Jeremiah 44:19 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men? And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven - The Moon seems to have been called מלכת melecheth, as the sun was called מלך molech. The Hindoos pour out water to the sun thrice a day; and to the moon whenever they worship her.

The idolatrous worship of these people was a sort of imitation of the worship of the true God; only sacrifice was not common in it. The factious women here tell us in what it consisted.

1. They burnt incense to the moon, and perhaps to the sun and the planets.

2. They poured out libations to her.

3. They made and consecrated cakes to her.

All these were prescribed in the worship of the true God. See, among others, Exodus 29:23, etc.; Leviticus 2:4; Leviticus 23:16; and Numbers 6:15. And the women vindicate their conduct by asserting that they did all this by the consent of their husbands: "Did we worship her without our men?"

Jeremiah 44:19

19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?