Jeremiah 7:6 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

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, Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 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.

Jeremiah 7:6

6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: