Jeremiah 44:19

19 That if we make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and offer to it moist sacrifices, whether without our husbands (knowing it) we made to it cakes, to worship it, and loaves to be offered? (And the women said, And when we made sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and offered wine offerings to her, did we make the cakes for her, to worship her, and were the wine offerings offered, without our husbands knowing about it? Nay!)

Jeremiah 44:19 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 44:19

And when we burnt incense to the queen of heaven, and poured
out drink offerings unto her
Which they owned they did, and which they were not ashamed of, and were determined to go on with; and were only sorry that they had at any time omitted such service: did we make cakes to worship her;
or, "to make her glad" ^F7, as Kimchi; interpreting the word by an antiphrasis; it having a contrary signification, to grieve or to make sorrowful; and from hence idols have their name sometimes, because in the issue they bring grief and trouble to their worshippers; hence some render it, "to make her an idol" ^F8; or them, the cakes, an idol; these had, as Jarchi says, the likeness of the idol impressed upon them: and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
they own they did these things but not without the knowledge and consent at least, if not with the presence, of their husbands; hence these words seem to be the words of the women. Some indeed think they speak all along, from ( Jeremiah 44:16 ) ; or one in the name of the rest; it may be one of Zedekiah's daughters; but however, if the men spoke what is said in the preceding verses, the women, being provoked, could hold their peace no longer, but broke in, and uttered these words; though some render the last clause, "without our principal men" ^F9; and so take them to be the words of the people in general; who urge, in their own defence, that what they did they did with the direction, approbation, and leading example of their kings and governors.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (hbuehl) "ad exhilarandum illud", Calvin; "ad laetificaudum eam", Munster, Pagninus.
F8 "Idolificando", Piscator; so Ben Melech; "ut faciamus illas idolum", Cocceius.
F9 (wnyvna ydelbmh) "absque praestantibus viris nostris", Junius & Tremellius.

Jeremiah 44:19 In-Context

17 but we doing shall do each word that shall go out of our mouth, that we make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and that we offer to it moist sacrifices, as we did, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; and we were [full-]filled with loaves, and it was well to us, and we saw none evil. (but we doing shall keep each promise that went out of our mouths, that we make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and that we offer wine offerings to her, like we used to do, yea, we, and our fathers, and our kings, and our princes, or our leaders, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we were filled full with loaves, and it was well with us, and we saw no evil.)

18 But from that time, in which we ceased to make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to offer to it moist sacrifices, we had need to all things, and we were wasted by sword and hunger. (But from the time, in which we ceased to make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to offer wine offerings to her, we had need for everything, and we were wasted by the sword and by hunger.)

19 That if we make sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and offer to it moist sacrifices, whether without our husbands (knowing it) we made to it cakes, to worship it, and loaves to be offered? (And the women said, And when we made sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and offered wine offerings to her, did we make the cakes for her, to worship her, and were the wine offerings offered, without our husbands knowing about it? Nay!)

20 And Jeremy said to all the people, against the men, and against the women, and against all the people, that answered to him the word, and he said, (And Jeremiah replied to all the people, yea, to the men, and the women, and all the people, who had answered this to him, and he said,)

21 Whether not the sacrifices which ye sacrificed in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, stirred God to vengeance? The Lord had mind on these things, and it ascended on his heart; (Did the sacrifices which ye sacrificed in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, and your kings, and your princes, or your leaders, and the people of the land, stir God to vengeance? Yea, the Lord remembered these things, and it ascended upon his heart;)