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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMatthew Poole Commentary - Jeremiah 7:18 - 7:18
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Here God shows how busily they are employed from the youngest to the oldest, and how industrious for their idolatry, Jer_44:1-7; see Mat_24:38; every one in the family doth somewhat towards it.
The children gather wood, or sticks; for the word is plural, and so used Num_15:32,33; an employment, if we understand small sticks, proper for children; if greater wood, suitable to youth, who excel in strength, and may be understood by children and young ones.
The fathers kindle the fire; they heat the oven, hearth, or stone on which they were baked.
The women knead their dough, to make cakes; prepare all the materials of which to make cakes; probably they were of some particular shape, or had some peculiar impression of some of their gods stamped upon them, like the popish wafers, some say stamped with stars, as being offered up to the host of heaven, or with some peculiar star, Amo_5:26 Act_7:43.
To the queen of heaven; or, frame or workmanship of heaven: this is diversely interpreted; some take it for the sun, which is signified by a word of the feminine gender, Isa_24:23, and of a feminine use, Nah_3:17; some for the moon; as the sun was looked upon as king, so the moon as the queen of heaven, because of the largeness of her body in which she appears, and of the light she gives, but especially by reason of the government she exerciseth over inferior bodies; others, more probably, for the whole host of heaven, Jer_8:2 19:13, and so the LXX, according to which probably for their sakes they received divers stamps and impressions: they that would see more may consult the English Annotations and the Synopsis.
To pour out drink-offerings, viz. wine and other strong drinks, Exo_29:40,41 Num 28:7. The devil is God’s ape, and taught idolaters to use the same rites and ceremonies that were used in God’s worship; therefore here these idolaters, in pouring their drinkofferings, which might seem to be blood, or at least blood mixed with them, See Poole "Psa_16:4", imitated God’s drink-offerings, as they did his meat-offerings in their cakes, as in Le 2; by these they did furnish the table mentioned Isa_65:11, see there.
That they may provoke me to anger; noting rather the proper effects and consequences of their idolatries, than that they did propound to themselves such an end in doing it; but it seemed to be a kind of bidding open defiance to God, by which it appears they were all mad upon their idolatries; they were set upon it, as David’s heart was set upon the worship of God, Psa_16:8.