Jeremiah 14:12
Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Even though the people are fasting and offering sacrifices, God's rejection isn't primarily about the timing of their religious acts, but the heart behind them. His judgment declares that their outward shows of piety are meaningless because they lack sincere repentance and true faith, the very things He always desires.
God has just told Jeremiah not to pray for this unrepentant people, and now He explains why their desperate attempts at religious observance are futile. Despite fasting and offering sacrifices, their hearts remain far from God, prompting Him to declare He will not hear them. Instead, He pronounces judgment through the relentless combination of war, famine, and plague.
God sees through the motions. Your fasts and offerings might look right on the outside, but what's truly going on in your heart?
Jeremiah's people were going through the motions of worship – fasting, offering sacrifices – but God wasn't listening. Why?
A Disconnected Heart
God makes it clear: their cries and offerings were not accepted because their hearts weren't truly with Him. The outward acts of worship were disconnected from genuine repentance and faith. It's like saying 'I love you' without feeling it; the words are empty.
God Looks Deeper
As the scholars note, God isn't impressed by mere ritual. He values the integrity of the heart. When worship is just a show, a way to manipulate God or feel good about ourselves without real change, it’s not pleasing to Him. True worship flows from a transformed inner life.
Even the most fervent worship can't always undo the damage of past sin. Sometimes, there are consequences that must be faced.
Jeremiah's people were experiencing famine and drought, and they turned to fasting and sacrifice. But God's response wasn't forgiveness that erased the immediate hardship. Instead, He declared He would 'consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'
Unchangeable Decrees
As Calvin explained, God had already decreed punishment for their exile. This wasn't a prayer-stopping decree on all prayer for their eternal salvation, but a firm declaration that the temporal consequences of their deep-seated sin were coming.
Discipline and Destruction
God's judgment is serious. The repetition of 'sword, famine, and pestilence' isn't just dramatic language; it signifies comprehensive destruction. While God’s discipline can refine the faithful, for those hardened in sin, these judgments bring inevitable ruin. It's a stark reminder that our actions have lasting effects.
Understand the original words
tsum · Hebrew Verb
A religious practice of abstaining from food to focus on spiritual seeking, humility, or repentance before God.
olah · Hebrew Noun
A sacrifice offered completely to God by fire, symbolizing the total dedication of the offerer or an act of atonement.
minchah · Hebrew Noun
An offering of flour and oil, often presented as a tribute or sign of thanksgiving to God, signifying dedication of the fruits of labor.
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A severe lack of food, often used in Scripture as a manifestation of divine judgment or a consequence of national disobedience.
This verse speaks into the dire context of Jerusalem's impending destruction and exile. God's message through Jeremiah highlights that outward religious acts like fasting and sacrifice are meaningless without genuine repentance and a sincere heart, especially when the nation faces God's righteous judgment for its deep-seated sin.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire's Expansion
The powerful Assyrian Empire dominates the region, leading to a climate of fear and political instability for surrounding kingdoms, including Judah.
626 BC
Assyrian Decline and Babylonian Ascendancy
The Assyrian Empire begins to weaken, leading to the rise of Babylon as a major power under Nabopolassar. This shift in power dynamics sets the stage for future conflicts.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and Assyrians, leading to the first deportation of Judean elites, including Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion in Judah, Nebuchadnezzar II deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon, further weakening the kingdom.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's theme, showing God rejecting people's worship—their raised hands, their multiplied prayers, and their offerings—because their hearts are far from Him and filled with wickedness.
Ezekiel 14:21This verse lists the same deadly combination of divine judgments—sword, famine, and pestilence—that God will send upon a rebellious people, emphasizing the severity and completeness of His wrath.
Matthew 23:27-28Jesus here condemns the Pharisees for their outward show of piety, likening them to whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but are full of dead men's bones, a perfect parallel to the people's insincere fasting and offerings in Jeremiah.
James 4:3This verse speaks directly to the futility of asking from God with wrong motives, stating, 'You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions,' mirroring how Jeremiah's people prayed and fasted with selfish or insincere hearts.
Luke 18:9-14The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector highlights that true acceptance with God comes not from self-righteous displays like fasting or boasting of religious deeds, but from humble, sincere repentance and reliance on God's mercy.
calvinJeremiah 14:11-12: "Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good."
When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
Quum jejunaverint, ego non exaudiam ad clamorem eorum, et quum obtulerint sacrificium et oblationem, ego non habebo gratum (idem est verbum, in illis non placebit mihi, non placabor, non ero propitius;…
barnesJeremiah 14:12: "When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence."
Their cry i. e - prayer offered aloud. Oblation - A meat-offering Leviticus 2:1. The sword, famine, and pestilence - The two latter ever follow upon the track of the first Ezekiel 5:12, and by these God will consume them, yet so as to leave a remnant. The chastisement, which crushe…
Even though the people are fasting and offering sacrifices, God's rejection isn't primarily about the timing of their religious acts, but the heart behind them. His judgment declares that their outward shows of piety are meaningless because they lack sincere repentance and true faith, the very things He always desires.
God has just told Jeremiah not to pray for this unrepentant people, and now He explains why their desperate attempts at religious observance are futile. Despite fasting and offering sacrifices, their hearts remain far from God, prompting Him to declare He will not hear them. Instead, He pronounces judgment through the relentless combination of war, famine, and plague.
God has just told Jeremiah not to pray for this unrepentant people, and now He explains why their desperate attempts at religious observance are futile. Despite fasting and offering sacrifices, their hearts remain far from God, prompting Him to declare He will not hear them. Instead, He pronounces judgment through the relentless combination of war, famine, and plague.
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deber · Hebrew Noun
A contagious disease or epidemic, frequently cited in the Bible as a form of divine discipline or judgment upon a rebellious nation.
588-586 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar II lays siege to Jerusalem, eventually conquering the city and destroying the First Temple. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of the Temple and Exile
Jerusalem is destroyed, the Temple is burned, and the majority of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon, fulfilling the prophecies of judgment.
"Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”" — Even though the people are fasting and offering sacrifices, God's rejection isn't primarily about the timing of their religious acts, but the heart behind them. His judgment declares that their o…
