John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 32:34

"But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it." — Jeremiah 32:34 (ASV)

There was here, as it were, an extreme wickedness, for the Jews had profaned the Temple itself. It was a grievous offense, when everyone had, as we have seen, private services at home, where they burned incense on the roofs and poured libations to foreign gods; but when impiety had gone so far that even the Temple itself was polluted with idols, what hope was there of repentance?

He says that they had set their abominations in the Temple. It is called, indeed, a house in the Hebrew manner, but it is afterwards distinguished from private buildings, when he says, on which my name is called and then, that they might defile it. God here shows that the Temple had been dedicated to Him; it was then a sacrilegious profanation when they offered their sacrifices to idols.

They were, indeed, already apostates, but such a sacrilege was not so notorious in their private superstitions as in the Temple, for this was to deprive God of His own honor. Though it was not right for them to abandon themselves to all kinds of wickedness when they came out from the Temple, yet the Temple itself ought to have continued, as it were, safe and free from every defilement. For this reason, therefore, he says that it was called by His name, and then that the Temple itself had been defiled, so that they did not spare His sacred name.

The rest I shall defer until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as You stretch out Your hand to us daily, and also invite us by continual exhortations to repentance—O grant, that we may not be so ungrateful as, through our obstinacy, to reject such and so great a benefit; but that, if at any time we should happen to turn from the right way, we may immediately turn to You and become obedient to Your will, and that thus the medicine which You have provided for us may be effective for our salvation, until, at last purified from all vices, we shall enjoy that blessed and immortal glory which You have prepared for us in heaven, through Your only-begotten Son, our Lord. Amen.