Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 7

In Jeremiah 7–10, he addresses the people as they flocked into Jerusalem from the country to attend the solemn services in the temple on a fast day. Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 26:0) had just ascended the throne and was so incensed at this sermon that he would have put Jeremiah to death but for the influence of Ahikam.

With the accession of Jehoiakim, all hope of averting the ruin of the country had passed away. He represented the reverse of his father’s policy and belonged to that faction who placed their sole hope of deliverance in a close alliance with Pharaoh-Necho. As this party rejected the distinctive principles of the theocracy, and the king was personally an irreligious man, the maintenance of the worship of Yahweh was no longer an object of public care.

At this time, on a public fast day appointed probably because of the calamities under which the nation was laboring, Jeremiah was commanded by Yahweh to stand at the gate of the temple and address words of solemn warning to the people as they entered. The whole sermon divides into three parts:

1. It points out the folly of the superstitious confidence placed by the people in the temple, while they neglect the sole sure foundation of a nation’s hope. A sanctuary long polluted by immorality must inevitably be destroyed (Jeremiah 7:2–3).

2. More general complaints follow, in which the growing wickedness of the nation, and especially of the leaders, is pointed out (Jeremiah 8:4-24).

3. Lastly, the prophet shows the possibility of averting the evils impending upon the nation (Jeremiah 9:25).

(Jeremiah 10:1–2). The temple had several entrances (2 Chronicles 4:9); and the gate or door mentioned here is probably that of the inner court, where Baruch read Jeremiah’s scroll (Jeremiah 36:10). The prophet stood in the doorway and addressed the people assembled in the outer court.

All you of Judah — Better, literally all Judah .

If the people repented, instead of being led into captivity, God would maintain their national existence. It is a promise of the continuance of an old blessing.

The temple of the Lord - Thrice repeated, to emphasize the rejection of the cry constantly on the lips of the false prophets. In their view, the maintenance of the temple service was a charm sufficient to avert all evil.

These - The buildings of the temple, to which Jeremiah is supposed to point. The Jews put their trust in the material buildings.

A summary of the conditions indispensable on humanity's part, before they can plead the terms of the covenant in their favor.

(Jeremiah 7:6) In this place—that is, in Jerusalem. The prophet refers to innocent blood shed there judicially. Jehoiakim had already been guilty of one such judicial murder (Jeremiah 26:23).

(Jeremiah 7:7) Why then do the Jews not still possess a land that was thus eternally given to them? Because God never bestows anything unconditionally. The land was bestowed upon them by virtue of a covenant (Genesis 17:7); the Jews had broken the conditions of this covenant (Jeremiah 7:5–6), and the gift reverted to the original donor.

We are delivered - Jeremiah accuses them of trusting in the ceremonial of the temple instead of leading holy lives. “You break,” he says, “the Ten Commandments, and then you go to the Temple; and when the service is over you say, We are delivered. We have atoned for our past actions, and may start afresh with easy minds upon a new course of wickedness.”