Jeremiah 44:17
in Jeremiah 44Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
KJV
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
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This verse in Jeremiah 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Ashtaroth or Astarte. we . . . fathers . . . king, &c.--The evil was restricted to no one class: all from the highest to the lowest shared the guilt. then had we plenty--Fools attribute their seeming prosperity to God's connivance at their sin: but see Pr 1:32;
This site's exposition
Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods
on Jeremiah 44:15-19
The men and women answer together: “we will not listen to you!” They argue: while they burned incense “to the Queen of Heaven” they “had plenty of food.” The worship Jeremiah condemned in 7:18 is defended, and the women add their husbands knew of the “sacrificial cakes in her image.”
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
John ChrysostomDISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 5:4.4 · Written before 407.
proposed
What was the reason for this? It was because the Jews were so arrogant and obstinate. They immediately forgot what God had done for them; they ascribed his kindness to demons and reckoned that his blessings had come from them. Even when the sea was divided for them, as they went forth from Egypt, and while other wonderful things were happening to them, they forgot the God who was performing these miracles and attributed them to others who were not gods. For they said to Aaron, "Make for us gods who will be our leaders." And they said to Jeremiah, "We will not listen to what you say in the name of the Lord. Rather, we will continue doing what we had proposed: we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we and our ancestors, our kings and princes have done. Then we had enough food to eat and we were well off; we suffered no misfortune. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we are in need of everything and are being destroyed by the sword and by hunger." The inspired prophets, then, foretold what would happen to the Jews so that they would ascribe none of the events to idols but would believe that both punishments and blessings always come from God: the punishment came for their sins and the blessings because of God's love and kindness.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Whatsoever thing ... - Or, the whole word (or thing) which hath gone forth out of our mouth; i. e., the vows we have made. They would not let Jeremiah’s expostulations prevent the carrying out of the special object which had brought them together: otherwise the Queen of heaven would be offended, and avenge himself.
The words behind it
32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֩י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עָשֹׂ֨ה | ʾasoh | certainly <to do> | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה | naaseh | we will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַדָּבָ֣ר׀ | hadavar | <the> thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָצָ֣א | yatza' | it has gone out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִפִּ֗ינוּ | mipinu | from mouth our | H6310 → | 498 times |
| לְקַטֵּ֞ר | lekater | to make smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
| לִמְלֶ֣כֶת | limlekhet | to [the] queen of | H4446 → | 5 times |
| הַשָּׁמַיִם֮ | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְהַסֵּֽיךְ־ | vehaseikh- | and to pour out | H5258 → | 25 times |
| לָ֣הּ | lah | to <the> her | ||
| נְסָכִים֒ | nesakhim | drink offerings | H5262 → | 64 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִׂ֜ינוּ | ʾasinu | we have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֲנַ֤חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| וַאֲבֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ | vaavoteinu | and ancestors our | H1 → | 1212 times |
| מְלָכֵ֣ינוּ | melakheinu | kings our | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְשָׂרֵ֔ינוּ | vesareinu | and officials our | H8269 → | 421 times |
| בְּעָרֵ֣י | bearei | in [the] cities of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וּבְחֻצ֖וֹת | uvechutzot | and in [the] streets of | H2351 → | 164 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וַנִּֽשְׂבַּֽע־ | vanisba'- | and we were satisfied | H7646 → | 97 times |
| לֶ֙חֶם֙ | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וַנִּֽהְיֶ֣ה | vanihyeh | and we were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| טוֹבִ֔ים | tovim | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וְרָעָ֖ה | veraah | and distress | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רָאִֽינוּ׃ | rainu | we saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
כִּ֩יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עָשֹׂ֨הcertainly <to do>
ʾasohH6213 →2628 times
נַעֲשֶׂ֜הwe will do
naasehH6213 →2628 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַדָּבָ֣ר׀<the> thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יָצָ֣אit has gone out
yatza'H3318 →1067 times
מִפִּ֗ינוּfrom mouth our
mipinuH6310 →498 times
לְקַטֵּ֞רto make smoke
lekaterH6999 →116 times
לִמְלֶ֣כֶתto [the] queen of
limlekhetH4446 →5 times
הַשָּׁמַיִם֮the heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְהַסֵּֽיךְ־and to pour out
vehaseikh-H5258 →25 times
לָ֣הּto <the> her
lah
נְסָכִים֒drink offerings
nesakhimH5262 →64 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִׂ֜ינוּwe have done
ʾasinuH6213 →2628 times
אֲנַ֤חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
וַאֲבֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙and ancestors our
vaavoteinuH1 →1212 times
מְלָכֵ֣ינוּkings our
melakheinuH4428 →2525 times
וְשָׂרֵ֔ינוּand officials our
vesareinuH8269 →421 times
בְּעָרֵ֣יin [the] cities of
beareiH5892 →1090 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וּבְחֻצ֖וֹתand in [the] streets of
uvechutzotH2351 →164 times
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וַנִּֽשְׂבַּֽע־and we were satisfied
vanisba'-H7646 →97 times
לֶ֙חֶם֙food
lechemH3899 →298 times
וַנִּֽהְיֶ֣הand we were
vanihyehH1961 →3559 times
טוֹבִ֔יםgood
tovimH2896 →538 times
וְרָעָ֖הand distress
veraahH7451 →662 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
רָאִֽינוּ׃we saw
rainuH7200 →1300 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
Exodus 16:3“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us…
it leads to
- Numbers 11:4–5
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
- Numbers 20:3–5
The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!
- Exodus 17:3
But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
- Deuteronomy 28:67
In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your hearts of the terrifying sights you…
- Lamentations 4:9
Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
- Numbers 11:4–5
Through
Jeremiah 7:18The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 19:13
The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and…
- Jeremiah 44:17–19
Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials…
- Jeremiah 19:13
Through
Nehemiah 9:34Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 17:13
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your…
- 2 Kings 17:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, DISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 5:4.4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).
