Jeremiah 44:15-30

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 44:15-19

We have here the people's obstinate refusal to submit to the power of the word of God in the mouth of Jeremiah. We have scarcely such an instance of downright daring contradiction to God himself as this, or such an avowed rebellion of the carnal mind. Observe, I. The persons who thus set God and his judgments at defiance; it was not some one that was thus obstinate, but the generality of the Jews; and they were such as knew either themselves or their wives to be guilty of the idolatry Jeremiah... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 44:20-30

Daring sinners may speak many a bold word and many a big word, but, after all, God will have the last word; for he will be justified when he speaks, and all flesh, even the proudest, shall be silent before him. Prophets may be run down, but God cannot; nay, here the prophet would not. I. Jeremiah has something to say to them from himself, which he could say without a spirit of prophecy, and that was to rectify their mistake (a wilful mistake it was) concerning the calamities they had been... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:15

Then all the men which knew that their wires had burnt incense unto other gods ,.... Which was a rite God appointed to be used in his worship; and is here put for the whole of religious worship, which was given to idols by the Jewish women; this their husbands knew of, and winked at, and did not restrain them from it, as they should; they seem to be themselves irreligious persons, a sort of atheists, who had no regard for the true God, nor any other gods, and cared not who were worshipped: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:16

As for the word that thou has, spoken unto us in the name of the Lord ,.... Which they did not believe that it came from the Lord, but was a device of the prophet's, and a lie, as in Jeremiah 43:2 ; and if it did come from the Lord, their impudence was risen to such a pitch, that they were determined not to regard it: we will not hearken unto thee : to thy words; neither to thy exhortations, reproofs, or menaces, even though thou comest and speakest in the name of the Lord. This, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:17

But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth ,.... And not what went out of the mouth of God, or his prophet: but whoever they had resolved on within themselves to do, and had declared with their mouths they would, or had vowed with their lips; so Abarbinel interprets it of a vow; this they were determined to perform, let God and his prophet say what they would: to burn incense unto the queen of heaven ; which, according to Abarbinel, was the moon, which is the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:18

But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven ,.... 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 להעצבה "ad exhilarandum illud", Calvin; "ad laetificaudum eam", Munster, Pagninus. , as Kimchi; interpreting the word by an antiphrasis; it having a contrary... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:20

Then Jeremiah said unto all the people ,.... Immediately, being influenced, directed, and assisted by the Spirit of God; though what he says, in Jeremiah 44:21 ; he does not declare as coming from the Lord; but what was upon his mind, and was a full refutation of all that had been said: and which he delivered to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer ; in which they all agreed, though delivered by one; and to which he made a reply: saying ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:21

That incense that ye burnt in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem ,.... To false gods, to the queen of heaven, to the host thereof: ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land ; on which account they pleaded antiquity, authority, and the general consent of the people, as on their side, which the prophet allows; but it all signified nothing: did not the Lord remember them, and came it not into his mind ? either the incense they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 44:22

So that the Lord could no longer forbear ,.... He did forbear a long time, and did not stir up all his wrath, but waited to see if these people would repent of their sins, and turn from them; during which time of his forbearance, things might be well with them, as they had said, and they enjoyed peace and plenty; but persisting in their sins, and growing worse and worse, he could bear with them no longer, but brought down his judgments upon them. The reason is expressed, because of the... read more

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