Jeremiah 7:23-24
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The verse highlights that God's primary command, even from the Exodus, wasn't about sacrifices but about simply listening to His voice and walking in His ways. This emphasizes that true worship is fundamentally about obedience and a relational connection, rather than just outward rituals.
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.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is addressing the Israelites' misplaced focus on sacrifices and temple rituals, dismissing them as empty gestures without genuine obedience. He clarifies that from the very beginning, when He brought them out of Egypt, His primary command was not about offerings, but about listening to His voice and walking in His ways for their own good. This sets up the contrast with their actual rebellious behavior, where they ignored God's commands and followed their own wicked desires instead.
The Israelites were busy with sacrifices, but God had a different priority. What was it, and why?
Jeremiah confronts the people of Israel, who were deeply focused on religious rituals and sacrifices. However, God, through the prophet, clarifies that their elaborate offerings were secondary. The primary command given since the exodus from Egypt was simple: 'Obey my voice.' This wasn't a complex theological debate, but a fundamental call to listen to and follow God's direct instructions. The promise attached? 'I will be your God, and you shall be my people.' This highlights that the core of the covenant relationship wasn't about outward performance, but about a responsive, obedient heart that aligns with God's will.
What's the ultimate outcome God desires for His people, and how is it achieved?
The verse doesn't just demand obedience; it reveals its purpose: 'that it may be well with you.' This isn't a promise of a life free from hardship, but rather a state of flourishing and well-being that comes from living in alignment with God's created order and His divine will. When God's people walk in His ways, they experience His protection, provision, and the deep satisfaction that comes from living in right relationship with their Creator. Conversely, as the surrounding context of Jeremiah's prophecy illustrates, disobedience leads to ruin and destruction, proving that God's commands are not arbitrary burdens, but pathways to life.
Understand the original words
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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.
levav · Hebrew Noun
The inner seat of the human will, intellect, and moral choices; in Scripture, it is often viewed as the center of human motivation and the source of either righteousness or rebellion.
sherirut · Hebrew Noun
A persistent condition of resisting divine authority; it characterizes a hardened or rebellious spirit that refuses to submit to God's law or guidance.
This verse cuts through the religious ritualism of Jeremiah's day. While the people focused on sacrifices and temple worship, especially after Josiah's reforms, God's fundamental command, given at the very formation of the covenant and reiterated throughout their history, was simple obedience to His voice. The destruction of Jerusalem is a stark reminder that outward observance without inner faithfulness empties worship of its meaning.
~1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, establishing His covenant with them at Mount Sinai shortly after.
~1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following Moses' death, Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land, conquering its inhabitants and dividing the territory among the tribes.
c. 1000 BC
Reign of King David
David unites the tribes, establishes Jerusalem as the capital, and expands the kingdom, a period often seen as a golden age of Israelite monarchy.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and leading to the loss of the ten tribes.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah institutes religious reforms based on a rediscovered scroll of the Law, attempting to purify worship and centralize it in Jerusalem.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacks Jerusalem, capturing nobles and skilled workers, including the prophet Daniel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 587 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's core message, highlighting that obedience to God's voice is the path to well-being and a strong covenant relationship, just as it was for Israel.
1 Samuel 15:22This verse directly parallels Jeremiah's emphasis, stating that obedience to God is far more valuable than sacrifices, cutting through the superficial religious practices of the time.
Exodus 19:5-6This passage lays the foundation for the covenant relationship, showing that God's promise to be their God was conditioned on their obedience and willingness to walk in His ways.
Matthew 7:21Jesus emphasizes that simply hearing His words isn't enough; true disciples are those who actively *do* what the Father commands, reinforcing Jeremiah's point about obedience being paramount.
Amos 5:25This prophet also called out Israel's misplaced focus on sacrifices, revealing that their outward rituals were meaningless without the inward heart of obedience that God truly desired.
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 7:23: "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
Verse 23. - But this thing... Obey my voice, etc. Comp. Deuteronomy 6:3, "Hear [the verb rendered here 'obey'] therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee," etc. The words, I will be your God; rather, to you a God, etc., occur in Leviticus 26:12 (comp. Exodus 6…
The verse highlights that God's primary command, even from the Exodus, wasn't about sacrifices but about simply listening to His voice and walking in His ways. This emphasizes that true worship is fundamentally about obedience and a relational connection, rather than just outward rituals.
God is addressing the Israelites' misplaced focus on sacrifices and temple rituals, dismissing them as empty gestures without genuine obedience. He clarifies that from the very beginning, when He brought them out of Egypt, His primary command was not about offerings, but about listening to His voice and walking in His ways for their own good. This sets up the contrast with their actual rebellious behavior, where they ignored God's commands and followed their own wicked desires instead.
God is addressing the Israelites' misplaced focus on sacrifices and temple rituals, dismissing them as empty gestures without genuine obedience. He clarifies that from the very beginning, when He brought them out of Egypt, His primary command was not about offerings, but about listening to His voice and walking in His ways for their own good. This sets up the contrast with their actual rebellious behavior, where they ignored God's commands and followed their own wicked desires instead.
"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.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their ow…" — The verse highlights that God's primary command, even from the Exodus, wasn't about sacrifices but about simply listening to His voice and walking in His ways. This emphasizes that true worship is fu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
