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

15 Then 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!

17 Instead, 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.

18 But 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 all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the men הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים H582 Article | Noun - masculine plural who knew הַיֹּֽדְעִים֙ H3045 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural that כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction their wives נְשֵׁיהֶם֙ H802 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural were burning incense מְקַטְּר֤וֹת H6999 Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural to other אֲחֵרִ֔ים H312 Adjective - masculine plural gods לֵאלֹהִ֣ים H430 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural and all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct the women הַנָּשִׁ֥ים H802 Article | Noun - feminine plural standing by הָעֹמְד֖וֹת H5975 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural a great גָּד֑וֹל H1419 Adjective - masculine singular assembly קָהָ֣ל H6951 Noun - masculine singular along with all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct the people הָעָ֛ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular living הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים H3427 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural in the land בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֖יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular [and] in Pathros בְּפַתְר֥וֹס H6624 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct said וַיַּעֲנ֣וּ H6030 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker to Jeremiah יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ H3414 Noun - 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 word הַדָּבָ֛ר H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative you have spoken דִּבַּ֥רְתָּ H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular to us אֵלֵ֖ינוּ H413 Preposition | first person common plural in the name בְּשֵׁ֣ם H8034 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular we will not אֵינֶ֥נּוּ H369 Adverb | first person common plural listen שֹׁמְעִ֖ים H8085 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural to you אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

Instead כִּ֩י H3588 Conjunction we will do עָשֹׂ֨ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker everything כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct we vowed הַדָּבָ֣ר׀ H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular אֲשֶׁר־ אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative to do יָצָ֣א H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular . . . מִפִּ֗ינוּ H6310 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural We will burn incense לְקַטֵּ֞ר H6999 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct to the Queen לִמְלֶ֣כֶת H4446 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of Heaven הַשָּׁמַיִם֮ H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and offer וְהַסֵּֽיךְ־ H5258 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute drink offerings נְסָכִים֒ H5262 Noun - masculine plural to her לָ֣הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular just as כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative we אֲנַ֤חְנוּ H587 Pronoun - first person common plural our fathers וַאֲבֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ H1 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural our kings מְלָכֵ֣ינוּ H4428 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural and our officials וְשָׂרֵ֔ינוּ H8269 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural did עָשִׂ֜ינוּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural in the cities בְּעָרֵ֣י H5892 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct of Judah יְהוּדָ֔ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular and in the streets וּבְחֻצ֖וֹת H2351 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct of Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular At that time we had plenty וַנִּֽשְׂבַּֽע־ H7646 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural of food לֶ֙חֶם֙ H3899 Noun - masculine singular . . . וַנִּֽהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural and good things טוֹבִ֔ים H2896 Adjective - masculine plural and we saw רָאִֽינוּ׃ H7200 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural no לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle disaster וְרָעָ֖ה H7451 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

But from the time וּמִן־ H4480 Conjunctive waw | Preposition . . . אָ֡ז H227 Adverb we stopped חָדַ֜לְנוּ H2308 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural burning incense לְקַטֵּ֨ר H6999 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct to the Queen לִמְלֶ֧כֶת H4446 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of Heaven הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and pouring out וְהַסֵּֽךְ־ H5258 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute drink offerings נְסָכִ֖ים H5262 Noun - masculine plural to her לָ֥הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular we have lacked חָסַ֣רְנוּ H2637 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural everything כֹ֑ל H3605 Noun - masculine singular and have been perishing תָּֽמְנוּ׃ H8552 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural by sword וּבַחֶ֥רֶב H2719 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular and famine וּבָרָעָ֖ב H7458 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Moreover,” [said the women,] “when וְכִֽי־ H3588 Conjunction we אֲנַ֤חְנוּ H587 Pronoun - first person common plural burned incense מְקַטְּרִים֙ H6999 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural to the Queen לִמְלֶ֣כֶת H4446 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of Heaven הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and poured out וּלְהַסֵּ֥ךְ H5258 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct drink offerings נְסָכִ֑ים H5262 Noun - masculine plural to her לָ֖הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular was it without הֲמִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י H1107 Preposition | Preposition our husbands’ {knowledge} אֲנָשֵׁ֗ינוּ H582 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural that we made עָשִׂ֨ינוּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural sacrificial cakes כַּוָּנִים֙ H3561 Noun - masculine plural in her image לְהַ֣עֲצִבָ֔ה H6087 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular and poured out וְהַסֵּ֥ךְ H5258 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute drink offerings נְסָכִֽים׃פ H5262 Noun - masculine plural to her לָ֖הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.