Valley of Hinnom, culminating in the ritualistic burning of their children. This act, particularly at Topheth, was a deliberate rejection of God's covenant and commands. God's word emphasizes the abomination of child sacrifice, stating it was neither commanded nor did it ever enter His thoughts. This demonstrates the absolute opposition between God's nature and such barbarity. This verse serves as a stark condemnation of a practice that deeply grieved the heart of God and led to the inevitable judgment upon Judah, prefiguring the spiritual state of those far from God. It also serves as a universal condemnation of any worship or practice that defiles innocence and rejects the sanctity of life given by God.