Jeremiah 6:20
What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God isn't rejecting the costly, imported ingredients for incense, or even the sacrifices themselves; He's asking, "To what purpose?" This highlights that the real issue isn't the quality of their worship, but its heart – their obedience and right relationship with Him are what truly matter, not just the expensive rituals.
God is speaking through Jeremiah to a people who are performing religious rituals, like offering incense and sacrifices, with expensive ingredients from far-off lands. However, their outward acts of worship are hollow because their hearts are far from God; they continue in sin and disobedience, rendering their offerings unacceptable.
Imagine the most expensive, fragrant incense and spices from the farthest corners of the world. Jeremiah asks, what's the point if something crucial is missing?
Jeremiah highlights the futility of offering the most precious physical gifts – frankincense from Sheba and sweet cane from distant lands. These weren't just any spices; they were costly imports, often used in worship and rituals.
The Best Isn't Enough
God isn't unimpressed by things just because they are rare or expensive. The problem wasn't the quality of the incense or cane, nor the act of sacrifice itself. These were part of the covenant rituals God had established.
The issue was that Israel was bringing these costly items, and performing sacrifices, with hearts far from God. They were going through the motions, hoping the ritual would suffice, while ignoring God's commands for justice and mercy in their daily lives.
Why would God reject sacrifices that He Himself commanded? It's not the system that's flawed, but the people using it.
Jeremiah isn't attacking the sacrificial system itself; God had instituted it. The problem was Israel's flawed understanding and application of it.
Performance vs. Purpose
They treated sacrifices as a way to buy off God or satisfy Him with a performance, divorced from genuine love and obedience. They believed that the outward show of worship could cover their inward corruption and unfaithfulness.
God desired a relationship, not just a transaction. The sacrifices were meant to be a symbol and expression of a heart devoted to Him, a heart that also acted justly and loved mercy. When that inner reality was absent, the outer rituals became meaningless, even offensive.
Understand the original words
lebonah · Hebrew Noun
An aromatic gum resin used as an ingredient in sacred incense offered to God, symbolizing prayer and devotion; it was highly valuable and imported.
'olah · Hebrew Noun
Sacrificial gifts, typically animals, consumed completely by fire on the altar to signify total devotion, atonement for sin, and fellowship with God.
zebach · Hebrew Noun
Ritual offerings made to God, often involving slaughtered animals, intended to maintain the covenant relationship or express thanksgiving; they are unacceptable when offered without a heart of sincere obedience.
Jeremiah's message condemns the empty ritualism of Judah, particularly during the tumultuous period leading up to and following the destruction of Jerusalem. The lavish, imported incense and spices were symbols of wealth and supposed piety, but God declared them worthless without genuine obedience and a transformed heart.
c. 930 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following the death of King Solomon, the united Kingdom of Israel splits into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This division sowed seeds of political instability and spiritual decline.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Captivity
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian Empire, and its people are exiled. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple and initiates sweeping religious reforms, destroying idols and centralizing worship in Jerusalem. This era saw a brief resurgence of religious devotion.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, taking royal officials and skilled individuals captive to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's decline towards complete subjugation.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's sentiment by highlighting God's preference for obedience over mere sacrifice, emphasizing that true devotion comes from the heart, not just ritual performance.
Isaiah 1:11-13Isaiah directly confronts a similar empty religiosity, questioning the value of numerous sacrifices when the people's hearts are far from God, mirroring Jeremiah's critique of incense and sacrifices from distant lands.
Micah 6:6-8Micah presents a powerful parallel, asking what sacrifices God desires and then declaring that He seeks justice, mercy, and humility – the very heart-attitudes that Jeremiah implies are missing in the people's offerings.
Psalm 50:7-15This psalm reveals God's perspective on sacrifices, stating He does not need them and that He desires praise and thankfulness from a sincere heart rather than just animal offerings, underscoring Jeremiah's point about unacceptable sacrifices.
Matthew 9:13Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 ('I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'), directly applying the prophetic principle that God values compassion and inner transformation over outward religious acts, aligning with Jeremiah's message.
barnesJeremiah 6:20: "To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me."
The sweet cane - The same as the scented cane of Exodus 30:23 (see the note). Your burnt offerings - The rejection of ritual observances is proclaimed by the two prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, who chiefly assisted the two pious kings, Hezekiah and Josiah, in restoring the temple-service. God rejects not the cere…
clarkeJeremiah 6:20: "To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me."
Incense frown Sheba - Sheba was in Arabian famous for the best incense. It was situated towards the southern extremity of the peninsula of Arabia; and was, in respect of Judea, a far country. And the sweet cane from a far country - The calamus aromaticus, which, when dried and pulverized, yields a very fine aro…
God isn't rejecting the costly, imported ingredients for incense, or even the sacrifices themselves; He's asking, "To what purpose?" This highlights that the real issue isn't the quality of their worship, but its heart – their obedience and right relationship with Him are what truly matter, not just the expensive rituals.
God is speaking through Jeremiah to a people who are performing religious rituals, like offering incense and sacrifices, with expensive ingredients from far-off lands. However, their outward acts of worship are hollow because their hearts are far from God; they continue in sin and disobedience, rendering their offerings unacceptable.
God is speaking through Jeremiah to a people who are performing religious rituals, like offering incense and sacrifices, with expensive ingredients from far-off lands. However, their outward acts of worship are hollow because their hearts are far from God; they continue in sin and disobedience, rendering their offerings unacceptable.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Jeremiah 6:20 is available in the Sola app.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel. The Temple in Jerusalem is looted.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces utterly destroy Jerusalem and its Temple. The remaining population is exiled to Babylon, leaving the land desolate.
"What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me." — God isn't rejecting the costly, imported ingredients for incense, or even the sacrifices themselves; He's asking, "To what purpose?" This highlights that the real issue isn't the quality of their w…
