Jeremiah 19:4

Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

Because they have forsaken {H5800} me, and have estranged {H5234} this place {H4725}, and have burned incense {H6999} in it unto other {H312} gods {H430}, whom neither they nor their fathers {H1} have known {H3045}, nor the kings {H4428} of Judah {H3063}, and have filled {H4390} this place {H4725} with the blood {H1818} of innocents {H5355};

This is because they have abandoned me and alienated this place. In it they have offered to other gods that neither they nor their ancestors have known, nor the kings of Y'hudah. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people.

because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, that they knew not, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

Jeremiah 19:4 encapsulates God's profound indictment against the kingdom of Judah for its egregious sins, which led directly to the impending judgment of exile. This verse is part of a prophetic act where Jeremiah is commanded to break a potter's flask in the Valley of Hinnom, symbolizing God's coming destruction upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

Context

This verse is delivered by the prophet Jeremiah, who ministered in Judah during the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC, a tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile. Chapter 19 describes Jeremiah's dramatic symbolic action at the Potter's Gate (or Potsherd Gate) in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), a place notorious for child sacrifice. The charges listed in verse 4 are the direct reasons for God's severe judgment, highlighting Judah's deep-seated apostasy and moral corruption that had permeated society, from the common people to the kings.

Key Themes

  • Apostasy and Idolatry: The primary charge is that Judah "forsaken me," meaning they abandoned the Lord, their covenant God. This led to burning incense to "other gods," a direct violation of the first two commandments given at Sinai. These were foreign deities "whom neither they nor their fathers have known," emphasizing a deliberate and new rejection of YHWH.
  • Defilement of Sacred Space: They "estranged this place," referring to Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount and its environs. Through their idolatry and abominable practices, they rendered God's holy city and dwelling place alien and defiled in His eyes.
  • Innocent Bloodshed: The horrifying climax of their sin was filling "this place with the blood of innocents." This refers primarily to the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice to gods like Molech in the Valley of Hinnom, but could also encompass general violence and judicial murder of the righteous.
  • Covenant Breach and Judgment: These actions represent a complete breaking of the covenant God made with Israel, necessitating divine judgment as outlined in the curses of Deuteronomy (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Linguistic Insights

  • "Forsaken" (Hebrew: עָזַב, 'azav): This verb implies a deliberate and decisive act of abandonment or desertion. It's not merely neglect but a conscious turning away from God.
  • "Estranged" (Hebrew: נָכַר, nakar): To make strange, alien, or unrecognizable. They had so polluted the land and city that it became foreign to God's holy character and presence.
  • "Blood of innocents": This phrase powerfully highlights the most heinous and unjust shedding of human life, particularly the sacrifice of children, which was an abomination to the Lord (Psalm 106:38). The land itself was defiled by such acts (Numbers 35:33).

Practical Application

Jeremiah 19:4 serves as a stark reminder that:

  • Idolatry persists: While we may not burn incense to physical idols, anything that takes God's rightful place in our lives—money, power, reputation, pleasure—becomes a form of idolatry. We must continually examine our hearts to ensure our allegiance is solely to the Lord.
  • Our actions have consequences: The sins of Judah led to national devastation. Similarly, our individual and collective choices have spiritual and practical repercussions, both in this life and eternally.
  • God abhors injustice: The shedding of innocent blood is a grievous sin in God's eyes. This calls us to stand for justice, protect the vulnerable, and value all human life as sacred.
  • The call to repentance: God's judgment is a response to unrepentant sin. However, His ultimate desire is for repentance and restoration. This verse underscores the severity of sin and the urgent need to turn back to God.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 2:34

    Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

  • Deuteronomy 28:20

    The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

  • Isaiah 65:11

    ¶ But ye [are] they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

  • 2 Kings 21:16

    Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD.

  • Jeremiah 7:9

    Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

  • Jeremiah 2:19

    Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that [it is] an evil [thing] and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear [is] not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

  • Jeremiah 2:17

    Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?

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