הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּמִגְדֹּל וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵס וּבְנֹף וּבְאֶרֶץ פַּתְרוֹס לֵאמֹר׃

This chapter presents an additional prophecy: The message that was to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who were residing in the land of Egypt, who were residing in Migdol and in Tahpanhes, and in Nof and in the land of Patros, Upper Egypt, in the southern portion of the country, saying:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתִי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעַל כָּל עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְהִנָּם חָרְבָּה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְאֵין בָּהֶם יוֹשֵׁב

So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: You saw all the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the rest of the cities of Judah; and behold, they are ruins this day, and there is no inhabitant in them

מִפְּנֵי רָעָתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לְהַכְעִסֵנִי לָלֶכֶת לְקַטֵּר לַעֲבֹד לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּם הֵמָּה אַתֶּם וַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם

because of their evildoing, which they did to anger Me, to go, to burn incense, to worship other gods that they did not know, with which they were not familiar, they, the inhabitants of Judah, in other words, you and your fathers.

וָאֶשְׁלַח אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים הַשְׁכֵּים וְשָׁלֹחַ לֵאמֹר אַל־נָא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת דְּבַר־הַתֹּעֵבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאתִי

I sent to you all My servants the prophets, time and again, saying: Please, do not do this abominable matter that I detest. Jeremiah is emphasizing that he is not saying anything new; he is merely the last of a series of prophets who rebuked the people for worshipping idolatry.

וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ וְלֹא־הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם לָשׁוּב מֵרָעָתָם לְבִלְתִּי קַטֵּר לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים

They did not heed and did not incline their ear to repent their evil, to not burn incense to other gods.

וַתִּתַּךְ חֲמָתִי וְאַפִּי וַתִּבְעַר בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַתִּהְיֶינָה לְחָרְבָּה לִשְׁמָמָה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה

My anger and My wrath were poured out, and they burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became ruins, desolation, like they are now, to this day.

וְעַתָּה כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָה אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים רָעָה גְדוֹלָה אֶל־נַפְשֹׁתֵכֶם לְהַכְרִית לָכֶם אִישׁ־וְאִשָּׁה עוֹלֵל וְיוֹנֵק מִתּוֹךְ יְהוּדָה לְבִלְתִּי הוֹתִיר לָכֶם שְׁאֵרִית

Now, so said the Lord, God of hosts, God of Israel: Why do you perform this great evil to your souls? Your actions led Me to eliminate for you man and woman, infant and suckling babe from the midst of Judah, to not leave for you a remnant.

לְהַכְעִסֵנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיכֶם לְקַטֵּר לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם בָּאִים לָגוּר שָׁם לְמַעַן הַכְרִית לָכֶם וּלְמַעַן הֱיוֹתְכֶם לִקְלָלָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה בְּכֹל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ!

Didn’t this all occur because you continue to anger Me with your handiwork, to burn incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have come to reside there, in order that I must kill you to eliminate you, and so that you will be an example, a curse and a disgrace among all the nations of the earth?

הַשְׁכַחְתֶּם אֶת־רָעוֹת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־רָעוֹת מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וְאֵת רָעוֹת נָשָׁיו וְאֵת רָעֹתֵיכֶם וְאֵת רָעֹת נְשֵׁיכֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם!

Have you forgotten the evils of your fathers and the evils of the kings of Judah and the evils of his wives, the wives of the king, and your evils and the evils of your wives, which they performed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

לֹא דֻכְּאוּ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְלֹא יָרְאוּ וְלֹא־הָלְכוּ בְתוֹרָתִי וּבְחֻקֹּתַי אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם וְלִפְנֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם

Despite the tragedies that have befallen the inhabitants of Judah, they, with their evils, have not been chastened until this day. Alternatively, the verse means that the residents of Judah have not humbled themselves to this day. They believe that their actions are entirely appropriate, and they have not feared God, and they have not followed My Torah and My statutes that I placed before you and before your fathers.

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי שָׂם פָּנַי בָּכֶם לְרָעָה וּלְהַכְרִית אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה

Therefore, so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Behold, I am directing My attention against you for evil, and to eliminate all of Judah.

וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת־שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׂמוּ פְנֵיהֶם לָבוֹא אֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם לָגוּר שָׁם וְתַמּוּ כֹל בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם יִפֹּלוּ בַּחֶרֶב בָרָעָב יִתַּמּוּ מִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב יָמֻתוּ וְהָיוּ לְאָלָה לְשַׁמָּה וְלִקְלָלָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה

I will take the remnant of Judah, who set their faces, planned, to come to the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all perish; in the land of Egypt they will fall, by the sword and by famine they will perish. They will die, from the smallest to the greatest, by the sword and by famine, and they shall become an oath, an astonishment, and a curse and a disgrace.

וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּקַדְתִּי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם — בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר

I will reckon with those who live in the land of Egypt as I reckoned with Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.

וְלֹא יִהְיֶה פָּלִיט וְשָׂרִיד לִשְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים לָגוּר־שָׁם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְלָשׁוּב אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר־הֵמָּה מְנַשְּׂאִים אֶת־נַפְשָׁם לָשׁוּב לָשֶׁבֶת שָׁם כִּי לֹא־יָשׁוּבוּ כִּי אִם־פְּלֵטִים

And there will not be a survivor or a remnant among those who remain of Judah, who have come to reside there, in the land of Egypt, nor anyone to return to the land of Judah to which they yearn to return to live there, as none will return except survivors of the attack that I will launch upon Egypt. Unlike the exiles in Babylonia, there is no hope for the Jews in Egypt that they might return to their land in an orderly manner. Any who manage to return will be refugees from the destruction in Egypt.

וַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הַיֹּדְעִים כִּי־מְקַטְּרוֹת נְשֵׁיהֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְכָל־הַנָּשִׁים הָעֹמְדוֹת קָהָל גָּדוֹל וְכָל־הָעָם הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם בְּפַתְרוֹס לֵאמֹר׃

All the men who knew that their wives would burn incense to other gods, and all the women who stood there, forming a great assembly, and all the people who lived in the land of Egypt, in Patros, answered Jeremiah, saying:

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתָּ אֵלֵינוּ בְּשֵׁם ה' — אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁמְעִים אֵלֶיךָ

With regard to the matter that you spoke to us in the name of the Lord, we do not heed you. They did not reply that they don’t believe him, but simply that they have no interest in listening to what he has to say.

כִּי עָשֹׂה נַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־כָּל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־יָצָא מִפִּינוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהַסֵּיךְ־לָהּ נְסָכִים

For we will perform the entire matter that came out of our mouths, since we vowed to burn incense to the queen of the heavens, a pagan goddess who was thought to rule over the heavens, similar to the Canaanite goddess Ashtoret (see commentary on 7:18), and to pour libations to her. This worship was popular among women, and although the men were not active participants, they supported their wives’ participation in this cult, as the chapter details below. The women explain why they intend to continue this idolatrous practice: This is as we did, we and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and we were satiated with bread, and we were well. We were filled with goodness, as reflected in our physical appearances. And evil we did not see; nothing bad occurred to us. They attribute all of the benefits of that time to this cult. They apparently associated the goddess with the fertility of the land and the dispensation of gifts from above. No specific image was connected to this form of worship, which was performed by means of small offerings. Perhaps the women did not consider it full-fledged idolatry, but merely a rite of an intermediate status that served as an auspicious omen, which they could perform in addition to their worship of God.

כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבֹתֵינוּ מְלָכֵינוּ וְשָׂרֵינוּ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם — וַנִּשְׂבַּע־לֶחֶם וַנִּהְיֶה טוֹבִים וְרָעָה לֹא רָאִינוּ ומִן־אָז חָדַלְנוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהַסֵּךְ־לָהּ נְסָכִים — חָסַרְנוּ כֹל וּבַחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב תָּמְנוּ

But on the contrary, since the time when we ceased to burn incense to the queen of the heavens and to pour libations to her, we have lacked everything, and we have perished by the sword and by famine.

וְכִי־אֲנַחְנוּ מְקַטְּרִים לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְהַסֵּךְ לָהּ נְסָכִים! הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי אֲנָשֵׁינוּ עָשִׂינוּ לָהּ כַּוָּנִים לְהַעֲצִבָה וְהַסֵּךְ לָהּ נְסָכִים!

Is it we alone who burn incense to the queen of the heavens and choose to pour libations to her? Although in practice we are the ones who actively worship her, everyone condones our behavior. Is it without the consent of our husbands that we prepared cakes for her, perhaps baked in the form of a star, to gladden her [leha’atziva], or sanctify her, and to pour libations to her? Leha’atziva literally means to sadden her; it is possible that the verse uses the opposite term of what the women actually said, in the common manner of the Bible to refer to idolatry in derogatory terms. Others explain that leha’atziva means that they fashioned cakes for her.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם עַל הַגְּבָרִים וְעַל הַנָּשִׁים וְעַל כָּל־הָעָם הָעֹנִים אֹתוֹ דָּבָר לֵאמֹר׃

Jeremiah said, his own response rather than a prophecy, to all the people, to the men and to the women and to all the people who were answering him with words, saying:

הֲלוֹא אֶת־הַקִּטֵּר אֲשֶׁר קִטַּרְתֶּם בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחֻצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם אַתֶּם וַאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם מַלְכֵיכֶם וְשָׂרֵיכֶם וְעַם הָאָרֶץ — אֹתָם זָכַר ה' וַתַּעֲלֶה עַל־לִבּוֹ

Was it not the offering that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes and the people of the land that the Lord remembered, and He took it to heart?

וְלֹא־יוּכַל ה' עוֹד לָשֵׂאת מִפְּנֵי רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם מִפְּנֵי הַתּוֹעֵבֹת אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם — וַתְּהִי אַרְצְכֶם לְחָרְבָּה וּלְשַׁמָּה וְלִקְלָלָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

And the Lord could no longer bear to withhold your punishment, due to the evil of your actions, because of the abominations that you performed, and your land became ruins and desolation and a curse, without inhabitants, like it is to this day.

מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר קִטַּרְתֶּם וַאֲשֶׁר חֲטָאתֶם לַה' וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקוֹל ה' וּבְתֹרָתוֹ וּבְחֻקֹּתָיו וּבְעֵדְוֹתָיו לֹא הֲלַכְתֶּם עַל־כֵּן קָרָאת אֶתְכֶם הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Because you burned incense, and as you sinned to the Lord, and you did not heed the voice of the Lord, and his Torah and His statutes and His testimonies you did not follow; therefore, this evil befell you, like you witness on this day. Look at the consequences of your actions: You are living in Egypt, and your land is completely destroyed, and yet you still claim that you acted properly and were successful due to your worship of foreign gods.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם וְאֶל כָּל־הַנָּשִׁים שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־ה' כָּל־יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

Jeremiah said to all the people, and to all the women: Hear the word of the Lord, all of Judah who are in the land of Egypt:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה'־צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אַתֶּם וּנְשֵׁיכֶם וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה בְּפִיכֶם וּבִידֵיכֶם מִלֵּאתֶם לֵאמֹר עָשֹׂה נַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־נְדָרֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְנוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְהַסֵּךְ לָהּ נְסָכִים הָקֵים תָּקִימְנָה אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶם וְעָשֹׂה תַעֲשֶׂינָה אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶם

So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saying: You and your wives have spoken with your mouths, as your statements merely echo those of your wives, and with your hands you have fulfilled their desire, saying: We will perform our vows that we vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the heavens, and to pour libations to her; and you males support your wives by saying: You will fulfill your vows, and you will perform your vows. The women elicit the response they desire from the men, and the men encourage them to continue their behavior. All are satisfied by this arrangement.

לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־ה' כָּל־יְהוּדָה הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הִנְנִי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בִּשְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל אָמַר ה' אִם־יִהְיֶה עוֹד שְׁמִי נִקְרָא בְּפִי כָּל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה אֹמֵר חַי־אֲדֹנָי אֱלוֹהִים בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all of Judah who live in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have taken an oath in My great name, said the Lord: My name will not be proclaimed any longer in the mouth of any man of Judah in the entire land of Egypt, saying: As the Lord God lives. You continue to take oaths in the name of God while you contaminate His worship with elements of foreign cults, and yet you imagine that you have done nothing wrong.

הִנְנִי שֹׁקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לְרָעָה וְלֹא לְטוֹבָה וְתַמּוּ כָל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב עַד־כְּלוֹתָם

Behold, I hasten upon them for evil and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will perish by the sword and by famine until their annihilation.

וּפְלִיטֵי חֶרֶב יְשֻׁבוּן מִן־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה מְתֵי מִסְפָּר וְיָדְעוּ כָּל־שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה הַבָּאִים לְאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם לָגוּר שָׁם דְּבַר־מִי יָקוּם מִמֶּנִּי וּמֵהֶם

The survivors of the sword who will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah will be very few in number, while the rest will remain trapped in Egypt with no escape. And all the remnant of Judah, who have come to the land of Egypt to reside there, will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs.

וְזֹאת לָכֶם הָאוֹת נְאֻם־ה' כִּי־פֹקֵד אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ כִּי קוֹם יָקוּמוּ דְבָרַי עֲלֵיכֶם לְרָעָה —

This is the sign for you – the utterance of the Lord – that I will reckon with you and punish you for your sins in this place, so that you will know that My words will stand against you for evil.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־פַּרְעֹה חָפְרַע מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם בְּיַד אֹיְבָיו וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשׁוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֹיְבוֹ וּמְבַקֵּשׁ נַפְשׁוֹ

So said the Lord: Behold, I am delivering Pharaoh Hofra, his personal name, king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of his life, just as I delivered Tzidkiyahu king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy and seeker of his life. The king of the place where you fled will himself fall into the hands of the Babylonians.