New King James Version
Jeremiah 44:17
17But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.
Jeremiah 44:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, 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.
- New International Version (NIV)We 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.
- New Living Translation (NLT)We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!
Context of Jeremiah 44:17
15Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: 16“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. 18But 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.” 19The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”
Read all of Jeremiah 44Jeremiah 44:17 word by word
כִּ֩י עָשֹׂ֨ה נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה אֶֽת־כָּל־הַדָּבָ֣ר׀ אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֣א מִפִּ֗ינוּ לְקַטֵּ֞ר לִמְלֶ֣כֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם֮ וְהַסֵּֽיךְ־לָ֣הּ נְסָכִים֒ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשִׂ֜ינוּ אֲנַ֤חְנוּ וַאֲבֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ מְלָכֵ֣ינוּ וְשָׂרֵ֔ינוּ בְּעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וּבְחֻצ֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַנִּֽשְׂבַּֽע־לֶ֙חֶם֙ וַנִּֽהְיֶ֣ה טוֹבִ֔ים וְרָעָ֖ה לֹ֥א רָאִֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But we will certainlyעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- whatsoever thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- goeth forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: speakH3318
- out of our own mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- to burn incenseקָטַרqâţar · to offer: offerH6999
- unto the queenמְלֶ֫כֶתmeleketh · queenH4446
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and to pour outנָסַךְnâsak · to pourH5258
- drink offeringsנֶ֫סֶךְnesek nêsek · drink offeringH5262
- we, and our fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- our kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and our princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- in the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- and in the streetsחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- had we plentyשָׂבֵעַώâba‛ ώâbêa‛ · to satisfyH7646
- of victualsלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- and were wellטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- no evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
Cross-references for Jeremiah 44:17
- Jeremiah 44:25Thus 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!’
- Numbers 30:2If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
- Deuteronomy 23:23That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.
- Judges 11:36So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.”
- Psalms 12:4Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?”
- Mark 6:26And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.
- Jeremiah 7:18The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
- 2 Kings 17:16So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
- Jeremiah 19:13And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.” ’ ”
- Jeremiah 32:29And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger;
- 2 Kings 22:17because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched.’ ” ’
- Nehemiah 9:34Neither our kings nor our princes, Our priests nor our fathers, Have kept Your law, Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies, With which You testified against them.
- Daniel 9:6Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
- 1 Peter 1:18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
- Jeremiah 44:9Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
- Exodus 16:3And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Commentaries on Jeremiah 44:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Whatsoever thing - Or, the whole word (or thing) which hath gone forth out of our mouth; i. e., the vows we have made. They would not let Jeremiah‘s expostulations prevent the carrying out of the special object which had brought them together: otherwise the Queen of heaven would be offended, and avenge himself.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. 17The Judean refugees thought they had freedom. They believed obeying the Lord meant being in bondage, while pagan worship led to fulfillment. The Queen of Heaven had many names across the ancient Near East. In Assyria and Babylon, she was "Ishtar," and the Canaanites called her "Astarte." In the Old Testament, she is often "Ashtoreth" and linked with Baal. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth and built shrines for her, but Josiah later destroyed them (2 Kings…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. whatsoever ... goeth ... out of our ... mouth--whatever vow we have uttered to our gods (Jr 44:25; De 23:23; Jud 11:36). The source of all superstitions is that men oppose their own will and fancies to God's commands. queen of heaven--(See on Jr 7:18); Ashtaroth or Astarte. we ... fathers ... king, &c.--The evil was restricted to no one class: all from the highest to the lowest shared the guilt. then had we plenty--Fools attribute their seeming…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 44:17
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 King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries