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)
The phrase "went backward and not forward" is more than just about progress; it powerfully captures a deliberate turning away from God, like physically turning one's back on Him. This wasn't just a lack of forward movement, but an active rejection of His presence and guidance, choosing instead the ruinous path of their own "evil hearts."
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)
The prophet Jeremiah is denouncing the people of Judah for their empty religious practices. Despite their elaborate sacrifices and temple worship, God declares their actions meaningless because they have ignored His commands to obey Him. This verse explains that their persistent disobedience, clinging to their own ideas and desires, meant they were moving further away from God instead of progressing in His favor.
God had a specific command for His people when He rescued them from Egypt, and it wasn't about elaborate rituals. What was it, and why is it so crucial?
Jeremiah 7:22-23 reveals that God’s primary concern when He brought Israel out of Egypt was not sacrifices. Instead, He commanded them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’
This highlights a foundational truth: God desires wholehearted obedience more than ritualistic offerings. The people had become so fixated on performing sacrifices that they neglected the very heart of God's covenant – listening to His voice and following His ways. This wasn't a dismissal of sacrifices altogether, but a correction against valuing the outward show over the inward reality of devotion and obedience.
The verse speaks of 'their own counsels' and the 'stubbornness of their evil hearts.' What does it mean to walk in these, and where does it lead?
Jeremiah 7:24 starkly describes the chosen path of the disobedient: 'but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil heart.' This isn't just a passive failure to obey; it's an active choice to follow internal desires and self-determined wisdom over God's revealed will.
'Own counsels' implies reliance on human reasoning and desires, rather than divine guidance. The 'stubbornness of their evil heart' points to a deep-seated resistance to God's ways, a hardened will that prefers its own way. This is a dangerous state, as the heart, when turned away from God, is inherently flawed and leads to destructive paths.
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The consequence of disobedience is clear: 'went backward, and not forward.' What does this spiritual regression look like in reality?
The final phrase, 'and went backward, and not forward,' vividly illustrates the outcome of rejecting God's commands and following one's own heart. This isn't stagnation; it's regression. Instead of progressing in faith, wisdom, and righteousness, the people were moving away from God and spiritual health.
This backward movement signifies a departure from God's intended path for them – a path of blessing, growth, and relationship. It means becoming worse, more hardened, and further removed from God's presence and purpose. It's a state where correction and warnings have no positive effect, but instead, drive them further into sin and its consequences.
Understand the original words
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 comes from a time when Jerusalem's destruction was imminent, a direct result of the people prioritizing empty religious rituals over genuine obedience to God's commands, a theme woven throughout Israel's history.
~1446 BC
Israel Receives the Law at Sinai
God establishes His covenant with Israel, giving them the Law which emphasizes obedience to His voice above all else, including sacrifices.
~1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
The united monarchy under David and Solomon sees a centralized worship at Jerusalem, with sacrifices becoming a prominent part of national life.
c. 931 BC
Kingdom Divides
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, leading to divided and often idolatrous worship.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers and deports the Northern Kingdom, a stark warning of the consequences of disobedience and turning away from God.
c. 609-597 BC
First Deportations to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon begins deporting Judean elites and skilled workers to Babylon, initiating a period of Judah's decline and increasing divine judgment.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, ending Judah's sovereignty and exiling the remaining population, a consequence of persistent disobedience.
This passage describes the blessing of obedience, where following God's commands leads to being 'the head and not the tail,' directly contrasting Jeremiah's depiction of 'going backward and not forward' due to disobedience.
1 Samuel 15:22Samuel's rebuke to Saul highlights that obedience is far more valuable to God than sacrifice, echoing Jeremiah's message that the people's outward religious practices were meaningless because they lacked willing obedience and followed their own 'evil hearts.'
Proverbs 14:12This proverb states, 'There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death,' which perfectly captures Jeremiah's critique of the people walking in their 'own counsels' and the 'stubbornness of their evil hearts,' a path that ultimately leads away from God's life-giving way.
Hebrews 10:38-39This New Testament passage speaks of those who 'shrink back and are destroyed,' paralleling Jeremiah's imagery of the people 'going backward and not forward.' It underscores that turning away from God's truth, even after having some understanding, has severe consequences.
Luke 9:62Jesus states, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.' This directly illustrates the concept of 'going backward and not forward,' emphasizing that true discipleship requires unwavering commitment and not turning back to old ways or 'own counsels.'
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 7:24: "But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."
Verse 24. - Imagination; rather, stubbornness (see on Jeremiah 3:17). Went backward, and not forward; rather, turned their back, and not their face (literally, became backwards, and not forwards).
The phrase "went backward and not forward" is more than just about progress; it powerfully captures a deliberate turning away from God, like physically turning one's back on Him. This wasn't just a lack of forward movement, but an active rejection of His presence and guidance, choosing instead the ruinous path of their own "evil hearts."
The prophet Jeremiah is denouncing the people of Judah for their empty religious practices. Despite their elaborate sacrifices and temple worship, God declares their actions meaningless because they have ignored His commands to obey Him. This verse explains that their persistent disobedience, clinging to their own ideas and desires, meant they were moving further away from God instead of progressing in His favor.
The prophet Jeremiah is denouncing the people of Judah for their empty religious practices. Despite their elaborate sacrifices and temple worship, God declares their actions meaningless because they have ignored His commands to obey Him. This verse explains that their persistent disobedience, clinging to their own ideas and desires, meant they were moving further away from God instead of progressing in His favor.
"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." — The phrase "went backward and not forward" is more than just about progress; it powerfully captures a deliberate turning away from God, like physically turning one's back on Him. This wasn't just a…
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Last reviewed October 2026