Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 7:1-2

"The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, Stand in the gate of Jehovah`s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of Jehovah, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship Jehovah." — Jeremiah 7:1-2 (ASV)

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 .