Jeremiah 7:31 They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire--something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

◄ Jeremiah 7:31 ►

New International Version
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

New Living Translation
They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!

English Standard Version
And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

Berean Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

King James Bible
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

New King James Version
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.

New American Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into My mind.

NASB 1995
“They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into My mind.

NASB 1977
“And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into My mind.

Legacy Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come upon My heart.

Amplified Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom), to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire [to honor Molech, the fire god]—which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart (mind).

Christian Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth in Ben Hinnom Valley in order to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, a thing I did not command; I never entertained the thought.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, a thing I did not command; I never entertained the thought.

American Standard Version
And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded not, neither came it into my mind.

Contemporary English Version
At Topheth in Hinnom Valley you have built altars where you kill your children and burn them as sacrifices to other gods. I would never think of telling you to do this.

English Revised Version
And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded not, neither came it into my mind.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They have built worship sites at Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices. I did not ask for this. It never entered my mind.

Good News Translation
In Hinnom Valley they have built an altar called Topheth, so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters in the fire. I did not command them to do this--it did not even enter my mind.

International Standard Version
They have built high places at Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I didn't command this, and it never entered my mind!

Majority Standard Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire?something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

NET Bible
They have also built places of worship in a place called Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. That is something I never commanded them to do! Indeed, it never even entered my mind to command such a thing!

New Heart English Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

World English Bible
They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I didn’t command, nor did it come into my mind.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And have built the high places of Tophet, "" That [are] in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, "" To burn their sons and their daughters with fire, "" Which I did not command, "" Nor did it come up on My heart.

Young's Literal Translation
And have built the high places of Tophet, That are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, To burn their sons and their daughters with fire, Which I did not command, Nor did it come up on My heart.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they built heights to Tophet which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in fire; which I commanded not, and it came not upon my heart.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they have built the high places of Topeth, which is in the valley of the son of Ennom, to burn their sons, and their daughters in the fire: which I commanded not, nor thought on in my heart.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they have built the exalted places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the son of Hinnom, so that they may burn their sons and their daughters with fire, something I neither instructed, nor thought in my heart.

New American Bible
In the Valley of Ben-hinnom they go on building the high places of Topheth to sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire, something I never commanded or considered.

New Revised Standard Version
And they go on building the high place of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire—which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they have built altars by the Taphat (stream) which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither did I think of it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they built up high places in Taphat, that is in the valley that is in BarHennom , to burn their sons and their daughters in fire that I have not commanded them and I did not bring up on my heart

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded not, neither came it into My mind.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they have built the altar of Tapheth, which is in the valley of the son of Ennom, to burn their sons and their daughters with fire; which I did not command them to do, neither did I design it in my heart.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Valley of Slaughter
30For the people of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares the LORD. They have set up their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it. 31They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire— something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind. 32So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. For they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Kings 23:10
He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

Leviticus 18:21
You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

2 Chronicles 28:3
Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Psalm 106:37-38
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. / They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

Isaiah 57:5
who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

Ezekiel 16:20-21
You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough? / You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.

Ezekiel 20:31
When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

Ezekiel 23:37
For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.

Micah 6:7
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

Matthew 18:6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Mark 9:42
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

Luke 17:2
It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Treasury of Scripture

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

the high.

Jeremiah 19:5,6
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: …

Jeremiah 32:35
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.

2 Kings 23:20
And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

the valley.

Jeremiah 19:2
And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

Joshua 15:8
And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:

2 Chronicles 28:3
Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

to burn.

Deuteronomy 12:31
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

2 Kings 17:17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Psalm 106:37,38
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, …

which I.

Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 20:1-5
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, …

Deuteronomy 17:3
And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

came it into.

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Jeremiah 7

1. Jeremiah is sent to call to true repentance, to prevent the Jews' captivity.
8. He rejects their vain confidence,
12. by the example of Shiloh.
17. He threatens them for their idolatry.
21. He rejects the sacrifices of the disobedient.
29. He exhorts to mourn for their abominations in Tophet;
32. and the judgments for the same.

Berean Study Bible

They have built
The phrase "They have built" indicates a deliberate and intentional action by the people of Judah. In the Hebrew context, the verb "built" (בָּנָה, banah) often signifies establishing something with permanence and purpose. This construction is not just physical but also spiritual, as it reflects the people's commitment to idolatry and rebellion against God. Historically, building altars or high places was a common practice among ancient Near Eastern cultures, often associated with worship and sacrifice.

the high places
"High places" (בָּמוֹת, bamot) were elevated sites used for worship, often associated with pagan rituals. In ancient Israel, these sites were frequently condemned by the prophets because they were centers of idolatry and syncretism, blending the worship of Yahweh with that of other deities. The use of high places reflects a departure from the centralized worship in Jerusalem, which God had ordained.

of Topheth
"Topheth" (תֹּפֶת, Topheth) is a specific location within the Valley of Hinnom, notorious for its association with child sacrifice. The name itself may derive from a root meaning "drum," possibly indicating the use of drums to drown out the cries of children being sacrificed. This place became a symbol of the most egregious forms of idolatry and moral corruption in Judah.

in the Valley of Hinnom
The "Valley of Hinnom" (גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם, Gei Ben-Hinnom) was located just outside Jerusalem and became infamous for its association with idolatrous practices, including child sacrifice. In later Jewish thought, it became synonymous with Gehenna, a term used for hell, symbolizing ultimate judgment and separation from God. The historical and geographical context underscores the gravity of Judah's sin, as they defiled a place so close to the holy city.

to burn their sons and daughters in the fire
This phrase describes the horrific practice of child sacrifice, which was strictly forbidden by God (Leviticus 18:21). The act of burning children as offerings to pagan gods like Molech was a gross violation of the sanctity of life and a direct affront to God's commandments. The Hebrew word for "burn" (שָׂרַף, saraph) conveys the intensity and finality of this act, highlighting the depth of Judah's apostasy.

something I did not command
God's declaration that He "did not command" such practices emphasizes His holiness and the clear boundaries He set for worship. The Hebrew word for "command" (צִוָּה, tzivah) is often used in the context of divine instructions, underscoring that these abominable acts were entirely outside God's will and law. This phrase serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to God's revealed word.

nor did it enter My mind
The expression "nor did it enter My mind" (וְלֹא־עָלְתָה עַל־לִבִּי, velo al'tah al libbi) is a powerful anthropomorphic statement, indicating that such evil was utterly foreign to God's nature and intentions. It underscores the profound disconnect between God's character and the actions of His people. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the depths of human depravity when separated from divine guidance.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) High places.--Not the same word as in Jeremiah 7:29, but bamoth, as in the "high places" of Baal, in Numbers 22:41; Numbers 23:3, the Bamoth-baal of Joshua 13:17. The word had become almost technical for the mounds, natural or (as in this passage) artificial, on which altars to Jehovah or to other gods were erected, and appears in 1Samuel 9:12; 1Kings 3:4; Ezekiel 20:29; Amos 7:9. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 31. - The high places of Tophet; rather, the high places of the Topheth - (on the "high places" (Hebrew bamoth) - hero probably artificial mounds to erect the altars upon, and on "the Topheth," see Commentary on 1 Kings). In the valley of the son of Hinnom. Hitzig and others would take Hinnom as a noun meaning "groaning" (Rashi, the great Jewish commentator. had already proposed this view), which is at first sight very plausible. But this name of the valley is already found in the description of the boundaries of Judah and Benin-rain in Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16. To burn their sons, etc. (On the worship of Moloch (Saturn), see on Leviticus 18:21, and comp. Ezekiel 16:20, 21, from which it appears that the children were first slain before being "caused to pass through the fire.")

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

They have built
וּבָנ֞וּ (ū·ḇā·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1129: To build

the high places
בָּמ֣וֹת (bā·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1116: An elevation

of Topheth
הַתֹּ֗פֶת (hat·tō·p̄eṯ)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8612: Topheth -- a place South of Jerusalem

in the Valley of Hinnom
בְּגֵ֣יא (bə·ḡê)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1516: A valley

so they could burn
לִשְׂרֹ֛ף (liś·rōp̄)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire

their sons
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

and daughters
בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם (bə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1323: A daughter

in the fire—
בָּאֵ֑שׁ (bā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

something I did not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

command,
צִוִּ֔יתִי (ṣiw·wî·ṯî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

nor
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

did it enter
עָלְתָ֖ה (‘ā·lə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

My mind.
לִבִּֽי׃ (lib·bî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 7:31 They have built the high places (Jer.)