Jeremiah 44:18

KJV

But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

KJV (with Strong's)

But since we left off {H2308} to burn incense {H6999} to the queen {H4446} of heaven {H8064}, and to pour out {H5258} drink offerings {H5262} unto her, we have wanted {H2637} all things, and have been consumed {H8552} by the sword {H2719} and by the famine {H7458}.

Complete Jewish Bible

But since we stopped offering to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything, and we have been destroyed by sword and famine."

Berean Standard Bible

But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

American Standard Version

But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 44:18 captures the profound spiritual rebellion and defiant self-deception of the Jewish remnant in Egypt. Confronting the prophet Jeremiah, they audaciously claim that their current plight—marked by severe lack, death by sword, and widespread famine—began precisely when they ceased their idolatrous worship of the "queen of heaven." This statement stands as a stark inversion of divine truth, revealing a deeply hardened heart that attributes God's righteous judgment for their persistent idolatry to the very act of abandoning their pagan practices.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within Jeremiah's final recorded prophetic confrontation, delivered to the Jewish exiles and refugees who had fled to Pathros, Egypt, following the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC. The preceding chapters, [Jeremiah 42](/jeremiah/42 "Jeremiah 42 - The Remnant Seeks Counsel") and [Jeremiah 43](/jeremiah/43 "Jeremiah 43 - Disobedience and Flight to Egypt"), meticulously detail their initial deceptive plea for divine guidance and their subsequent blatant defiance of God's explicit command to remain in Judah, choosing instead to migrate to Egypt. [Jeremiah 44](/jeremiah/44 "Jeremiah 44 - Judgment on Idolatry in Egypt") then chronicles God's severe condemnation of their continued and entrenched idolatry in Egypt, particularly their devotion to the "queen of heaven." The people's declaration in Jeremiah 44:18 is a direct, unrepentant, and shocking response to Jeremiah's warnings, vividly demonstrating their profound spiritual blindness and hardened hearts, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of God's judgment that had already fallen upon Judah.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces resulted in the scattering of the remaining Judahites. A significant portion, including those addressed here, sought refuge in Egypt. This migration was a desperate attempt to escape the ongoing conflict, famine, and political instability in Judah, yet it also represented a direct disobedience to God's command not to return to Egypt, a land historically associated with spiritual bondage and idolatry, as warned in [Deuteronomy 17:16](/deuteronomy/17-16 "Deuteronomy 17:16 - Prohibition Against Returning to Egypt"). The "queen of heaven" (Hebrew: *malkath ha-shamayim*) was a prominent pagan deity, widely identified with goddesses like Astarte or Ishtar, whose worship was pervasive across the ancient Near East, and tragically, had been adopted by Israelites during various periods of apostasy (cf. [Jeremiah 7:18](/jeremiah/7-18 "Jeremiah 7:18 - Worship of the Queen of Heaven")). Her cult was often associated with fertility, prosperity, and protection, involving rituals such as burning incense, pouring libations, and baking cakes. The people's belief that their prosperity was intrinsically linked to her worship reflects a deeply syncretistic mindset, where they either blended pagan practices with a nominal acknowledgment of Yahweh or outright replaced Him with false gods.
* **Key Themes:** Jeremiah 44:18 powerfully illustrates several recurring and critical themes found throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader Old Testament narrative. Foremost is the pervasive theme of **Idolatry and Apostasy**, highlighting the persistent and tragic tendency of Israel to turn away from Yahweh, their covenant God, to worship false deities, despite repeated divine warnings and devastating judgments. This verse also profoundly underscores the theme of **Spiritual Blindness and Self-Deception**, as the people completely invert the truth, blaming their misfortunes on *ceasing* their sin rather than on the sin itself, demonstrating a profound inability or willful refusal to discern God's hand and righteous judgment in their circumstances. Furthermore, it starkly showcases the **Consequences of Disobedience**, as the "sword and famine" are precisely the covenant curses God had warned would befall His people for their unfaithfulness, as detailed in [Deuteronomy 28:15-68](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Curses for Disobedience"). The people's defiant and unrepentant response also emphasizes the tragic and consistent theme of the **Rejection of the Prophetic Word**, a pattern throughout Israel's history where God's messengers were consistently ignored, persecuted, or outright contradicted.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **châdal (Hebrew, _châdal'_):** Meaning "to cease," "to leave off," or "to desist," this word is pivotal as it marks the people's claimed turning point. They assert that their troubles commenced *since* they stopped their idolatrous practices, directly contradicting God's consistent message that their idolatry was the very cause of their suffering. It signifies their active choice to abandon a particular practice, yet their interpretation of the resulting consequences is tragically inverted.
* **mᵉleketh (Hebrew, _mᵉleketh'_):** Translates to "queen," specifically referring to the "queen of heaven" (*malkath ha-shamayim*). This term identifies the prominent pagan deity to whom they offered incense and libations. Her worship, a persistent and grievous idolatry in Judah, was a direct violation of the first commandment and a major source of God's righteous wrath, yet the people stubbornly clung to her as a perceived source of blessing and protection.
* **tâmam (Hebrew, _tâmam'_):** Signifies "to be consumed," "to be spent," "to come to an end," or "to be utterly ruined." This word vividly describes the devastating state of the people – utterly depleted and brought to ruin by the sword and famine. It highlights the severity and totality of their destitution, which they ironically attribute to their *cessation* of idolatry rather than its long-standing and pervasive practice.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her":** This initial clause reveals the people's defiant and self-justifying premise. They explicitly state that their current woes are *contingent upon* their stopping the worship of the "queen of heaven." The acts of "burning incense" and "pouring out drink offerings" were common, intimate, and deeply committed forms of devotion to deities in the ancient world, signifying profound reliance and submission. Their claim implies a direct cause-and-effect relationship where ceasing this pagan worship led to negative outcomes, completely inverting the truth of God's righteous judgment and their own culpability.
* **"we have wanted all [things]":** This phrase describes their state of severe deprivation and destitution. To have "wanted all [things]" means they lacked everything necessary for survival, well-being, and a stable existence. This was a direct fulfillment of the curses for disobedience outlined in the Mosaic Covenant, yet in their spiritual blindness, they attributed this severe lack to the *absence* of idolatry, rather than to the presence of God's judgment.
* **"and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine":** This final clause specifies the instruments of their suffering and destruction. The "sword" represents violent death, warfare, and military defeat, while "famine" denotes widespread hunger, starvation, and economic collapse. These were the very judgments God had repeatedly warned would come upon Judah for their unfaithfulness and persistent idolatry, yet the people, in their profound spiritual blindness, saw them as consequences of abandoning the false god rather than the true God's righteous and inevitable judgment for their rebellion.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in [Jeremiah 44:18](/jeremiah/44-18 "Jeremiah 44:18 - The People's Defiant Claim") is **Dramatic Irony**. The audience (and Jeremiah, as God's prophet) possesses the true understanding of the cause of Judah's suffering (their persistent idolatry and profound disobedience to Yahweh), but the characters speaking in the verse are tragically oblivious, or more likely, willfully ignorant and self-deceived, attributing their woes to the *cessation* of their pagan worship. This creates a stark and poignant contrast between the divine reality and the people's deluded perception. There is also strong **Paradox** and **Inversion** present, as the people present a situation where ceasing a harmful act (idolatry) leads to negative consequences, which is the exact opposite of what one would expect from a just and righteous God. This highlights their profound spiritual confusion, their hardened hearts, and the deceptive power of sin to twist reality.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 44:18 serves as a chilling testament to the human capacity for profound self-deception and the insidious, blinding nature of idolatry. The people's audacious assertion that their suffering began precisely when they stopped worshipping the "queen of heaven" is a blatant inversion of divine truth, demonstrating a complete spiritual blindness to God's righteous judgment and their own culpability. Their twisted logic reveals a heart so hardened by sin that it blames God (or the cessation of sin) for the very consequences that their persistent and grievous sin brought upon them. This passage powerfully underscores the biblical truth that true prosperity, peace, and well-being are found only in covenant faithfulness and obedient devotion to the one true God, not in the empty promises or deceptive allure of false deities.

* [Deuteronomy 28:15-68](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Curses for Disobedience")
* [Jeremiah 7:18](/jeremiah/7-18 "Jeremiah 7:18 - Worship of the Queen of Heaven")
* [Romans 1:21-25](/romans/1-21-25 "Romans 1:21-25 - The Exchange of Truth for a Lie")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 44:18 offers a sobering and convicting mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to meticulously examine the narratives we construct about our own lives, our struggles, and our relationship with God. It vividly exposes the dangerous human tendency to rationalize sin, to misinterpret divine providence, and to blame external factors, circumstances, or even God Himself for the painful consequences that directly stem from our own disobedience and unfaithfulness. True spiritual health and maturity require a humble, honest, and ongoing assessment of our actions, motivations, and allegiances in the illuminating light of God's Word. We must acknowledge that genuine blessing and flourishing flow from wholehearted obedience to Him, and that suffering or lack often stems from straying from His righteous path. We are called to vigilantly guard against any form of modern idolatry—whether it manifests as an inordinate pursuit of wealth, success, comfort, self-reliance, or even a particular ideology—that promises fulfillment but ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness, destructive outcomes, and a distorted view of God. This verse calls us to repent of any self-justifying narratives, to dismantle our idols, and instead to embrace the liberating truth of God, seeking His will wholeheartedly and submitting to His authority, even when it challenges our comfort or exposes our deepest flaws.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be prone to spiritual self-deception, subtly blaming circumstances or others for consequences that ultimately stem from my own choices or disobedience?**
* **What "queens of heaven"—false sources of security, happiness, identity, or control—might I be unknowingly worshipping or prioritizing over God in my life today?**
* **How does this passage encourage me to submit more fully to God's truth, even when it challenges my comfort, my preconceived notions, or my desire for self-justification?**

### FAQ
**Who was the "queen of heaven" mentioned in Jeremiah 44:18?**

Answer: The "queen of heaven" (Hebrew: *malkath ha-shamayim*) was a prominent pagan deity worshipped extensively in the ancient Near East, particularly by the Canaanites, Assyrians, and Babylonians. She is generally identified with goddesses like Astarte (Ishtar) or Asherah, who were associated with fertility, war, and the cosmos. Her worship often involved specific rituals such as burning incense, pouring libations, and baking cakes, as explicitly mentioned in [Jeremiah 7:18](/jeremiah/7-18 "Jeremiah 7:18 - Worship of the Queen of Heaven"). For the people of Judah to engage in her worship was a direct and grievous violation of the first commandment of the Decalogue and a consistent source of God's righteous anger throughout their history.

**Why did the people believe that stopping the worship of the "queen of heaven" led to their suffering?**

Answer: The people's belief was a profound act of spiritual self-deception, a hardened heart, and a blatant rejection of God's prophetic word. They had experienced a period of relative peace and prosperity *while* engaging in idolatry, and they mistakenly attributed these blessings to the false deity, rather than to God's long-suffering patience, His common grace, or the temporary geopolitical circumstances. When God's righteous judgment finally came upon them in the form of the "sword and famine," they tragically inverted the truth. Instead of acknowledging that their suffering was *because* their idolatry had provoked God's wrath, they concluded that their calamities were *because* they had ceased their pagan practices. This demonstrates a deeply hardened heart and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge their sin as the true cause of their misfortunes, preferring a self-serving lie that justified their rebellion against the true God.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 44:18, with its stark portrayal of human rebellion, spiritual blindness, and self-deception, powerfully sets the stage for the absolute necessity of Christ. The people's desperate clinging to false gods and their tragic inversion of truth highlight humanity's fallen and corrupted state, where sin blinds individuals to their true condition and the ultimate source of their woes. The "sword and famine" they experienced were not merely random misfortunes but direct, covenantal consequences of their idolatry, symbolic of the spiritual death, emptiness, and separation from God that sin inevitably brings. Christ, however, is the ultimate fulfillment of God's righteous judgment and His redemptive plan. He is the one who perfectly obeyed God where Israel failed, living a life of complete fidelity and submission to the Father (cf. [Philippians 2:8](/philippians/2-8 "Philippians 2:8 - Christ's Obedience unto Death")). Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus bore the "sword" of God's wrath against sin, absorbing the just judgment that humanity deserved (cf. [Isaiah 53:5](/isaiah/53-5 "Isaiah 53:5 - Christ's Suffering for Our Sins")). Furthermore, He is the "Bread of Life" who satisfies the spiritual "famine" of the human soul, offering true sustenance, eternal life, and abundant peace to all who believe in Him (cf. [John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")). In Christ, the deceptive power of all "queens of heaven"—every false god, idol, or worldly pursuit that promises life but ultimately delivers spiritual death—is utterly broken, and true prosperity, peace, and reconciliation with God are found in Him alone, the King of kings and Lord of lords (cf. [Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Christ's Triumph Over Spiritual Powers")).

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

Malachi 3:13

¶ Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee?

Malachi 3:15

And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, [they that] tempt God are even delivered.

Numbers 11:5

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

Numbers 11:6

But now our soul [is] dried away: [there is] nothing at all, beside this manna, [before] our eyes.

Jeremiah 40:12

Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

Job 21:14

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

Job 21:15

What [is] the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?