Jeremiah 44 20

Jeremiah 44:20 kjv

Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,

Jeremiah 44:20 nkjv

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people?the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer?saying:

Jeremiah 44:20 niv

Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,

Jeremiah 44:20 esv

Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had given him this answer:

Jeremiah 44:20 nlt

Then Jeremiah said to all of them, men and women alike, who had given him that answer,

Jeremiah 44 verses

Jeremiah 44 20 meaning

Jeremiah 44:20 captures Jeremiah's pointed rebuke to the Judahite remnant in Egypt. After they brazenly declared their intention to continue worshipping the "Queen of Heaven," Jeremiah forcefully reminds them that their long history of idolatry – specifically the burning of incense to other gods – was never hidden from the LORD. He stresses that God was not only aware of these actions but fully considered them, and their current desolate state and exile are direct consequences of that divine remembrance and deliberation, contradicting their claim that neglecting the Queen of Heaven brought them misfortune.

Jeremiah 44 20 Context

Jeremiah 44:20 is situated during a dark period for Judah, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the temple by Babylon. The remnant, defying God's direct command through Jeremiah, fled to Egypt for safety (Jer 42-43). Chapter 44 finds these Judeans, settled in various Egyptian cities (like Tahpanhes, Migdol, Noph, and Pathros), being warned by Jeremiah that their refuge in Egypt would bring them only further disaster, not security, because of their continued sin. Far from repenting, the men and women openly challenge Jeremiah's prophecy in verse 17-19, asserting that their past prosperity was due to their worship of the "Queen of Heaven" (a Mesopotamian/Canaanite deity like Ishtar or Astarte) and that their current misfortunes began when they stopped. Jeremiah 44:20 is Jeremiah's swift, passionate, and decisive refutation, recalling their long history of idolatry and God's clear knowledge of it, directly countering their blasphemous rationale. He points out that the LORD's judgment upon Judah was not arbitrary or a consequence of forsaking pagan gods, but a direct result of their deep-seated rebellion against Him.

Jeremiah 44 20 Word analysis

• Then Jeremiah said: A transition phrase marking Jeremiah's immediate, authoritative response to the people's audacious and defiant statement in verses 17-19. This is not a discussion but a pronouncement.
• to all the people, both men and women, even to all the people who were giving him that answer: Emphasizes the collective and pervasive nature of the rebellion. Both genders were complicit, with women often prominent in cultic activities for deities like the "Queen of Heaven." The repetition of "all the people" highlights the unified, defiant front against God's word.
• 'The incense that you burned (וַתְּקַטְּרוּ – vatəqaṭṭərū)':
  • Incense (קטרת - qeṭōreṯ): This Hebrew term refers to fragrant offerings often used in worship. While sometimes part of Yahweh's legitimate worship (Ex 30:7-8), in the context of Jeremiah, it nearly always signifies illicit offerings to false gods. Burning incense to other deities was a widespread form of pagan worship among the Judahites.
  • you burned: Indicates direct personal involvement and responsibility for these actions.
• in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Specifies the widespread geographical extent of this idolatry. It wasn't isolated; it permeated public and private life across the land. The "streets of Jerusalem" particularly highlight open, flagrant apostasy in the very capital, before the eyes of many.
• you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land: This identifies the broad spectrum of those involved in this idolatry, spanning generations and social strata.
  • you and your fathers: Denotes the generational perpetuation of idolatry, linking the present generation to the historical apostasy.
  • your kings and your officials: Implies leadership, from the highest levels of society, had participated in and often promoted this sin.
  • and the people of the land: Includes the general populace, indicating a nationwide problem rather than isolated pockets.
• did not the LORD remember it (זכר - zāḵar)?:
  • remember (zāḵar): In biblical theology, zāḵar goes beyond mere mental recall; it implies active engagement and intervention. When God "remembers," He acts decisively in line with His nature, promises, or judgments. Here, it signifies that God took notice, registered the idolatry, and retained it for a future response. The rhetorical question asserts this fact unequivocally.
• And did it not come into His mind (עלתה על־לבבו - ʿāltāh ʿal-lebabō)?:
  • come into His mind (עלתה על־לבבו - ʿāltāh ʿal-lebabō): This idiom further intensifies zāḵar. "Upon His heart" signifies divine deliberation, conscious awareness, and resolute intention. It means the matter was thoroughly considered and formed the basis for His subsequent actions (the judgment on Judah). It highlights God's sovereignty and just judgment – He did not act ignorantly or without cause. This question, too, is rhetorical, affirming God's full understanding and deliberate action.

Jeremiah 44 20 Bonus section

The people's assertion in Jeremiah 44:17-18 reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of covenant and causation. They perceived a direct, reciprocal relationship with the Queen of Heaven: give her offerings, get prosperity; stop offerings, get calamity. This kind of do ut des ("I give so that you may give") religiosity was common in the ancient Near East. Jeremiah's response challenges this pagan worldview, reasserting the sovereign and just God of Israel whose actions are based on moral law and covenant loyalty, not on ritualistic appeasement of false gods. Their experience of prosperity during periods of idolatry (under kings like Manasseh, 2 Kgs 21) was actually a display of God's patience, not His approval, or merely periods of political stability not tied to divine blessing. Their subsequent downfall came when His patience ran out, and His righteous judgment, which had been 'remembered' and 'considered' over centuries of rebellion, was finally enacted. This serves as a critical theological point: temporal success does not equate to divine approval, nor does hardship always signal rejection by a false god. The qeṭōreṯ they offered symbolized their complete turning away from Yahweh, the covenant God.

Jeremiah 44 20 Commentary

Jeremiah's retort in chapter 44, verse 20 is a powerful and direct refutation of the people's warped theology. Their claim that worshipping the Queen of Heaven brought them peace and that abandoning her led to disaster (Jer 44:17-18) was a blasphemous distortion of truth. Jeremiah reminds them of the historical reality: God, Yahweh, was perfectly aware of every act of idolatry – from the public streets of Jerusalem to the hidden corners of Judah, spanning generations and involving every societal class. The questions, "did not the LORD remember it? And did it not come into His mind?" are rhetorical, designed to make an irrefutable point. God’s knowledge (His remembrance, zāḵar) is not passive; it is active. When sin comes into His mind (ʿāltāh ʿal-lebabō), it leads to deliberate judgment. The desolate state of Judah and their exile to Egypt were not consequences of abandoning foreign deities, but the direct, intentional, and just punishment from the true God, Yahweh, for their consistent and pervasive disobedience, especially their rampant idolatry. The people were attributing God's judgment to the wrong source, attempting to evade accountability by blaming His just hand on the perceived wrath of a pagan deity. Jeremiah firmly realigns their perspective, emphasizing God's omniscience, justice, and the inevitable outcome of rejecting Him.