The Meaning of Jeremiah 7:12 Explained

Jeremiah 7:12

KJV: But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

YLT: But go ye, I pray you, Unto My place that is in Shiloh, Where I caused My name to dwell at first, And see that which I have done to it, For the wickedness of My people Israel.

Darby: For go now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel.

ASV: But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But go  ye now unto my place  which [was] in Shiloh,  where I set  my name  at the first,  and see  what I did  to it for  the wickedness  of my people  Israel. 

What does Jeremiah 7:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh told the people to go to Shiloh to see what He had done to another town where He had met with the Israelites in former years (cf. Joshua 18:1; Judges 18:31; 1 Samuel 1-4). In Jeremiah"s day it lay in ruins. The site was about20 miles north of Jerusalem. The Philistines evidently destroyed the town in Eli"s day, though the text does not say so explicitly ( 1 Samuel 4). [1] The tabernacle that had stood at Shiloh then was still in existence in David"s day, having been moved to Gibeon ( 1 Chronicles 21:29), and when Solomon began to reign ( 2 Chronicles 1:3), so it did not suffer destruction with the city. Later references indicate that the town was rebuilt ( 1 Kings 14:2; 1 Kings 14:4). The Assyrian invasion of the territory of Ephraim, where Shiloh stood, may have destroyed it again. Yahweh had allowed Shiloh to be destroyed because of the wickedness of the Israelites. Therefore Jeremiah"s hearers should not think that He would preserve the temple from destruction in spite of their sins. The temple was not a talisman (lucky charm) that guaranteed their safety. The Israelites had formerly taken this view of the ark as well (cf. 1 Samuel 4:3).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 7

1  Jeremiah is sent to call to true repentance, to prevent the Jews' captivity
8  He rejects their vain confidence,
12  by the example of Shiloh
17  He threatens them for their idolatry
21  He rejects the sacrifices of the disobedient
29  He exhorts to mourn for their abominations in Tophet;
32  and the judgments for the same

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 7:12 mean?

But go now to My place that [was] in Shiloh where I set My name at at the first and see - what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel
כִּ֣י לְכוּ־ נָ֗א אֶל־ מְקוֹמִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּשִׁיל֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׁכַּ֧נְתִּֽי שְׁמִ֛י שָׁ֖ם בָּרִֽאשׁוֹנָ֑ה וּרְאוּ֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־ עָשִׂ֣יתִי ל֔וֹ מִפְּנֵ֕י רָעַ֖ת עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

לְכוּ־  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נָ֗א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
מְקוֹמִי֙  My  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּשִׁיל֔וֹ  in  Shiloh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁילֹו 
Sense: a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שִׁכַּ֧נְתִּֽי  I  set 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.
שְׁמִ֛י  My  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
שָׁ֖ם  at 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
בָּרִֽאשׁוֹנָ֑ה  at  the  first 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
וּרְאוּ֙  and  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עָשִׂ֣יתִי  I  did 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
ל֔וֹ  to  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מִפְּנֵ֕י  because 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
רָעַ֖ת  of  the  wickedness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
עַמִּ֥י  of  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.