15 Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods , along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly , including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt , responded to Jeremiah , saying , 16 "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord , we are not going to listen to you! 17 "But rather e we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths , by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves , our forefathers , our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem ; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune . 18 "But since e we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine ." 19 "And," said the women, "when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without e our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?"
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people , to the men and women -even to all the people who were giving him such an answer -saying , 21 "As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem , you and your forefathers , your kings and your princes , and the people of the land , did not the Lord remember them and did not all this come into His mind ? 22 "So the Lord was no longer able to endure it, because e of the evil of your deeds , because e of the abominations which you have committed ; thus your land has become a ruin , an object of horror and a curse , without an inhabitant , as it is this day . 23 "Because e you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law , His statutes or His testimonies , therefore e this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day ." 24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people , including all the women , " Hear the word of the Lord , all Judah who are in the land of Egypt , 25 thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , as follows : 'As for you and your wives , you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands , saying , "We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed , to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead and confirm your vows , and certainly perform your vows !' 26 "Nevertheless hear the word of the Lord , all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt , 'Behold , I have sworn by My great name ,' says the Lord , ' never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt , saying , " As the Lord GOD lives ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 44:15-26
Commentary on Jeremiah 44:15-19
(Read Jeremiah 44:15-19)
These daring sinners do not attempt excuses, but declare they will do that which is forbidden. Those who disobey God, commonly grow worse and worse, and the heart is more hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Here is the real language of the rebellious heart. Even the afflictions which should have parted them from their sins, were taken so as to confirm them in their sins. It is sad when those who should quicken each other to what is good, and so help one another to heaven, harden each other in sin, and so ripen one another for hell. To mingle idolatry with Divine worship, and to reject the mediation of Christ, are provoking to God, and ruinous to men. All who worship images, or honour saints, and angels, and the queen of heaven, should recollect what came from the idolatrous practices of the Jews.
Commentary on Jeremiah 44:20-30
(Read Jeremiah 44:20-30)
Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from which we promise ourselves least; and all are what God makes them, not what we fancy them to be. Well-grounded hopes of our having a part in the Divine mercy, are always united with repentance and obedience.