Jeremiah 44:1-30

Jeremiah 44. Denunciation of the Jewish Worship of Ishtar in Egypt. Jeremiah points to the desolation of Judah as the experienced consequence of idolatry, notwithstanding Yahweh's warnings (Jeremiah 44:1). Why, then, do they repeat the offence, forgetting the past? Yahweh will destroy the remnant in Egypt, leaving fugitives only (Jeremiah 44:7). The assembled men and women refuse to abandon the worship of Ishtar (the queen of heaven, Jeremiah 7:18 *), which they have vowed (Jeremiah 44:17, out of our mouth, Judges 11:36); prosperity of old accompanied that worship, whereas, since its abandonment (i.e., in Jeremiah 6:21, at the Deuteronomic Reformation) there has been nothing but disaster (Jeremiah 44:15). Jeremiah urges his point, i.e. that the true connexion is between Jewish idolatry and Jewish disaster (Jeremiah 44:20), and ironically tells them to fulfil their vows of idolatrous worship. Yahweh solemnly declares (Jeremiah 44:26) that all Jewish reference to Him in Egypt shall cease (a grim hint that no Jews will be left). He is wakeful (Jeremiah 1:12; Jeremiah 31:28) to bring this penalty; as its token, He asserts that the fate of the Egyptian king shall be like that of the Jewish. Pharaoh Hophra (589- 564) was defeated in 570 by a rebellion under Amasis (his successor), and was strangled in 564; see Herod, ii. 169.

Jeremiah 44:1. Migdol: E. of Tahpanhes, Jeremiah 43:7; Noph: Memphis, near Cairo, Jeremiah 2:16; Pathros: S. or Upper Egypt.

Jeremiah 44:2. The first ye is emphatic.

Jeremiah 44:3. burn incense: rather offer sacrifice, Jeremiah 1:16; so Jeremiah 44:8; Jeremiah 44:17, etc.

Jeremiah 44:9. Read princes for the first wives with LXX; cf. Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:21.

Jeremiah 44:15. Egypt must denote Lower, Pathros Upper, Egypt; but such a gathering is improbable.

Jeremiah 44:19. Some MSS of LXX, with Syr., put this verse into the mouth of the women, as the closing words require, by prefixing And (all) the women answered and said. The cakes were perhaps star-shaped; cf. RVm. For the point of the women's reference to their husbands, see the later law of vows in Numbers 30:3.

Jeremiah 44:25. Ye and your wives: read, with LXX, ye women.