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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 44:15 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 44:15	Strong Concordance	Then all the men [0582] which knew [03045] that their wives [0802] had burned incense [06999] unto other [0312] gods [0430], and all the women [0802] that stood by [05975], a great [01419] multitude [06951], even all the people [05971] that dwelt [03427] in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714], in Pathros [06624], answered [06030] Jeremiah [03414], saying [0559],
	King James	Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
their wives--The idolatry began with them (Kg1 11:4; Ti1 2:14). Their husbands' connivance implicated them in the guilt.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

their wives--The idolatry began with them (Kg1 11:4; Ti1 2:14). Their husbands' connivance implicated them in the guilt.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Had burned incence - Omit "had;" burned incense. This appeal of the prophet was made at a public festival held somewhere in Pathros, i. e., Upper Egypt: for the women are assembled in a great congregation (compare Jer 26:9), here formed for religious purposes. As they advance in regular procession to worship the moon-goddess, in accordance as it seems with a vow Jer 44:17, Jeremiah meets them, makes the procession halt upon its way, and pronounces in Yahweh's name words of solemn warning. The reply that all the settlers in Egypt were formally putting themselves under the Queen of heaven's protection was made by the heads of the congregation.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The answer of the people to this threatening address. - Jer 44:15. "Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense to other gods, and all the women standing [there], a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, Jer 44:16. [As for] the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jahveh, we will not hearken unto thee: Jer 44:17. But we will certainly perform every word that has proceeded out of our own mouth, by burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out libations to her, just as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; and we were filled with bread, and became prosperous, and saw no evil. Jer 44:18. But since we ceased to offer incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out libations to her, we have been in want of everything, and are consumed by sword and famine. Jer 44:19. And when we [women] have been burning incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out libations to her, have we made cakes to her without our husbands, making an image of her, and offering libations to her?" To the word of the prophet the men and women oppose their pretended experience, that the adoration of the queen of heaven has brought them comfort and prosperity, while the neglect of this worship, on the other hand, has brought want and misfortune. No doubt they inferred this, by the argument post hoc, ergo propter hoc, from the fact that, after idolatry had been rooted out by Josiah, adversity had befallen the land of Judah; while, up till that time, the kingdom of Judah had been independent, and, for more than a century before, had been spared the suffering of misfortune. Thus, through their blindness, peculiar to the natural man, they had overlooked the minor transient evils with which the Lord visits His people when they sin. Not till near the end of Josiah's reign did misfortune fall on Judah: this was when the Egyptian army, under Pharaoh-Necho, marched through Palestine; Josiah was slain in the battle he had lost, the land was laid waste by the enemy, and its inhabitants perished by sword and famine. In Jer 44:15, those who are represented speaking are all the men who knew of their wives' idolatry, i.e., who permitted it, and all the women, "a great company," i.e., gathered together in great numbers, and all the rest of the people who lived in Egypt. The specification "in Pathros" is not in apposition to the words "in the land of Egypt," but belongs to the verb ויּענוּ; it tells where the gathering took place, viz., in a district of Upper Egypt. From the presence of a large number of women, we may conclude that the assembly was a festival in honour of the queen of heaven. The former portion of Jer 44:16 forms an absolute clause, from הדּבר to בּשׁם, "as regards the word which...we will not listen to thee," i.e., with regard to this word we obey thee not. The expression, "the word which has gone forth out of our mouth," points to the uttering of vows: cf. Num 30:13; Deu 23:24. 'כּל־הדּבר means "all that we have uttered as a vow," every vow to offer incense, etc., i.e., to present meat and drink offerings to the queen of heaven, - that shall we keep, fulfil, as we and our fathers have done in the land of Judah. On this mode of worship, cf. Jer 7:17., and the remarks there made. "And we were satisfied with bread," i.e., in consequence of this worship we had amply sufficient food. Towbiym טובים, "good," well, comfortable; cf. Jer 22:16. מן אז, "from that time" = since. תּמנוּ is for תּמּנוּ, from תּמם, as in Num 17:1-13 :28; cf. Ewald, 197, a. To this statement on the part of the men, the women further add, Jer 44:19, that they do not engage in this sacrificial worship or prepare the sacrificial cakes without their husbands, i.e., without their knowledge and approval. This is put forward by the women in the way of self-vindication; for, according to the law, Num 30:9., the husband could annul, i.e., declare not binding, any vow which had been made by his wife without his knowledge. Although it is women who are speaking, the masc. מקטּרים is used as being the gender which most commonly occurs; it also pretty often stands for the feminine. The inf. constr. וּלהסּך (with ל) is here employed, in conformity with later usage, instead of the inf. abs., for the finite verb, by way of continuation; cf. Ewald, 351, c, where, however, many passages have been set down as falling under this rule that demand a different explanation. The meaning of להעצבה is disputed; the final ה is a suffix, written with Raphe, though Mappik also occurs in some MSS. The Hiphil of this verb is found elsewhere only in Psa 78:40, and there in the signification of vexing, grieving, like the Piel in Isa 63:10; Psa 66:6. Ewald translates "in order to move her," i.e., make her well-disposed, - but quite arbitrarily, for to provoke is the very opposite of rendering propitious. The verb עצּב also signifies "to form, shape," Job 10:8; and in this sense the Hiphil is used here, "in order to put them into shape," i.e., to form the moon-goddess (queen of heaven) in or on the sacrificial cakes (Kimchi, Raschi, Dahler, Maurer, Graf, etc.). The sacrificial cakes (כּוּנים, see on Jer 7:18) probably had the form of a crescent, or even of the full moon, like the σελῆναι of the Greeks, which used to be offered in Athens at the time of the full moon in the month of Munychion, to Artemis, as goddess of the moon; cf. Hermann, gottesdienstliche Alterthmer der Griechen, 2 Ausg. S. 146, Anm. 13, u. S. 414.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The answer of the people to this threatening address. - Jer 44:15. "Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense to other gods, and all the women standing [there], a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, Jer 44:16. [As for] the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jahveh, we will not hearken unto thee: Jer 44:17. But we will certainly perform every word that has proceeded out of our own mouth, by burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out libations to her, just as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; and we were filled with bread, and became prosperous, and saw no evil. Jer 44:18. But since we ceased to offer incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out libations to her, we have been in want of everything, and are consumed by sword and famine. Jer 44:19. And when we [women] have been burning incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out libations to her, have we made cakes to her without our husbands, making an image of her, and offering libations to her?" To the word of the prophet the men and women oppose their pretended experience, that the adoration of the queen of heaven has brought them comfort and prosperity, while the neglect of this worship, on the other hand, has brought want and misfortune. No doubt they inferred this, by the argument post hoc, ergo propter hoc, from the fact that, after idolatry had been rooted out by Josiah, adversity had befallen the land of Judah; while, up till that time, the kingdom of Judah had been independent, and, for more than a century before, had been spared the suffering of misfortune. Thus, through their blindness, peculiar to the natural man, they had overlooked the minor transient evils with which the Lord visits His people when they sin. Not till near the end of Josiah's reign did misfortune fall on Judah: this was when the Egyptian army, under Pharaoh-Necho, marched through Palestine; Josiah was slain in the battle he had lost, the land was laid waste by the enemy, and its inhabitants perished by sword and famine. In Jer 44:15, those who are represented speaking are all the men who knew of their wives' idolatry, i.e., who permitted it, and all the women, "a great company," i.e., gathered together in great numbers, and all the rest of the people who lived in Egypt. The specification "in Pathros" is not in apposition to the words "in the land of Egypt," but belongs to the verb ויּענוּ; it tells where the gathering took place, viz., in a district of Upper Egypt. From the presence of a large number of women, we may conclude that the assembly was a festival in honour of the queen of heaven. The former portion of Jer 44:16 forms an absolute clause, from הדּבר to בּשׁם, "as regards the word which...we will not listen to thee," i.e., with regard to this word we obey thee not. The expression, "the word which has gone forth out of our mouth," points to the uttering of vows: cf. Num 30:13; Deu 23:24. 'כּל־הדּבר means "all that we have uttered as a vow," every vow to offer incense, etc., i.e., to present meat and drink offerings to the queen of heaven, - that shall we keep, fulfil, as we and our fathers have done in the land of Judah. On this mode of worship, cf. Jer 7:17., and the remarks there made. "And we were satisfied with bread," i.e., in consequence of this worship we had amply sufficient food. Towbiym טובים, "good," well, comfortable; cf. Jer 22:16. מן אז, "from that time" = since. תּמנוּ is for תּמּנוּ, from תּמם, as in Num 17:1-13 :28; cf. Ewald, 197, a. To this statement on the part of the men, the women further add, Jer 44:19, that they do not engage in this sacrificial worship or prepare the sacrificial cakes without their husbands, i.e., without their knowledge and approval. This is put forward by the women in the way of self-vindication; for, according to the law, Num 30:9., the husband could annul, i.e., declare not binding, any vow which had been made by his wife without his knowledge. Although it is women who are speaking, the masc. מקטּרים is used as being the gender which most commonly occurs; it also pretty often stands for the feminine. The inf. constr. וּלהסּך (with ל) is here employed, in conformity with later usage, instead of the inf. abs., for the finite verb, by way of continuation; cf. Ewald, 351, c, where, however, many passages have been set down as falling under this rule that demand a different explanation. The meaning of להעצבה is disputed; the final ה is a suffix, written with Raphe, though Mappik also occurs in some MSS. The Hiphil of this verb is found elsewhere only in Psa 78:40, and there in the signification of vexing, grieving, like the Piel in Isa 63:10; Psa 66:6. Ewald translates "in order to move her," i.e., make her well-disposed, - but quite arbitrarily, for to provoke is the very opposite of rendering propitious. The verb עצּב also signifies "to form, shape," Job 10:8; and in this sense the Hiphil is used here, "in order to put them into shape," i.e., to form the moon-goddess (queen of heaven) in or on the sacrificial cakes (Kimchi, Raschi, Dahler, Maurer, Graf, etc.). The sacrificial cakes (כּוּנים, see on Jer 7:18) probably had the form of a crescent, or even of the full moon, like the σελῆναι of the Greeks, which used to be offered in Athens at the time of the full moon in the month of Munychion, to Artemis, as goddess of the moon; cf. Hermann, gottesdienstliche Alterthmer der Griechen, 2 Ausg. S. 146, Anm. 13, u. S. 414.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
All the men - It should seem those that did it were mostly women, and that they did it with some privacy, so that all their husbands did not know of it.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Then all the men - and all the women - We have not seen the women in determined rebellion before. Here they make a common cause with their idolatrous husbands.

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¹⁴ And [2532] Adam [76] was [538] not [3756] deceived [538], but [1161] the woman [1135] being deceived [538] was [1096] in [1722] the transgression [3847].

⁴ For it came to pass, when [06256] Solomon [08010] was old [02209], that his wives [0802] turned away [05186] his heart [03824] after [0310] other [0312] gods [0430]: and his heart [03824] was not perfect [08003] with the LORD [03068] his God [0430], as was the heart [03824] of David [01732] his father [01].

¹⁷ But we will certainly [06213] do [06213] whatsoever thing [01697] goeth forth [03318] out of our own mouth [06310], to burn incense [06999] unto the queen [04446] of heaven [08064], and to pour out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto her, as we have done [06213], we, and our fathers [01], our kings [04428], and our princes [08269], in the cities [05892] of Judah [03063], and in the streets [02351] of Jerusalem [03389]: for then had we plenty [07646] of victuals [03899], and were well [02896], and saw [07200] no evil [07451].

⁹ Why hast thou prophesied [05012] in the name [08034] of the LORD [03068], saying [0559], This house [01004] shall be like Shiloh [07887], and this city [05892] shall be desolate [02717] without an inhabitant [03427]? And all the people [05971] were gathered [06950] against Jeremiah [03414] in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068].

¹⁸ The children [01121] gather [03950] wood [06086], and the fathers [01] kindle [01197] the fire [0784], and the women [0802] knead [03888] their dough [01217], to make [06213] cakes [03561] to the queen [04446] of heaven [08064], and to pour out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto other [0312] gods [0430], that they may provoke me to anger [03707].

⁸ Thine hands [03027] have made [06087] me and fashioned [06213] me together [03162] round about [05439]; yet thou dost destroy [01104] me.

⁶ He turned [02015] the sea [03220] into dry [03004] land: they went [05674] through the flood [05104] on foot [07272]: there did we rejoice [08055] in him.

¹⁰ But they rebelled [04784], and vexed [06087] his holy [06944] Spirit [07307]: therefore he was turned [02015] to be their enemy [0341], and he fought [03898] against them.

⁴⁰ How [04100] oft did they provoke [04784] him in the wilderness [04057], and grieve [06087] him in the desert [03452]!

⁹ But every vow [05088] of a widow [0490], and of her that is divorced [01644], wherewith they have bound [0631] their souls [05315], shall stand [06965] against her.

¹⁹ And when we burned incense [06999] to the queen [04446] of heaven [08064], and poured out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto her, did we make [06213] her cakes [03561] to worship [06087] her, and pour out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto her, without [01107] our men [0582]?

¹ And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872], saying [0559],
² Speak [01696] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478], and take [03947] of every one of them a rod [04294] [04294] according to the house [01004] of their fathers [01], of all their princes [05387] according to the house [01004] of their fathers [01] twelve [08147] [06240] rods [04294]: write [03789] thou every man's [0376] name [08034] upon his rod [04294].
³ And thou shalt write [03789] Aaron's [0175] name [08034] upon the rod [04294] of Levi [03878]: for one [0259] rod [04294] shall be for the head [07218] of the house [01004] of their fathers [01].
⁴ And thou shalt lay them up [03240] in the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150] before [06440] the testimony [05715], where I will meet [03259] with you.
⁵ And it shall come to pass, that the man's [0376] rod [04294], whom I shall choose [0977], shall blossom [06524]: and I will make to cease [07918] from me the murmurings [08519] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478], whereby they murmur [03885] against you.
⁶ And Moses [04872] spake [01696] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478], and every one of their princes [05387] gave [05414] him a rod [04294] [04294] apiece, for each prince [05387] [05387] one [0259] [0259], according to their fathers [01]' houses [01004], even twelve [06240] [08147] rods [04294]: and the rod [04294] of Aaron [0175] was among [08432] their rods [04294].
⁷ And Moses [04872] laid up [03240] the rods [04294] before [06440] the LORD [03068] in the tabernacle [0168] of witness [05715].
⁸ And it came to pass, that on the morrow [04283] Moses [04872] went [0935] into the tabernacle [0168] of witness [05715]; and, behold, the rod [04294] of Aaron [0175] for the house [01004] of Levi [03878] was budded [06524], and brought forth [03318] buds [06525], and bloomed [06692] blossoms [06731], and yielded [01580] almonds [08247].
⁹ And Moses [04872] brought out [03318] all the rods [04294] from before [06440] the LORD [03068] unto all the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: and they looked [07200], and took [03947] every man [0376] his rod [04294].
¹⁰ And the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto Moses [04872], Bring [07725] Aaron's [0175] rod [04294] again [07725] before [06440] the testimony [05715], to be kept [04931] for a token [0226] against the rebels [04805] [01121]; and thou shalt quite take away [03615] their murmurings [08519] from me, that they die [04191] not.
¹¹ And Moses [04872] did [06213] so: as the LORD [03068] commanded [06680] him, so did [06213] he.
¹² And the children [01121] of Israel [03478] spake [0559] unto Moses [04872], saying [0559], Behold, we die [01478], we perish [06], we all perish [06].
¹³ Whosoever cometh any thing near [07131] unto the tabernacle [04908] of the LORD [03068] shall die [04191]: shall we be consumed [08552] with dying [01478]?

¹⁶ He judged [01777] the cause [01779] of the poor [06041] and needy [034]; then it was well [02896] with him: was not this to know [01847] me? saith [05002] the LORD [03068].

¹⁷ Seest [07200] thou not what they do [06213] in the cities [05892] of Judah [03063] and in the streets [02351] of Jerusalem [03389]?

²⁴ When thou comest [0935] into thy neighbour's [07453] vineyard [03754], then thou mayest eat [0398] grapes [06025] thy fill [07648] at thine own pleasure [05315]; but thou shalt not put [05414] any in thy vessel [03627].

¹³ Every vow [05088], and every binding [0632] oath [07621] to afflict [06031] the soul [05315], her husband [0376] may establish [06965] it, or her husband [0376] may make it void [06565].

¹⁶ As for the word [01697] that thou hast spoken [01696] unto us in the name [08034] of the LORD [03068], we will not hearken [08085] unto thee.

¹⁵ Then all the men [0582] which knew [03045] that their wives [0802] had burned incense [06999] unto other [0312] gods [0430], and all the women [0802] that stood by [05975], a great [01419] multitude [06951], even all the people [05971] that dwelt [03427] in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714], in Pathros [06624], answered [06030] Jeremiah [03414], saying [0559],

¹⁸ But since we left off [02308] to burn incense [06999] to the queen [04446] of heaven [08064], and to pour out [05258] drink offerings [05262] unto her, we have wanted [02637] all things, and have been consumed [08552] by the sword [02719] and by the famine [07458].

¹⁶ As for the word [01697] that thou hast spoken [01696] unto us in the name [08034] of the LORD [03068], we will not hearken [08085] unto thee.