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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 7:16–20. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
God had shown them, in the foregoing verses, that the temple and the service of it, of which they boasted and in which they trusted, should not avail to prevent the judgment threatened. But there was another thing which might stand them in some stead, and which yet they had no value for, and that was the prophet's intercession for them; his prayers would do them more good than their own pleas: now here that support is taken from them; and their case is said indeed who have lost their interest in the prayers of God's ministers and people.
I.God here forbids the prophet to pray for them (Jer 7:16):
"The decree has gone forth, their ruin is resolved on, therefore pray not thou for this people, that is, pray not for the preventing of this judgment threatened; they have sinned unto death, and therefore pray not for their life, but for the life of their souls," Jo1 5:16. See here,
1.That God's prophets are praying men; Jeremiah foretold the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, and yet prayed for their preservation, not knowing that the decree was absolute; and it is the will of God that we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Even when we threaten sinners with damnation we must pray for their salvation, that they may turn and live. Jeremiah was hated, and persecuted, and reproached, by the children of his people, and yet he prayed for them; for it becomes us to render good for evil.
2.That God's praying prophets have a great interest in heaven, how little soever they have on earth. When God has determined to destroy this people, he bespeaks the prophet not to pray for them, because he would not have his prayers to lie (as prophets' prayers seldom did) unanswered. God said to Moses, Let me alone, Exo 22:10.
3.It is an ill omen to a people when God restrains the spirits of his ministers and people from praying for them, and gives them to see their case so desperate that they have no heart to speak a good word for them.
4.Those that will not regard good ministers' preaching cannot expect any benefit by their praying. If you will not hear us when we speak from God to you, God will not hear us when we speak to him for you.
II.He gives him a reason for this prohibition.
Praying breath is too precious a thing to be lost and thrown away upon a people hardened in sin and marked for ruin.
1.They are resolved to persist in their rebellion against God, and will not be turned back by the prophet's preaching. For this he appeals to the prophet himself, and his own inspection and observation (Jer 7:17): Seest thou not what they do openly and publicly, without either shame or fear, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? This intimates both that the sin was evident and could not be denied and that the sinners were impudent and would not be reclaimed; they committed their wickedness even in the prophet's presence and under his eye; he saw what they did, and yet they did it, which was an affront to his office, and to him whose officer he was, and bade defiance to both. Now observe,
(1.)What the sin is with which they are here charged - it is idolatry, Jer 7:18. Their idolatrous respects are paid to the queen of heaven, the moon, either in an image or in the original, or both. They worshipped it probably under the name of Ashtaroth, or some other of their goddesses, being in love with the brightness in which they saw the moon walk, and thinking themselves indebted to her for her benign influences or fearing her malignant ones, Job 31:26. The worshipping of the moon was much in use among the heathen nations, Jer 44:17, Jer 44:19. Some read it the frame or workmanship of heaven. The whole celestial globe with all its ornaments and powers was the object of their adoration. They worshipped the host of heaven, Act 7:42. The homage they should have paid to their Prince they paid to the statues that beautified the frontispiece of his palace; they worshipped the creatures instead of him that made them, the servants instead of him that commands them, and the gifts instead of him that gave them. With the queen of heaven they worshipped other gods, images of things not only in heaven above, but in earth beneath, and in the waters under the earth; for those that forsake the true God wander endlessly after false ones. To these deities of their own making they offer cakes for meat-offerings, and pour out drink-offerings, as if they had their meat and drink from them and were obliged to make to them their acknowledgments: and see how busy they are, and how every hand is employed in the service of these idols, according as they used to be employed in their domestic services. The children were sent to gather wood; the fathers kindled the fire to heat the oven, being of the poorer sort that could not afford to keep servants to do it, yet they would rather do it themselves than it should be undone; the women kneaded the dough with their own hands, for perhaps, though they had servants to do it, they took a pride in showing their zeal for their idols by doing it themselves. Let us be instructed, even by this bad example, in the service of our God.
[1.]Let us honour him with our substance, as those that have our subsistence from him, and eat and drink to the glory of him from whom we have our meat and drink.
[2.]Let us not decline the hardest services, nor disdain to stoop to the meanest, by which God may be honoured; for none shall kindle a fire on God's altar for nought. Let us think it an honour to be employed in any work for God.
[3.]Let us bring up our children in the acts of devotion; let them, as they are capable, be employed in doing something towards the keeping up of religious exercises.
(2.)What is the direct tendency of this sin: "It is that they may provoke me to anger; they cannot design any thing else in it. But (Jer 7:19) do they provoke me to anger? Is it because I am hard to be pleased, or easily provoked? Or am I to bear the blame of the resentment? No; it is their own doing; they may thank themselves, and they alone shall bear it." Is it against God that they provoke him to wrath? Is he the worse for it? Does it do him any real damage? No; is it not against themselves, to the confusion of their own faces? It is malice against God, but it is impotent malice; it cannot hurt him: nay, it is foolish malice; it will hurt themselves. They show their spite against God, but they do the spite to themselves. Canst thou think any other than that a people, thus desperately set upon their own ruin, should be abandoned?
2.God is resolved to proceed in his judgments against them, and will not be turned back by the prophet's prayers (Jer 7:20): Thus saith the Lord God, and what he saith he will not unsay, nor can all the world gainsay it; hear it therefore, and tremble. "Behold, my anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, as the flood of waters was upon the old world or the shower of fire and brimstone upon Sodom; since they will anger me, let them see what will come of it." They shall soon find,
(1.)That there is no escaping this deluge of fire, either by flying from it or fencing against it; it shall be poured out on this place, though it be a holy place, the Lord's house. It shall reach both man and beast, like the plagues of Egypt, and, like some of them, shall destroy the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground, which they had designed and prepared for Baal, and of which they had made cakes to the queen of heaven.
(2.)There is no extinguishing it: It shall burn and shall not be quenched; prayers and tears shall then avail nothing. When his wrath is kindled but a little, much more when it is kindled to such a degree, there shall be no quenching it. God's wrath is that fire unquenchable which eternity itself will not see the period of. Depart, you cursed, into everlasting fire.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
You will find at least in the book of Jeremiah the words of God censuring by the mouth of the prophet the Jewish people for doing obeisance to such objects and for sacrificing to the queen of heaven and to all the host of heaven. The writings of the Christians, moreover, show, in censuring the sins committed among the Jews, that when God abandoned that people on account of certain sins, these sins of idol worship also were committed by them.
"God is jealous" and does not wish the soul that he betrothed to himself in faith to remain defiled by sin, but he wishes it to be purified immediately, wishes it to cast out all its impurities immediately, if it has been, by chance, snatched away by some of them. But if the soul continues in sins and says, "We will not hear the voice of the Lord, but we will do what we wish and will burn incense to the 'queen of heaven,' " a practice condemned by the prophet, it will then be held over for that judgment of Wisdom: "Since I indeed called you and you did not listen but jeered at my words, therefore I will laugh at your ruin, too," or is that judgment that has been placed on those in the Gospel when the Lord says, "Depart from me into the eternal fire that God has prepared for the devil and his angels."
This is why God threatens punishment, so that by fear he may destroy contempt, and when the threat alone is sufficient to cause fear in us he does not permit us to undergo the actual trial. See, for instance, what he says to Jeremiah, “Do you not see what they do? Their fathers light a fire, their children gather sticks together, their women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven.” It is to be feared lest the same kind of thing be said also concerning us.
(Verse 17 and following) Don't you see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. They also pour out drink offerings to other gods, provoking me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger?" says the Lord. "Do they not provoke themselves, to their own shame? Therefore thus says the Lord: 'Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.' They do these things that follow: Both inside and outside, both in the streets and in the exits of Jerusalem, the sons carry wood, and the fathers light the fire, and the women sprinkle fat with flour, in order to make Chauonim, which we have interpreted as pancakes, or preparations, to show all kinds of sacrifices to the queen of heaven, whom we should accept as the moon; or certainly to the army of heaven, so that we understand all the stars. And after this they willingly offer incense to foreign gods: not because they are gods, but because under their names they summon demons, and provoke me to anger by doing these things. The wretched fools do not understand that this dispute does not harm me, whom anger never affects: but it brings upon themselves confusion of their own countenance, and everlasting dishonor. Therefore, whatever we do, we do not harm God, who can never be harmed: but we prepare destruction for ourselves, storing up wrath for the day of wrath. Therefore, He established different duties for sons, fathers, mothers, and even wives, so that no age would dissent from impiety.
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Summary
Jeremiah 7:18 presents a stark and distressing tableau of pervasive idolatry within Judah, depicting an entire family unit—children, fathers, and women—collaborating in the preparation and offering of pagan sacrifices. This verse, embedded within Jeremiah's powerful Temple Sermon, exposes the depth of Judah's spiritual rebellion, revealing that their false sense of security in religious rituals was utterly undermined by their active and collective devotion to false deities, particularly the "queen of heaven" and other gods, thereby directly provoking the Lord's righteous anger.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is a poignant detail within Jeremiah's renowned "Temple Sermon" (Jeremiah 7:1-15), delivered at the very gate of the Lord's house. Jeremiah's primary message here is a scathing indictment of Judah's hypocritical worship: they trusted in the physical presence of the temple, repeating the empty mantra, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are these!" while their lives were filled with injustice, oppression, and rampant idolatry. Verse 18 serves as a concrete, horrifying illustration of the very sins Jeremiah condemns, demonstrating that their apostasy was not merely an external ritual but deeply embedded in the fabric of their daily family life, making their claim of covenant faithfulness utterly hollow. The sermon culminates in God's declaration that He will destroy this temple just as He did the sanctuary at Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:12-14), and cast Judah out of His sight, a direct consequence of their actions described in verses like this one.
Historical & Cultural Context
The worship of the "queen of heaven" was a prominent and insidious form of idolatry in the ancient Near East, particularly among the Canaanites and Mesopotamians. This deity is widely identified with Ishtar (Babylonian) or Astarte (Canaanite), goddesses associated with fertility, war, and celestial bodies. Her cult often involved ritualistic prostitution, child sacrifice (though not explicitly mentioned here), and the baking of special cakes as offerings. This practice was a direct and flagrant violation of the Mosaic Law, which strictly forbade the worship of any god other than Yahweh, as clearly articulated in the first two commandments found in Exodus 20:3-5. The verse highlights the alarming degree of syncretism in Judah, where pagan practices had infiltrated even the most intimate domestic spheres, demonstrating a complete abandonment of their covenant obligations to the Lord.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 7:18 vividly underscores several key themes prevalent in the book of Jeremiah. Foremost is the theme of Pervasive Idolatry, illustrating how deeply pagan worship had permeated Judean society, from the youngest members to the oldest, making it a collective, familial enterprise. This widespread apostasy stands in stark contrast to the singular devotion demanded by the covenant with Yahweh, emphasizing the theme of Covenant Unfaithfulness. The specific mention of "cakes to the queen of heaven" and "drink offerings unto other gods" highlights the Syncretism that blurred the lines between Yahweh worship and pagan practices, a spiritual adultery that God abhorred. Finally, the concluding phrase, "that they may provoke me to anger," powerfully conveys the theme of Divine Indignation and Judgment, revealing God's righteous and personal response to His people's deliberate and defiant rebellion against His holiness and covenant love, a theme echoed throughout Jeremiah's prophecies of impending doom for Judah, as seen in Jeremiah 7:19-20.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)." In this context, "children" signifies the youngest members of the household, indicating that the idolatrous practices were not confined to adults but were learned and participated in from an early age, deeply embedding the sin within the generational fabric of society and demonstrating a profound failure of parental spiritual leadership.
Meaning "a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal." The "fathers" represent the patriarchal heads of the households, who, instead of leading their families in the exclusive worship of Yahweh, actively participated in and even initiated the pagan rituals. This action constituted a grave dereliction of their primary covenantal responsibility to teach and model faithfulness to the Lord, thereby perpetuating apostasy across generations.
Meaning "a primitive root; to trouble; by implication, to grieve, rage, be indignant; be angry, be grieved, take indignation, provoke (to anger, unto wrath), have sorrow, vex, be wroth." This phrase emphasizes God's deeply personal and righteous indignation. Their actions were not merely misguided or ignorant; they were a deliberate, defiant affront to His holy character and His covenant, eliciting a strong, justified emotional response from the Lord. It signifies a profound grief and wrath at the betrayal of His people.
Verse Breakdown
"The children gather wood"
This clause highlights the active participation of the youngest generation in the idolatrous ritual. It suggests that pagan worship was not a hidden or adult-only activity but was openly practiced and even involved children in its preparatory stages, indicating its deep societal penetration and normalization. This paints a picture of intergenerational apostasy.
"and the fathers kindle the fire"
This signifies the leadership and initiation of the idolatrous act by the heads of the households. Instead of leading their families in devotion to Yahweh and upholding the covenant, the fathers were instrumental in setting the stage for pagan worship, thereby modeling unfaithfulness and abrogating their spiritual responsibilities. Their actions demonstrate a profound spiritual failure at the core of the family unit.
"and the women knead [their] dough"
This points to the domestic and culinary aspects of the ritual, with the women preparing the specific offerings. The act of kneading dough for cakes to a pagan deity underscores how deeply idolatry had infiltrated the everyday life and traditional roles within the home, turning mundane domestic tasks into acts of rebellion against God and integrating pagan worship into the very fabric of daily existence.
"to make cakes to the queen of heaven"
This identifies the primary object of their idolatry and the specific nature of the offering. The "queen of heaven" (likely Ishtar/Astarte) was a prominent fertility goddess, and these cakes were a common offering in her cult, symbolizing their devotion and appeal for her blessings, directly contravening the exclusive worship of Yahweh. This specific cult was a persistent problem in Israel's history.
"and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods"
This broadens the scope of their idolatry beyond a single deity. The "drink offerings" (libations) were another common form of ancient worship, and their dedication to "other gods" indicates a pervasive polytheism and syncretism, where Judah indiscriminately worshipped various pagan deities alongside (or instead of) the Lord. This reveals a complete spiritual promiscuity.
"that they may provoke me to anger"
This concluding phrase reveals the divine perspective and consequence of their actions. Their idolatry was not merely a deviation but a direct, intentional affront to God's holiness and covenant. It underscores God's righteous indignation and the inevitable judgment that would follow such blatant and widespread rebellion, highlighting the personal nature of God's relationship with His people and His response to their betrayal.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 7:18 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and disturbing picture of an entire family unit—children, fathers, and women—collaborating in acts of pagan worship. This detailed scene makes the abstract concept of idolatry concrete and immediate, emphasizing its pervasive nature and the full societal involvement in this sin. The verse also employs a striking form of Parallelism, specifically Synthetic Parallelism, where each clause ("The children gather wood," "and the fathers kindle the fire," "and the women knead their dough") builds upon the previous one to create a cumulative effect, demonstrating the comprehensive involvement of the household. This structure underscores the collective and coordinated nature of their sin, highlighting that apostasy was a family affair. Furthermore, the final phrase, "that they may provoke me to anger," utilizes Anthropomorphism, attributing human emotion (anger) to God. This device emphasizes the Lord's personal and deeply felt response to Judah's betrayal, highlighting that their actions were not merely a breach of law but a direct offense against His character and His covenant relationship with them, revealing His righteous jealousy for His own glory and His people's devotion.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse profoundly illustrates the nature of idolatry as spiritual adultery, a repeated theme throughout the prophetic books. Just as a faithful spouse demands exclusive devotion, God, as the covenant Lord of Israel, required their singular worship. Their turning to the "queen of heaven" and "other gods" was a blatant violation of the first commandment, a betrayal of the covenant relationship established at Sinai. This act of disloyalty was not a passive omission but an active provocation, stirring God's righteous jealousy and anger. It underscores that God is not indifferent to the worship of false gods; His holiness demands exclusive devotion, and His justice responds to such flagrant rebellion. The familial involvement also highlights the intergenerational transmission of sin and the collective responsibility of the community for its spiritual state, demonstrating how deeply sin can permeate and corrupt a society from its foundational units.
Reflection and Application
While the specific act of making cakes to the "queen of heaven" may seem distant to contemporary life, the underlying principle of idolatry remains profoundly relevant. Idolatry, at its core, is anything that usurps God's rightful place of ultimate devotion, trust, and worship in our lives. This can manifest in subtle forms: an obsessive pursuit of wealth, career success, personal comfort, social media validation, or even the elevation of relationships or self-image above God. Jeremiah 7:18 reminds us that idolatry is often a collective and normalized sin, woven into the fabric of daily life and even passed down through generations. It challenges us to critically examine our own hearts and households: What do we truly serve? What consumes our time, energy, and deepest affections? Are we, perhaps unknowingly, making "cakes" to modern "queens of heaven" by prioritizing anything over our singular devotion to the Lord? This verse serves as a powerful call to spiritual discernment, repentance, and a return to exclusive worship of the one true God, ensuring that our faith is not merely an outward ritual but an inward reality that transforms every aspect of our lives and families, fostering environments where God alone is glorified.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who was the "Queen of Heaven" mentioned in Jeremiah 7:18?
The "Queen of Heaven" refers to a prominent pagan goddess worshipped in the ancient Near East, most commonly identified with Ishtar in Mesopotamia (Babylonian) or Astarte in Canaanite religion. She was associated with fertility, love, war, and celestial bodies. Her worship was widespread and deeply entrenched in the region, and tragically, it had infiltrated the religious practices of Judah, despite God's explicit commands against idolatry found throughout the Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:14). This cult was particularly appealing to women, promising fertility and protection, which led to its deep entrenchment in domestic life.
Why did the people of Judah engage in such widespread idolatry?
The people of Judah engaged in widespread idolatry for several reasons. Primarily, it was a result of spiritual syncretism, where they attempted to blend the worship of Yahweh with the practices of surrounding pagan cultures, believing it might bring them greater prosperity or security. They were influenced by the prevalent polytheistic beliefs of their neighbors and often sought the blessings of fertility gods like the "Queen of Heaven" for agricultural success or offspring, or gods of war for protection. Furthermore, there was a deep-seated rebellion against God's covenant and His commands, a desire to live according to their own ways rather than God's. Jeremiah's ministry consistently highlights their stubborn hearts and their refusal to heed the Lord's warnings (e.g., Jeremiah 7:23-26). They preferred the tangible rituals and perceived benefits of pagan worship over the unseen, demanding holiness of Yahweh.
What is the significance of the entire family participating in these idolatrous acts?
The involvement of children, fathers, and women in Jeremiah 7:18 is highly significant because it demonstrates the pervasive and normalized nature of idolatry within Judah. It wasn't a fringe activity but deeply embedded in the domestic and social fabric. This collective participation showed that the spiritual corruption had reached every level of society, from the youngest learning these practices to the fathers leading them, and the women preparing the offerings. It underscored the failure of the family unit, which was meant to be the primary sphere for teaching and modeling faithfulness to Yahweh (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:6-7), to uphold the covenant, thereby magnifying the severity of their apostasy and God's righteous anger. This familial involvement indicated a complete breakdown of covenant fidelity at the most foundational level of society.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 7:18, with its vivid depiction of Israel's pervasive idolatry and God's provoked anger, finds its profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Israel's failure to maintain exclusive devotion to Yahweh, as evidenced by their worship of the "queen of heaven" and "other gods," highlights humanity's inherent propensity to create and serve idols. Christ, however, perfectly embodies the exclusive worship and obedience that Israel failed to render. He is the true and living God to whom all devotion is due, and through His perfect life, He fulfilled the Law's demand for singular allegiance, never once yielding to the temptation of idolatry. In the New Covenant, the need for physical offerings like "cakes" and "drink offerings" is eternally superseded by Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, which truly takes away sin and makes reconciliation with God possible, rendering all other sacrifices obsolete. Furthermore, Christ's coming inaugurated a new spiritual reality where the true temple is no longer a physical building, but the community of believers, the Church, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (e.g., 1 Corinthians 3:16), contrasting sharply with Judah's false security in the physical temple while their hearts were far from God. Through Christ, believers are called to a radical and exclusive devotion, recognizing that covetousness itself is idolatry (e.g., Colossians 3:5), and that true worship is now in spirit and truth, freeing us from the bondage of serving any created thing and enabling us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1).