New International Version
Jeremiah 44:18
18But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”
Jeremiah 44:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine.”
Context of Jeremiah 44:18
16“We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! 17We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.” 19The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?” 20Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,
Read all of Jeremiah 44Jeremiah 44:18 word by word
וּמִן־אָ֡ז חָדַ֜לְנוּ לְקַטֵּ֨ר לִמְלֶ֧כֶת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהַסֵּֽךְ־לָ֥הּ נְסָכִ֖ים חָסַ֣רְנוּ כֹ֑ל וּבַחֶ֥רֶב וּבָרָעָ֖ב תָּֽמְנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But since we left offחָדַלchâdal · to ceaseH2308
- to burn incenseקָטַרqâţar · to offer: offerH6999
- to the queenמְלֶ֫כֶתmeleketh · queenH4446
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and to pour outנָסַךְnâsak · to pourH5258
- drink offeringsנֶ֫סֶךְnesek nêsek · drink offeringH5262
- unto her, we have wantedחָסֵרchâsêr · to lackH2637
- and have been consumedתָּמַםtâmam · to finishH8552
- by the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- and by the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
Cross-references for Jeremiah 44:18
- Jeremiah 40:12they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
- Numbers 11:5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
- Job 21:14Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.
- Psalms 73:9Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
- Malachi 3:13“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’
Commentaries on Jeremiah 44:18
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18The suppression of this popular idolatry had apparently been regarded with much ill-will in Josiah‘s time, and many may even have ascribed to it his defeat at Megiddo. Probably Jehoiakim had again permitted it, but Zedekiah, during the miseries of his reign, had forbidden it, and the people ascribed the fall of Jerusalem to the neglect of their favorite goddess.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is sad when those who should quicken each other to what is good…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18These Judeans believed that worshiping the Queen of Heaven brought prosperity. They thought stopping this worship would lead to war and famine (see Hosea 2:8). Their beliefs were entirely pagan.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. They impute their calamities to their service of God, but these are often marks of His favor, not of wrath, to do His people good at their latter end (De 8:16).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 44:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 44
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries