Jeremiah 44:8 kjv
In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Jeremiah 44:8 nkjv
in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Jeremiah 44:8 niv
Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse and an object of reproach among all the nations on earth.
Jeremiah 44:8 esv
Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth?
Jeremiah 44:8 nlt
Why provoke my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the earth.
Jeremiah 44 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 44:8 | "Why do you provoke me to anger with the work of your hands..." | Direct accusation of provocation |
| Deuteronomy 31:29 | "...for I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly..." | God's foreknowledge of future sin |
| Judges 2:12 | "They abandoned the LORD... and followed other gods." | Pattern of Israel's apostasy |
| Psalm 78:58 | "They provoked him to jealousy with their foreign gods." | Idolatry provoking God's jealousy |
| Isaiah 1:4 | "They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One..." | Abandonment of God |
| Jeremiah 2:8 | "The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’" | Failure of spiritual leadership |
| Jeremiah 7:11 | "Has this house... become a den of robbers in your eyes?" | Misuse of sacred space |
| Jeremiah 17:1 | "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron..." | Iniquity deeply ingrained |
| Jeremiah 43:2 | "Baruch... spoke all these words to all the people... the words..." | Communication of God's message |
| Jeremiah 44:16 | "We will not listen to you..." | Refusal to obey |
| Jeremiah 44:17 | "...but we will carry out every word that has gone out of our mouth." | Commitment to idolatry |
| Jeremiah 44:25 | "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says..." | Divine authority and declaration |
| Romans 2:8 | "...to those who are selfishly obedient to the truth but disobedient to sin..." | Rejection of truth |
| 1 Corinthians 10:22 | "Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" | Questioning provoking God's anger |
| James 4:4 | "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?" | Worldliness and enmity with God |
| 2 Kings 22:17 | "Because they have forsaken me and made this place their... place for offering incense to all the host of heaven..." | Forsaking God for other gods |
| 2 Chronicles 33:9 | "But Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem err, to do more evil than the nations..." | Amplified wickedness |
| Hosea 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." | Consequences of ignorance |
| Malachi 2:2 | "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to my name," | Failure to honor God |
| Matthew 23:37 | "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets..." | God's lament over Jerusalem |
Jeremiah 44 verses
Jeremiah 44 8 Meaning
This verse is a rhetorical question posed by God to the remnant of Judah, emphasizing their foolishness. It highlights the destructive consequences that befell their nation due to their persistent idolatry, questioning if they genuinely believe their actions will benefit them.
Jeremiah 44 8 Context
Jeremiah 44 occurs during the final days of Judah, following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. The surviving Judeans have fled to Egypt, bringing Jeremiah with them. Despite the devastation of their homeland and the explicit warnings from Jeremiah, these exiles continue their idolatrous practices, particularly the worship of the "Queen of Heaven." They blame their current predicament not on their sin but on the perceived abandonment by God and their forefathers who, they claim, had failed to offer sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven. This chapter represents God's final judgment and a definitive pronouncement against their persistent rebellion and self-deception.
Jeremiah 44 8 Word Analysis
- Do ye - Singular form used to address individuals collectively, implying personal responsibility.
- provoke - (Hebrew:
anaP– 'anap). To provoke, incite, become angry. Highlights God's righteous indignation at His people's deliberate disobedience. - me - Emphasizes that the action is directed against God Himself, a personal offense.
- to anger - Signifies causing God to feel displeasure and righteous wrath due to sin.
- with - Indicates the instrument or means by which God is angered.
- the work - Refers to the manufactured idols and the acts of worship.
- of your hands - Points to the human-made nature of their objects of worship, contrasting with the Creator God. It signifies creation and action, both their physical idol making and their worship activities.
- the fruit - Metaphorical use.
- of your hands - The results or consequences of their actions, specifically the idols and the worship offered to them. It points to the products of their misguided devotion.
Group analysis:
- "provoke me to anger with the work of your hands": This phrase is a powerful accusation. "Provoke" (anaP) suggests an active stirring of God's righteous displeasure. "The work of your hands" directly addresses their idolatry, the physical images they fashioned and to which they attributed divine power, rendering these inanimate objects the cause of God's wrath. This directly links their sin (idolatry) to its divine consequence (God's anger).
Jeremiah 44 8 Bonus Section
The concept of "provoking God to anger" is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, often linked to Israel's unfaithfulness and idolatry. The expression "work of your hands" consistently denotes man-made idols, a stark contrast to the true God, the Creator. This verse highlights that God is not a passive observer; He actively reacts with righteous displeasure to His people turning away and seeking help from illegitimate sources. The people's attempt to appease the "Queen of Heaven" is, in reality, a profound act of rebellion against the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel.
Jeremiah 44 8 Commentary
God poses a direct, sharp question to the Judeans in Egypt, rebuking their persistent idolatry and the self-destructive delusion that their pagan practices will bring prosperity. Their stubborn adherence to worshipping the "Queen of Heaven," even after witnessing Jerusalem's destruction—a consequence Jeremiah had warned them about if they continued in sin—demonstrates a profound rebellion. This verse encapsulates the folly of seeking salvation or benefit from created things ("work of your hands") rather than from the Creator. It underscores that their actions, rather than averting disaster, are the very cause of God's anger and their continued suffering.