The Meaning of Jeremiah 7:4 Explained

Jeremiah 7:4

KJV: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

YLT: Do not trust for yourselves Unto the words of falsehood, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, The temple of Jehovah are they!

Darby: Confide ye not in words of falsehood, saying, Jehovah's temple, Jehovah's temple, Jehovah's temple is this.

ASV: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, are these.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Trust  ye not in lying  words,  saying,  The temple  of the LORD,  The temple  of the LORD,  The temple  of the LORD,  [are] these. 

What does Jeremiah 7:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The people were not to assume that just because they had the temple, the Lord would keep them safe. Many of the Judahites believed that the existence of the temple guaranteed Jerusalem"s inviolability. God"s supernatural deliverance of Jerusalem in Hezekiah"s reign probably accounts for some of this feeling ( 2 Kings 18:13 to 2 Kings 19:37). Furthermore, Josiah had glorified the temple during his reforms.
"They [1] would argue that God had chosen Zion as his earthly dwelling place (cf. Psalm 132:13-14) and had promised to David and his descendants a kingdom for ever ( 2 Samuel 7:12-13). In the light of such promises it seemed to be a natural conclusion that God would not allow either his dwelling place (the temple) or his chosen ruler to come to any harm." [2]
"The temple building itself had become the people"s object of worship, replacing the Person of the building." [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 7:4 mean?

Not do trust to in these words lying saying the temple of Yahweh of Yahweh of Yahweh [are] those
אַל־ תִּבְטְח֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם אֶל־ דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשֶּׁ֖קֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵיכַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ יְהוָ֔ה יְהוָ֖ה הֵֽמָּה

תִּבְטְח֣וּ  do  trust 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
דִּבְרֵ֥י  these  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַשֶּׁ֖קֶר  lying 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֵיכַ֤ל  the  temple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הֵיכָל  
Sense: palace, temple, nave, sanctuary.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הֵֽמָּה  [are]  those 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.