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.

JEREMIAH 7:30KJV
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Jeremiah 7:30 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 7:30 mean?

Jeremiah 7:30 says that the people of Judah have done what is evil in God's view by bringing detestable things into the temple, which is supposed to be holy and bear God's name, and in doing so they have made it unclean. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, is accusing the people of corrupting the very place meant for worship and His presence.

In this verse, God is speaking through Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah about their actions. The "abominations" refer to idols or practices from other religions that the people have introduced into the temple in Jerusalem. This is a serious offense because the temple was considered the special dwelling place of God, and bringing in foreign gods or practices was seen as a direct insult to Him.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 7:30

  • "abominations" (תּוֹעֵבָה, toʿevah): This word means things that are detestable or disgusting, often used in the Hebrew Bible for idols or practices that are especially offensive to God. Here, it highlights just how serious the people's actions were.
  • "pollute" (טָמֵא, tame): This word means to make something unclean or defiled, especially in a religious sense. The people’s actions didn’t just break rules; they made the temple unfit for worship.
  • "house" (בַּיִת, bayit): This refers specifically to the temple in Jerusalem, not just any house. The phrase "called by my name" shows that this place was meant to represent God’s presence among His people, making their actions even more significant.

Why Jeremiah 7:30 matters

  • Jeremiah 7:30 helps clarify that the problem was not just idol worship in general, but the bringing of idols directly into the temple itself, which was a deeper level of disrespect.
  • The verse shows how the people of Judah misunderstood or ignored the purpose of the temple as a place set apart for God, not just another building.
  • This verse sets up the seriousness of the coming judgment in the surrounding chapters, showing that the people's actions were not minor mistakes but a direct challenge to God's holiness.

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 13:27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
  • 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.

“pollute” 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.