Jeremiah 44:21 kjv
The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?
Jeremiah 44:21 nkjv
"The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and did it not come into His mind?
Jeremiah 44:21 niv
"Did not the LORD remember and call to mind the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your ancestors, your kings and your officials and the people of the land?
Jeremiah 44:21 esv
"As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them? Did it not come into his mind?
Jeremiah 44:21 nlt
"Do you think the LORD did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Jeremiah 44 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 7:18 | The women knead their dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings... | Sinful practices mirrored across generations |
| Jeremiah 7:26 | Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck and acted worse than their fathers. | Persistent disobedience and hardening hearts |
| Jeremiah 19:3 | you shall hear what I will do to them... | God's judgment for idolatry |
| Isaiah 57:9 | You adorned yourself for king and increased your ointments, sending your messengers far away... | Parallel imagery of apostasy |
| Ezekiel 8:14 | Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord... | Visions of idolatry in the temple |
| Acts 7:51 | You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit... | NT parallel to stiff-necked resistance |
| Romans 1:23 | and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images and likenesses of mortal man and birds... | Exchanging truth for falsehood |
| 2 Timothy 3:13 | But evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. | Progression of wickedness |
Jeremiah 44 verses
Jeremiah 44 21 Meaning
The verse states that the dried meat offered by the women to the queen of heaven was in accordance with their doings and their doings were like their master's. This signifies that their actions, driven by ingrained habits and external influences (their "master"), mirrored the established, sinful practices.
Jeremiah 44 21 Context
In Jeremiah chapter 44, the prophet Jeremiah addresses the Judean remnant in Egypt after Jerusalem's fall. They were committing gross idolatry, worshipping the queen of heaven (likely the Assyrian-Babylonian goddess Ishtar/Astarte), blaming God for their hardships, and attributing their failures to the abandonment of this pagan worship. Jeremiah pronounces God's judgment upon them for their persistent disobedience and idolatry, even after the devastation of their homeland.
Jeremiah 44 21 Word Analysis
- "and" (וְ - ve): A common conjunction, linking the two clauses, showing a cause-and-effect relationship or consequence.
- "as" (כַּ-------------------------------------------- -> ): Indicates a likeness or resemblance. Their actions were fashioned like something else.
- "their doings" (מַעֲלְלֵיהֶ------------------------------------------> ): Refers to their deeds, actions, or practices, specifically the idolatrous rituals.
- "and" (וְ - ve): Another conjunction, linking their actions to their source.
- "their doings" (מַעֲלְלֵיהֶ------------------------------------------> ): Repetition emphasizes the ingrained nature and source of their corrupted practices.
- "so" (כֵּ------------------------------------------> ): Shows that the quality of their "doings" was mirrored by their "master's doings."
- "their master's" (רִבָּב> ): The Lord's or their deity's. Here it implies the source of their imitation, pointing back to the pagan deities they served or perhaps to the influence of their leaders and cultural norms that promoted such worship.
Jeremiah 44 21 Bonus Section
This verse vividly illustrates the principle found elsewhere in the Bible: what we worship shapes our character and actions. The Judeans' devotion to the queen of heaven led them to mimic her supposed ways, abandoning the commands of the true God. This also relates to the New Testament concept of "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8). Our focus determines our practice.
Jeremiah 44 21 Commentary
Jeremiah 44:21 highlights the deeply ingrained nature of apostasy. The Judeans had not merely dabbled in idolatry; their actions were patterned after the very essence of the false worship they embraced. The phrase "as their doings, and their doings as their master's" points to a chain of corruption, where the actions of the people reflected the practices of their chosen deities or the societal structures that promoted such worship. This emphasizes the responsibility of both individual believers and spiritual leaders in maintaining true worship. Their persistent idolatry, despite clear divine warnings and consequences, showcases a profound spiritual blindness and resistance to God's truth, a theme echoed throughout Scripture.