therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God declares that just as Shiloh, the former dwelling place of His presence, was abandoned due to Israel's wickedness, so too will He forsake Jerusalem and its temple. The verse highlights that the people's misplaced trust in the physical location of the temple, rather than in their obedience to God, sealed its doom.
therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is confronting the people of Judah in Jerusalem, who are relying on the Temple as a guarantee of safety despite their wicked actions. Jeremiah has just instructed them to go to the ruins of Shiloh, where God's presence once resided, to see what happened there because of Israel's sin. Now, God declares that the same devastating judgment will fall upon Jerusalem and its Temple, the very place they trust in, just as Shiloh was destroyed.
Jeremiah confronts a people clinging to a building, not the God who inhabits it. What happens when our faith is in sacred spaces rather than the One who makes them sacred?
The people of Judah had a deep-seated trust in the physical Temple in Jerusalem. They believed its presence guaranteed God's protection, regardless of their actions. Jeremiah points out the futility of this reliance.
A False Security
They trusted 'this house, which is called by my name.' It was God's Temple, yes, and He had promised to meet them there. But their trust had become misplaced. They believed the place itself was a shield, a magical charm.
Theological Shift
This is a crucial distinction: trusting God's promises in a place versus trusting the place itself. God's presence is tied to His covenant and His people's obedience. When obedience fails, the promise of protection tied to that specific physical manifestation of presence is nullified.
A Historical Precedent
This misplaced trust was not new. God had previously established His name and presence at Shiloh. Yet, due to the wickedness of His people, Shiloh was destroyed and abandoned. The people in Jeremiah's day were making the same mistake, ignoring the lessons of the past.
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God gave the land and the Temple, but what does that gift truly mean? Jeremiah reminds them that God's ownership is absolute, and He can revoke what He has given.
The people viewed the Temple and Jerusalem as unconditionally theirs, gifts from God that could never be taken away. Jeremiah corrects this understanding by asserting God's ultimate sovereignty.
The Conditional Nature of the Gift
God states, 'the place that I gave to you and to your fathers.' This wasn't an unconditional, eternal deed to the land or the Temple. These were gifts given within the context of covenant relationship. As Poole notes, they were 'upon condition of your obedience.'
Divine Prerogative
When the condition of obedience is broken, God, as the ultimate owner, has the right to withdraw His favor and His presence. JFB aptly states, 'I gave—and I therefore can revoke the gift for it is still Mine.' Just as God withdrew from Shiloh, He could and would withdraw from Jerusalem and the Temple.
The True Measure of Blessing
God's blessing is not tied to geographical location or physical structures but to faithfulness. The destruction of Shiloh and the impending judgment on Jerusalem serve as stark reminders that God's presence is a gift to be treasured and honored through obedience, not a possession to be presumed upon.
The mention of Shiloh isn't just historical; it's a dire warning. What can we learn from the ruin of this once-sacred site that Jeremiah applies to his own generation?
Jeremiah invokes Shiloh not merely as an ancient footnote but as a potent symbol of God's judgment and abandonment of His people when they persist in sin.
The Fall of Shiloh
Shiloh was the first central sanctuary where God established His name and the Ark of the Covenant rested for centuries. However, 'for the wickedness of my people Israel' (as noted in the broader context), God allowed it to be devastated. The Ark was captured, and the sanctuary was left in ruins. This was not a minor setback; it was a catastrophic loss for the nation.
A Mirror for Jerusalem
Jeremiah uses Shiloh as a direct parallel to the Temple in Jerusalem. He says, 'I will do... unto the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.' This comparison is meant to be terrifying. It shows that no physical structure, no matter how sacred or historically significant, is immune from God's judgment if His people reject Him.
The Meaning of 'Doing As Shiloh'
For Jerusalem, this meant the destruction of the Temple, the city, and the exile of its people. It was the withdrawal of God's visible presence and protection, just as it had happened at Shiloh. Calvin highlights that the holiness of the Temple was derived from the Ark, and if the Ark could be removed from Shiloh, then the Temple in Jerusalem was not a guarantee against judgment.
Understand the original words
batach · Hebrew Verb
The act of relying on something or someone for security, safety, or hope; in a biblical context, it is often warned against when placed in anything other than God Himself (e.g., temples, wealth, or national status).
By referencing Shiloh's destruction, Jeremiah highlights that even the sacred Temple in Jerusalem, the place where God's name dwelled, was not immune to judgment if its people persisted in disobedience and trust misplaced in rituals rather than true repentance.
c. 1050 BC
Ark moves to Shiloh
The Ark of the Covenant was established at Shiloh, a significant religious center where the tabernacle and its worship were located for an extended period.
c. 1050 BC - 400 BC
Ark at Shiloh and subsequent decline
Shiloh served as the central place of worship for the Israelites for centuries. Its eventual abandonment and ruin became a stark reminder of God's judgment on sin.
c. 950 BC
Ark captured by Philistines
During a devastating defeat by the Philistines, the Ark of the Covenant was captured, and Shiloh was subsequently destroyed and abandoned.
c. 970 BC
Ark moved to Jerusalem
After the Ark's return, King David brought it to Jerusalem, establishing a new central sanctuary for worship. Later, Solomon built the First Temple there.
Early 6th century BC
Jerusalem under siege
The Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, the capital city and home of the First Temple, bringing immense pressure and hardship to its inhabitants.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroyed Solomon's Temple (the 'house called by my name'), and exiled much of the population, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy.
This passage describes the destruction and desolation of Shiloh, which Jeremiah uses as a historical precedent for the impending judgment on Jerusalem and its Temple. It shows God's willingness to abandon places once consecrated to Him when His people turn away from Him.
Psalm 78:60-61This psalm recounts the abandonment of Shiloh by God after the Ark of the Covenant was captured, highlighting that even a place where God's name resided is not inherently protected from judgment if His covenant people sin. It reinforces the idea that God's presence is conditional upon obedience.
Jeremiah 26:6This verse is a direct parallel to Jeremiah 7:14, as Jeremiah also refers to the judgment on Shiloh when prophesying against the Temple in Jerusalem. It shows a consistent message from Jeremiah about the consequences of the people's unfaithfulness.
1 Samuel 4:10-11This passage details the immediate aftermath of the Ark's capture from Shiloh, showing the physical removal of God's presence and the devastating loss experienced by Israel. It illustrates the concrete consequences of the sin that led to Shiloh's ruin.
Romans 2:17-24Paul echoes Jeremiah's concern by rebuking the Jews who, despite having God's law and boasting in Him, live in hypocrisy. This passage warns that claiming God's name or having religious privileges provides no automatic protection if one's actions do not align with God's will, much like the people of Judah trusting in the Temple.
pooleJeremiah 7:14: "Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh."
Therefore, because they have added this their obstinate refusing of all admonitions to the rest of their provocations, will I do unto this house, viz. cause the consecrated things of the temple to be taken away by the hand of the Babylonians. The place , see Jeremiah 7:7 , which I gave to you, viz. upon conditio…
calvinJeremiah 7:12-14: "But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel."
Et nunc quia fecistis omnia opera haee (id est, quia imitati estis Israelitas) dicit Jehovah, et loquutus sum ad vos mane surgens, et quum loquerer, non audistis, et inclamarem vos, non respondistis.
Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you…
God declares that just as Shiloh, the former dwelling place of His presence, was abandoned due to Israel's wickedness, so too will He forsake Jerusalem and its temple. The verse highlights that the people's misplaced trust in the physical location of the temple, rather than in their obedience to God, sealed its doom.
God is confronting the people of Judah in Jerusalem, who are relying on the Temple as a guarantee of safety despite their wicked actions. Jeremiah has just instructed them to go to the ruins of Shiloh, where God's presence once resided, to see what happened there because of Israel's sin. Now, God declares that the same devastating judgment will fall upon Jerusalem and its Temple, the very place they trust in, just as Shiloh was destroyed.
God is confronting the people of Judah in Jerusalem, who are relying on the Temple as a guarantee of safety despite their wicked actions. Jeremiah has just instructed them to go to the ruins of Shiloh, where God's presence once resided, to see what happened there because of Israel's sin. Now, God declares that the same devastating judgment will fall upon Jerusalem and its Temple, the very place they trust in, just as Shiloh was destroyed.
"therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh." — God declares that just as Shiloh, the former dwelling place of His presence, was abandoned due to Israel's wickedness, so too will He forsake Jerusalem and its temple. The verse highlights that the p…
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Last reviewed October 2026