But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.

JEREMIAH 32:34KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 32:34 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 32:34 mean?

Jeremiah 32:34 says that the people brought things God considered detestable into the temple, which was dedicated to Him, and by doing so, they made it unclean. This verse points to a serious violation: bringing offensive practices or objects into the very place meant to honor God.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The situation is one of deep spiritual decline, where the people have not only turned away from God but have also brought their idolatrous practices right into the temple itself. The verse highlights the seriousness of their actions by stressing that the temple is called by God’s own name, making their defilement especially offensive.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 32:34

  • "abominations" (תּוֹעֵבָה, toʿevah): This word refers to things that are especially detestable or loathsome in God’s eyes, often connected to idolatry or pagan worship. Its use here underlines just how offensive these practices were in the context of Israel’s worship.
  • "defile" (טָמֵא, tame): This word means to make something ritually or morally unclean. Using this word for what happened to the temple shows that the people’s actions didn’t just break rules—they made the sacred space unfit for God’s presence.
  • "house" (בַּיִת, bayit): This is the common Hebrew word for “house,” but here it refers specifically to the temple, the central place of worship for Israel. The verse emphasizes that this is not just any house, but the one called by God’s name.

Why Jeremiah 32:34 matters

  • Jeremiah 32:34 makes clear that the problem was not just idol worship in general, but the shocking act of bringing idols and detestable practices directly into God’s temple.
  • The verse highlights the depth of the people’s unfaithfulness by showing they were willing to defile even the most sacred space, not just worship idols elsewhere.
  • This verse connects to the wider message of Jeremiah, where the people’s disregard for God’s holiness leads to judgment and exile, showing why God’s response is so serious.

Where else these words appear

“abominations” Hebrew H8251 · used in 26 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)
  • Jeremiah 7:30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
  • Ezekiel 20:8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

“defile” Hebrew H2930 · used in 142 verses

  • Genesis 34:5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
  • Leviticus 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Numbers 35:34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.