New Living Translation
Jeremiah 44:17
17We 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!
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 King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of Jeremiah 44:17
15Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols—a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern Egypt—answered Jeremiah, 16“We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! 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! 18But 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.” 19“Besides,” the women added, “do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!”
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 44:25This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You and your wives have said, “We will keep our promises to burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven,” and you have proved by your actions that you meant it. So go ahead and carry out your promises and vows to her!’
- Numbers 30:2A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.
- Deuteronomy 23:23But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.
- Judges 11:36And she said, “Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites.
- Psalms 12:4They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
- Mark 6:26Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her.
- Jeremiah 7:18No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods!
- 2 Kings 17:16They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven.
- Jeremiah 19:13Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth—all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’”
- Jeremiah 32:29The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses where the people provoked my anger by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out liquid offerings to other gods.
- 2 Kings 22:17For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’
- Nehemiah 9:34Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws.
- Daniel 9:6We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.
- 1 Peter 1:18For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value.
- Jeremiah 44:9Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings and queens of Judah, and the sins you and your wives committed in Judah and Jerusalem?
- Exodus 16:3“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”
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
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