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

This verse signifies the people's obstinate adherence to their forbidden practices and their direct accusation of Jeremiah for his prophecies, blaming him for their hardships rather than acknowledging their own sin.

Jeremiah 44 20 Context

Jeremiah 44 is set in Egypt, specifically at Tahpanhes, where Judean refugees have fled after the destruction of Jerusalem and the murder of Gedaliah. Despite God's clear warnings through Jeremiah, these refugees are actively engaged in the idolatrous worship of the "Queen of Heaven," a practice condemned by God and previously followed by the people in Judah. Jeremiah confronts them, reiterating God's judgment against their disobedience and idolatry. The people, however, are hardened and refuse to acknowledge their sin. They express defiance, attributing their current suffering and the destruction of Jerusalem not to their rebellion, but to the cessation of their incense offerings and libations to the "Queen of Heaven."

Jeremiah 44 20 Word Analysis

• And: Connects this statement as a continuation of the people's argument.
• When: Introduces the specific circumstances they highlight.
• We: Emphasizes their collective responsibility and identification.
• Made: Denotes their action of performing.
• Incense: Refers to fragrant substances burned as offerings, a form of worship.
• To: Indicates the recipient of the worship.
• The Queen of Heaven: This title specifically refers to a Mesopotamian fertility goddess, possibly Ishtar/Astarte, widely worshipped by the Canaanites and in Judah. (cf. Jer 7:18; 44:17-19, 25). This was a direct affront to Yahweh's exclusive claim.
• And: Connects the two actions.
• Poured out: Refers to libations, offerings of drink, often wine or oil, to deities.
• Drink offerings: Specifically denotes liquid sacrifices.
• Unto: Again, indicating the recipient.
• Her: Refers back to the "Queen of Heaven."
• Did: Auxiliary verb, indicating past action.
• We: Reiterates their agency.
• And: Connects the acts to the consequences.
• Without: Denotes the absence of something.
• Our: Possessive pronoun, referring to their own resources.
• Husbands: In Hebrew, anshey—`anashim, often plural for men, but in this context, refers to their husbands who had engaged in or approved of these practices with them, implying a communal sin.
• Made: Denotes the creation or preparation.
• Her: Referring to the goddess.
• Cakes: Refers to small, usually sweetened, baked goods, specifically mentioned as offerings to the queen of heaven in other passages (Jer 7:18). These were possibly consecrated cakes made with special ingredients for ritualistic purposes.
• For: Indicates purpose.
• Her: Referring to the goddess.
• To Whom: Questioning the source of authority or command.
• Buy: Denotes purchase or acquisition.
• Ye: Plural pronoun for "you," directly addressing Jeremiah and potentially others associated with his ministry.
• Our: Possessive, referring to their own.
• Offerings: Gifts or sacrifices made to a deity.
• And: Connects the complaint to the accusation.
• To whom: Another interrogative, questioning the legitimacy of the divine instruction.
• In: Indicates location or context.
• The: Definite article.
• Cities: Refers to Judah's cities, particularly Jerusalem.
• Of: Possessive, indicating origin.
• Judah: The southern kingdom of Israel.
• And: Connects the location to the acts.
• In: Preposition.
• The streets: Public places.
• Of Jerusalem: The capital city, center of religious and political life.
• That: Connects the place to the action.
• We: Again, their collective voice.
• Might: Denotes intention or possibility.
• Have enough: Signifies sufficiency, abundance.
• And: Connects the abundance to the outcome.
• Were: State of being.
• In want: Lacking necessities, suffering hardship.
• Of: Preposition indicating lack.
• Have: Verb indicating possession.
• Them: Referring to their offerings or prosperity.
• Ye: Again, addressing Jeremiah.
• Provoke: To incite anger or displeasure.
• Us: Plural pronoun, referring to themselves.
• To do: Action.
• All: Encompassing completely.
• These: Demonstrative pronoun pointing to specific actions.
• Things: The practices of idolatry they continue.

Word-Group Analysis:

• "Made incense to the Queen of Heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her": This phrase encapsulates the core of their defiant sin – active participation in idolatry, continuing the worship that God had expressly forbidden through Moses and the prophets. This wasn't a passive error but a deliberate and sustained religious rebellion.
• "Without our husbands": This suggests that even their husbands, perhaps those who remained alive or returned from captivity, had either supported or at least tolerated this idolatry, highlighting a familial and societal reinforcement of their disobedience.
• "Did make her cakes, and poured out drink offerings unto her": The specific mention of "cakes" echoes God's prior pronouncements to Jeremiah about the people's idolatry (Jer 7:18), showing they not only persisted but used the very rituals God had condemned.
• "Did we make her cakes... and pour out drink offerings unto her": The repetition confirms their intent to justify their actions as if commanded by someone else, which they then turn into an accusation against Jeremiah and God's command.
• "But to whom did ye offer": This is a rhetorical question to Jeremiah, accusing him and God of withdrawing favor, thereby implying that their worship to the Queen of Heaven was valid and missing.
• "Did we make her cakes in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem": This is their defiant affirmation that their idolatrous worship was widespread and accepted within their nation, and thus its cessation, according to them, must be the cause of their suffering.
• "Lest we should have plenty... and were in want": This is their cynical argument, equating prosperity with continued idolatry and hardship with obedience to God. They attribute their lack of plenty to having stopped their forbidden practices.
• "Have ye provoked us to anger... to make us to be odious... to kill us": They frame their suffering as divine punishment instigated by Jeremiah's prophecies, completely inverting the cause and effect. They blame the messenger for the message of judgment which was brought about by their own sin.

Jeremiah 44 20 Bonus Section

The worship of the "Queen of Heaven" was not a simple deviation but a deeply rooted cultural practice intertwined with astrological beliefs and fertility rites, drawing from surrounding pagan nations. Jeremiah had been prophesying against this for decades, dating back to his early ministry (Jer 7:18). The specific mention of "cakes" associated with this worship was significant because it implied the goddess was seen as a provider, and these consecrated cakes were part of ensuring her favor and sustenance. The refugees in Egypt, rather than learning from the destruction of Jerusalem, clung more fiercely to the very practices that had sealed their nation's fate, demonstrating a pervasive spiritual rebellion that affected all levels of society, including men and women, young and old, as seen in the prior context of this chapter. Their defiant question, "But to whom did ye offer?", is a bitter accusation against Jeremiah, effectively accusing him of withholding divine favor that their pagan worship, in their deluded view, was supposed to procure. This verse underscores the prophet's difficult and thankless task in the face of ingrained disobedience and spiritual blindness.

Jeremiah 44 20 Commentary

The people's words in this verse are a profound expression of hardened hearts and willful ignorance. They present a false causality: that their current suffering (implied scarcity or loss) is due to stopping their idolatry, not because they had been practicing it in the first place. They specifically blame Jeremiah for provoking God’s anger against them by commanding them to stop their worship of the Queen of Heaven, arguing that they should have continued offering to her. Their claim that "we might have enough" shows a materialistic worldview, believing that obedience to God is exchanged for divine blessings, and their current distress is because they omitted their sacrifices to an idol. This mirrors the general prophetic theme of Israel’s consistent turning from God to other gods for material security, a deeply ingrained cultural and religious problem that ultimately led to their downfall. Their logic is inverted; they condemn Jeremiah for speaking God's truth because its cessation meant the cessation of their abominable practices.