Jeremiah 6:20
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What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter, as before, we have, I. A prophecy of the invading of the land of Judah and the besieging of Jerusalem by the Chaldean army (Jer 6:1-6), with the spoils they should make of the country (Jer 6:9) and the terror which all should be seized with on that occasion (Jer 6:22-26). II. An account of those sins of Judah and Jerusalem which provoked God to bring this desolating judgment upon them. Their oppression (Jer 6:7), their contempt of the word of God (Jer 6:10-12), their worldliness (Jer 6:13), the treachery of their prophets (Jer 6:14), their impudence in sin (Jer 6:15), their obstinacy against reproofs (Jer 6:18, Jer 6:19), which made their sacrifices unacceptable to him (Jer 6:20), and for which he gave them up to ruin (Jer 6:21), but tried them first (Jer 6:27) and then rejected them as irreclaimable (Jer 6:28-30). III. Good counsel given them in the midst of all this, but in vain (Jer 6:8, Jer 6:16, Jer 6:17).
Open source ↗6:20 The offerings of expensive frankincense and fragrant perfumes were repulsive to the Lord because of his people’s rebellion (7:21-23; Exod 30:23; Pss 40:6; 50:7-9; Isa 1:11; 43:24; 66:3; Amos 5:21; Mic 6:6-7).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.
“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.
Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your wares they exchanged gold, the finest of all spices, and precious stones.
Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.