Jeremiah 7:22-23
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What God didn't command in the exodus is as important as what He did: He emphasizes that outward sacrifices were never the point for Him, unlike the obedience He sought from the very beginning. The prophet’s words here aren't invalidating sacrifice altogether, but calling out the people for making it an empty ritual instead of the path to a true relationship with God.
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. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is in the temple courts, confronting the people of Judah about their empty worship. They are bringing sacrifices and trusting in the temple's presence, but their lives are marked by injustice and disobedience. God declares through Jeremiah that He never intended for sacrifices to be the core of their relationship with Him, especially not when divorced from obedience.
Why did God bring Israel out of Egypt? Was it for a complex system of rituals, or something far more foundational?
When God delivered Israel from Egypt, His primary concern wasn't a detailed sacrificial system. Jeremiah 7:22 clearly states that God didn't command burnt offerings and sacrifices on that day. This doesn't mean sacrifices were never ordained, but it highlights what was essential from the very beginning of their covenant relationship. God's immediate focus was on their obedience to His voice. The prophets consistently point out that God desires a willing heart and obedience to His commands above all external acts of worship. Sacrifices, when offered without genuine obedience and faith, were meaningless, even offensive, to God.
If God didn't command sacrifices at first, how did they become such a central part of Israel's worship?
The text implies that sacrifices were not the purpose of the covenant, but rather a means to an end, introduced later or emphasized differently. When Jeremiah says God didn't command sacrifices 'in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt,' he's contrasting the foundational requirement of obedience with the subsequent ritualistic practices. While sacrifices were indeed part of God's instituted worship, they were valuable as signs and reminders—reminders of sin, the need for atonement, and a foreshadowing of Christ. However, when the people prioritized the act of sacrifice over the heart of obedience, these rituals became empty and detestable to God. They were 'added' or emphasized in response to the people's corruptions and tendency towards outward performance without inner devotion.
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Understand the original words
shama' · Hebrew Verb
To hear with the intent of response; it implies active, submissive, and faithful hearing that results in action or obedience.
'am · Hebrew Noun
A relational term describing the covenantal commitment where God chooses a people to be His own, promising His presence and protection, while they acknowledge Him as their sole sovereign.
halakh · Hebrew Verb
In biblical usage, refers to the lifestyle or conduct of a person; to walk in God's way is to conform one's life to His revealed moral and ethical standards.
Jeremiah emphasizes that the foundational command God gave Israel at their exodus was obedience, not the rituals of sacrifice. While sacrifices were later instituted, their purpose was secondary to heartfelt obedience, and they were corrupted by the people's focus on external rites over genuine devotion.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Exodus from Egypt and Covenant at Sinai
God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt, establishing a covenant relationship with them at Mount Sinai. While the Law includes sacrificial instructions, the core command is obedience to God's voice.
c. 1446-1406 BC
The Wilderness Journey
Following the covenant, Israel journeys through the wilderness. During this period, various laws, including those for sacrifices and the tabernacle, are given by God through Moses.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites enter and conquer the promised land under Joshua's leadership.
c. 1000 BC
David Establishes Jerusalem
King David captures Jerusalem and makes it the capital of Israel, establishing a central place for worship and the Ark of the Covenant.
c. 950 BC
Solomon's Temple Completed
King Solomon builds the First Temple in Jerusalem, a magnificent structure intended as the central sanctuary for Israel's worship, including sacrifices.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and scattering them. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 621 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah of Judah discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple and institutes sweeping religious reforms, centralizing worship and abolishing idolatry.
This passage directly parallels Jeremiah's point by stating that obedience is far more valuable to God than sacrifices, challenging the people's misplaced focus on ritual.
Hosea 6:6Echoing Jeremiah's sentiment, Hosea emphasizes that God desires steadfast love and knowledge of Him more than burnt offerings, highlighting the superiority of inner devotion over external ritual.
Micah 6:6-8This passage presents a powerful rhetorical question about what God requires, ultimately pointing to justice, mercy, and humility as the true offerings, not sacrifices alone.
Exodus 19:5This verse shows God's initial intention when forming the covenant with Israel, emphasizing obedience to His voice as the primary condition, rather than elaborate sacrifices.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13This passage reiterates the core message that God requires obedience, fear of Him, and walking in His ways, underscoring that these are His true commands, not just the sacrificial system.
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…
What God didn't command in the exodus is as important as what He did: He emphasizes that outward sacrifices were never the point for Him, unlike the obedience He sought from the very beginning. The prophet’s words here aren't invalidating sacrifice altogether, but calling out the people for making it an empty ritual instead of the path to a true relationship with God.
Jeremiah is in the temple courts, confronting the people of Judah about their empty worship. They are bringing sacrifices and trusting in the temple's presence, but their lives are marked by injustice and disobedience. God declares through Jeremiah that He never intended for sacrifices to be the core of their relationship with Him, especially not when divorced from obedience.
Jeremiah is in the temple courts, confronting the people of Judah about their empty worship. They are bringing sacrifices and trusting in the temple's presence, but their lives are marked by injustice and disobedience. God declares through Jeremiah that He never intended for sacrifices to be the core of their relationship with Him, especially not when divorced from obedience.
"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. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be…" — What God didn't command in the exodus is as important as what He did: He emphasizes that outward sacrifices were never the point for Him, unlike the obedience He sought from the very beginning. T…
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Last reviewed October 2026
