Jeremiah 19:5
and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—
English Standard Version (ESV)
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God emphasizes that this horrific practice of child sacrifice wasn't just something He didn't command, but that it was so antithetical to His nature that it "did not come into [His] mind." This highlights that these atrocities were entirely human inventions, utterly alien to God's character and His loving, redemptive purpose for His people.
Jeremiah is commanded to perform a symbolic act, breaking a potter's flask in the Valley of Hinnom, to represent the impending destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. This shocking act signifies God's judgment on their pervasive idolatry, particularly the horrific practice of sacrificing their children to the god Baal, a practice God explicitly states He never commanded or even conceived of. This ritual pronounces the utter devastation to come, leaving the land utterly ruined and unable to be restored, much like shattered pottery.
Have you ever felt God's silence on a matter, and wondered if it meant He was okay with it? Jeremiah 19:5 describes a practice so horrific, God's response is stark: 'It did not even enter my mind.'
The people of Judah had turned to the worship of Baal, a practice that involved offering their own children as burnt offerings. This wasn't just a minor deviation; it was an abomination that deeply grieved God.
A Practice Utterly Foreign to God
God's statement, 'which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind,' emphasizes that this horrific act was completely outside of His will and character. It wasn't something He'd forgotten to forbid; it was something so antithetical to His nature that it couldn't even occur to Him.
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Why would anyone offer their own children as sacrifices? Jeremiah 19:5 points to a deeper issue: a fundamental turning away from God.
The built high places of Baal and the horrific child sacrifices weren't random acts of sin. They stemmed from a deliberate 'forsaking' of God.
The Danger of 'Adding' to Worship
Understand the original words
bamot · Hebrew Noun
Local sanctuaries or elevated sites where worship—often idolatrous—was practiced. They were frequently condemned because they were unauthorized and often involved the worship of false gods.
Ba'al · Hebrew Proper Noun
A prominent Canaanite fertility god associated with storm and agricultural success; in the Bible, he represents the ultimate rival to the worship of the one true God.
'olot · Hebrew Noun
A sacrifice consumed entirely by fire, symbolizing total devotion and the surrender of the life of the victim to God. In this context, it refers to the horrific perversion of human sacrifice.
Jeremiah's prophecy in chapter 19 speaks to a deep-seated historical corruption in Judah, where child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom (Topheth) became a horrific symbol of their turning away from God. This act was not a mere 'adding' to worship, but a complete rejection of God's commands, a sin that ultimately led to Jerusalem's destruction and the Babylonian exile.
c. 8th century BC
Child Sacrifice Practices Begin
Idolatrous practices, including child sacrifice to deities like Moloch and Baal, become more prevalent in Judah, despite God's explicit prohibition in the Law.
701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria attacks Judah and besieges Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is spared, the devastation highlights God's judgment on Judah's unfaithfulness.
c. 687-642 BC
Reign of Manasseh
King Manasseh reintroduces and promotes widespread idolatry and pagan practices, including child sacrifice in Jerusalem, undoing the reforms of his father Hezekiah.
622 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law and initiates a sweeping religious reformation, tearing down high places and destroying pagan altars, including the site of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and begins deporting prominent Judeans, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon as a sign of conquest and control.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon, intensifying the judgment on Jerusalem.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, culminating the judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and disobedience, including the abominations described in Jeremiah 19.
This passage explicitly forbids the practice of sacrificing children to pagan deities, underscoring that Jeremiah 19:5 describes an action directly contrary to God's clear commands and prohibitions.
Jeremiah 7:31This verse is nearly identical to Jeremiah 19:5, also condemning the Israelites for building high places for Baal and sacrificing their children, reinforcing the severity and repetition of this sin.
Ezekiel 16:20-21Ezekiel echoes Jeremiah's condemnation by accusing Israel of sacrificing their own children to idols, highlighting that these acts were seen by God as betraying the very children He had given them.
Psalm 106:37-38This psalm describes the Israelites sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols and filling the land with innocent blood, providing a poetic and historical confirmation of the horrific practices Jeremiah addresses.
clarkeJeremiah 19:5: "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:"
Offerings unto Baal - A general name for all the popular idols; Baal, Moloch, Ashtaroth, etc.
calvinJeremiah 19:4-5: "Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;"
- Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burnt incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;
4.…
God emphasizes that this horrific practice of child sacrifice wasn't just something He didn't command, but that it was so antithetical to His nature that it "did not come into [His] mind." This highlights that these atrocities were entirely human inventions, utterly alien to God's character and His loving, redemptive purpose for His people.
Jeremiah is commanded to perform a symbolic act, breaking a potter's flask in the Valley of Hinnom, to represent the impending destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. This shocking act signifies God's judgment on their pervasive idolatry, particularly the horrific practice of sacrificing their children to the god Baal, a practice God explicitly states He never commanded or even conceived of. This ritual pronounces the utter devastation to come, leaving the land utterly ruined and unable to be restored, much like shattered pottery.
Jeremiah is commanded to perform a symbolic act, breaking a potter's flask in the Valley of Hinnom, to represent the impending destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. This shocking act signifies God's judgment on their pervasive idolatry, particularly the horrific practice of sacrificing their children to the god Baal, a practice God explicitly states He never commanded or even conceived of. This ritual pronounces the utter devastation to come, leaving the land utterly ruined and unable to be restored, much like shattered pottery.
"and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—" — God emphasizes that this horrific practice of child sacrifice wasn't just something He didn't command, but that it was so antithetical to His nature that it "did not come into [His] mind." This hig…
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