Focused Passage

Jeremiah 44:15-19

Judah in Egypt: Stubborn Idolatry and the Last Warning

The chapter moves from the LORD's historical indictment of Judah's idolatry, to warning against repeating that rebellion in Egypt, to the people's open vow to continue worshiping the Queen of Heaven, to Jeremiah's correction of their false history, and finally to the LORD's sworn judgment and confirming sign against Pharaoh Hophra.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah,

16“As for the word you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!

17Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.

18But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

19“Moreover,” said the women, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

Then allכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe menהָאֲנָשִׁ֤יםH582Article | Noun - masculine pluralwho knewהַיֹּֽדְעִים֙H3045Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralthatכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctiontheir wivesנְשֵׁיהֶם֙H802Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine pluralwere burning incenseמְקַטְּר֤וֹתH6999Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine pluralto otherאֲחֵרִ֔יםH312Adjective - masculine pluralgodsלֵאלֹהִ֣יםH430Preposition-l | Noun - masculine pluraland allוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructthe womenהַנָּשִׁ֥יםH802Article | Noun - feminine pluralstanding byהָעֹמְד֖וֹתH5975Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plurala greatגָּד֑וֹלH1419Adjective - masculine singularassemblyקָהָ֣לH6951Noun - masculine singularalong with allוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructthe peopleהָעָ֛םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularlivingהַיֹּשְׁבִ֥יםH3427Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralin the landבְּאֶֽרֶץ־H776Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructof Egyptמִצְרַ֖יִםH4714Noun - proper - feminine singular[and] in Pathrosבְּפַתְר֥וֹסH6624Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular. . .לֵאמֹֽר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructsaidוַיַּעֲנ֣וּH6030Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markerto Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֗הוּH3414Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, in Lower and Upper Egypt; possibly in the land of Egypt at Pathros
Verse 16

Original words

As for the wordהַדָּבָ֛רH1697Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeyou have spokenדִּבַּ֥רְתָּH1696Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singularto usאֵלֵ֖ינוּH413Preposition | first person common pluralin the nameבְּשֵׁ֣םH8034Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularwe will notאֵינֶ֥נּוּH369Adverb | first person common plurallistenשֹׁמְעִ֖יםH8085Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralto youאֵלֶֽיךָ׃H413Preposition | second person masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

Insteadכִּ֩יH3588Conjunctionwe will doעָשֹׂ֨הH6213Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .נַעֲשֶׂ֜הH6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markereverythingכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructwe vowedהַדָּבָ֣ר׀H1697Article | Noun - masculine singularאֲשֶׁר־אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeto doיָצָ֣אH3318Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular. . .מִפִּ֗ינוּH6310Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common pluralWe will burn incenseלְקַטֵּ֞רH6999Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructto the Queenלִמְלֶ֣כֶתH4446Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructof Heavenהַשָּׁמַיִם֮H8064Article | Noun - masculine pluraland offerוְהַסֵּֽיךְ־H5258Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolutedrink offeringsנְסָכִים֒H5262Noun - masculine pluralto herלָ֣הּPreposition | third person feminine singularjust asכַּאֲשֶׁ֨רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativeweאֲנַ֤חְנוּH587Pronoun - first person common pluralour fathersוַאֲבֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙H1Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluralour kingsמְלָכֵ֣ינוּH4428Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluraland our officialsוְשָׂרֵ֔ינוּH8269Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluraldidעָשִׂ֜ינוּH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralin the citiesבְּעָרֵ֣יH5892Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural constructof Judahיְהוּדָ֔הH3063Noun - proper - masculine singularand in the streetsוּבְחֻצ֖וֹתH2351Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural constructof Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םH3389Noun - proper - feminine singularAt that time we had plentyוַנִּֽשְׂבַּֽע־H7646Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common pluralof foodלֶ֙חֶם֙H3899Noun - masculine singular. . .וַנִּֽהְיֶ֣הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common pluraland good thingsטוֹבִ֔יםH2896Adjective - masculine pluraland we sawרָאִֽינוּ׃H7200Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralnoלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particledisasterוְרָעָ֖הH7451Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

But from the timeוּמִן־H4480Conjunctive waw | Preposition. . .אָ֡זH227Adverbwe stoppedחָדַ֜לְנוּH2308Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralburning incenseלְקַטֵּ֨רH6999Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructto the Queenלִמְלֶ֧כֶתH4446Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructof Heavenהַשָּׁמַ֛יִםH8064Article | Noun - masculine pluraland pouring outוְהַסֵּֽךְ־H5258Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolutedrink offeringsנְסָכִ֖יםH5262Noun - masculine pluralto herלָ֥הּPreposition | third person feminine singularwe have lackedחָסַ֣רְנוּH2637Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluraleverythingכֹ֑לH3605Noun - masculine singularand have been perishingתָּֽמְנוּ׃H8552Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralby swordוּבַחֶ֥רֶבH2719Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularand famineוּבָרָעָ֖בH7458Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Moreover,” [said the women,] “whenוְכִֽי־H3588Conjunctionweאֲנַ֤חְנוּH587Pronoun - first person common pluralburned incenseמְקַטְּרִים֙H6999Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine pluralto the Queenלִמְלֶ֣כֶתH4446Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructof Heavenהַשָּׁמַ֔יִםH8064Article | Noun - masculine pluraland poured outוּלְהַסֵּ֥ךְH5258Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructdrink offeringsנְסָכִ֑יםH5262Noun - masculine pluralto herלָ֖הּPreposition | third person feminine singularwas it withoutהֲמִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֣יH1107Preposition | Prepositionour husbands’ {knowledge}אֲנָשֵׁ֗ינוּH582Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluralthat we madeעָשִׂ֨ינוּH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralsacrificial cakesכַּוָּנִים֙H3561Noun - masculine pluralin her imageלְהַ֣עֲצִבָ֔הH6087Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singularand poured outוְהַסֵּ֥ךְH5258Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolutedrink offeringsנְסָכִֽים׃פH5262Noun - masculine pluralto herלָ֖הּPreposition | third person feminine singular

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