Jeremiah 44:25 kjv
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
Jeremiah 44:25 nkjv
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: 'You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, "We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!'
Jeremiah 44:25 niv
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have done what you said you would do when you promised, 'We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.' "Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!
Jeremiah 44:25 esv
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows!
Jeremiah 44:25 nlt
This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'You and your wives have said, "We will keep our promises to burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven," and you have proved by your actions that you meant it. So go ahead and carry out your promises and vows to her!'
Jeremiah 44 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 44:25 | "Surely ye did not speak, O ye men... say ye not... sacrifice and libations unto the queen of heaven, as we had done both 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." | Jer 7:18: Israel offering to queen of heaven. |
| Jer 7:31: Practicing abominations, offering sons/daughters. | ||
| Jer 19:13: Building altars to Baal. | ||
| Deut 4:19: Worshipping sun, moon, stars. | ||
| Deut 29:18: Those turning to idols becoming cursed. | ||
| Ezek 8:14: Women weeping for Tammuz. | ||
| Amos 5:26: Carrying your idols and Sikkuth your king. | ||
| Acts 7:42-43: Turning to worship host of heaven. | ||
| 1 Sam 15:23: Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. | ||
| Prov 15:8: Sacrifice of wicked is abomination. | ||
| Prov 21:27: Sacrifice with ill-gotten gains. | ||
| Isa 1:11-15: God weary of sacrifices of impure hearts. | ||
| Hos 2:11: God will cause feast days to cease. | ||
| Jer 7:20: God’s anger poured out on Jerusalem. | ||
| Jer 21:12: Judgment on house of David. | ||
| Jer 43:13: Nebuchadnezzar breaking pillars of Heliopolis. | ||
| Jer 44:18: Lack of necessities due to ceasing sacrifices. | ||
| Jer 44:16: "We will not hear thee." | ||
| 2 Cor 6:16: No concord between Christ and Belial. | ||
| Rom 11:4: God’s word to Elijah – not bowed knee to Baal. | ||
| 1 John 5:21: Keep yourselves from idols. | ||
| Rev 18:4: Come out of her, my people. | ||
| Gal 1:8-9: Different gospel is accursed. | ||
| Rev 22:15: Dogs, sorcerers outside. |
Jeremiah 44 verses
Jeremiah 44 25 Meaning
This verse pronounces a judgment upon the men and women who defied God by offering sacrifices and pouring out drink offerings to the queen of heaven in Egypt, after the destruction of Jerusalem. They are declared to be cursed and their sacrifices will not be accepted. Their actions have brought desolation and reproach upon themselves and Judah.
Jeremiah 44 25 Context
Jeremiah 44 records a final confrontation between the prophet Jeremiah and the remnant of Judah who fled to Egypt after the Babylonian conquest. Despite Jeremiah's repeated warnings, these Judeans were practicing idolatry in Egypt, particularly the worship of the "queen of heaven," a practice condemned throughout the Old Testament. They attributed their past prosperity and misfortunes to their religious practices. Jeremiah, empowered by the Spirit of God, directly confronts them, pronouncing God's severe judgment for their persistent disobedience and apostasy. This chapter details their defiant response and God's confirmation of their impending doom, making this verse a climactic pronouncement of that judgment against their idolatrous practices and proud justifications.
Jeremiah 44 25 Word Analysis
Surely (ken): Assuredly, indeed, truly. Emphasizes the certainty of the declaration.
ye did not speak (dabar 'atem): You did not say/speak. Highlights their denial of their spoken commitment to God.
O ye men (enosh): Mankind, man, person. Referring to the men.
your ('athem): Plural second person possessive. Refers to the Judeans addressed.
women (nashim): Women. Directly implicates the female participants in the worship.
hearken unto (shama' el): To listen, obey, pay attention to. Contrasts their lack of obedience to God.
all (kol): Every. All the women addressed.
that which (dabar): The matter, the word, the thing. Referring to God's words through Jeremiah.
we spoke (dibartem): You spoke. Contrasting their actions with what they should have spoken or obeyed.
in (ben): In, among. Indicating location or participation.
house (bayith): House, home, temple. Refers to their dwelling places and possibly sacred spaces.
every (kol): Every. All their houses.
offering (ma'alaqah): A burnt offering. A specific type of sacrifice.
sacrifices (zebach): Sacrifice, slaughter. A broader term for offerings.
and pouring out (u mashqeh): And to cause to drink, to offer a drink offering. Refers to libations.
drink offerings (nesekh): A libation. Specifically wine or oil poured out in worship.
unto the queen of heaven (la-mal'keth has-shamayim): To the queen of heaven. A direct reference to a pagan deity, likely related to Ishtar or Astarte.
as we had done (ke'asher 'asinu): According to that which we did. Acknowledges past actions.
both we (anachnu gam): We also. Includes themselves.
and our fathers (u'avoth menu): And our fathers. Appeals to tradition.
our kings (malceynu): Our kings. Invoking royal precedent.
and our princes (u'sarinu): And our princes. Appealing to leadership.
in the cities of Judah (be'arey Yehudah): In the cities of Judah. Where these practices were prevalent.
and in the streets of Jerusalem (uvenuchoth Yerushalaim): And in the broad places/streets of Jerusalem. Demonstrates the public and widespread nature of the sin.
for then (ki az): Because at that time. Linking their actions to perceived past blessings.
had we plenty (wachenu masheqet): And we had bread in abundance. Suggests they had plenty of food.
of victuals (lechem): Bread, food.
and were well (wenehyeh tob): And were well. Prosperity and well-being.
and saw no evil (welo ra'anu ra'ah): And saw no evil. Believed their worship averted disaster.
Words Group - Past Prosperity and Present Calamity: The Judeans believed their past "plenty of victuals" and "well-being" was a direct result of worshipping the queen of heaven. They claimed to have "saw no evil" because of these sacrifices. Jeremiah, however, is demonstrating that this belief is a dangerous misattribution. God is revealing that the "evil" they claim to have avoided was, in fact, sent upon them because of their disobedience and idolatry, particularly their refusal to listen to God's prophets and cease these practices (Jer 44:16). The lament for not prospering was precisely because they stopped worshipping the queen of heaven in the context of chapter 44, and God declares their judgment is based on their continued disobedience to Him.
Jeremiah 44 25 Bonus Section
The phrase "queen of heaven" is significant, echoing similar condemnations found throughout the Old Testament (Jeremiah 7:18; 19:13). This worship was not merely a cultural practice but a direct act of rebellion against Yahweh. The appeals to "our fathers, our kings, and our princes" reveal a deep-seated tradition of syncretism and apostasy within Israel's history. The belief that "then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil" demonstrates a perverted understanding of prosperity, mistaking the temporal benefits derived from God's common grace or God's temporary forbearance, as blessings from idols. This highlights a core theme: the rejection of God's sovereignty and truth for the comfort of familiar falsehoods. The utter rejection of their offerings ("neither shall my soul accept them") signifies complete divine disapproval and separation from God, a spiritual consequence far graver than any material lack they perceived.
Jeremiah 44 25 Commentary
This verse serves as God's powerful refutation of the Judeans' persistent justifications for their idolatry in Egypt. They claimed that their past prosperity and lack of perceived calamity were due to their worship of the queen of heaven, and that by ceasing those practices they were now experiencing hardship. Jeremiah, speaking God's word, declares their reasoning flawed and their self-deception fatal. God unequivocally states that their actions—offering sacrifices and drink offerings to a pagan deity, including their kings and princes in their lineage—were explicitly forbidden and directly caused the judgment they had experienced. Their remembrance of past abundance was linked to a sin that alienated them from God. Their subsequent distress was a consequence of God’s judgment for their continuous rebellion, not an absence of pagan worship. This verse highlights the ultimate futility of seeking blessing or avoiding calamity through pagan deities and underscores the severe consequences of apostasy from the true God. The promise of their offerings being rejected seals their fate.