They openly vowed to worship a false god, and God in turn challenged them to follow through on their misguided choice.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘You and your wives have declared with your mouths and have 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!’” (v.25)
This pronouncement from the LORD, delivered by the prophet Jeremiah—who served as a voice of God during the late 7th to early 6th century BC—addresses the people of Judah living in Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem. God acknowledges that they have openly committed themselves to idol worship by declaring, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed” (v.25), and He challenges them by telling them to fulfill their intentions. These worshipers sought security by offering sacrifices to a pagan deity called the “queen of heaven,” an idol they believed could grant them blessings. Historically, these worshipers took refuge in Egypt, a land known for its own pantheon of gods, with the hope of physical safety—but in so doing, they compromised their devotion to the one true God (Deuteronomy 5:7-9).
Jeremiah, whose ministry likely began around 627 BC and extended beyond the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, had repeatedly warned the Judeans about turning to false gods. In “Go ahead and confirm your vows” (v.25), we sense a divine irony: the LORD essentially allows them to continue what they have steadfastly chosen in defiance of His commands. This highlights the people's stubbornness in holding to their own willful disobedience, ignoring the covenant that demanded exclusive worship of the LORD (Isaiah 42:8). These rebellious acts stand in direct contrast to the teachings later emphasized by Jesus in the New Testament, where worship is reserved for God alone (Matthew 4:10).
Furthermore, the phrase “You and your wives have declared with your mouths” (v.25) points to a collective—and even familial—rebellion against God’s law, demonstrating how deeply entrenched idolatry had become. By specifying both men and women, the Scripture underscores that everyone bore responsibility for this departure from God. The people had placed their trust in foreign deities within Egypt’s borders, failing to honor the covenant with the LORD that ought to have guided their decisions and protected them from destruction.
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Jeremiah 44:25 meaning
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘You and your wives have declared with your mouths and have 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!’” (v.25)
This pronouncement from the LORD, delivered by the prophet Jeremiah—who served as a voice of God during the late 7th to early 6th century BC—addresses the people of Judah living in Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem. God acknowledges that they have openly committed themselves to idol worship by declaring, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed” (v.25), and He challenges them by telling them to fulfill their intentions. These worshipers sought security by offering sacrifices to a pagan deity called the “queen of heaven,” an idol they believed could grant them blessings. Historically, these worshipers took refuge in Egypt, a land known for its own pantheon of gods, with the hope of physical safety—but in so doing, they compromised their devotion to the one true God (Deuteronomy 5:7-9).
Jeremiah, whose ministry likely began around 627 BC and extended beyond the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, had repeatedly warned the Judeans about turning to false gods. In “Go ahead and confirm your vows” (v.25), we sense a divine irony: the LORD essentially allows them to continue what they have steadfastly chosen in defiance of His commands. This highlights the people's stubbornness in holding to their own willful disobedience, ignoring the covenant that demanded exclusive worship of the LORD (Isaiah 42:8). These rebellious acts stand in direct contrast to the teachings later emphasized by Jesus in the New Testament, where worship is reserved for God alone (Matthew 4:10).
Furthermore, the phrase “You and your wives have declared with your mouths” (v.25) points to a collective—and even familial—rebellion against God’s law, demonstrating how deeply entrenched idolatry had become. By specifying both men and women, the Scripture underscores that everyone bore responsibility for this departure from God. The people had placed their trust in foreign deities within Egypt’s borders, failing to honor the covenant with the LORD that ought to have guided their decisions and protected them from destruction.