Jeremiah Chapter 44
Jeremiah 44
A Word to God’s People in Egypt, Delivered and Rejected
Jeremiah 44:1-6, God Speaks to His People regarding Their Past Sins
Jeremiah 44:1-6, “The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods. Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.”
Jeremiah 44 takes place after the remnant has disobeyed the LORD and gone down into Egypt. They are now scattered in Egyptian territory, dwelling at Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and Pathros. Jeremiah, who was taken there against his will, continues to speak the word of the LORD to the people who rejected the word of the LORD.
God identifies Himself as “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel.” He is still the LORD of hosts, the God of heavenly armies, even though His people are politically shattered. He is still the God of Israel, even though Israel no longer stands as an independent kingdom. Their rebellion has not changed His identity, His authority, or His covenant ownership.
The LORD reminds them that they have seen the calamity He brought upon Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. This is not theoretical. They lived through it. They saw the city fall. They saw the houses burned. They saw the walls broken. They saw the captives taken away. They saw the land become desolate.
The reason for the judgment is stated plainly, “Because of their wickedness.” Their idolatry provoked God to anger. They burned incense and served other gods whom they did not know, neither they, nor their fathers. Their worship was not innocent cultural practice. It was spiritual adultery against the LORD.
God also reminds them that He had sent His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them. The language shows divine patience and urgency. God was not silent. He warned them again and again. The message was simple and pleading, “Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.”
The word “Oh” is tender and severe at the same time. God hates idolatry, but He also pleads with sinners to stop. His hatred of sin is not cold or arbitrary. Sin destroys His people, dishonors His name, and gives worship to what is false.
But they did not listen. They did not incline their ear. They would not turn from wickedness. Therefore God’s fury and anger were poured out on Judah and Jerusalem. Their current desolation is the visible proof that God’s warnings were true.
Jeremiah 44:7-10, God Speaks to His People of Their Present Sin
Jeremiah 44:7-10, “Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.”
God now confronts their present sin in Egypt. They have not learned from Jerusalem’s fall. They have carried the same idolatrous heart into the land where they fled for safety.
The LORD asks, “Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls?” Sin is first against God, but it is also against the sinner’s own soul. They are destroying themselves. They are cutting themselves off. They are bringing judgment on men, women, children, and sucklings.
They provoke God with “the works of your hands.” This includes the idols they make and the rituals they perform. The tragedy is that they have gone into Egypt and begun burning incense to other gods there. They fled the land of promise in unbelief and quickly embraced the gods of the land of bondage.
God asks whether they have forgotten the wickedness of their fathers, the kings of Judah, the kings’ wives, their own wickedness, and the wickedness of their wives. This covers every level of society. Fathers, kings, royal women, husbands, wives, leaders, and common people were all implicated.
The issue is not ignorance. It is refusal to remember. They have forgotten the moral lesson of Jerusalem’s destruction. They have forgotten that idolatry brought judgment. They have forgotten that God’s warnings came true.
“They are not humbled even unto this day.” This is the heart of the matter. Calamity has not produced humility. Judgment has not produced fear. Survival has not produced obedience. They have not walked in God’s law or statutes.
This is a terrifying spiritual condition. A person can survive disaster and still refuse repentance. A nation can be judged and still continue the very sin that brought judgment.
Jeremiah 44:11-14, The Promise of Judgment upon Those Who Went to Egypt
Jeremiah 44:11-14, “Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.”
God declares, “I will set my face against you for evil.” This is covenant judgment language. The people had set their faces to go to Egypt, and now God sets His face against them in judgment.
They had been warned not to go.
Jeremiah 42:19, “The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.”
But they went anyway. Now the judgment they feared in Judah will find them in Egypt. They will be consumed by sword and famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die under the consequences of their unbelief.
God says He will punish those dwelling in Egypt as He punished Jerusalem, by sword, famine, and pestilence. This is exactly what He had warned in Jeremiah 42. Egypt would not be a refuge from judgment. It would become the place where judgment overtook them.
They will become an execration, astonishment, curse, and reproach. Their fate will become a public warning. Others will look at them and see what happens when people ask God’s will, reject God’s will, and then continue in idolatry.
God says none of the remnant who went to Egypt will escape or remain in order to return to Judah, except a few who escape. The general fate of the Egyptian remnant is destruction, though God still preserves a tiny remnant of survivors.
The phrase “to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there” shows their inner confusion. They desire the land of Judah, but they disobeyed the God of Judah. They want the benefits of covenant land without covenant submission.
Jeremiah 44:15-16, The General Response of the People
Jeremiah 44:15-16, “Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.”
The response is direct and horrifying. The men, the women, and the great multitude answer Jeremiah. They know he has spoken in the name of the LORD. They do not deny the seriousness of the claim. They simply refuse to listen.
“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.” This is open rebellion. There is no longer pretense of seeking guidance. No more solemn promises to obey whether pleasing or displeasing. Their hearts are now plainly exposed.
This is one of the saddest moments in Jeremiah’s ministry. He has preached before the fall, during the siege, after the fall, in Judah, and now in Egypt. His words have come true. Yet the people still reject the LORD’s word through him.
Their honesty does not make their sin better. Open rebellion is not virtue just because it is honest. They are clear, but they are clearly wicked.
Jeremiah 44:17-18, The Response of the Men
Jeremiah 44:17-18, “But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.”
The men declare their intention, “we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth.” This is the opposite of obedience. They are not governed by the word that proceeds from the mouth of God. They are governed by the word that proceeds from their own mouth.
They specifically pledge to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her. This idolatrous worship had already been condemned earlier in Jeremiah.
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.”
They appeal to tradition. “As we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes.” They think long practice gives legitimacy to sin. But antiquity does not sanctify rebellion. The fact that fathers, kings, and princes practiced idolatry only proves how widespread the apostasy had become.
They also appeal to prosperity. They say that when they worshipped the queen of heaven, they had plenty of food, were well, and saw no evil. But since they stopped, they lacked everything and were consumed by sword and famine.
Their interpretation is completely inverted. They blame reform and the interruption of idolatry for their suffering, when idolatry itself brought the judgment. They confuse delayed judgment with divine approval. Because things seemed good while they sinned, they conclude that sin blessed them.
This is spiritual blindness. Sin often seems profitable before the wages come due.
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
They remember the pleasures of idolatry but ignore the judgment it produced. They measure truth by immediate comfort, not by the word of the LORD.
Jeremiah 44:19, The Response of the Women
Jeremiah 44:19, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?”
The women also answer. They admit their part in the worship of the queen of heaven. They made cakes, burned incense, and poured out drink offerings. This was household idolatry, with women deeply involved in the ritual life.
They ask whether they did these things “without our men.” In other words, their husbands knew and approved. They are not presenting themselves as independent rebels. They are saying the men were complicit.
This exposes household sin. The men knew. The women participated. The family structure was united in idolatry. The home, which should have taught covenant faithfulness, became a place where false worship was normalized.
The women’s statement does not excuse them. A husband’s permission does not make sin righteous. Human authority never cancels God’s authority.
Acts 5:29, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
The men are responsible for allowing and approving wickedness. The women are responsible for participating in it. The whole community stands guilty.
Jeremiah 44:20-23, Jeremiah Tells Them Why Destruction and Judgment Came
Jeremiah 44:20-23, “Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned 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, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind? So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.”
Jeremiah answers the men and women directly. He does not allow their false interpretation to stand. They claimed that idolatry gave them prosperity and that abandoning idolatry brought disaster. Jeremiah says the opposite.
The incense they burned in Judah and Jerusalem was remembered by the LORD. They may have forgotten. God did not. Their fathers, kings, princes, and people all participated, and God saw it all.
The LORD “could no longer bear” their evil and abominations. This does not mean God is weak. It means His patience was exhausted according to His righteous judgment. He had warned them repeatedly. They continued. Judgment came.
Their land is now desolate, an astonishment, a curse, and without inhabitant because of their idolatry and disobedience. The evidence is visible. Judah’s ruined land proves that their interpretation is false.
Jeremiah piles up the charge, “ye have burned incense,” “ye have sinned against the LORD,” “have not obeyed the voice of the LORD,” and have not walked in His law, statutes, or testimonies. Their problem was not bad luck, failed reform, or insufficient devotion to the queen of heaven. Their problem was covenant rebellion.
“Therefore this evil is happened unto you.” The calamity came because they sinned against the LORD.
Jeremiah 44:24-29, Jeremiah Tells Them of the Adversity and Judgment to Come
Jeremiah 44:24-29, “Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows. Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:”
Jeremiah speaks to all the people and specifically to the women. He commands all Judah in Egypt to hear the word of the LORD. They have declared their vows to the queen of heaven. They have spoken with their mouths and fulfilled with their hands. Their rebellion is intentional, verbal, and practical.
God answers with holy irony, “ye will surely accomplish your vows.” If they insist on performing vows to idols, they may do so, but they will also receive the judgment attached to their idolatry.
Then the LORD swears by His great name that His name will no longer be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in Egypt, saying, “The Lord GOD liveth.” They cannot keep clinging to the LORD’s name while giving their worship to idols. They want to combine the LORD with the queen of heaven, but God rejects divided worship.
The LORD says, “I will watch over them for evil, and not for good.” Earlier, God had offered to watch over the remnant for good if they remained in Judah. But they rejected His command and fled to Egypt. Now His watchfulness remains, but it is for judgment.
This is one of the most frightening realities in Scripture. God’s attention is either mercy to the obedient or judgment to the rebellious. No one escapes His sight.
The men of Judah in Egypt will be consumed by sword and famine until there is an end of them. Yet a small number will escape and return to Judah. God preserves a remnant even in judgment, but the Egyptian refuge as a whole will fail.
Then comes the great issue, “all the remnant of Judah... shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.” This is the central conflict. The people have spoken. God has spoken. Their words and God’s words cannot both stand. History will prove whose word is true.
The sign will be that God punishes them in Egypt, proving that His words stand against them for evil. They went to Egypt to escape the word of the LORD, but the word follows them there.
Jeremiah 44:30, Jeremiah Tells Them of the Judgment to Come upon Pharaoh and Egypt
Jeremiah 44:30, “Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.”
Jeremiah gives a final sign. Pharaohhophra king of Egypt will be given into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life. The ruler in whom the remnant likely placed confidence will himself fall.
God compares Pharaohhophra to Zedekiah. Just as God gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, so He will give Pharaohhophra into the hand of his enemies. The remnant saw what happened to Zedekiah. They should understand the warning.
Egypt’s king cannot save them. Egypt’s gods cannot save them. Egypt’s land cannot save them. The queen of heaven cannot save them. Their vows cannot save them. Their interpretation of history cannot save them. Only the LORD is true, and they have rejected His word.
Chronologically, this stands as one of Jeremiah’s final recorded prophetic words. He ends as he lived, faithfully declaring the word of the LORD to a people who refuse to hear.
Doctrinal and Practical Notes
Jeremiah 44 teaches that judgment does not automatically produce repentance. The remnant saw Jerusalem destroyed and still continued in idolatry.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that God hates idolatry. He calls it an abominable thing that He hates.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that sin is self destructive. God says they commit this great evil against their own souls.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that memory matters. Forgetting past wickedness and past judgment prepares the way for repeating them.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that religious rebellion can become brutally honest. The people openly say they will not listen to Jeremiah’s word from the LORD.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that prosperity during sin does not prove God’s approval. Judah mistook delayed judgment for blessing.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that tradition cannot justify idolatry. Fathers, kings, princes, husbands, and wives may all agree in sin and still be wrong.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that household leadership matters. The men and women together participated in the queen of heaven worship, and both were accountable.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that God’s word will stand over man’s word. The remnant will know whose words stand, God’s or theirs.
Jeremiah 44 teaches that false refuges collapse. Egypt, Pharaoh, Egyptian gods, and the queen of heaven cannot protect those who reject the LORD.
Summary
Jeremiah 44 records the word of the LORD to the Jews dwelling in Egypt at Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and Pathros. God reminds them that they saw the calamity He brought upon Jerusalem and Judah because of their wickedness, idolatry, and refusal to hear the prophets. Though God had sent His servants rising early and warning them not to do the abominable thing He hated, they refused, and His fury made Judah desolate.
God then confronts their present sin in Egypt. They are committing evil against their own souls by burning incense to other gods in Egypt, cutting themselves off, and becoming a curse and reproach. They have forgotten the wickedness of their fathers, kings, wives, and themselves. They are not humbled, do not fear, and do not walk in God’s law or statutes.
The LORD promises judgment on the remnant that set their faces to go to Egypt. They will be consumed by sword and famine and become an execration, astonishment, curse, and reproach. God will punish them as He punished Jerusalem, and none will return to Judah except a few who escape.
The people answer Jeremiah with open rebellion. They say they will not listen to the word spoken in the name of the LORD. They declare they will continue burning incense and pouring drink offerings to the queen of heaven, as they, their fathers, kings, and princes had done in Judah and Jerusalem. They claim they had plenty when they worshipped her, but lacked everything after stopping. The women add that they made cakes and poured offerings with their husbands’ knowledge.
Jeremiah corrects their false interpretation. The LORD remembered the incense and idolatry they practiced, and He could no longer bear their evil. Their land became desolate because they burned incense, sinned against the LORD, disobeyed His voice, and refused His law, statutes, and testimonies.
Jeremiah then declares that since they insist on keeping vows to the queen of heaven, the LORD swears by His great name that His name will no longer be named by Judah in Egypt. He will watch over them for evil and not for good. They will be consumed by sword and famine, though a small number will escape and return to Judah. They will know whose words stand, God’s or theirs.
Finally, Jeremiah gives a sign. Pharaohhophra king of Egypt will be delivered into the hand of his enemies, just as Zedekiah king of Judah was delivered into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar. Egypt cannot save the remnant from the judgment of the LORD.
