Jeremiah 7:31They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I didn't command, nor did it come into my mind.
The setting
Valley of Ben Hinnom (Gehenna), Jerusalem, ~605 BC. In the shadow of God's temple, parents are burning their own children alive as offerings to foreign gods...
The emotion here: prophet recoiling in horror at describing the unthinkable
The original word
Tophet (תֹּפֶת) — the burning place, from 'toph' (drum) because they beat drums to drown out children's screams
Why it matters
This valley later became Jerusalem's garbage dump where fires burned constantly, which Jesus used as His word picture for hell
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 7:31
God says 'it never came into my mind' — even omniscient God expresses shock at human evil
Common misconceptionPeople think God is just angry here, but He's expressing genuine shock and grief. 'It never came into my mind' shows that even infinite divine love can be stunned by human evil.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 7:31
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 7:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 7:31 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 5% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include child sacrifice, abominable practices. Notable phrases: burn their sons and daughters; which I did not command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 7:31 mean to you, today?
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