Jeremiah 7:18 (WEB)
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Jeremiah 7:18 (KJV)
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Key words
- מְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִםmeleket hashamayim · Hebrew
- 'the queen of heaven' — a pagan goddess, probably Ishtar/Astarte, worshiped with sacrifice.
- כַּוָּנִיםkavvanim · Hebrew
- 'cakes' — a loanword for the cult cakes offered to the goddess; the whole family bakes them as an act of worship.
Why it matters
Families in Judah bake cakes and pour drink offerings to 'the queen of heaven.' Pitre confronts the objection head-on: the queen of heaven Jeremiah condemns is a false goddess receiving sacrifice, the worship due to God alone. Mary's queenship is a different thing altogether — the Davidic office of the queen mother, a human mother honoured and asked to intercede, never worshiped as divine.
Fathers and councils · 3
Origen
“You will find at least in the book of Jeremiah the words of God censuring by the mouth of the prophet the Jewish people for doing obeisance to such objects, and for sacrificing to the queen of heaven, and to all the host of heaven.” — editor's note: Cf. Jer. vii. 17, 18.
Read the whole comment“In the writings of Jeremiah, indeed, the moon is called the queen of heaven.” — editor's note: Jer. vii. 18.
Read the whole comment
Athanasius of Alexandria
“…prepare the dough, that they may make cakes to the host of heaven, and pour out libations to strange gods, that they may provoke Me to anger, saith the Lord.’” — editor's note: Ib. vii. 18.
Read the whole comment
Cross-references · 6
Cited together with
Cited together in Against Celsus V.8.
Cited together in Against Celsus V.8.
Cited together in Against Celsus V.8.
Cited together in Against Celsus V.8.
Parallel passages
2 Kings 22:17 and Jeremiah 7:18 share the same wording (9 words).
2 Chronicles 34:25 and Jeremiah 7:18 share the same wording (9 words).