“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God highlights the profound ingratitude: even after He filled them with blessings, they turned to idolatry and reckless immorality. Their prosperity, meant to be a sign of His favor, became the very fuel for their spiritual adultery and debauchery.
“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is directly addressing the people of Judah, asking how He can possibly forgive them for their deep unfaithfulness. He highlights that their children have abandoned Him, turning to worship false gods, and that their prosperity has only fueled their rampant adultery and sexual immorality, both literally and metaphorically in their idolatry. This accusation sets the stage for the following verses, where the prophet will describe these sins as a widespread conspiracy against God.
Why would anyone trade the Divine for the 'no-gods'?
Jeremiah cries out, 'How can I pardon you?' because the people have done the unthinkable: they've abandoned the living God. They've sworn allegiance to 'those who are no gods' – empty idols that can offer nothing. This isn't just a mistake; it's a deliberate rejection of the One who sustains them, choosing the worthless over the Wonderful.
When life is good, why do people often spiral away from God?
The verse highlights a shocking reality: God's provision, meant to draw people to Him, becomes the very fuel for their rebellion. 'When I fed them to the full,' God laments, 'they committed adultery.'
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This isn't just about ancient Israel; it's a timeless warning about the dangers of unsanctified prosperity.
What does it mean when sin becomes not just private, but public and almost celebrated?
The final phrase, 'and trooped to the houses of whores,' paints a stark picture of public defiance. This isn't about furtive glances or hidden acts; it’s about collective, bold participation in sin.
Understand the original words
salach · Hebrew Verb
To forgive, remit, or overlook an offense; in a covenantal context, it refers to God's act of grace in setting aside the penalty due to a sinner.
‘azab · Hebrew Verb
To abandon, leave, or desert a person, place, or commitment; in theology, it describes the act of walking away from a relationship with God or His commands.
lo’ ’elohim · Hebrew Noun phrase
Idols or false deities; the term highlights the ontological emptiness and lack of divinity in objects worshipped by humans in place of the living God.
na’aph · Hebrew Verb
A term used both physically and metaphorically for sexual unfaithfulness; spiritually, it describes the act of worshiping other gods, which violates the covenantal union between God and His people.
Jeremiah's scathing indictment in chapter 5 comes at a critical juncture, just before the final destruction of Jerusalem. It highlights how Judah's prosperity, instead of leading to gratitude and faithfulness, fueled their spiritual adultery and blatant disregard for God's covenant, making their impending judgment all the more just.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of national disobedience.
622 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Jerusalem temple and institutes sweeping religious reforms, attempting to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eliminate idolatry. This is a period of renewed, though ultimately fragile, covenant faithfulness.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, Crown Prince of Babylon, defeats the Egyptian forces at Carchemish and then besieges Jerusalem. He carries off some of the royal family and nobility, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.
c. 600 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry and Prophecy
Jeremiah, serving as God's prophet during a time of immense political upheaval and spiritual decline, delivers God's message of impending judgment to Judah. He calls for repentance amidst widespread idolatry and unfaithfulness.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar again besieges Jerusalem, this time exiling King Jehoiachin and a large segment of the skilled population, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, ending Judah's sovereignty and exiling the remaining population to Babylon. This is the ultimate consequence of their persistent disobedience.
This passage echoes the theme of unfaithfulness, where Israel, despite God's provision, turns to lovers (idols) instead of their devoted husband (God).
Ezekiel 16:15-17This chapter vividly portrays Jerusalem's spiritual adultery, using the imagery of prostitution and unfaithfulness to illustrate how the city misused God's gifts for idolatrous and immoral practices.
Deuteronomy 32:15This song warns of how prosperity can lead to straying from God; just as the Israelites grew fat and kicked, Jeremiah's people misused their blessings for sin.
Romans 2:4-5Paul highlights that God's kindness is meant to lead to repentance, but instead, those who reject it 'treasure up wrath,' mirroring how Jeremiah's people responded to God's provision with more sin.
Jeremiah 5:25This verse directly follows, showing the devastating consequences of the sins described in verse 7, as it states that their wickedness and apostasy have prevented God from blessing them.
pooleJeremiah 5:7: "How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses."
How shall I pardon? how canst thou expect that I shall bear such affronts? I shall expose myself, and seem to lay aside my power; I shall be looked upon as one that either regard not such injuries, or cannot avenge them, as Jeremiah 5:9 . Thy children; thy inh…
pulpitJeremiah 5:7: "How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses."
Verse 7. - How... for this? rather, Why should I pardon thee? Thy children; i.e. (since "the daughter of Zion" is equivalent to Zion regarded as an ideal entity) the members of the Jewish people (comp. Leviticus 19:18, "the children of thy people"). When I had…
God highlights the profound ingratitude: even after He filled them with blessings, they turned to idolatry and reckless immorality. Their prosperity, meant to be a sign of His favor, became the very fuel for their spiritual adultery and debauchery.
God is directly addressing the people of Judah, asking how He can possibly forgive them for their deep unfaithfulness. He highlights that their children have abandoned Him, turning to worship false gods, and that their prosperity has only fueled their rampant adultery and sexual immorality, both literally and metaphorically in their idolatry. This accusation sets the stage for the following verses, where the prophet will describe these sins as a widespread conspiracy against God.
God is directly addressing the people of Judah, asking how He can possibly forgive them for their deep unfaithfulness. He highlights that their children have abandoned Him, turning to worship false gods, and that their prosperity has only fueled their rampant adultery and sexual immorality, both literally and metaphorically in their idolatry. This accusation sets the stage for the following verses, where the prophet will describe these sins as a widespread conspiracy against God.
"“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores." — God highlights the profound ingratitude: even after He filled them with blessings, they turned to idolatry and reckless immorality. Their prosperity, meant to be a sign of His favor, became the very…
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Last reviewed October 2026