Yirmeyah 44:18

18 But since we left off burning ketoret to the Malkat HaShomayim, and to pour out nesakhim unto her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the cherev and by the ra’av.

Yirmeyah 44:18 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 44:18

But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven,
&c.] Or were restrained from it, as the Targum, through the force of the prophet's sermons, or by the authority of their governors: this Abarbinel thinks was in the times of Jehoiakim, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; but perhaps it only regards some space of time in the latter part of Zedekiah's reign, a little before the destruction of Jerusalem, when they refrained from their idolatry; fearing the wrath of God, and what was coming upon them; though Kimchi is of opinion that they never ceased; but they would say, when any evil came upon them, it was because they ceased to burn incense to the queen of heaven, of were not so ready to it as at first: and to pour out drink offerings to her:
another part of worship they performed to her but for a while left off: and from that time they say, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword, and
by the famine;
wanted all the necessaries of life, meat and drink, and clothing and a habitation to dwell in; and multitudes were destroyed by the sword of the king of Babylon; and others perished with famine during the siege; these evils they imputed to their cessation from idolatry, when it was the very thing that brought them on them.

Yirmeyah 44:18 In-Context

16 As for the davar that thou hast spoken unto us b’Shem Hashem, we will not pay heed unto thee.

17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn ketoret unto the Malkat HaShomayim (the Queen of Heaven), and to pour out nesakhim (drink offerings) unto her, as we have done, we, and Avoteinu, our Melachim, and our Sarim, in the towns of Yehudah, and in the streets of Yerushalayim; for then we had plenty of lechem, and were tovim (well off), and saw no ra’ah.

18 But since we left off burning ketoret to the Malkat HaShomayim, and to pour out nesakhim unto her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the cherev and by the ra’av.

19 And when we burned ketoret to the Malkat HaShomayim, and poured out nesakhim unto her, did we make for her in her image cakes, and pour out nesakhim unto her, without our anashim?

20 Then Yirmeyah said unto kol HaAm, to the gevarim, and to the nashim, and to kol HaAm which had given him that answer, saying,