Jeremiah 7:17-19
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God’s question here isn't just about noticing what they're doing, but where—their idolatry isn't hidden away in secret corners. It's happening openly, not just in the outlying towns, but right in the "streets of Jerusalem," showing an astonishing brazenness and a complete disregard for God's presence.
Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame?
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is speaking through Jeremiah to confront the people of Judah, asking if they can truly not see the widespread idolatry happening openly in their cities and even in Jerusalem. This question sets the stage for God's condemnation, detailing how families from children to adults are participating in forbidden worship, sacrificing to foreign gods, and ultimately provoking God's anger and setting the stage for judgment.
Jeremiah is called to witness acts of blatant idolatry. God doesn't just see these sins; He uses their public nature as a key reason for His judgment.
The verse opens with a direct challenge from God to Jeremiah: "Do you not see what they are doing?" This isn't a question of ignorance, but an invitation to observe the obvious. The idolatrous practices were not hidden in secret corners but were happening openly "in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem." This public display of rebellion was a profound insult to God's name and covenant. It showed a complete lack of shame and a defiant disregard for His authority. When sin becomes public, pervasive, and unashamed, it escalates beyond personal failing to a communal affront, inviting a corresponding public and severe response from God. The commentaries highlight that this open defiance was a sign of a people "past remedy," whose sins were so evident they could not be denied, and whose impudence invited judgment.
What exactly were they doing in the streets? The answer reveals a perversion of worship that God never commanded, turning religious acts into fuel for His anger.
The subsequent verses (Jeremiah 7:18-20) reveal the specific sin: the entire family was involved in preparing offerings for the 'Queen of Heaven' – likely a goddess associated with the moon and fertility. Children gathered wood, fathers kindled fires, and mothers prepared cakes for this foreign deity. This was not a spontaneous outburst but an organized, familial religious activity. God's response is sharp: 'that they may provoke me to anger.' The commentaries explain that this wasn't just about mistaken worship; it was a direct challenge to God's sovereignty. They were engaging in rituals that God explicitly forbade, turning religious energy towards idols instead of Him. This highlights a crucial theological point: God values obedience to His commands over any kind of ritual or sacrifice, especially when those rituals are directed towards other gods. He makes it clear that their actions were not just displeasing but were actively provoking His righteous wrath.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal name of the covenant God of Israel (Yahweh), who is the self-existent, eternal, and holy Creator.
meleket hashamayim · Hebrew Noun phrase
A pagan deity (likely Ishtar or Astarte) worshipped in the Ancient Near East; the practice of worshipping her was a direct violation of the first commandment and represented total spiritual apostasy for Judah.
nesek · Hebrew Noun
A liquid offering (usually wine) poured out to a deity; in a pagan context, it is an act of idolatrous devotion, but in biblical practice, it was prescribed for offerings to Yahweh.
ka'as · Hebrew Verb
To incite, vex, or arouse divine displeasure through disobedience, idolatry, or rebellion; God experiences this as a righteous response to the corruption of His covenant relationship.
bosheth · Hebrew Noun
The state of disgrace, dishonor, or humiliation resulting from sin, rebellion, or foolish conduct before God.
Jeremiah's piercing question highlights the shocking openness of idolatrous practices in Judah and Jerusalem, a stark contrast to the reforms under Josiah. This verse captures the brazen defiance of God's covenant during the reign of Jehoiakim, immediately following Josiah's death, a period when the nation rapidly backslid into the very sins God had commanded them to abandon.
c. 640-609 BC
Reign of Josiah, Temple Reforms
King Josiah initiated a significant religious reformation in Judah, purging idol worship and restoring the Temple in Jerusalem.
609 BC
Death of Josiah at Megiddo
Josiah was killed in battle against the Egyptians, a pivotal moment that destabilized Judah and led to a decline in religious adherence.
c. 609-598 BC— this verse
Reign of Jehoiakim
Following Josiah's death, his son Jehoiakim ruled. This period saw a resurgence of idolatry and a departure from God's commands, setting the stage for Jeremiah's prophecies.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and many of the elite to Babylon, signaling the impending doom of Judah.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the kingdom of Judah and scattering its people, a direct consequence of their persistent disobedience.
This passage also describes Jeremiah's contemporary, Ezekiel, being shown visions of abominations happening within the temple complex, paralleling Jeremiah's cry about the public sin in the streets.
Jeremiah 7:18This verse immediately follows, detailing the specific idolatrous acts of 'making cakes to the queen of heaven' and pouring out drink offerings, directly answering Jeremiah's question about what 'they' are doing.
Romans 1:18-23Paul describes a similar theme of humanity suppressing the truth of God and turning to idolatry, leading to God's judgment, which echoes the situation Jeremiah is addressing in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 44:15-19This later passage shows the persistent nature of the 'queen of heaven' worship and the people's refusal to abandon it, even after facing destruction, reinforcing the gravity of the sin Jeremiah confronts.
pulpitJeremiah 7:17: "Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?"
Verse 17. - In the streets. A climax. Them is no sense of shame left.
ellicottJeremiah 7:17: "Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?"
(17) Seest thou not . . .? —We enter on one of the darker regions of Jewish idolatry, such as Ezekiel (Jeremiah 8) saw in vision. A foreign worship of the basest kind was practised, not only in secret, but in the open places. Jeremiah 7:18The 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 offerin…
God’s question here isn't just about noticing what they're doing, but where—their idolatry isn't hidden away in secret corners. It's happening openly, not just in the outlying towns, but right in the "streets of Jerusalem," showing an astonishing brazenness and a complete disregard for God's presence.
God is speaking through Jeremiah to confront the people of Judah, asking if they can truly not see the widespread idolatry happening openly in their cities and even in Jerusalem. This question sets the stage for God's condemnation, detailing how families from children to adults are participating in forbidden worship, sacrificing to foreign gods, and ultimately provoking God's anger and setting the stage for judgment.
God is speaking through Jeremiah to confront the people of Judah, asking if they can truly not see the widespread idolatry happening openly in their cities and even in Jerusalem. This question sets the stage for God's condemnation, detailing how families from children to adults are participating in forbidden worship, sacrificing to foreign gods, and ultimately provoking God's anger and setting the stage for judgment.
"Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerin…" — God’s question here isn't just about noticing what they're doing, but where—their idolatry isn't hidden away in secret corners. It's happening openly, not just in the outlying towns, but right in…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
