If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

JEREMIAH 7:6KJV
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Jeremiah 7:6 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 7:6 mean?

Jeremiah 7:6 warns the people not to mistreat vulnerable groups—specifically the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow—not to spill innocent blood, and not to follow other gods, because doing these things brings harm upon themselves. The verse sets out clear conditions for living rightly in God’s eyes and avoiding self-inflicted trouble.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah at the temple, delivering God’s message during a time of widespread injustice and idolatry. God, through Jeremiah, lists specific wrongs—oppressing outsiders and the defenseless, committing violence against the innocent, and chasing after foreign gods—that were common in society. The verse makes it plain that these actions are not just religious failures but also bring real harm to the people themselves.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 7:6

  • "Oppress" (עָשַׁק, ʿāshaq) means to wrongfully take from or mistreat someone, especially those without power. The word points to active exploitation, not just passive neglect.
  • "Stranger" (גֵּר, gēr) refers to a foreigner or resident alien, someone living among the Israelites but not originally from there. This highlights God’s concern for outsiders and the vulnerable.
  • "Innocent" (נָקִי, nāqî) describes someone free from guilt or wrongdoing. The command not to shed innocent blood (דָּם, dām) emphasizes that violence against those who have done no wrong is especially serious.
  • "Hurt" (רַע, raʿ) is a broad word for evil or harm. The phrase "to your hurt" shows that following other gods is not just a spiritual issue but leads to real damage in the community.

Why Jeremiah 7:6 matters

  • Jeremiah 7:6 clarifies that God’s expectations are not just about ritual or worship but about justice, compassion, and how people treat each other.
  • The verse connects social justice (how the vulnerable are treated) directly with faithfulness to God, showing these are inseparable in God’s eyes.
  • Jeremiah 7:6 helps explain why judgment was coming on Judah: their religious practices were empty because their lives were marked by injustice and idolatry.

Where else these words appear

“oppress” Hebrew H6231 · used in 35 verses

  • Leviticus 6:2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
  • Psalms 72:4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
  • Isaiah 23:12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

“fatherless” Hebrew H3490 · used in 42 verses

  • Exodus 22:22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
  • Job 6:27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.
  • Psalms 146:9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

“innocent” Hebrew H5355 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 24:41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.
  • Joshua 2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
  • Psalms 15:5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

“widow” Hebrew H490 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 38:11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
  • 2 Samuel 14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
  • Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.