Jeremiah 32:35

Translation
King James Version
And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And they built H1129 the high places H1116 of Baal H1168, which are in the valley H1516 of the son H1121 of Hinnom H2011, to cause their sons H1121 and their daughters H1323 to pass H5674 through the fire unto Molech H4432; which I commanded H6680 them not, neither came H5927 it into my mind H3820, that they should do H6213 this abomination H8441, to cause Judah H3063 to sin H2398.
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Complete Jewish Bible
and they built the high places for Ba'al which are in the Ben-Hinnom Valley, to burn alive their sons and daughters to Molekh - something I did not order them to do, it never even entered my mind that they would do such an abominable thing - and thus they caused Y'hudah to sin.'
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Berean Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.
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American Standard Version
And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
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World English Bible Messianic
They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through fire to Molech; which I didn’t command them, neither did it come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And they built the hie places of Baal, which are in the valley of Ben-hinnom, to cause their sonnes and their daughters to passe through the fire vnto Molech, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my minde, that they should doe such abomination, to cause Iudah to sinne.
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Young's Literal Translation
And they build the high places of Baal, that are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come up on my heart to do this abomination, so as to cause Judah to sin.
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See also
Jeremiah 7:31Leviticus 18:21Jeremiah 19:5Jeremiah 19:62 Chronicles 33:6Leviticus 20:2Leviticus 20:5
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In the KJVVerse 19,767 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 32:35 delivers a profound and scathing indictment of Judah's deep spiritual apostasy, vividly detailing their construction of "high places" for Baal worship and, most horrifyingly, the ritualistic sacrifice of their own children to Molech in the infamous Valley of Hinnom. The verse powerfully underscores God's absolute abhorrence of these detestable practices, explicitly declaring that such abominations were never commanded, nor did they ever enter His divine mind, thereby emphasizing their origin in human depravity and their direct role in leading the nation into grievous sin and the subsequent, inevitable divine judgment.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is strategically positioned within a pivotal chapter of Jeremiah's prophecy, occurring during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. Despite the dire circumstances, God commands Jeremiah to purchase a field, signifying a future hope of restoration and Judah's eventual return from exile, as detailed in Jeremiah 32:6-15. Immediately preceding Jeremiah 32:35, God recounts His unwavering faithfulness to Israel in contrast to their persistent rebellion and spiritual infidelity, which has justly culminated in the impending judgment, a narrative arc seen in Jeremiah 32:30-34. Verse 35 serves as a stark justification for the severity of this divine judgment, meticulously detailing the pinnacle of Judah's idolatry and moral corruption. Yet, even amidst this condemnation, the chapter seamlessly transitions to God's promise of future restoration and the establishment of a new, enduring covenant, offering a profound message of hope and divine faithfulness in Jeremiah 32:36-44.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: Jeremiah's prophetic ministry spanned a tumultuous period from the late 7th to early 6th century BCE, characterized by profound political instability and precipitous spiritual decline in the kingdom of Judah. Despite the significant religious reforms initiated by King Josiah, the people quickly reverted to pervasive syncretistic practices, blending the worship of Yahweh with the idolatrous rituals of surrounding Canaanite and Ammonite deities. The "high places" mentioned were ubiquitous cultic sites, typically erected on elevated ground, used for pagan worship or a corrupted, syncretistic form of Yahweh worship, often involving egregious idolatry and abominable rituals. The "valley of the son of Hinnom," known in later tradition as Gehenna, was a notorious geographical location situated just south of Jerusalem. This valley gained infamy as the site where the horrific practice of child sacrifice, particularly to the Ammonite deity Molech, was carried out. This custom represented a direct adoption of abhorrent pagan practices, explicitly and vehemently forbidden by the Mosaic Law, as articulated in Deuteronomy 18:10. The specific mention of Baal, a prominent Canaanite storm and fertility god, and Molech, the Ammonite deity associated with child immolation, underscores the pervasive and destructive influence of surrounding cultures on Judah's religious and moral life.

  • Key Themes: Jeremiah 32:35 powerfully illuminates several overarching themes central to the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic corpus. Firstly, it vividly exemplifies the theme of idolatry and apostasy, showcasing Judah's profound betrayal of their covenant relationship with Yahweh through their embrace of detestable pagan practices, culminating in the ultimate abomination of child sacrifice. Secondly, this verse underscores the theme of divine judgment as a righteous and inevitable response to persistent disobedience and profound moral depravity, thereby providing the stark justification for the impending Babylonian exile. Furthermore, it highlights God's holy character and absolute moral standards, emphatically stating that such horrific acts were utterly foreign to His divine nature and explicit commands, never having "come into [His] mind." This emphasizes the vast chasm between God's purity and human corruption. Finally, the verse speaks to the corrupting influence of sin, demonstrating how these abominable practices were not isolated transgressions but a systemic corruption that "cause[d] Judah to sin," leading the entire nation astray from God's intended path of righteousness and blessing, a pervasive theme throughout Jeremiah, as seen in Jeremiah 7:31.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • high places (Hebrew, bâmâh', H1116): From an unused root meaning "to be high," this term denotes an elevation, height, or specifically, a cultic site. In the Old Testament, "high places" frequently refer to illicit altars or shrines, typically situated on hills or elevated ground, where pagan worship or a syncretistic blend of Yahweh worship was practiced. These sites were often associated with idolatry and abominable rituals, as vividly illustrated in this verse.
  • Baal (Hebrew, Baʻal', H1168): This is the name of a prominent Phoenician and Canaanite deity, commonly revered as a storm and fertility god. The worship of Baal encompassed various rituals, including sacred prostitution and, as tragically indicated here, human sacrifice. His worship represented a direct affront to the exclusive worship of Yahweh and was a perennial source of apostasy and spiritual defilement for ancient Israel.
  • Molech (Hebrew, Môlek', H4432): Derived from a root meaning "king," Molech was the principal deity of the Ammonites, infamously associated with child sacrifice. The practice of "passing through the fire unto Molech" involved the horrific immolation of children as offerings, a custom unequivocally condemned by God in the Mosaic Law as an "abomination" and an act of profound defilement.
  • abomination (Hebrew, tôwʻêbah', H8441): This potent term signifies something utterly disgusting, abhorrent, or morally repugnant, particularly in a religious or ethical context. It is frequently employed in the Old Testament to describe idolatry, sexual immorality, and other practices that profoundly defile God's covenant and the land, conveying God's intense revulsion and complete rejection of such acts.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And they built the high places of Baal": This initial clause establishes the active, deliberate, and widespread participation of the people of Judah in constructing illicit worship sites dedicated to the pagan deity Baal, signifying their profound embrace of idolatry and rejection of Yahweh's exclusive claim.
  • "which [are] in the valley of the son of Hinnom": This specifies the infamous and geographically precise location of these abominable "high places," identifying the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), which tragically became synonymous with the most heinous acts of idolatry and, consequently, with divine judgment.
  • "to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech": This reveals the horrific and ultimate purpose of these altars: the ritualistic and gruesome sacrifice of their own children by burning, offered to the Ammonite deity Molech, a practice explicitly and vehemently forbidden and reviled by God in His Law.
  • "which I commanded them not": This is God's emphatic and unequivocal declaration, asserting that these detestable practices were not merely unsanctioned but were in direct and absolute contradiction to His divine will, commands, and the covenant He had established with His people.
  • "neither came it into my mind": This profoundly anthropomorphic statement underscores God's absolute dissociation from and utter abhorrence of child sacrifice. It powerfully conveys that such a detestable act was entirely foreign to His holy nature, never conceived or even contemplated by His pure and righteous mind.
  • "that they should do this abomination": This reiterates and reinforces the nature of their actions as an "abomination," a term that signifies something utterly detestable, morally repugnant, and deeply offensive to God, highlighting the profound spiritual defilement they brought upon themselves and the land.
  • "to cause Judah to sin": This final clause reveals the devastating and pervasive consequence of their actions: these abominable practices were not isolated transgressions but a systemic corruption that led the entire nation of Judah into a state of deep, pervasive, and covenant-breaking sin, thereby provoking God's righteous and inevitable judgment.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 32:35 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of profound condemnation and divine revulsion. The phrase "to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire" functions as a chilling euphemism for child sacrifice by immolation. While softening the raw horror of the act, it simultaneously underscores the depth of Judah's spiritual depravity by hinting at the unspeakable. This euphemism, juxtaposed with the explicit naming of Baal and Molech, intensifies the moral outrage. God's declaration, "neither came it into my mind," serves as a powerful anthropomorphism, attributing human thought processes to God to emphasize the absolute antithesis of these practices to His character and will. It functions as a rhetorical device to express the utter shock and revulsion of a holy God at such human depravity, conveying the extreme distance between His divine commands and their heinous actions. The "valley of the son of Hinnom" itself is steeped in potent symbolism, evolving from a mere geographical location into a profound marker of extreme wickedness, defilement, and, by extension, a symbol of divine judgment and ultimate destruction (later influencing the concept of Gehenna). The entire verse, with its direct and forceful pronouncement against specific, heinous sins, stands as a clear example of condemnation.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 32:35 stands as a stark and enduring testament to the gravity of idolatry and the inviolable sanctity of human life in the eyes of God. It reveals a God who is not merely holy and righteous but also profoundly grieved and outraged by the perversion of worship and the horrific sacrifice of the innocent. The theological implication is unequivocally clear: true worship demands exclusive and unreserved devotion to Yahweh alone, coupled with unwavering adherence to His moral commands, which fundamentally uphold the intrinsic value of human life, created uniquely in His divine image. The "abomination" of child sacrifice was far more than a ritualistic error; it was an act that fundamentally violated God's character, His covenant, and His very nature, demonstrating the profound spiritual sickness that had permeated Judah, inevitably leading to their righteous judgment. This verse powerfully underscores the principle that unchecked human depravity can descend into the most horrific acts imaginable, highlighting humanity's constant and desperate need for divine revelation and intervention to guide it toward righteousness and life.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 32:35, while describing an ancient and horrific practice, resonates with profound contemporary relevance. Though direct child sacrifice is (thankfully) rare today, the underlying principle of elevating anything—be it personal ambition, material wealth, societal comfort, ideological purity, or even a distorted sense of progress—above God's explicit commands and the inherent sanctity of human life remains a potent and sobering warning. This verse compels us to undertake a rigorous examination of our own hearts, our cultural norms, and our societal structures for "high places" where we might be metaphorically sacrificing what is truly precious and divinely valued for what is ultimately detestable in God's eyes. It challenges us to critically assess our priorities and whether our actions truly reflect God's holy character and His profound valuing of every human life, from its earliest moments of conception to its natural end. The "valley of Hinnom" serves as a chilling and sobering reminder that there are dire consequences for persistent rebellion against divine truth, and that God's justice, though patient, is ultimately unwavering. Our worship must be pure and exclusive, our obedience absolute, and our commitment to the sanctity of all human life unwavering, recognizing that true flourishing and genuine blessing originate only from aligning our lives with God's perfect will, rather than from human inventions, cultural compromises, or self-serving desires.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what ways might we, in modern society, metaphorically "pass our children through the fire" by sacrificing their well-being, innocence, spiritual formation, or even their very lives for our own desires, convenience, or societal pressures?
  • What "high places" or idols might subtly exist in our personal lives, families, or cultural contexts that demand our devotion or sacrifice, thereby diverting us from exclusive and unadulterated worship of the one true God?
  • How does God's powerful declaration, "neither came it into my mind," challenge our assumptions about His immutable nature, His perfect will, and His unwavering expectations for our worship and ethical conduct?
  • What concrete, practical steps can we take, both individually and collectively, to ensure our lives and communities genuinely reflect God's absolute abhorrence of injustice, the devaluation of human life, and all forms of idolatry?

FAQ

What was the significance of the "valley of the son of Hinnom"?

Answer: The Valley of the Son of Hinnom (Hebrew: Ge Hinnom) was a deep, narrow ravine located just south and southwest of Jerusalem. Its primary significance stemmed from its notorious association with the horrific pagan practice of child sacrifice, particularly to deities like Molech, as vividly highlighted in Jeremiah 7:31 and 2 Kings 23:10. Because of these abominable acts, it became a powerful symbol of profound defilement and divine judgment within Jewish tradition. In later Jewish and Christian thought, its name, "Gehenna," evolved into a term used in the New Testament to refer to a place of eternal punishment or hell, as seen in Matthew 10:28.

Why did God say "neither came it into my mind" regarding child sacrifice?

Answer: This powerful anthropomorphic statement serves to emphasize God's absolute revulsion, complete dissociation, and utter abhorrence from the practice of child sacrifice. It is a profound rhetorical device employed to underscore that such a heinous, cruel, and morally repugnant act was not merely uncommanded or forbidden, but was entirely foreign to His holy character, perfect will, and righteous moral nature. It highlights the profound depth of human depravity and rebellion, as these abominations were entirely human inventions, antithetical to everything God stands for. This declaration underscores the vast and irreconcilable chasm between God's pure, life-affirming commands and the dark, death-dealing practices adopted by His people, which He had explicitly forbidden in passages such as Leviticus 20:2-5.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 32:35, with its stark portrayal of human depravity and God's righteous abhorrence of child sacrifice, finds profound and multi-faceted Christ-centered fulfillment. The ultimate "abomination" of sacrificing one's children for false gods stands in stark and glorious contrast to the divine, self-sacrificial love of God the Father, who, out of His boundless and unfathomable love for humanity, willingly gave His only Son as the perfect, once-for-all, and final sacrifice for the sin of the world (John 3:16). Jesus Christ, the true Lamb of God, did not "pass through the fire" of human depravity or pagan ritual, but willingly endured the fiery wrath of God against sin on the cross, becoming the propitiation for our transgressions, thereby turning away God's righteous anger (Romans 3:25). Furthermore, the Valley of Hinnom, a place synonymous with death, defilement, and judgment, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate judgment that Christ conquered through His victorious resurrection, offering a path to eternal life and deliverance from spiritual "Gehenna" for all who believe (Matthew 25:46). Through Christ, believers are called to abandon all forms of idolatry—whether overt or subtle—and to offer themselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our true and spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). The horror of child sacrifice in Jeremiah highlights the immeasurable preciousness of every human life, a truth powerfully affirmed in Christ's incarnation, His compassionate ministry, and His redemptive mission to rescue humanity from the grip of sin and death, offering new life, reconciliation, and eternal hope where only condemnation once stood (1 John 4:9-10).

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Commentary on Jeremiah 32 verses 26–44

We have here God's answer to Jeremiah's prayer, designed to quiet his mind and make him easy; and it is a full discovery of the purposes of God's wrath against the present generation and the purposes of his grace concerning the future generations. Jeremiah knew not how to sing both of mercy and judgment, but God here teaches to sing unto him of both. When we know not how to reconcile one word of God with another we may yet be sure that both are true, both are pure, both shall be made good, and not one iota or tittle of either shall fall to the ground. When Jeremiah was ordered to buy the field in Anathoth he was willing to hope that God was about to revoke the sentence of his wrath and to order the Chaldeans to raise the siege. "No," says God, "the execution of the sentence shall go on; Jerusalem shall be laid in ruins." Note, Assurances of future mercy must not be interpreted as securities from present troubles. But, lest Jeremiah should think that his being ordered to buy this field intimated that all the mercy God had in store for his people, after their return, was only that they should have the possession of their own land again, he further informs him that that was but a type and figure of those spiritual blessings which should then be abundantly bestowed upon them, unspeakably more valuable than fields and vineyards; so that in this word of the Lord, which came to Jeremiah, we have first as dreadful threatenings and then as precious promises as perhaps any we have in the Old Testament; life and death, good and evil, are here set before us; let us consider and choose wisely.

I. The ruin of Judah and Jerusalem is here pronounced. The decree has gone forth, and shall not be recalled. 1. God here asserts his own sovereignty and power (Jer 32:27): Behold, I am Jehovah, a self-existent self-sufficient being; I am that I am; I am the God of all flesh, that is, of all mankind, here called flesh because weak and unable to contend with God (Psa 56:4), and because wicked and corrupt and unapt to comply with God. God is the Creator of all, and makes what use he pleases of all. He that is the God of Israel is the God of all flesh and of the spirits of all flesh, and, if Israel were cast off, could raise up a people to his name out of some other nation. If he be the God of all flesh, he may well ask, Is any thing too hard for me? What cannot he do from whom all the powers of men are derived, on whom they depend, and by whom all their actions are directed and governed? Whatever he designs to do, whether in wrath or in mercy, nothing can hinder him nor defeat his designs. 2. He abides by that he had often said of the destruction of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon (Jer 32:28): I will give this city into his hand, now that he is grasping at it, and he shall take it and make a prey of it, Jer 32:29. The Chaldeans shall come and set fire to it, shall burn it and all the houses in it, God's house not excepted, nor the king's neither. 3. He assigns the reason for these severe proceedings against the city that had been so much in his favour. It is sin, it is that and nothing else, that ruins it. (1.) They were impudent and daring in sin. They offered incense to Baal, not in corners, as men ashamed or afraid of being discovered, but upon the tops of their houses (Jer 32:29), in defiance of God's justice. (2.) They designed an affront to God herein. They did it to provoke me to anger, Jer 32:29. They have only provoked me to anger with the works of their hands, Jer 32:30. They could not promise themselves any pleasure, profit, or honour out of it, but did it on purpose to offend God. And again (Jer 32:32), All the evil which they have done was to provoke me to anger. They knew he was a jealous God in the matters of his worship, and there they resolved to try his jealousy and dare him to his face. "Jerusalem has been to me a provocation of my anger and fury," Jer 32:31. Their conduct in every thing was provoking. (3.) They began betimes, and had continued all along provoking to God: "They have done evil before me from their youth, ever since they were first formed into a people (Jer 32:30), witness their murmurings and rebellions in the wilderness." And as for Jerusalem, though it was the holy city, it has been a provocation to the holy God from the day that they built it, even to this day, Jer 32:31. O what reason have we to lament the little honour God has from this world, and the great dishonour that is done him, when even in Judah, where he is known and his name is great, and in Salem where his tabernacle is, there was always that found that was a provocation to him! (4.) All orders and degrees of men contributed to the common guilt, and therefore were justly involved in the common ruin. Not only the children of Israel, that had revolted from the temple, but the children of Judah too, that still adhered to it - not only the common people, the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, but those that should have reproved and restrained sin in others were themselves ringleaders in it, their kings and princes, their priests and prophets. (5.) God had again and again called them to repentance, but they turned a deaf ear to his calls, and rudely turned their back on him that called them, though he was their master, to whom they were bound in duty, and their benefactor, to whom they were bound in gratitude and interest, Jer 32:33. "I taught them better manners, with as much care as ever any tender parent taught a child, rising up early, in teaching them, studying to adapt the teaching to their capacities, taking them betimes, when they might have been most pliable, but all in vain; they turned not the face to me, would not so much as look upon me, nay, they turned the back upon me," an expression of the highest contempt. As he called them, like froward children, so they went from him, Hos 11:2. They have not hearkened to receive instruction; they regarded not a word that was said to them, though it was designed for their own good. (6.) There was in their idolatries an impious contempt of God; for (Jer 32:34) they set their abominations (their idols, which they knew to be in the highest degree abominable to God) in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. They had their idols not only in their high places and groves, but even in God's temple. (7.) They were guilty of the most unnatural cruelty to their own children; for they sacrificed them to Moloch, Jer 32:35. Thus because they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, but changed his glory into shame, they were justly given up to vile affections and stripped of natural ones, and their glory was turned into shame. And, (8.) What was the consequence of all this? [1.] They caused Judah to sin, Jer 32:35. The whole country was infected with the contagious idolatries and iniquities of Jerusalem. [2.] They brought ruin upon themselves. It was as if they had done it on purpose that God should remove them from before his face (Jer 32:31); they would throw themselves out of his favour.

II. The restoration of Judah and Jerusalem is here promised, Jer 32:36, etc. God will in judgment remember mercy, and there will a time come, a set time, to favour Zion. Observe, 1. The despair to which this people were now at length brought. When the judgment was threatened at a distance they had no fear; when it attacked them they had no hope. They said concerning the city (Jer 32:36), It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, not by any cowardice or ill conduct of ours, but by the sword, famine, and pestilence. Concerning the country they said, with vexation (Jer 32:43), It is desolate, without man or beast; there is no relief, there is no remedy. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Note, Deep security commonly ends in deep despair; whereas those that keep up a holy fear at all times have a good hope to support them in the worst of times. 2. The hope that God gives them of mercy which he had in store for them hereafter. Though their carcases must fall in captivity, yet their children after them shall again see this good land and the goodness of God in it. (1.) They shall be brought up from their captivity and shall come and settle again in this land, Jer 32:37. They had been under God's anger and fury, and great wrath; but now they shall partake of his grace, and love, and great favour. He had dispersed them, and driven them into all countries. Those that fled dispersed themselves; those that fell into the enemies; hands were dispersed by them, in policy, to prevent combinations among them. God's hand was in both. But now God will find them out, and gather them out of all the countries whither they were driven, as he promised in the law (Deu 30:3, Deu 30:4) and the saints had prayed, Psa 106:47; Neh 1:9. He had banished them, but he will bring them again to this place, which they could not but have an affection for. For many years past, while they were in their own land, they were continually exposed, and terrified with the alarms of war; but now I will cause them to dwell safely. Being reformed, and having returned to God, neither their own consciences within nor their enemies without shall be a terror to them. He promises (Jer 32:41): I will plant them in this land assuredly; not only I will certainly do it, but they shall here enjoy a holy a security and repose, and they shall take root here, shall be planted in stability, and not again be unfixed and shaken. (2.) God will renew his covenant with them, a covenant of grace, the blessings of which are spiritual, and such as will work good things in them, to qualify them for the great things God intended to do for them. It is called an everlasting covenant (Jer 32:40), not only because God will be for ever faithful to it, but because the consequences of it will be everlasting. For, doubtless, here the promises look further than to Israel according to the flesh, and are sure to all believers, to every Israelite indeed. Good Christians may apply them to themselves and plead them with God, may claim the benefit of them and take the comfort of them. [1.] God will own them for his, and make over himself to them to be theirs (Jer 32:38): They shall be my people. He will make them his by working in them all the characters and dispositions of his people, and then he will protect, and guide, and govern them as his people. "And, to make them truly, completely, and eternally happy, I will be their God." They shall serve and worship God as theirs and cleave to him only, and he will approve himself theirs. All he is, all he has, shall be engaged and employed for their good. [2.] God will give them a heart to fear him, Jer 32:39. That which he requires of those whom he takes into covenant with him as his people is that they fear him, that they reverence his majesty, dread his wrath, stand in awe of his authority, pay homage to him, and give him the glory due unto his name. Now what God requires of them he here promises to work in them, pursuant to his choice of them as his people. Note, As it is God's prerogative to fashion men's hearts, so it is his promise to his people to fashion theirs aright; and a heart to fear God is indeed a good heart, and well fashioned. It is repeated (Jer 32:40): I will put my fear in their hearts, that is, work in them gracious principles and dispositions, that shall influence and govern their whole conversation. Teachers may put good things into our heads, but it is God only that can put them into our hearts, that can work in us both to will and to do. [3.] He will give them one heart and one way. In order to their walking in one way, he will give them one heart: as the heart is, so will the way be, and both shall be one; that is First, They shall be each of them one with themselves. One heart is the same with a new heart, Eze 11:19. The heart is then one when it is fully determined for God and entirely devoted to God. When the eye is single and God's glory alone aimed at, when our hearts are fixed, trusting in God, and we are uniform and universal in our obedience to him, then the heart is one and way one; and, unless the heart be thus steady, the goings will not be stedfast. From this promise we may take direction and encouragement to pray, with David (Psa 86:11), Unite my heart to fear thy name; for God says, I will give them one heart, that they may fear me. Secondly, They shall be all of them one with each other. All good Christians shall be incorporated into one body; Jews and Gentiles shall become one sheep-fold; and they shall all, as far as they are sanctified, have a disposition to love one another, the gospel they profess having in it the strongest inducements to mutual love, and the Spirit that dwells in them being the Spirit of love. Though they may have different apprehensions about minor things, they shall be all one in the great things of God, being renewed after the same image. Though they may have many paths, they have but one way, that of serious godliness. [4.] He will effectually provide for their perseverance in grace and the perpetuating of the covenant between himself and them. They would have been happy when there were first planted in Canaan, like Adam in paradise, if they had not departed from God. And therefore, now that they are restored to their happiness, they shall be confirmed in it by the preventing of their departures from God, and this will complete their bliss. First, God will never leave nor forsake them: I will not turn away from them to do them good. Earthly princes are fickle, and their greatest favourites have fallen under their frowns; but God's mercy endures for ever. Whom he loves he loves to the end. God may seem to turn from this people (Isa 54:8), but even then he does not turn from doing and designing them good. Secondly, They shall never leave nor forsake him; that is the thing we are in danger of. We have no reason to distrust God's fidelity and constancy, but our own; and therefore it is here promised that God will give them a heart to fear him for ever, all days, to be in his fear every day and all the day long (Pro 23:17), and to continue so to the end of their days. He will put such a principle into their hearts that they shall not depart from him. Even those who have given up their names to God, if they be left to themselves, will depart from him; but the fear of God ruling in the heart, will prevent their departure. That, and nothing else, will do it. If we continue close and faithful to God, it is owing purely to his almighty grace and not to any strength or resolution of our own. [5.] He will entail a blessing upon their seed, will give them grace to fear him, for the good of them and of their children after them. As their departures from God had been to the prejudice of their children, so their adherence to God should be to the advantage of their children. We cannot better consult the good of posterity than by setting up, and keeping up, the fear and worship of God in our families. [6.] He will take a pleasure in their prosperity and will do every thing to advance it (Jer 32:41): I will rejoice over them to do them good. God will certainly do them good because he rejoices over them. They are dear to him; he makes his boast of them, and therefore will not only do them good, but will delight in doing them good. When he punishes them it is with reluctance. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? But, when he restores them, it is with satisfaction; he rejoices in doing them good. We ought therefore to serve him with pleasure and to rejoice in all opportunities of serving him. He is himself a cheerful giver, and therefore loves a cheerful servant. I will plant them (says God) with my whole heart and with my whole soul. He will be intent upon it, and take delight in it; he will make it the business of his providence to settle them again in Canaan, and the various dispensations of providence shall concur to it. All things shall appear at last so to have been working for the good of the church that it will be said, The governor of the world is entirely taken up with the care of his church. [7.] These promises shall as surely be performed as the foregoing threatenings were; and the accomplishment of those, notwithstanding the security of the people, might confirm their expectation of the performance of these, notwithstanding their present despair (Jer 32:42): As I have brought all this great evil upon them, pursuant to the threatenings, and for the glory of divine justice, so I will bring upon them all this good, pursuant to the promise, and for the glory of divine mercy. He that is faithful to his threatenings will much more be so to his promises; and he will comfort his people according to the time that he has afflicted them. The churches shall have rest after the days of adversity. [8.] As an earnest of all this, houses and lands shall again fetch a good price in Judah and Jerusalem, and, though now they are a drug, there shall again be a sufficient number of purchasers (Jer 32:43, Jer 32:44): Fields shall be bought in this land, and people will covet to have lands here rather than any where else. Lands, wherever they lie, will go off, not only in the places about Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah and of Israel, too, whether they lie on mountains, or in valleys, or in the south, in all parts of the country, men shall buy fields, and subscribe evidences. Trade shall revive, for they shall have money enough to buy land with. Husbandry shall revive, for those that have money shall covet to lay it out upon lands. Laws shall again have their due course, for they shall subscribe evidences and seal them. This is mentioned to reconcile Jeremiah to his new purchase. Though he had bought a piece of ground and could not go to see it, yet he must believe that this was the pledge of many a purchase, and those but faint resemblances of the purchased possessions in the heavenly Canaan, reserved for all those who have God's fear in their hearts and do not depart from him.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 26–44. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
AGAINST PRAXEAS 10
Of course nothing is “too hard for the Lord.” But if we choose to apply this principle so extravagantly and harshly in our capricious imaginations, we may then make out God to have done anything we please, on the ground that it was not impossible for him to do it. We must not suppose, however, because he is able to do all things, that he has done what he has not done. But we must inquire whether he has really done it. God could, if he had liked, have furnished humankind with wings to fly with, just as he gave wings to kites. We must not, however, run to the conclusion that he did this because he was able to do it. He might also have extinguished Praxeas and all other heretics at once; it does not follow, however, that he did, simply because he was able. For it was necessary that there should be both kites and heretics; it was necessary also that the Father should be crucified. In one sense there will be something difficult even for God—namely, that which he has not done—not because he could not but because he would not do it. For with God, to be willing is to be able and to be unwilling is to be unable; all that he has willed, however, he has both been able to accomplish and has displayed his ability.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 35.) And they built high places (or altars) to Baal, which are in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, to burn their sons and daughters as offerings to the idol Moloch. The word 'initiate' is written in Hebrew as 'Ebir', which Aquila and Symmachus translated as 'offer'. The Seventy and Theodotion interpreted it as 'sacrifice'. We have already spoken more fully about the valley of the sons of Hinnom, which in Hebrew is called Ge-Hinnom, that it lies below the fountains of Siloam and has its own charm, because it is a watered place, which has led the people (some manuscripts add 'of Israel') to indulge in luxury, following the worship of idols. It should also be noted that altars and high places are called Bamoth in Hebrew, because there are doubts among those who read the books of Samuel and Kings about the meaning of this word. Moloch is the idol of the Ammonites, which is turned into a king. The divine Scripture signifies that the people not only served the idol Baal, but also Moloch and all the other demons in that place.

Which I did not command them, neither did it come into my heart that they should do this abomination, and lead Judah into sin. Specifically, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin worshipped the idols of Baal and Molech in the temple (3 Kings 12). It is clear that the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, as well as the ten tribes known as Samaria, Joseph and Ephraim, also indulged in this (Alt. wanted). So much evil was done by the people that God testifies He never even considered or thought of the things they did. But all these things are humanly.

And now because of these things, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to this city, of which you say, 'It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.' As those who hope for aid and trust in the strength of the walls, it is prophesied that Jerusalem will be overthrown and the people will soon be captured, and will perish by the sword, famine, and pestilence before captivity. So to those who despair and expect no salvation after the destruction of the city, He promises His aid, so that both confidence and pride may merit just judgment, and despair and humility may merit God's aid.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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