Jeremiah 7:11
in Jeremiah 7Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah.
KJV
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.
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This verse in Jeremiah 7
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"Has not this house, in which my name is invoked, been made a den of thieves before your eyes? I who am, I have seen it, says the Lord." I believe that it was from here that the Gospel took: "It is written, 'My father's house will be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of thieves," or, according to another Gospel, "a house of trade." The church of God is turned into a den of thieves when robbery, murder, adultery, perjury, sacrilege, heretical inventions and other evils are practiced within it.
This site's exposition
trusting in deceptive words to no avail
on Jeremiah 7:8-11
Verse 8 states the charge plainly, “you keep trusting in deceptive words to no avail”, and verse 9 names the theft, murder, adultery and perjury the temple now covers. Jesus repeats the words “a den of robbers” at the temple cleansing in Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17 and Luke 19:46. A den of robbers is where robbers go to feel safe after the crime, and the temple has become that hideout.
This site's exposition
a den of robbers
Barnes notes that the Hebrew word for robbers means men who tear, those who rob by violence. The temple sheltered them. The LORD answers the people's blindness with his own sight, for he has seen it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 11.) Has this house (or mine) become a den of thieves, as it is written (Vulg. Therefore), in which my name has been invoked in your eyes? I, I am: I have seen, says the Lord. I think this is taken from the Gospel: It is written: My Father's house shall be called a house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13); or, as it is written in another Gospel, a house of trade (John 2:16). The Church of God turns into a den of thieves, when thefts, homicides, adulteries, sacrileges, perjuries, the invention of heresies, and all those crimes are committed within it: when the princes are inflamed with the torches of greed, and the once riches of kings possess a cheap or certainly not costly cloak. From this it follows: I, I am, I have seen, says the Lord. My eyes have seen what you think is hidden: the darkness of treasures does not escape my consciousness. He who was rich became poor for us, now he blushes at our wealth (I Cor. VIII), and says: Woe to you, the wealthy, who have your consolation (Luke VI).
A commentator
Pseudo-ClementSecond Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Clement), 14 · Written before 400.
proposed
Wherefore, brethren, if we do the will of God our Father, we shall be of the first Church, that is, spiritual, that hath been created before the sun and moon; but if we do not the will of the Lord, we shall be of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Is this house, which is called by my name,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Robbers - literally, tearers, those who rob with violence. The temple was the place which sheltered them. It had been consecrated to God. Now that it harbors miscreants, must it not as inevitably be destroyed as a den of robbers would be by any righteous ruler?
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
den of robbers--Do you regard My temple as being what robbers make their den, namely, an asylum wherein ye may obtain impunity for your abominations (Jer 7:10)? seen it--namely, that ye treat My house as if it were a den of thieves. Jehovah implies more than is expressed, "I have seen and will punish it" (Isa 56:7;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Has..a cave of profligate men? Was this house in your eyes? This is a question.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַמְעָרַ֣ת | hamarat | ¿ a den of | H4631 → | |
| פָּרִצִ֗ים | paritzim | robbers | H6530 → | |
| הָיָ֨ה | hayah | has it become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַבַּ֧יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַזֶּ֛ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִקְרָֽא־ | nikra'- | it is called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שְׁמִ֥י | shemi | name my | H8034 → | 864 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֑ם | beeineikhem | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| גַּ֧ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אָנֹכִ֛י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| הִנֵּ֥ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| רָאִ֖יתִי | raiti | I have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
הַמְעָרַ֣ת¿ a den of
hamaratH4631 →
פָּרִצִ֗יםrobbers
paritzimH6530 →
הָיָ֨הhas it become
hayahH1961 →3559 times
הַבַּ֧יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
הַזֶּ֛ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נִקְרָֽא־it is called
nikra'-H7121 →733 times
שְׁמִ֥יname my
shemiH8034 →864 times
עָלָ֖יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֑םin view your
beeineikhemH5869 →887 times
גַּ֧םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
אָנֹכִ֛יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
הִנֵּ֥הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
רָאִ֖יתִיI have seen
raitiH7200 →1300 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 11:17Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of…
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:7
I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 2:16
To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
- Isaiah 56:7
Through
Matthew 21:13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
it leads to
- Luke 19:46
He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 93:5
Your testimonies are fully confirmed; holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, for all the days to come.
- Luke 19:46
Through
Isaiah 56:7I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called…
it leads to
- Mark 11:17
Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 2:2–3
In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to…
- Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name…
- Matthew 21:13
And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
- Mark 11:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 2:34.1-3; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Pseudo-Clement, Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Clement), 14.