Jeremiah 44:19

And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

And when we burned incense {H6999} to the queen {H4446} of heaven {H8064}, and poured out {H5258} drink offerings {H5262} unto her, did we make {H6213} her cakes {H3561} to worship {H6087} her, and pour out {H5258} drink offerings {H5262} unto her, without {H1107} our men {H582}?

[Then the wives added,] "Are we the ones who offer incense to the queen of heaven? Do we pour out drink offerings to her? And did we make cakes marked with her image for her and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands' consent?"

“Moreover,” said the women, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?

Context

Jeremiah 44:19 is part of a dramatic confrontation between the prophet Jeremiah and the Jewish remnant who had fled to Egypt after the destruction of Jerusalem. Despite God's clear warnings through Jeremiah not to go to Egypt and to abandon their idolatrous practices, the people defiantly refused. In this specific verse, the women among the exiles respond to Jeremiah's condemnation of their worship of the "queen of heaven." They not only admit to their idolatry but also boldly justify it by claiming it brought them prosperity and that their men were fully aware and complicit in these forbidden rituals. This highlights their profound spiritual stubbornness and outright rejection of God's commands. For more on Jeremiah's warnings against this idolatry, see Jeremiah 44:7.

Key Themes

  • Defiant Idolatry: The verse vividly portrays the people's stubborn refusal to turn from their pagan worship, even in the face of divine judgment and prophetic warnings. They openly declare their intention to continue their practices, showing a hardened heart towards God's truth.
  • Shared Guilt and Complicity: The women's rhetorical question, "without our men?" reveals that the idolatry was not a secret or isolated act by women alone, but a widespread, communal practice involving men, women, and even children (as mentioned in Jeremiah 7:18). This underscores the collective nature of their sin and shared responsibility.
  • False Justification: They attempt to justify their worship by claiming it brought them prosperity in the past, demonstrating a misguided faith in a false deity over the true God who had actually blessed them. This tragic misattribution of blessings is a common trap of idolatry, where perceived success is linked to disobedience rather than divine grace.
  • Pagan Rituals: The verse details specific acts of worship—burning incense, pouring out drink offerings, and making special cakes—all common pagan rituals associated with fertility cults prevalent in the ancient Near East.

Linguistic Insights

The "queen of heaven" (KJV) is translated from the Hebrew phrase Melekhet haShamayim (מְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם). This refers to a prominent pagan goddess worshipped in the ancient Near East, often identified with deities like Ishtar (Babylonian), Astarte (Canaanite), or Asherah. She was typically associated with fertility, war, and celestial power, reflecting the beliefs of the surrounding cultures. The "cakes to worship her" were likely specific ritual cakes, possibly crescent-shaped or star-shaped (`kawwanim`), baked as part of her cultic rituals to honor her. The mention of "drink offerings" further emphasizes the adoption of foreign religious practices that were anathema to the worship of Yahweh.

Reflection and Application

Jeremiah 44:19 serves as a stark warning against spiritual stubbornness and the dangers of justifying sin. Its lessons remain profoundly relevant today:

  • Recognizing Modern Idols: While we may not literally burn incense to a "queen of heaven" today, modern idolatry can manifest in worshipping success, wealth, power, comfort, technology, or even self, placing these above God. We must critically examine what truly holds the highest place in our hearts and affections.
  • Avoiding Shared Complicity: The verse reminds us that sin can be communal. We are called to stand for truth and righteousness, even if it means standing against prevailing cultural norms or the actions of those around us. Our faith calls for individual and collective accountability.
  • Trusting God's Word: The people in Jeremiah's time preferred their perceived prosperity from pagan rituals over God's clear commands. This highlights the importance of unwavering trust in God's Word, even when it challenges our desires or societal pressures. True and lasting blessings come from obedience to the Creator, not from false gods or self-devised paths (see Deuteronomy 28:1).
  • The Call to Repentance: Despite their defiance, God continually calls His people to repentance. This verse underscores the tragic consequences of rejecting that call, urging us to humble ourselves, turn away from all forms of idolatry, and wholeheartedly turn back to Him.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 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.

  • Jeremiah 44:15

    ¶ Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

  • Genesis 3:6

    ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

  • Numbers 30:6

    And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;

  • Numbers 30:7

    And her husband heard [it], and held his peace at her in the day that he heard [it]: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

  • Deuteronomy 7:3

    Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

  • Deuteronomy 7:4

    For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

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