Jeremiah 44:17

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

But we will certainly {H6213} do {H6213} whatsoever thing {H1697} goeth forth {H3318} out of our own mouth {H6310}, to burn incense {H6999} unto the queen {H4446} of heaven {H8064}, and to pour out {H5258} drink offerings {H5262} unto her, as we have done {H6213}, we, and our fathers {H1}, our kings {H4428}, and our princes {H8269}, in the cities {H5892} of Judah {H3063}, and in the streets {H2351} of Jerusalem {H3389}: for then had we plenty {H7646} of victuals {H3899}, and were well {H2896}, and saw {H7200} no evil {H7451}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Instead, we will certainly continue to fulfill every word our mouths have spoken: we will offer incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our ancestors, our kings and our leaders, in the cities of Y'hudah and the streets of Yerushalayim. For then we had plenty of food; everything was fine, we didn't experience anything unpleasant.

Berean Standard Bible

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 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.

American Standard Version

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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 44:17 powerfully encapsulates the audacious and unrepentant defiance of the Jewish remnant in Egypt. Despite God's clear prophetic warnings delivered through Jeremiah, this remnant stubbornly declared their unwavering commitment to the idolatrous worship of the "Queen of Heaven." They brazenly justified their rebellion by falsely attributing past prosperity and well-being to these pagan practices, thereby profoundly misinterpreting God's covenantal relationship with Israel and the true causes of their national suffering. This verse stands as a stark and sobering testament to humanity's deep-seated propensity for self-deception, spiritual blindness, and open rebellion against divine authority.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 44 is situated in the immediate aftermath of Jerusalem's catastrophic fall and destruction in 586 BC, and the subsequent flight of a Jewish remnant, including the prophet Jeremiah himself, to Egypt. The preceding verses (Jeremiah 44:1-14) meticulously detail Jeremiah's divine indictment and prophetic message delivered to these exiles scattered across various Egyptian cities. He sternly reminded them of Judah's recent downfall, which was a direct consequence of pervasive idolatry, and emphatically warned them against repeating these same grievous sins in their new refuge. Critically, God had explicitly forbidden them from seeking asylum in Egypt (cf. [Jeremiah 42:19](/jeremiah/42-19 "Jeremiah 42:19 - Do Not Go to Egypt")), yet they defiantly chose to go (cf. [Jeremiah 43:7](/jeremiah/43-7 "Jeremiah 43:7 - Disobedience to God's Command")). Verse 17 represents their direct, collective, and unyielding response to Jeremiah's divine pronouncement, laying bare their hardened hearts and deep-seated commitment to paganism, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of God's judgment upon their nation. The subsequent verses (Jeremiah 44:18-19) further elaborate on their communal justification and the widespread nature of their idolatry, culminating in God's final, severe pronouncement of judgment specifically upon this rebellious remnant in Egypt (cf. [Jeremiah 44:20-30](/jeremiah/44-20-30 "Jeremiah 44:20-30 - God's Judgment on the Remnant in Egypt")).

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical setting for this declaration is Egypt, specifically cities such as Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph (Memphis), and Pathros (Upper Egypt), where the Jewish refugees had settled after the Babylonian conquest. Egypt had long been a traditional place of asylum for Judeans, a perceived safe haven, despite God's explicit command for His people to remain in the land of Judah. The worship of the "Queen of Heaven" was a pervasive and deeply entrenched cult throughout the ancient Near East, often identified with prominent goddesses like Ishtar (Babylonian/Assyrian), Astarte (Canaanite/Phoenician), or sometimes even linked to Egyptian deities like Isis. These goddesses were widely revered as patrons of fertility, warfare, and cosmic order. Her worship involved specific, well-known rituals, including the baking of cakes, the burning of incense, and the pouring out of libations, practices explicitly mentioned elsewhere in Jeremiah's prophecies (cf. [Jeremiah 7:18](/jeremiah/7-18 "Jeremiah 7:18 - Children Gathering Wood for the Queen of Heaven")). The people's assertion that their past prosperity was directly linked to this idolatrous worship reflects a common pagan worldview, which posited that appeasing specific deities brought material blessings and averted misfortune. This belief stood in stark opposition to the monotheistic, covenantal theology of Yahweh, where blessings were contingent upon exclusive loyalty and obedience to His divine law.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully illuminates several recurring and critical themes found throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader Old Testament narrative. Firstly, **Rebellion and Disobedience** against God's explicit word is paramount, demonstrating a profound spiritual blindness and an audacious preference for human self-will over divine command. This echoes Israel's long and tragic history of stubbornness and stiff-necked rebellion, as vividly recounted in passages like [Deuteronomy 9:7](/deuteronomy/9-7 "Deuteronomy 9:7 - Israel's Rebellion in the Wilderness"). Secondly, **Idolatry** is central to the verse, specifically the worship of the "Queen of Heaven," which constituted a direct and egregious violation of the first commandment and was a consistent source of God's righteous wrath upon Israel. This pagan practice was deeply ingrained, passed down through generations, and even sanctioned by various levels of leadership, illustrating the pervasive and corrupting nature of sin within the nation. Thirdly, the theme of **False Justification and Self-Deception** is glaringly evident, as the people rationalized their sin by fundamentally misinterpreting historical events, attributing past well-being to their idolatry rather than to God's patient forbearance, covenantal grace, or sovereign control. They tragically failed to connect their current suffering directly to their persistent disobedience, a truth repeatedly emphasized throughout prophetic literature and the Mosaic Law (e.g., the blessings and curses outlined in [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **do (Hebrew, _ʻâsâh'_):** This primitive root signifies to "do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application." In Jeremiah 44:17, its repetition ("we will certainly do... as we have done") powerfully emphasizes the resolute, determined, and intentional nature of their rebellion. This is not a passive or accidental slipping into sin, but an active, willful commitment to a course of action directly opposed to God's explicit command. It highlights their complete assertion of autonomy from divine will, demonstrating a deliberate choice to defy rather than obey.
* **queen (Hebrew, _mᵉleketh'_):** Derived from the root "to reign," this noun specifically denotes a "queen." Its use here, in conjunction with "heaven" (Hebrew, _shâmayim_), precisely identifies a specific pagan deity, "the Queen of Heaven." This term is not a generic reference to a celestial being but points to a well-established and widely worshipped goddess in the ancient Near East, whose cult practices were fundamentally antithetical to the exclusive worship of Yahweh. The deliberate choice to worship a "queen" signifies a profound rejection of Yahweh as their true sovereign King and Lord.
* **evil (Hebrew, _raʻ'_):** This word, meaning "bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)," describes their perceived state when they worshipped the Queen of Heaven: "saw no evil." This reflects a profound misjudgment and spiritual blindness. While they may not have experienced immediate material hardship or calamity, their actions were inherently morally evil in God's sight, leading to spiritual decay, covenantal breach, and ultimately national catastrophe. Their definition of "evil" was solely based on a shallow, utilitarian understanding of material prosperity or its absence, revealing a distorted perception of divine judgment and true well-being.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth":** This opening clause is an audacious and defiant declaration of human autonomy and self-will. The emphatic phrase "goeth forth out of our own mouth" underscores their spoken, intentional, and resolute commitment to their chosen path, standing in direct and rebellious contrast to God's authoritative word that "goes forth" from His mouth. It signifies a hardened heart and a direct challenge to God's supreme authority, asserting their perceived right to determine their own actions and destiny, irrespective of divine command.
* **"to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her":** This specifies the precise idolatrous practices to which they are committed. "Burning incense" and "pouring out drink offerings" were ubiquitous acts of worship, devotion, and appeasement in ancient pagan cults, intended to honor and curry favor with deities. By performing these rituals for the "Queen of Heaven," they were engaging in overt polytheism, explicitly transferring their allegiance, worship, and devotion from the one true God, Yahweh, to a false, created entity.
* **"as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem":** This clause starkly reveals the deep historical entrenchment, widespread acceptance, and generational nature of this idolatry. It was not a new or isolated practice but a pervasive, inherited sin, embraced by all strata of society—from common people to the highest echelons of leadership (kings and princes)—and practiced throughout the very heartland of Judah, including its sacred capital, Jerusalem. This highlights the profound spiritual corruption that had permeated the nation and ultimately led to its devastating downfall.
* **"for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil":** This is their profoundly false justification for their continued idolatry. They erroneously linked their past material prosperity ("plenty of victuals," "were well") and perceived absence of trouble ("saw no evil") directly to their worship of the Queen of Heaven. This demonstrates a tragic misinterpretation of history and God's covenant, failing to recognize that any past blessings were either due to God's patient forbearance, His covenantal grace despite their sin, or simply the natural course of events, and that their current suffering was a direct, divinely ordained consequence of their abandonment of Him.

#### Literary Devices
The verse is rich in **Irony**, as the people claim to have "saw no evil" when engaging in practices that were inherently evil in God's eyes and demonstrably led to their national catastrophe and exile. There is a powerful element of **Defiance** and **Rebellion**, vividly expressed through their resolute declaration, "we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth," which stands in direct and open opposition to the prophetic word of God delivered by Jeremiah. The phrase "Queen of Heaven" functions as potent **Symbolism** for all forms of idolatry, false security, and human-devised systems that displace the true God and His rightful authority. The verse also employs **Rationalization**, as the people attempt to justify their persistent sin by appealing to perceived past material benefits, showcasing humanity's profound capacity for self-deception in the face of divine truth and clear judgment.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 44:17 serves as a chilling and timeless testament to humanity's stubborn resistance to divine truth and its persistent propensity for self-deception. The people's insistence on their idolatrous practices, brazenly justified by a distorted view of history and a superficial understanding of prosperity, profoundly underscores the grave danger of prioritizing perceived material benefit or personal comfort over faithful obedience to God. It reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God's absolute sovereignty and the nature of His covenant, where true well-being, blessing, and peace are rooted in exclusive loyalty and faithfulness to Him, not in appeasing false gods or following human desires. This passage highlights the destructive cycle of generational sin and the severe, inevitable consequences of persistent rebellion against the Almighty, demonstrating unequivocally that outward prosperity does not equate to divine favor when it is built upon a foundation of disobedience and idolatry.

* [Deuteronomy 30:19](/deuteronomy/30-19 "Deuteronomy 30:19 - Choose Life")
* [Romans 1:21-23](/romans/1-21 "Romans 1:21-23 - The Futility of Idolatry")
* [Proverbs 14:12](/proverbs/14-12 "Proverbs 14:12 - A Way That Seems Right")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This verse serves as a profound and convicting mirror, reflecting our own human tendencies to rationalize sin and to prioritize perceived immediate benefits or comforts over God's unchanging truth and perfect will. We, too, can readily fall into the insidious trap of justifying our choices by pointing to temporary "success," material comfort, or the apparent absence of immediate negative consequences, all while ignoring the profound spiritual cost or the long-term, often unseen, consequences of disobedience. The "Queen of Heaven" may manifest in contemporary forms—whether it be the relentless pursuit of wealth, career advancement, the idolization of relationships, political ideologies, or even an overreliance on self and human wisdom—anything we trust in more than God for our ultimate security, identity, and well-being. This passage challenges us to critically examine our justifications, to discern with spiritual clarity whether our perceived "prosperity" is truly a blessing from God, received in obedience, or merely a temporary reprieve that distracts us from our spiritual rebellion. It calls us to a radical re-evaluation of what truly constitutes "well-being" and "evil," urging us to align our understanding with God's perfect, revealed standard, rather than our own flawed, self-serving perceptions.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "good outcomes" or perceived "lack of evil" in my life might I be falsely attributing to my own efforts, worldly systems, or things other than God's grace and sovereign provision?**
* **In what areas of my life am I tempted to prioritize my own will, desires, or perceived comfort over God's clear commands, justifying it with personal convenience or apparent success?**
* **How does my personal definition of "well-being," "blessing," or "evil" align with or diverge from God's perspective as revealed comprehensively in Scripture?**
* **Am I truly willing to abandon practices, beliefs, or pursuits that seem to bring me temporary benefit or pleasure if they are found to be contrary to God's holy word and His will for my life?**

### FAQ
**What was the "Queen of Heaven" and why was her worship so appealing to the Israelites?**

Answer: The "Queen of Heaven" (Hebrew: _Meleket haShamayim_) was a prominent pagan deity worshipped extensively across the ancient Near East, often identified with goddesses such as Ishtar (Babylonian/Assyrian), Astarte (Canaanite/Phoenician), or even, in some contexts, linked to Egyptian deities like Isis. She was widely associated with fertility, successful warfare, and general prosperity. Her worship involved specific rituals, including the burning of incense, the baking of special cakes, and the pouring out of drink offerings. She was appealing to the Israelites, as evidenced in passages like [Jeremiah 7:18](/jeremiah/7-18 "Jeremiah 7:18 - Children Gathering Wood for the Queen of Heaven"), because they believed her worship brought tangible material blessings, abundant harvests, and protection from misfortune or famine. This belief stood in stark contrast to the covenantal relationship with Yahweh, which demanded exclusive loyalty and obedience, and whose blessings were conditional on faithfulness, not on the ritualistic appeasement of multiple deities. The people in [Jeremiah 44:17](/jeremiah/44-17 "Jeremiah 44:17 - The People's Defiance") explicitly state their reasoning: "for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil," clearly indicating their belief that her worship was the direct source of their perceived prosperity and peace.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 44:17 vividly portrays the deep-seated human condition of stubborn rebellion against God and the futile pursuit of false gods for security, provision, and well-being. This profound idolatry and self-justification, inherent in fallen humanity, demonstrates the radical transformation and new covenant that only Christ can provide. The rebellious people defiantly declared, "we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth," a stark and tragic contrast to the perfect, unwavering obedience of Jesus Christ, who declared, "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me" ([John 6:38](/john/6-38 "John 6:38 - Jesus Does the Father's Will")). While the Israelites sought "plenty of victuals" and perceived "no evil" through their idolatrous practices, Christ offers true spiritual sustenance, declaring Himself to be the "bread of life" who satisfies every spiritual hunger ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus the Bread of Life")). Moreover, He delivers us from the ultimate evil of sin and its wages, death, through His perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice on the cross ([Romans 6:23](/romans/6-23 "Romans 6:23 - The Wages of Sin and the Gift of God")). Jesus is the true King who perfectly fulfilled God's law, bore the curse of our disobedience, and established a kingdom founded on righteousness, grace, and truth, entirely unlike the fleeting, deceptive "prosperity" offered by human rebellion or false gods. Our true "well-being" and ultimate freedom from "evil" are found not in appeasing idols or following the dictates of our own rebellious hearts, but in repentance and faith in the one who perfectly obeyed God and bore the consequences of our idolatry, offering us true life, peace, and redemption from the dominion of darkness into His marvelous light ([Colossians 1:13-14](/colossians/1-13-14 "Colossians 1:13-14 - Redemption Through Christ")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Nehemiah 9:34

Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

Jeremiah 7:18

The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead [their] dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Deuteronomy 23:23

That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; [even] a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

Exodus 16:3

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, [and] when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Ezekiel 20:8

But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

Hosea 2:5

For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Hosea 2:9

Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax [given] to cover her nakedness.