Jeremiah 44:25

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words: ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows!

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, speaks through Jeremiah to Judah’s exiles and their wives residing in Egypt. This declaration follows Jeremiah’s direct address to the entire community regarding their idolatrous practices in the land of Egypt.

The words — The term כֹּֽה־ (koh-) means “thus,” establishing the divine origin of the message, while אַתֶּֽם ('a.Tem) translates as “you,” isolating the specific audience. These words function as a legal summons that places the speakers and their actions under direct divine scrutiny.

The thread — The motif of binding human vows appears in Matthew 14:9, where Herod honors a promise to satisfy his guests, and Isaiah 28:15, which records a covenant fashioned with death. Each passage demonstrates how self-initiated vows operate independently of divine command and carry their own inescapable weight.

Why it lands — The text commands the audience to proceed with their idolatrous vows so they may fully experience the consequences of their chosen path. It requires readers to recognize that religious acts performed outside of God’s authority yield only the outcomes the performers themselves engineered.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כֹּֽה־koh-thus אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָֽה־Yah.weh-Yahweh צְבָאוֹת֩tze.va.'Otof hosts אֱלֹהֵ֨י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לYis.ra.'ElIsrael לֵאמֹ֗רle./Mor<to>/ saying אַתֶּ֨ם'a.Temyou וּנְשֵׁיכֶ֜םu./ne.shei./Khemand/ wives/ your וַתְּדַבֵּ֣רְנָהva./te.da.Be.re.nahand/ you have spoken בְּפִיכֶם֮be./fi./Khemwith/ mouth/ your וּבִידֵיכֶ֣םu./vi./dei./Khemand/ with/ hands/ your מִלֵּאתֶ֣ם׀mi.le.Temyou have fulfilled לֵאמֹר֒le./Mor<to>/ saying עָשֹׂ֨ה'a.Sohcertainly <to perform>נַעֲשֶׂ֜הna.'a.Sehwe will perform אֶת־'et-<obj.>נְדָרֵ֗ינוּne.da.Rei./nuvows/ our אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwhich נָדַ֙רְנוּ֙na.Dar.nuwe have vowed לְקַטֵּר֙le./ka.Terto/ make smoke לִמְלֶ֣כֶתli/m.Le.khetto/ [the] queen of הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha./sha.Ma.yimthe/ heavens וּלְהַסֵּ֥ךְu./le./ha.Sekhand/ to/ pour outלָ֖הּla/hto <the>/ herנְסָכִ֑יםne.sa.Khimdrink offerings הָקֵ֤יםha.Keimcertainly <to carry out>תָּקִ֙ימְנָה֙ta.Ki.me.nahyou will carry out אֶת־'et-<obj.>נִדְרֵיכֶ֔םnid.rei./Khemvows/ your וְעָשֹׂ֥הve./'a.Sohand/ certainly <to perform>תַעֲשֶׂ֖ינָהta.'a.Sei.nahyou will perform אֶת־'et-<obj.>נִדְרֵיכֶֽם׃ פnid.rei./Khemvows/ your

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Matthew 14:9 The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted
Job 34:22 There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
Isaiah 28:15 For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”
Jeremiah 44:15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah,
Ezekiel 20:39 And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.
Acts 23:12 When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
James 1:14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
Jude 1:13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.