There is a certain universal recognition that the cry “the temple of YHWH” in Jeremiah 7.40 is condemned by both God and the prophet as a direct reflection of the deceptive words that the people had embraced. The most common interpretation of the verse simply reflects the idea that the call to the temple serves as an invocation of YHWH and an abuse of name theology. However, the reduction of the temple cry to a simple invocation of YHWH is insufficient to account for the conclusion of the temple sermon in vv. 12-15.
This presentation will demonstrate that the concluding comparison of the Judeans’ cry for the temple and the fate of Shiloh establishes the critical interpretive key for understanding the condemnation of Jer. 7.4. Jeremiah’s condemnation of the Judeans is directly linked to their reliance on the possession of the place of YHWH. This reflects the same mentality expressed in 1.00 Samuel 4.00 where the possession of the ark of the covenant is deemed sufficient to deliver Israel from their adversaries – a situation also parallel to Jeremiah’s context. A proper understanding of 1.00 Samuel 4.00 reveals that the presence of the ark reflects an attempted evocation of deity through the practice of sympathetic magic. The prophet’s comparison with Shiloh demonstrates that the cry to the temple of YHWH was not simply an invocation of God, but a magical evocation of YHWH to serve the people. Jeremiah is not simply condemning a poor understanding of name theology, but rather a deliberate intent to manipulate YHWH magically and therefore an invitation to the same punishment Shiloh received, namely both defeat and the loss of the holy presence – not through the loss of the ark, but in the exile from the land.