Jeremiah 7:6

7:1-16 No observances, professions, or supposed revelations, will profit, if men do not amend their ways and their doings. None can claim an interest in free salvation, who allow themselves in the practice of known sin, or live in the neglect of known duty. They thought that the temple they profaned would be their protection. But all who continue in sin because grace has abounded, or that grace may abound, make Christ the minister of sin; and the cross of Christ, rightly understood, forms the most effectual remedy to such poisonous sentiments. The Son of God gave himself for our transgressions, to show the excellence of the Divine law, and the evil of sin. Never let us think we may do wickedness without suffering for it.

Verse 6. - The stranger, the fatherless, and the widow ; specially commended to the care of the Israelites ( Exodus 22:21, 22 - a passage belonging to one of the most evidently primitive portions of the Pentateuch; Deuteronomy 24:17, 19, 21 ; Deuteronomy 27:19 ; comp. Isaiah 1:17, 23 ; Isaiah 10:2 ; Ezekiel 22:7 ). In plus; i . e . specially in Jerusalem, but not altogether excluding the rest of the kingdom (see vers. 3, 7). Jeremiah 7:6

6 . if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow ] The foreigner, temporarily resident, as having no legal status, specially needed commendation to the kindness of those around him. Harshness to such was strongly denounced in the “Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 21-23, e.g. Jeremiah 22:21 , Jeremiah 23:9 ) and Deut. (e.g. Deuteronomy 24:17 ).

(6) The stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. —Grouped together, as in Deuteronomy 14:29 ; Deuteronomy 24:19-21 , as the three great representatives of the poor and helpless, standing most in need therefore of man’s justice and of the divine protection. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary7:1-16 No observances, professions, or supposed revelations, will profit, if men do not amend their ways and their doings. None can claim an interest in free salvation, who allow themselves in the practice of known sin, or live in the neglect of known duty. They thought that the temple they profaned would be their protection. But all who continue in sin because grace has abounded, or that grace may abound, make Christ the minister of sin; and the cross of Christ, rightly understood, forms the most effectual remedy to such poisonous sentiments. The Son of God gave himself for our transgressions, to show the excellence of the Divine law, and the evil of sin. Never let us think we may do wickedness without suffering for it.Barnes' Notes on the BibleIn this place - i. e., in Jerusalem. The prophet refers to innocent blood shed there judicially.

Of one such judicial murder Jehoiakim had already been guilty Jeremiah 26:23.Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary6. this place—this city and land (Jer 7:7).to your hurt—so Jer 7:19; "to the confusion or their own faces" (Jer 13:10; Pr 8:36).Matthew Poole's Commentary Here they are cautioned against three sins that this people were generally addicted to, oppression, blood, and idolatry; and he instanceth in the worst of oppressions, viz. of such as God hath more especially taken into his immediate protection, because these are most void of help, and most obnoxious to injuries; the stranger, Exodus 22:21, the fatherless, and widow, Jeremiah 7:22-24; see them all three together, Deu 10:18 27:19: see on Isaiah 10:1,2: and where God speaks of right administering of justice, he usually makes mention of these three, to prove the integrity and impartiality of justice; and though this may more properly respect the princes and great ones, yet I conceive here the prophet doth not so restrain it. Shed not innocent blood, either by murder or unrighteous sentence; being one of those sins in special mentioned for which God expresseth his high displeasure, and will send the Chaldeans upon them, 2 Kings 24:4. In this place; either in this city in special, or the whole land in general; see Jeremiah 7:3; and there he would show what a foolish thing it is that they should boast of their security in this place, and yet shed blood, which pollutes every place, Numbers 35:31, &c.

Here they are cautioned against three sins that this people were generally addicted to, oppression, blood, and idolatry; and he instanceth in the worst of oppressions, viz. of such as God hath more especially taken into his immediate protection, because these are most void of help, and most obnoxious to injuries; the stranger, Exodus 22:21 , the fatherless, and widow, Jeremiah 7:22-24 ; see them all three together, Deu 10:18 27:19 : see on Isaiah 10:1,2 : and where God speaks of right administering of justice, he usually makes mention of these three, to prove the integrity and impartiality of justice; and though this may more properly respect the princes and great ones, yet I conceive here the prophet doth not so restrain it. Shed not innocent blood, either by murder or unrighteous sentence; being one of those sins in special mentioned for which God expresseth his high displeasure, and will send the Chaldeans upon them, 2 Kings 24:4 . In this place; either in this city in special, or the whole land in general; see Jeremiah 7:3 ; and there he would show what a foolish thing it is that they should boast of their security in this place, and yet shed blood, which pollutes every place, Numbers 35:31 , &c.

Neither walk after other gods; abstain from your idolatrous courses and depart not from my pure and uncorrupted worship, unto your superstitious and hypocritical service; and he adds to your hurt, or your own hurt, to show that they will be the only sufferers by it, not God, Jeremiah 7:19 . God is neither benefited nor damaged by any thing that we can do, Job 35:6-8 .