But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
We will certainly do whatsoever ... goeth ... out of our ... mouth - whatever vow we have uttered to our gods (Jeremiah 44:25; Deuteronomy 23:23; Judges 11:36). The source of all superstitions is, that men oppose their own will and fancies to God's commands. They speak as if it were very meritorious on their part not to break their vows to idols. What a pity that men are not as scrupulous respecting their vows to Yahweh as they are in the case of vanities!
Queen of heaven - (note, Jeremiah 7:18) - Ashtaroth or Astarte.
We ... fathers ... kings ... The evil was restricted to no one class; all, from the highest to the lowest, shared the guilt. Then had we plenty. Fools attribute their seeming prosperity to God's connivance at their sin; but see Proverbs 1:32; Ecclesiastes 8:11-13. In fact God had often chastised them for their idolatry (see Judges 2:14), but it is the curse of impiety not to perceive the hand of God in calamities.
Of victuals - men cast away the bread of the soul for the bread that perisheth (Deuteronomy 8:3; John 6:27). So "Esau, for one morsel of meat, sold his birthright" (Hebrews 12:16).