But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
But they didn't listen or pay attention. Instead, they followed their own plans and the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of moving forward.
The writer is describing how God's people refused to listen to Him and chose to follow their own selfish desires, causing them to move away from God rather than closer to Him.
📚 Historical Context
Jeremiah was prophesying to the people of Judah in the years leading up to their exile to Babylon (around 627-586 BC). Despite repeated warnings from God through His prophets, the people continued in idolatry and disobedience. This verse is part of Jeremiah's temple sermon, where he confronted the people's false sense of security in religious rituals while their hearts remained far from God.
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