Jeremiah 44:3
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
because of the evil they have done. They provoked Me to anger by continuing to burn incense and to serve other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter we have, I. An awakening sermon which Jeremiah preaches to the Jews in Egypt, to reprove them for their idolatry, notwithstanding the warnings given them both by the word and the rod of God and to threaten the judgments of God against them for it (Jer 44:1-14). II. The impudent and impious contempt which the people put upon this admonition, and their declared resolution to persist in their idolatries notwithstanding, in despite of God and Jeremiah (Jer 44:15-19). III. The sentence passed upon them for their obstinacy, that they should all be cut off and perish in Egypt except a very small number; and, as a sign or earnest of it, the king of Egypt should shortly fall into the hands of the king of Babylon and be unable any longer to protect them (Jer 44:20-30).
Open source ↗44:3 Since the Exodus, worship of false gods had been forbidden in Israel.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
They went and served other gods, and they worshiped gods they had not known—gods that the LORD had not given to them.
They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear.
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
Why are you provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to reside? As a result, you will be cut off and will become an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations of the earth.
You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.
we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.
And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
But am I the One they are provoking? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?