Jeremiah 44:26

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²⁰Then Jeremiah said to all the people who were answering him, both men and women, ²¹"As for the incense you burned in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem-you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land-did the LORD not remember and bring this to mind? ²²So the LORD could no longer endure the evil deeds and detestable acts you committed, and your land became a desolation, a horror, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as it is today. ²³Because you burned incense and sinned against the LORD, and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in His instruction, His statutes, and His testimonies, this disaster has befallen you, as you see today." ²⁴Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all those of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. ²⁵This 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! ²⁶Nevertheless, hear the word of the LORD, all you Jews living in Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that My name will never again be invoked by anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "As surely as the Lord GOD lives."²⁷I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off. ²⁸Those who escape the sword will return from Egypt to Judah, few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah who went to dwell in the land of Egypt will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs! ²⁹This will be a sign to you, declares the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, so you may know that My threats of harm against you will surely stand.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I have sworn: Jeremiah 46:18, Genesis 22:16, Numbers 14:21-23, Numbers 14:28, Deuteronomy 32:40-42, Psalms 89:34, Isaiah 62:8, Amos 6:8, Amos 8:7, Hebrews 3:18, Hebrews 6:13, Hebrews 6:18

that my name: Psalms 50:16, Ezekiel 20:39, Amos 6:10

The Lord God: Jeremiah 4:2, Jeremiah 5:2, Jeremiah 7:9, Isaiah 48:1, Isaiah 48:2, Zephaniah 1:4, Zephaniah 1:5

Reciprocal: Isaiah 14:24 - Lord Jeremiah 44:24 - all Judah Jeremiah 44:28 - shall know Jeremiah 49:13 - I have

Cross-References

Genesis 44:4
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, "Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, 'Why have you repaid good with evil?

Genesis 44:5
Is this not the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!'"

Luke 11:7
And the one inside answers, 'Do not bother me. My door is already shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt,.... :-; since you have made your vows, and will perform them, I will take an oath, and abide by it:

behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord; by his name Jehovah, which is incommunicable, and expressive of his eternity and immutability; or by himself, his name being himself, and than which he can swear by no greater, Hebrews 6:13;

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: this cannot be understood of the name of the Lord being called upon them, or of their being called by his name, and reckoned his people, which is the sense of Abarbinel; since this respects not a name by which they should be named, but which they should name; and intends their use of the divine name in an oath, of which this is a form, "the Lord God liveth": or as sure as the Lord lives, or by the living God, it is so and so; and especially as used in their vows to burn incense to the queen of heaven, they vowing by the living God that they would do so, which must be very abominable to him; and therefore he solemnly swears there should not be a Jew in all Egypt that should use it; the reason is, because everyone of them that did should be cut off, as follows:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Earnest as was the preceding expostulation, Jeremiah sees that it has produced no effect. He therefore utters his last warning, and with this last resistance to the sins of a debased and godless people, his earthly ministry closed.

Jeremiah 44:25

And fulfilled with your hand - Your hands. Jeremiah pointed to their hands, in which they were carrying the crescent-shaped cakes which they had vowed to the goddess. Their idolatry therefore was an accomplished deed, as the symbols held in their hands testified.

Ye will surely accomplish - Or, Accomplish then your vows. It is not a prediction, but is ironical, and means that as they will take no warning, they must needs have their way.

Jeremiah 44:26

My name shall no more be named ... - God swears by His own great Name that He will be their national God no longer. Yahweh repudiates His covenant-relation toward them.

Jeremiah 44:27

I will watch - I am watching over them, not for good, but for evil: like a panther Jeremiah 5:6 lying in wait to spring upon passengers.

Shall be consumed - This is the result of Yahweh’s repudiation of thee covenant. When He was their God He watched over them for good: now His protection is withdrawn, and He is their enemy, because of the wickedness whereby their rejection was made necessary. See the Jeremiah 6:9 note.

Jeremiah 44:28

Literally, “And fugitives from the sword (see Jeremiah 44:14) shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, mere of number, i. e., so few that they can be counted: and all the remnant of Jadah that are going etc.” So unendurable shall be their sufferings in Egypt, that the men now abandoning Judaea in the hope of finding an asylum there shall be glad to return like runaways from a lost battle.

Whose words ... - Whose word shall stand, from Me or from them, i. e., the one prediction, that their descent into Egypt would be their ruin, which they denied.

Jeremiah 44:30

Pharaoh-Hophra came to the throne the year before Jerusalem was captured. He reigned for 19 years, probably the last 10 years as a prisoner. See the notes at Jeremiah 37:5; notes at Jeremiah 46:12.