What is the meaning of Jeremiah 7:31? They have built the high places of Topheth High places were elevated platforms where people believed they could approach deities more effectively. Judah copied the surrounding nations by erecting such places for pagan rites—an open rejection of the Lord, who had already chosen Jerusalem’s temple as the proper place of worship (Deuteronomy 12:5–6). • 2 Kings 23:10 shows Josiah later defiling Topheth to halt these practices. • Isaiah 30:33 hints that Topheth would ultimately become a place of God’s judgment, not pagan celebration. in the Valley of Ben-hinnom The valley just south of Jerusalem first appears as a boundary marker (Joshua 15:8), but by Jeremiah’s day it was infamous for idolatry and bloodshed. • 2 Chronicles 28:3 notes King Ahaz, and 33:6 records Manasseh, burning children there. • Jeremiah 19:2–6 foretells that the valley would be renamed the Valley of Slaughter, tying geographic memory to divine justice. so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire Child sacrifice was the darkest expression of idolatry, aimed at manipulating gods for prosperity or protection. • Deuteronomy 12:31 warns, “They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.” • 2 Kings 17:17 lists this atrocity among the sins that led to Israel’s exile, underscoring how such cruelty provoked God’s wrath. something I never commanded God’s law clearly forbade human sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21: “You shall not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech”). • Deuteronomy 18:10–12 links the practice to detestable occultism. By stressing “never commanded,” the Lord highlights that true obedience cannot invent worship or ethics; it must submit to His revealed will. nor did it even enter My mind The phrase underscores divine abhorrence: God’s moral nature is utterly opposed to such acts. • Jeremiah 19:5 repeats the line, and 32:35 adds, “It never entered My mind that they should do this abomination, causing Judah to sin.” The language shows that while God foreknows all, He never conceives evil as an acceptable option for His people. summary Jeremiah 7:31 exposes Judah’s plunge into horrific idolatry: building unauthorized worship sites in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, sacrificing their own children, and flagrantly violating God’s clear commands. The Lord’s emphatic denial—He neither ordered nor imagined such evil—highlights both His holiness and His covenant love. He calls His people to pure worship anchored in His revealed Word, not in the destructive practices of surrounding culture. |
    |