Jeremiah 44 18

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.

Jeremiah 44:18 nkjv

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

Jeremiah 44:18 niv

But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine."

Jeremiah 44:18 esv

But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."

Jeremiah 44:18 nlt

But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine."

Jeremiah 44 verses

Jeremiah 44 18 Meaning

When they deviated from God, they lacked nothing. However, once they adhered to His commands, they had deficiencies. This is a statement of regret, implying their perceived spiritual obedience led to material hardship.

Jeremiah 44 18 Context

This verse is spoken by the people of Israel in Egypt, addressing Jeremiah. They are recounting their past experiences, specifically when they were worshipping the Queen of Heaven. They claim that during that time of idolatry, they had abundance and lacked nothing. In contrast, they feel that since they stopped this worship and began to follow God's commandments more closely, they have faced hardship and lack. This statement reveals their misunderstanding of true prosperity, which comes from obedience to God, not from pagan practices or even a mere cessation of outward sin without genuine repentance and reliance on Him. They are blaming their current difficulties on their attempt to obey God, rather than recognizing their continued disobedience and lack of faith.

Jeremiah 44 18 Word Analysis

• and: This conjunction connects their previous state to their current state, highlighting the contrast they perceive.

• we: This pronoun emphasizes the collective responsibility and experience of the group speaking.

• had: This verb signifies a past possession or state of being.

• plenty: This word denotes abundance, sufficiency, or more than enough.

• and: Another conjunction linking their state of plenty to their experience of lack.

• lacked: This verb indicates a deficiency or the absence of something needed.

• nothing: This absolute term intensifies the statement of their previous sufficiency and current want.

• but: This conjunction marks a sharp contrast between the past and the present.

• since: This word introduces the timeframe for the change they experienced.

• we: Again, emphasizing the group's shared experience of perceived decline.

• left: This verb implies abandonment or ceasing.

• off: Often used in conjunction with a verb to indicate completion or cessation.

• to: Preposition indicating direction or destination, referring to their stopping a particular practice.

• burn: Implies offering sacrifices, likely incense.

• incense: A fragrant substance burned as an offering.

• to: Preposition again, linking the action to the object.

• the: Definite article specifying the object.

• queen: Refers to a pagan deity, likely the moon goddess, commonly worshipped in ancient Near Eastern cultures.

• of: Possessive preposition.

• heaven: Refers to the celestial realm, the domain of the goddess.

• and: Conjunction linking the stopping of one practice to another action.

• to: Preposition indicating the direction of their actions.

• pour: Implies libation offerings.

• out: Adverb indicating the action of dispensing something from a container.

• drink: Refers to liquid offerings.

• offerings: These are sacrifices or gifts presented to a deity.

• unto: Similar to "to," indicating the recipient of the offerings.

• her: Pronoun referring back to the Queen of Heaven.

• our: Possessive pronoun indicating ownership or creation by them.

• husbands: This refers to the men of their households, possibly implying that their societal roles and responsibilities were maintained during idolatry.

• made: This verb signifies creation or preparation.

• her: Referring to the Queen of Heaven.

• cakes: Small, usually sweet, baked goods, specifically associated with the worship of this goddess in the ancient Near East.

• and: Conjunction connecting two clauses.

• we: Again, the collective "we."

• did: Past tense verb of doing.

• drink: Liquid offerings.

• offerings: Sacrifices or gifts.

• to: Preposition.

• her: Referring to the Queen of Heaven.

• with: Preposition indicating accompaniment.

• out: Adverb.

• our: Possessive pronoun.

• own: Possessive adjective, emphasizing self-sufficiency or independence from God.

• means: Resources, abilities, or capacity to act.

• and: Conjunction linking their past prosperity with their current plight.

• we: The collective "we."

• wanted: Indicates desire or need.

• for: Preposition showing purpose.

• nothing: Intensifies the previous statement of sufficiency, then contrasts with current lack.

• Grouped Analysis:

  • "we had plenty and lacked nothing": This phrase highlights the group's perceived economic and material prosperity during their idolatrous practices. The emphasis is on an abundance of worldly provisions.
  • "since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her": This identifies the specific acts of worship they abandoned, clearly identifying the object of their former devotion and the ritualistic actions. The phrase "left off" is significant, suggesting a deliberate cessation.
  • "our husbands and we did make them": This group of words connects the worship directly to the men of the community and the women speaking, indicating a communal engagement in the idolatrous acts.
  • "our husbands made her cakes, and we poured out drink offerings unto her": This further details the specific contributions to the idolatrous cult by both men (cakes) and women (drink offerings). The repetition of "unto her" emphasizes the recipient of these acts.
  • "we wanted nothing": This restates the initial claim, reinforcing the idea that their perceived lack started only after they stopped worshipping the Queen of Heaven.

Jeremiah 44 18 Bonus Section

The worship of the "Queen of Heaven" (Hebrew: Malkat Hashamayim) was a well-documented religious practice in the ancient Near East, often associated with the moon goddess Ishtar/Astarte. Jeremiah's condemnation of this practice (Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-19, 25) highlights its persistence among the Judeans even after the destruction of Jerusalem. The cakes mentioned were likely small bread-like offerings, sometimes called kheimar, which were part of the cultic rituals. The act of pouring out drink offerings (wine or other liquids) was also a common feature of ancient Near Eastern worship. The people’s claim of prosperity while engaging in these practices, and then hardship upon ceasing, reflects a deep-seated misunderstanding of true spiritual allegiance and the nature of God's blessings, which are intrinsically tied to obedience and genuine faith, not mere cessation of sin without a heart transformation. Their statement is a final, desperate attempt to justify their apostasy and to shift blame from their own spiritual bankruptcy onto God’s perceived injustice.

Jeremiah 44 18 Commentary

This verse encapsulates the defiant spiritual posture of a remnant of Israel still dwelling in Egypt. They misinterpret their former material abundance, attained through pagan worship, as proof of its efficacy. They tragically equate outward ritualism and prosperity with divine favor, while seeing their current difficulties (likely a consequence of their continued apostasy and God’s judgment) as a result of ceasing those rituals and turning towards God. This reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the Abrahamic covenant, which was predicated on faithfulness to Yahweh alone. Their "stopping" these practices was not true repentance but a selective cessation, still rooted in self-reliance and a superficial understanding of God's requirements. The sorrow they express is for the perceived loss of earthly goods, not for their sin. This attitude directly challenges God’s promises of blessing for obedience and warns against seeking provision from any source other than the Creator.