Jeremiah 44:17

“But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth, etc.] And not what went out of the mouth of God, or his prophet: but whoever they had resolved on within themselves to do, and had declared with their mouths they would, or had vowed with their lips; so Abarbinel interprets it of a vow; this they were determined to perform, let God and his prophet say what they would: to burn incense unto the queen of heaven; which, according to Abarbinel, was the moon, which is the queen of heaven, as the sun is king; it was called by the Heathens Coelestis and Urania: but there are some that think that some great star in heaven, that is king over the rest, is meant; so the Targum renders…”

“whatsoever . . . goeth . . . out of our . . . mouth--whatever vow we have uttered to our gods (Jer 44:25; Deu 23:23; Jdg 11:36). The source of all superstitions is that men oppose their own will and fancies to God's commands. queen of heaven--(See on Jer 7:18); Ashtaroth or Astarte. we . . . fathers . . . king, &c.--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 Pro 1:32; Ecc 8:11-13. In fact, God had often chastised them for their idolatry (see Jdg 2:14); but it is the curse of impiety not to perceive the hand of God in calamities.…”

“Whatsoever thing ... - Or, the whole word (or thing) which hath gone forth out of our mouth; i. e., the vows we have made. They would not let Jeremiah’s expostulations prevent the carrying out of the special object which had brought them together: otherwise the Queen of heaven would be offended, and avenge himself. return to 'Top of Page'”

“44:17 The Judean refugees imagined that they had freedom. They apparently believed that obedience to the Lord entailed bondage and that their pagan worship was the way to fulfillment. • The Queen of Heaven was worshiped under a variety of names throughout the ancient Near East. In Assyria and Babylon she was called “Ishtar,” and the Canaanites called her “Astarte.” In the Old Testament, she is usually called “Ashtoreth” and associated with Baal. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth and built shrines for her, but Josiah eventually destroyed those shrines (2 Kgs 23:13; see 1 Kgs 11:5). Ashtoreth was associated with the planet Venus and with all types of reproduction among plants and animals, so she was…”

“whatsoever: Jer 44:25; Num 30:2, Num 30:12; Deu 23:23; Jdg 11:36; Psa 12:4; Mar 6:26 queen of heaven: or, frame of heaven. As the Sun was worshipped, not only under the name of baal shamayim "Lord of heaven," but also by that of Molech or King; it is likely also that the Moon was adored as melecheth hashshamayim "the Queen of heaven." So the Orphic hymn addressed to the Moon begins Κλυθι θεα ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ, "Hear, goddess Queen." And Homer, in his Hymn to the Moon, addresses her, Χαιρε, ανασσα, θεα "All hail, Queen, goddess." In Epiphanius, we find some women of Arabia, towards the end of the fourth century, had set up another queen of heaven, the Virgin Mary, too well known since under that name…”