For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is pointing out that His initial, core command to Israel upon their exodus wasn't about religious rituals like sacrifices, but about simple, wholehearted obedience to His voice. The emphasis isn't that sacrifices were forbidden, but that they were never the foundational requirement God sought from them.
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is delivering a powerful message to the people gathered at the temple, challenging their misplaced trust in religious rituals. God, speaking through the prophet, declares that the elaborate sacrifices they are offering are meaningless because they have failed to obey His commands. The context highlights that God's primary concern from the moment He delivered them from Egypt was not about sacrifices, but about their obedience to His voice and their commitment to walk in His ways.
When God rescued Israel from Egypt, what was His very first concern? It wasn't about smoky altars or bleating lambs. It was about something much more foundational.
Jeremiah 7:22 delivers a powerful punch: 'For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.'
This isn't saying God never wanted sacrifices. Later, He did institute them.
But when the foundation of the covenant was laid, God's primary, overriding instruction was obedience.
Ask a follow-up
The Israelites were going through the motions with their sacrifices. But God saw something deeply wrong. What was it, and what does it say about our own spiritual lives?
The prophetic context reveals why Jeremiah had to say that God didn't primarily command sacrifices back in Egypt. The people had corrupted worship.
Jeremiah’s message highlights that God's primary command from the Exodus was obedience, not empty ritual. The people’s misplaced focus on sacrifices, especially during the looming threat of Babylonian exile and the recent destruction of the Temple, demonstrated a deep misunderstanding of their covenant relationship with God.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Departs Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, marking the beginning of their national covenant relationship with Him.
c. 1446 BC
Ten Commandments Given
At Mount Sinai, God gives the Law to Israel, including the Ten Commandments, forming the core of their covenant. Sacrificial laws are also detailed.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of many Israelites and serving as a warning to Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and exiles some of its people, including members of the royal family, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Babylon deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, after a rebellion against Babylonian rule.
587-586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population. This event marks the desolation and loss of the promised land for Judah.
This passage directly parallels Jeremiah's point by stating that obedience is far more valuable to God than sacrifice, showing this is a consistent theme throughout Scripture.
Hosea 6:6This verse emphasizes God's desire for steadfast love and knowledge of Him over burnt offerings, echoing Jeremiah's message that external rituals are meaningless without inner devotion.
Micah 6:6-8Here, Micah poses a similar question to Jeremiah, asking what sacrifices are acceptable, and concludes that God requires justice, mercy, and humble walking with Him, not mere ritual.
Exodus 19:5This verse highlights God's initial covenant stipulations with Israel upon their deliverance from Egypt, emphasizing obedience and listening to His voice, which directly contrasts with the misplaced focus on sacrifices mentioned in Jeremiah.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13This passage underscores that God's primary requirement from Israel was not ritualistic sacrifice, but rather obedience, fearing Him, walking in His ways, and loving Him, reinforcing Jeremiah's central argument.
calvinJeremiah 7:21-24: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh."
Quia non loquutus sum cum patribus vestris, et non praecepi illis quo die eduxi eos e terra Egypti super verbis (hoc est, rationibus, nam rvd proprie significat rationem Latine; Hebraei enim ita passim usurpant hanc vocem, sicuti Latini rationem, super rationibus ergo) holocaustorum et victimae:
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I…
pulpitJeremiah 7:22: "For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:"
Verse 22. - I spake not unto your fathers, etc. An important and much-disputed passage, from which Graf, Colenso, and Kuenen derive one of their chief subsidiary arguments for the post-Exile date of the Levitical legislation. The prophet here appears to deny in tote that Jehovah at Mount Sinai had given any injunctions on the s…
God is pointing out that His initial, core command to Israel upon their exodus wasn't about religious rituals like sacrifices, but about simple, wholehearted obedience to His voice. The emphasis isn't that sacrifices were forbidden, but that they were never the foundational requirement God sought from them.
Jeremiah is delivering a powerful message to the people gathered at the temple, challenging their misplaced trust in religious rituals. God, speaking through the prophet, declares that the elaborate sacrifices they are offering are meaningless because they have failed to obey His commands. The context highlights that God's primary concern from the moment He delivered them from Egypt was not about sacrifices, but about their obedience to His voice and their commitment to walk in His ways.
Jeremiah is delivering a powerful message to the people gathered at the temple, challenging their misplaced trust in religious rituals. God, speaking through the prophet, declares that the elaborate sacrifices they are offering are meaningless because they have failed to obey His commands. The context highlights that God's primary concern from the moment He delivered them from Egypt was not about sacrifices, but about their obedience to His voice and their commitment to walk in His ways.
"For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices." — God is pointing out that His initial, core command to Israel upon their exodus wasn't about religious rituals like sacrifices, but about simple, wholehearted obedience to His voice. The emphasis isn'…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026