Jeremiah 25:7
But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,' declares the LORD, 'so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your hands.'
‘But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,’

For twenty-three years Jeremiah had faithfully called Judah to turn from its evil ways and abandon its idols. Refusing God’s warnings did not diminish His truth; it brought ruin upon the nation that rejected Him. The coming Babylonian invasion and exile would reveal the destructive end of covenant unfaithfulness.

Jer 35:17 Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says:…
Jer 7:13 And now, because you have done all these things,…
Jer 11:8 Yet they would not obey or incline their ears,…

declares the LORD,

The warning came from the covenant God of Israel, not from Jeremiah’s personal judgment. The Lord had every right to demand exclusive worship and obedience from the people He had redeemed and planted in the land.

2Ch 36:15-16 Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers,…
Neh 9:29-30 You admonished them to turn back to Your law,…
Zec 7:11-13 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn…

‘so you have provoked Me to anger

Judah’s idolatry, injustice, and continued rebellion violated the covenant repeatedly. God’s anger was His righteous response to persistent sin, especially after His patience had been displayed through many prophetic appeals.

Deu 32:16 They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods;…
1Ki 14:9 You have done more evil than all who came before you.…
Psa 78:58 They enraged Him with their high places…

with the works of your hands.’

The idols made and served by human hands displaced the Creator in the hearts of His people. What Judah trusted for security could neither save nor sustain it; turning from the living God brought the very harm the nation sought to avoid.

2Ki 22:17 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense…
Jer 44:8 Why are you provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands…
Deu 4:28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. His ministry spanned over 40 years during a tumultuous period in Israel's history.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who speaks through Jeremiah, expressing His displeasure with the people's disobedience.

3. Judah and Jerusalem
The southern kingdom of Israel and its capital, which were the primary audience of Jeremiah's prophecies. They were facing impending judgment due to their persistent idolatry and rebellion against God.

4. The Works of Your Hands
Refers to the idolatrous practices and sinful actions of the people, which were contrary to God's commandments.

5. Divine Anger and Judgment
The consequence of the people's disobedience, leading to their harm and eventual exile.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Listening to God
God repeatedly calls His people to listen and obey. Ignoring His voice leads to spiritual and often physical consequences.

The Dangers of Idolatry
Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes precedence over God in our lives. We must examine our hearts for modern-day idols.

Consequences of Disobedience
Disobedience to God leads to self-inflicted harm. Understanding this helps us to choose obedience and align our actions with God's will.

God's Righteous Anger
God's anger is a response to sin and injustice. It is a call to repentance and a reminder of His holiness and justice.

Repentance and Restoration
While judgment is certain for disobedience, God always offers a path to repentance and restoration. We must seek His forgiveness and turn back to Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jeremiah 25:7 reflect the broader theme of covenant faithfulness in the Old Testament?

2. In what ways can we identify and remove "the works of our hands" that provoke God in our own lives today?

3. How does understanding the historical context of Judah's disobedience help us apply this scripture to our current spiritual walk?

4. What are some modern-day idols that can lead us away from listening to God, and how can we guard against them?

5. How can we balance the understanding of God's righteous anger with His mercy and grace in our personal faith journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, providing a backdrop for understanding the consequences faced by Judah.

2 Kings 24-25
These chapters describe the historical fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies, detailing the Babylonian conquest and exile of Judah.

Isaiah 1
Isaiah also calls out the rebellion and idolatry of Judah, echoing similar themes of judgment and the need for repentance.

Romans 1:18-32
Paul discusses the wrath of God against ungodliness and unrighteousness, drawing parallels to the consequences of ignoring God's truth.
A Twenty-Three Years' MinistryD. Young Jeremiah 25:1-7
Messages RecapitulatedA.F. Muir Jeremiah 25:1-7
Judgment Plainly DeclaredA.F. Muir Jeremiah 25:7-11
People
Amon, Babylonians, Buz, Dedan, Elam, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah, Josiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, Pharaoh, Tema, Zidon, Zimri
Places
Ammon, Arabia, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Babylon, Buz, Dedan, Edom, Egypt, Ekron, Elam, Gaza, Jerusalem, Media, Moab, Sidon, Tema, Tyre, Uz, Zimri
Topics
Affirmation, Anger, Angry, Causing, Declares, Ear, Evil, Hands, Harm, Hearkened, Hurt, Listened, Order, Provoke, Provoked, Says, Works, Yet, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 25:7

     5165   listening

Jeremiah 25:3-7

     5885   indifference

Jeremiah 25:4-11

     5838   disrespect

Jeremiah 25:6-7

     6218   provoking God

Jeremiah 25:7-11

     1025   God, anger of

Library
Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Appendix 2 Extracts from the Babylon Talmud
Massecheth Berachoth, or Tractate on Benedictions [76] Mishnah--From what time is the "Shema" said in the evening? From the hour that the priests entered to eat of their therumah [77] until the end of the first night watch. [78] These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. But the sages say: Till midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the column of the morning (the dawn) rises. It happened, that his sons came back from a banquet. They said to him: "We have not said the Shema.'" He said to them, "If the column
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Man and the Book.
In this and the following lectures I attempt an account and estimate of the Prophet Jeremiah, of his life and teaching, and of the Book which contains them--but especially of the man himself, his personality and his tempers (there were more than one), his religious experience and its achievements, with the various high styles of their expression; as well as his influence on the subsequent religion of his people. It has often been asserted that in Jeremiah's ministry more than in any other of the
George Adam Smith—Jeremiah

The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the Teaching of the Lord Concerning Purity - the Traditions Concerning Hand-Washing' and Vows. '
As we follow the narrative, confirmatory evidence of what had preceded springs up at almost every step. It is quite in accordance with the abrupt departure of Jesus from Capernaum, and its motives, that when, so far from finding rest and privacy at Bethsaida (east of the Jordan), a greater multitude than ever had there gathered around Him, which would fain have proclaimed Him King, He resolved on immediate return to the western shore, with the view of seeking a quieter retreat, even though it were
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
The Medes and Cimmerians: Lydia--The conquest of Egypt, of Arabia, and of Elam. As we have already seen, Sennacherib reigned for eight years after his triumph; eight years of tranquillity at home, and of peace with all his neighbours abroad. If we examine the contemporary monuments or the documents of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close of his career, we find that there is a complete absence of any record of national movement on the part of either Elam,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

Ci. Foretelling his Passion. Rebuking Ambition.
(Peræa, or Judæa, Near the Jordan.) ^A Matt. XX. 17-28; ^B Mark X. 32-45; ^C Luke XVIII. 31-34. ^b 32 And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem [Dean Mansel sees in these words an evidence that Jesus had just crossed the Jordan and was beginning the actual ascent up to Jerusalem. If so, he was in Judæa. But such a construction strains the language. Jesus had been going up to Jerusalem ever since he started in Galilee, and he may now have still be in Peræa. The parable
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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 25:7 NIV
Jeremiah 25:7 NLT
Jeremiah 25:7 ESV
Jeremiah 25:7 NASB
Jeremiah 25:7 KJV

Jeremiah 25:7 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Jeremiah 25:6
Top of Page
Top of Page