Jeremiah 44 17

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.

Jeremiah 44:17 nkjv

But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to 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 we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.

Jeremiah 44:17 niv

We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.

Jeremiah 44:17 esv

But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.

Jeremiah 44:17 nlt

We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like ? just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!

Jeremiah 44 verses

Jeremiah 44 17 Meaning

This verse expresses the people's defiance and determination to continue their forbidden practices, despite Jeremiah's prophecy of doom. They claim prosperity and escape from calamity in the past resulted from these actions, not from obedience to God. They firmly reject God's word delivered through Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 44 17 Context

Jeremiah 44 depicts the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction and the Babylonian exile. A remnant of Judeans, refusing to believe Jeremiah's prophecies and instead blaming their hardships on abandoning the worship of the "Queen of Heaven" (likely a syncretic form of celestial worship, possibly involving Astarte or Ishtar), fled to Egypt. In Egypt, they continued their idolatrous practices. Jeremiah, compelled by God, confronts them in Egypt, pronouncing God's judgment not only on Jerusalem but also on this remnant for their persistent disobedience and their embrace of pagan worship in a foreign land. The "Queen of Heaven" worship was a pervasive form of idolatry in ancient Near Eastern cultures, often associated with fertility, the moon, and heavenly bodies.

Jeremiah 44 17 Word Analysis

• "And" (וְ - wə): A conjunctive particle, linking clauses and ideas. Here it connects the previous declaration with their further commitment.
• "they" (הֵ֧מָּה - hēmⱡ): Plural pronoun, referring to the people of Judah in Egypt.
• "spake" (דִּבְּרוּ - dibberū): Verb, Hiphil form of "dabar" (to speak). Indicates they spoke forcefully and authoritatively in their own minds.
• "all" (כֹּ֛ל - kōl): A quantifier, emphasizing completeness. All of them, united in their conviction.
• "the words" (הַדְּבָרִ֖ים - haḏəḇārīm): Noun, plural. Refers to their pronouncements and agreements.
• "which" (אֲשֶׁר - ʔăšer): Relative pronoun, connecting "the words" to their source.
• "ye" (אַתֶּ֤ם - ʔattem): Plural pronoun, addressing Jeremiah and those who stood with him.
• "have spoken" (דִּבַּרְתֶּם - dibbartem): Verb, Qal perfect. Indicates a completed action.
• " unto us" (אֵלֵ֧ינוּ - ʔēlēnū): Prepositional phrase, indicating the recipients of the spoken words.
• "in the name" (בְּשֵׁ֣ם - bəšēm): Prepositional phrase, signifying the authority or source invoked.
• "of the LORD" (יְהֹוָ֖ה - YHWH): The personal covenant name of God.
• "your God" (אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם - ʔĕlōhēḵem): Possessive plural, referring to the God of the people, though they reject His command.
• "to do" (לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת - la‘ăśōṯ): Infinitive construct of "asah" (to do, to make). Their commitment to performing their idolatrous acts.
• "all" (כָּל - kōl): Again emphasizes the totality of their resolve.
• "the words" (הַדְּבָרִ֖ים - haḏəḇārīm): Noun, plural. Refers to their continuing religious practices.
• "of the LORD" (יְהֹוָ֖ה - YHWH): Reinforces that they are explicitly rejecting God's commands and His prophet.
• "ye" (אַתֶּ֖ם - ʔattem): Reiterated for emphasis on their group action.
• "do not" (לֹ֣א - lōʔ): Negation, marking their refusal.
• "intend" (יִכְחָ֑דוּ - yiḵḥāḏū): Verb, Niphal imperfect of "kahad" (to be hidden, to be denied). It implies they will not let God's words be obscured or canceled; they will not renounce their path. A stronger reading might suggest they will not allow themselves to be diminished or have their actions deemed invalid by Jeremiah.

Group of Words Analysis:

• "all the words which ye have spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, to do all the words of the LORD, ye do not intend": This entire phrase encapsulates their direct confrontation with Jeremiah. They acknowledge he is speaking in God's name, but they are choosing to actively reject both the message and the authority behind it. Their actions (continuing the practices) are a public declaration of their non-compliance.

Jeremiah 44 17 Bonus Section

The concept of attributing fortune or misfortune to specific actions, especially in worship, is deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern religious thought. The "Queen of Heaven" was a significant deity in pagan cultures, linked to fertility, astral phenomena, and a perceived cosmic order. By clinging to this worship, the remnant in Egypt demonstrates a syncretic tendency, trying to merge their old Israelite identity with pagan beliefs, or completely forsaking the One True God for what they perceived as more reliable or beneficial deities. This verse highlights the human tendency to seek external justifications and tangible rewards from religious practices, often to the exclusion of genuine repentance and submission to God's will. The passage serves as a stark warning against prioritizing cultural practices or personal interpretations over divine revelation, especially when facing hardship.

Jeremiah 44 17 Commentary

The people's response in verse 17 is a powerful testament to hardened hearts and deliberate rebellion against God's explicit word. They choose to reinterpret their past and present circumstances through the lens of their idolatrous practices, attributing any periods of peace or prosperity to appeasing the "Queen of Heaven," and any hardship to neglecting her. This is a classic manifestation of spiritual delusion, where sin becomes a crutch rather than a cause of shame. They are not merely forgetful; they are actively choosing a path of defiance, and in doing so, they effectively sever their covenant relationship with the Lord, inviting His further judgment. Their commitment is not to truth but to their traditions and their own understanding of what brings security.