Jeremiah 7:18

The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. THE CHILDREN GATHER WOOD, AND THE FATHERS KINDLE THE FIRE, AND THE WOMEN KNEAD THEIR DOUGH, TO MAKE CAKES TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN - not merely isolated individuals practiced idolatry: young and old, men and women, and whole families, contributed their joint efforts to promote it. O that there were the same zeal for the worship of God as there is for error (; ; ). CAKES TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN. Cakes were made of honey, fine flour, etc.,...

_The children, _he says, _gather wood _He ascribes the collecting of wood to the young; for it was a more laborious work. As then that age excels in strength, they collected wood; and _the fathers kindled the fire: _the women, what did they do? They were busy with the meal. Thus no part was neglected. “What then is to be done? and what else can I do, but wholly to cut off a people so wicked?” Then he says, _that they may make _ כונים, _cunim, _which is translated “cakes, “and this is the most common rendering. Some think that kindling is meant, deriving the word from כוה, _cue, _which means to kindle. But I prefer the opinion of those who derive the word from כון, _cun_, which is to prepare, as cakes are things prepared. I do not then doubt, but that cakes are meant here, as it appears also from other places. The second interpretation I regard as

17-20 The Jews took pride in showing zeal for their idols. Let us learn to be earnest in the service of our God, even from this bad example. Let us think it an honour to be employed in any work for God. Let us be as diligent ourselves, and as careful to teach our children the truths of God, as many are to teach the mysteries of iniquity. The direct tendency of this sin is malice against God, but it will hurt themselves. And they shall find there is no escaping. God's wrath is fire unquenchable....

Verse Jeremiah 7:18. _THE CHILDREN GATHER WOOD_] Here is a description of a _whole family_ gathered together, and acting unitedly in idolatrous worship. 1. The _children_ go and collect wood, and bring it to the place of sacrifice. 2. The _fathers_ lay it in order, and kindle a fire. 3. The _mother_ and her _maids_ knead dough, make their batch, and out of it form _cakes_, and bake them for the honour of the queen of heaven; most probably the _moon_, though perhaps not exclusive of the _sun_ and _planets_, generally called the _host of_ _heaven_. Family worship is a most amiable and becoming thing when performed according to truth. What a pity that so few families show such zeal for the worship of God as those apostate Israelites did for that of their idols!...

CHILDREN ... FATHERS ... WOMEN - All members of the family take part in this idolatry. CAKES - Probably very similar to those offered at Athens to Artemis. TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN - A Persian and Assyrian deity, who was supposed to symbolize a quality possessed by moonlight of giving to nature its receptive power, as the sun represented its quickening power. The moon thus became generally the symbol of female productiveness, and was worshipped as such at Babylon. Disgraceful usages to which every woman was obliged once to submit formed part of her worship....

EXPOSITION Ch. 7-10.—Severe rebukes of idolatry alternating with announcements of the impending judgment. The circumstances connected with this discourse, or part thereof, appear to be detailed in Jeremiah 26:1. Among the parallelisms between the two sections, notice especially the reference to the fate of the temple of Shiloh (comp. Jeremiah 26:14 with Jeremiah 26:6). The date of the original utterance of the prophecy is thus fixed for one of the early years of the reign of Jehoiakim. Jeremiah 10:1, however, requires separate consideration....

THE CHILDREN GATHER WOOD,.... In the fields, or out of the neighbouring forest; not little children, but young men, who were able to cut down trees, and bear and carry burdens of wood: AND THE FATHERS KINDLE THE FIRE; take the wood of their children, lay it in order, and put fire to it; which shows that they approved of what their children did, and that what they did was by their direction and order: AND THE WOMEN KNEAD THEIR DOUGH; so that every age and sex were employed in idolatrous service, which is here intended; the corruption was universal; and therefore the whole body was ripe for ruin; nor would the Lord be entreated for them: and all this preparation was, TO MAKE CAKES FOR THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN; the moon, as Abarbinel; which rules by night, as the sun is the king that rules by day; and which was much worshipped by the Heathens, whom the Jews imitated. Some render it, to the w...

THE PROPHET'S TEMPLE ADDRESS (7-9) CHAPTER 7 _ 1. Amend your ways and your doings (Jeremiah 7:1) _ 2. No prayer-answer to be expected (Jeremiah 7:16) 3. Sacrifices rejected; Obedience demanded (Jeremiah 7:21) 4. Jerusalem's rejection (Jeremiah 7:29) Jeremiah 7:1. We call this next address of the prophet “the temple address,” because he was commanded to stand in the gate of the LORD's house. There he stood, a solitary figure, and said: “Hear the Word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in a

THE WORSHIP OF ASTARTE. The prophet is forbidden to intercede for a people who are even now worshipping other gods, to their own deserved ruin. The cult (p. 99) described in Jeremiah 7:18 (and more fully in Jeremiah 44:15) is that of Ashtoreth (Astarte), the queen of heaven, _i.e._ the planet Venus, who was worshipped under the name of Ishtar by the Babylonians (1 Kings 11:5 *). A similar offering of cakes (p. 99) by women to the Virgin Mary, practised by an Arabian sect, is the continuation of this (EBi. col. 3993). Jeremiah 7:18. _Cf._ the drink-offering in the worship of Yahweh ...

CHILDREN. sons. MAKE: or, offer. QUEEN. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "worship", which is put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Effect), for the goddess to whom the worship was offered. See Jeremiah 19:13; Jeremiah 44:19. and compare 2 Kings 21:3 2 Kings 21:5. 2 Kings 23:12; 2 Kings 23:13....