◄ Jeremiah 12:7 ►
I have forsaken My house; I have abandoned My inheritance. I have given the love of My life into the hands of her enemies.
Study Bible
I have forsaken My house
In this phrase, the Hebrew word for "forsaken" is "עָזַב" (azab), which conveys a sense of abandonment or leaving behind. This is a powerful declaration from God, indicating a deliberate withdrawal of His presence and favor. Historically, "My house" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for the Israelites. The temple was not just a physical structure but symbolized God's dwelling among His people. The forsaking of the temple signifies a profound judgment due to the people's persistent disobedience and idolatry. This abandonment is not permanent but serves as a call to repentance and a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God.

I have abandoned My inheritance
The term "inheritance" in Hebrew is "נַחֲלָה" (nachalah), often used to describe the land of Israel, which God gave to His people as a perpetual possession. This phrase underscores the gravity of Israel's sin, as God is depicted as abandoning His chosen people, whom He had set apart as His own. The historical context here is crucial; Israel's identity and security were deeply tied to their land, which was a tangible sign of God's covenant with them. The abandonment of His inheritance is a severe act of judgment, reflecting the broken relationship between God and His people due to their unfaithfulness.

I have given the beloved of My soul
The phrase "beloved of My soul" uses the Hebrew word "יְדִידוּת" (yedidut), which conveys deep affection and love. This term highlights the intimate relationship God desires with His people, akin to a deep, personal bond. Despite Israel's waywardness, they are still referred to as "beloved," indicating God's enduring love and the pain of their separation. This phrase serves as a poignant reminder of the depth of God's love and the sorrow that accompanies His judgment. It reflects the heart of a loving Father who is grieved by the necessity of discipline.

into the hands of her enemies
The "hands of her enemies" signifies the power and control that foreign nations would exert over Israel as a result of their disobedience. Historically, this refers to the Babylonian exile, where the Israelites were taken captive and their land was ravaged. Theologically, this serves as a fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28, where God warned of the consequences of turning away from Him. This phrase underscores the reality of divine justice and the seriousness of sin, yet it also points to the hope of restoration, as God's ultimate purpose is to bring His people back to Himself through repentance and renewal.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by themes of judgment and restoration.

2. God's House
Refers to the temple in Jerusalem, symbolizing God's dwelling place among His people and the center of worship and religious life in Judah.

3. Inheritance
Represents the people of Israel, whom God chose as His own possession, a term often used to describe the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

4. Beloved of My Soul
A term of endearment used by God to express His deep love and affection for Israel, despite their unfaithfulness.

5. Enemies
The foreign nations, particularly Babylon, that God used as instruments of judgment against Judah for their persistent disobedience and idolatry.
Teaching Points
God's Righteous Judgment
God’s decision to forsake His house and inheritance is a response to persistent sin and rebellion. It serves as a reminder of His holiness and the seriousness of sin.

The Pain of Divine Abandonment
The imagery of God abandoning His beloved highlights the pain and sorrow that accompany divine judgment. It calls believers to reflect on the consequences of turning away from God.

Covenant Relationship
Despite the judgment, the use of "beloved" indicates that God’s love remains. This underscores the enduring nature of God’s covenant, even when discipline is necessary.

Call to Repentance
The passage serves as a call to repentance, urging believers to return to God and seek His mercy before facing the consequences of disobedience.

Hope for Restoration
While the verse speaks of judgment, it also points to the hope of restoration, as God’s ultimate desire is to bring His people back to Himself.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the historical context of Jeremiah's ministry help us interpret Jeremiah 12:7?

2. In what ways does the concept of God’s "inheritance" in Jeremiah 12:7 connect to the New Testament understanding of believers as God’s inheritance?

3. How can we reconcile the idea of God’s love with His decision to abandon His house and inheritance in this passage?

4. What are some modern-day "enemies" that might threaten our relationship with God, and how can we guard against them?

5. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How does this passage encourage you to seek restoration and renewal in your relationship with Him?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 32:9
This verse highlights Israel as God's chosen inheritance, emphasizing the special relationship and covenant between God and His people.

Isaiah 5:1-7
The imagery of Israel as God's beloved vineyard parallels the idea of God’s deep love and subsequent judgment due to their unfaithfulness.

Hosea 11:1-4
Illustrates God's enduring love for Israel despite their rebellion, similar to the "beloved of My soul" in Jeremiah 12:7.

Lamentations 1:5
Describes the consequences of Judah's sin, where God allows their enemies to triumph as a form of divine judgment.
Sermons
Leaving All for GodA.F. Muir Jeremiah 12:7, 8
The Inheritance that has Lost its CharmsD. Young Jeremiah 12:7-11
The Hiding of God's FaceS. Conway Jeremiah 12:7-13
People
Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Jerusalem, Jordan River
Topics
Abandon, Abandoned, Beloved, Cast, Dearly, Enemies, Forsaken, Hands, Haters, Heritage, Inheritance, Love, Loved, Soul
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 12:7

     5770   abandonment

Jeremiah 12:7-8

     1025   God, anger of

Library
Calms and Crises
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of Jordan?'--JER. xii. 5, R.V. The prophet has been complaining of his persecutors. The divine answer is here, reproving his impatience, and giving him to understand that harder trials are in store for him. Both clauses mean substantially the same thing, and are of a parabolic nature. The one adduces the metaphor …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Are You Prepared to Die?
"There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain." There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours." Taking "the swelling of Jordan" to represent the precise time of death, the question really is, what shall we do when we come to die? "How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" I. We notice, in the first place, that this is an EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour, …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Of the Trinity and a Christian, and of the Law and a Christian.
EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. These two short treatises were found among Mr. Bunyan's papers after his decease. They probably were intended for publication, like his 'Prison Meditations' and his 'Map of Salvation,' on a single page each, in the form of a broadside, or handbill. This was the popular mode in which tracts were distributed; and when posted against a wall, or framed and hung up in a room, they excited notice, and were extensively read. They might also have afforded some trifling profit to aid …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Jeremiah 12:7 NIV
Jeremiah 12:7 NLT
Jeremiah 12:7 ESV
Jeremiah 12:7 NASB
Jeremiah 12:7 KJV

Jeremiah 12:7 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Jeremiah 12:6
Top of Page
Top of Page