Jeremiah 6:20 · Bible study
Jeremiah 6:20 Commentary: Why God Rejects Our Best Offerings
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God rejects even the finest frankincense and sweet cane when offered without obedience. A study on worship, hypocrisy, and the heart.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God rejects costly ritual offerings when offered by people who refuse to obey His law.
- Key words: Frankincense (lebonah), sweet cane (qaneh hatov), acceptance (ratson), please (arav).
- Main debate: Whether God rejects the sacrificial system itself or only its hypocritical use; most agree the latter.
- Theological theme: The priority of obedience over ceremony; the heart of true worship.
- Best use: Preaching on genuine worship, repentance, and the danger of religious hypocrisy.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
To what purpose does frankincense from Sheba come to me, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”
KJV King James Version 1769
To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
To what purpose cometh there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Why is this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings are not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
To what purpose should there come to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing unto me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
To what purpose do you bring me frankincense from Saba, and the sweet smelling cane from a far country? your holocausts are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing to me.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ A qué viene para mí este incienso de Seba, y la buena caña olorosa de tierra lejana? Vuestros holocaustos no son á mi voluntad, ni vuestros sacrificios me dan gusto.
Afinal, para que vem a mim o incenso de Sabá, e a boa cana aromática de uma terra distante? Vossas ofertas de queima não me são aceitáveis, nem vossos sacrifícios me são agradáveis.
Qu’ ai-je besoin de l’ encens qui vient de Séba,
Was frage ich nach Weihrauch aus Reicharabien und nach den guten Zimtrinden, die aus fernen Landen kommen? Eure Brandopfer sind mir nicht angenehm, und eure Opfer gefallen mir nicht.
Waartoe zal dan de wierook voor Mij uit Scheba komen, en de beste kalmus uit verren lande? Uw brandofferen zijn Mij niet behagelijk, en uw slachtofferen zijn Mij niet zoet.
Che m’importa dell’incenso che viene da Seba, della canna odorosa che vien dal paese lontano? I vostri olocausti non mi sono graditi, e i vostri sacrifizi non mi piacciono.
Na cóż mi kadzidło z Saby przychodzi, a cynamon wonny wyborny z ziemi dalekiej? Całopalenia wasze nie są mi przyjemne, i ofiary wasze nie podobają mi się.
Для чего Мне ладан, который идет из Савы, и благовонный тростник из дальней страны? Всесожжения ваши неугодны, и жертвы ваши неприятны Мне.
從示巴 出 的乳香，從遠 方出的菖蒲（或譯：甘蔗）奉來給我 有何益呢？你們的燔祭 不 蒙悅納；你們的平安祭，我 也不 喜悅。
To what purpose does sweet perfume come to me from Sheba, and spices from a far country? your burned offerings give me no pleasure, your offerings of beasts are not pleasing to me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 6:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse does not condemn the sacrificial system itself but the hypocrisy of offering ceremonies without obedience and repentance. Calvin observes that hypocrites 'mock God with their fopperies' and think God is pacified by external display. Barnes explains that God rejects 'the substitution of [ceremonial service] for personal holiness and morality.' Gill adds that offerings are rejected when brought 'with a wicked mind, and without faith in Christ, and in order to expiate the guilt of black crimes unrepented of.' The Cambridge Bible summarizes it as 'the uselessness of ceremonial without obedience.' The people have imported the finest incense from Sheba and the sweetest cane from a distant land, yet God dismisses it all with the question 'To what purpose?', because they have rejected His law (v.19) and refused to walk in the old paths (v.16). The consensus is clear: God desires the heart, not just the gift.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God rejects hypocritical worship that attempts to substitute ritual for heartfelt obedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God's rejection of offerings | God rejects offerings when they come from a heart that refuses obedience and repentance. | Some traditions see this as a temporary suspension of the sacrificial system due to the people's sin; others view it as a permanent principle that ritual without righteousness is always unacceptable. |
| The role of ritual in worship | God instituted sacrifice in the Law, so ritual itself is not wrong. | Christians differ on how much the Old Testament ceremonial system continues: for some it is fully fulfilled in Christ; for others it remains as a pattern for liturgy, though the sacrifices themselves are no longer offered. |
| Frankincense and sweet cane | These were costly, high-quality ingredients used in the temple services. | Minor debate about whether 'sweet cane' refers to calamus from India or a similar reed from Arabia; this does not affect the theological meaning. |
| The people's sin | The people had rejected God's law and refused to listen to His prophets. | Some highlight idolatry as the primary sin (from context of other chapters), while others emphasize social injustice and hard-heartedness; both are present in the broader passage. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The verse draws from specific items of the temple ritual. Frankincense (lebonah) came from Sheba in southern Arabia, a region famous for its aromatic resins. Adam Clarke notes that Sheba 'was situated towards the southern extremity of the peninsula of Arabia; and was, in respect of Judea, a far country.' The sweet cane (qaneh hatov) is the calamus aromaticus of Exodus 30:23, an ingredient in the holy anointing oil. It likely arrived from India or Arabia via long-distance trade, making it costly and rare.
The point is not that God despises these gifts themselves, He commanded their use in the sanctuary, but that the people bring them while refusing to obey His law. Earlier in the chapter (vv.16-19), God called them to ask for the old paths and walk in them, but they said 'We will not walk in it.' They rejected His watchmen and spurned His law. So when they bring the best of their international trade, God asks 'To what purpose?' (lamah zeh li), literally 'Why this to me?' The Hebrew phrasing is dismissive, almost incredulous.
Keil and Delitzsch explain that 'the judgment cannot be turned aside by mere sacrifice without a change of heart.' The historical backdrop is the reign of Josiah, a time of religious reform when the temple was restored. Yet the people's hearts remained unchanged. They cleaned the outside of the cup but not the inside. This verse exposes the gap between ritual fidelity and true covenant loyalty.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 6:20. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the translations differ only in word choice (e.g., 'frankincense' vs. 'incense', 'sweet cane' vs. 'calamus'). The meaning is not affected.
Reception History
This verse has been used throughout church history to warn against hypocrisy in worship. The Reformers, especially Calvin, appealed to it to critique the reliance on external ceremonies apart from faith. In the Wesleyan tradition, it has underscored the call to personal holiness. The broader theme, God desiring mercy rather than sacrifice, echoes through the Prophets and is taken up by Jesus in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7. Pastors have long used this text to examine congregations that are active in religious routines but neglect the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God sees the heart behind our offerings. The finest frankincense and sweet cane are rejected because the people have refused to obey (v.16, 19).
- Costly gifts cannot substitute for obedience. No amount of expensive ritual can atone for a life that spurns God's law (Barnes and Calvin agree).
- Rejection of hypocrisy is an invitation to repentance. The harsh question 'To what purpose?' is meant to drive us back to the old paths where rest is found (v.16).
Five-point outline
- The best rituals are empty without a right heart.
- God evaluates not just what we bring but why we bring it.
- The question 'To what purpose?' exposes our motives.
- Religious activity can be a cover for disobedience.
- True worship flows from a life that walks in God's ways.
Illustration hooks
- A child brings a parent a handmade gift but has been disobedient all week. The parent loves the gift but longs for relationship.
- A church gives thousands to missions while ignoring exploitation in its own community.
- A person attends every service, gives tithes, serves on committees, but harbors resentment and refuses to forgive.
Questions your congregation is asking
- ‘If I go to church regularly, give money, and participate, why does my spiritual life feel empty?’
- ‘Does God really care about my heart if I’m doing all the right things?’
- ‘What’s the point of worship if I can’t feel anything?’
Leading a Discussion
This verse pulls back the curtain on worship that looks right on the outside but is hollow within. In the surrounding passage, God pleads with His people to walk in the old paths, but they refuse. Then He asks a question that cuts to the heart: why bring expensive offerings when you are not walking with Me?
Discussion questions
- What question does God ask in verse 20, and what tone do you hear in it?
- Why do frankincense and sweet cane matter here? What do they represent about the people's efforts?
- Read Jeremiah 6:16, 19. How do these earlier verses explain why God rejects the offerings?
- Barnes says God rejects the substitution of ceremony for 'personal holiness and morality.' Where do you see that happening today?
- What is the difference between performing religious duties and walking in God's ways?
- If you were to ask yourself 'To what purpose?' about your own spiritual practices, what might the answer reveal?
- What would it look like this week to 'stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths' (v.16)?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 30:23 | “Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty; |
| I Kings 10:1 | When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions. |
| I Kings 10:2 | She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. |
| I Kings 10:10 | She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. |
| Psalms 40:6 | Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. |
| Psalms 50:7 | “Hear, my people, and I will speak. Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. |
| Psalms 50:13 | Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? |
| Psalms 50:16 | But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies Sheba as a region in southern Arabia, distant from Judea, renowned for its high-quality incense. He also specifies that the sweet cane mentioned is calamus aromaticus, a plant that produces a fine fragrance when dried and was used in making the holy anointing oil.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that hypocrites deceive themselves by relying on outward ceremonies like incense and sacrifices, thinking this pacifies God. He insists God rejects such external display when the heart is insincere. True worship requires obedience from the heart, not mere ritual performance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that Jeremiah is not attacking the sacrificial system itself but the uselessness of ceremony without obedience. It warns against a common interpretation that the prophet is solely condemning new ritual fashions, calling that assumption uncertain.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
God questions why the people bother bringing costly incense from Sheba and sweet calamus from a distant land, since their burnt offerings and sacrifices hold no pleasure for Him. The point is that expensive, far-traveled gifts cannot replace a heart that disobeys Him.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that even the finest divinely prescribed offerings are rejected when brought with a hypocritical heart and without repentance. He notes that incense and sweet cane from distant lands cannot compensate for despising God’s law or covering unrepented sin. Such sacrifices, offered without faith in Christ, God loathes.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch interpret the "everlasting paths" as the ways of Israel's godly ancestors, the patriarchs' thinking and acting recorded in the Torah, not just any old ways. They also understand "congregation" as the faithful remnant, not the whole people or the nations. Mere sacrifices cannot avert judgment without a change of heart.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the passage as a tightly structured cycle where judgment, its reasons, and a call to reform form a single climax. The judgment is so immediate that the prophet urgently warns people to flee, using the image of a carefully tended meadow about to be stripped bare
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that God's judgment is perfectly just because the disaster is the natural fruit of the people's own sinful thoughts and rejection of His law. Their expensive worship from distant lands is worthless without obedience. The coming destruction from a cruel northern army is the fitting consequence of their refusal to listen.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the costly ingredients—frankincense from Sheba and the sweet cane used in the holy oil—as evidence of great effort and expense. He takes God's question as a pointed rebuke: why bother with such elaborate ritual when genuine devotion is absent?