Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.

JEREMIAH 44:23KJV
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Jeremiah 44:23 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 44:23 mean?

Jeremiah 44:23 says that disaster has come upon the people because they burned incense to other gods, sinned against the LORD, and refused to listen or follow His teachings and commands. The verse explains that their troubles are a direct result of their choices to ignore God's instructions.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah who are living in Egypt after fleeing their homeland. He is explaining that the hardships they are facing are not random but are consequences of turning away from the LORD (יהוה, Yahweh), breaking His law (תּוֹרָה, torah), and disregarding His statutes and testimonies. Jeremiah is making it clear that their suffering is tied to their actions and disobedience.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 44:23

  • "Incense" (קָטַר, qatar) refers to burning incense as an act of worship, often to other gods. This word highlights that their worship practices were at the heart of their unfaithfulness.
  • "Law" (תּוֹרָה, torah) means instruction or teaching, not just legal rules. Jeremiah points out that the people ignored the broader guidance God had given them for living.
  • "Statutes" (חֻקָּה, chuqqah) and "testimonies" (עֵדוּת, edut) refer to specific commands and reminders of God’s relationship with His people. Their neglect shows a deep rejection of both God’s rules and His history with them.
  • "Evil" (רָעָה, ra'ah) here means disaster or calamity, not just moral evil. The verse connects their suffering directly to their choices, not to random chance.

Why Jeremiah 44:23 matters

  • Jeremiah 44:23 clarifies that the people's suffering was not accidental or unfair, but a direct result of their deliberate disobedience and idolatry.
  • The verse emphasizes how seriously God takes both worship practices and obedience to His instructions, not just outward actions but also the heart behind them.
  • This verse connects to the larger message of Jeremiah 44, where Jeremiah repeatedly warns the people in Egypt that their refusal to change will lead to ongoing judgment, reinforcing the link between choices and consequences.

Where else these words appear

“happened” Hebrew H7122 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 42:4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
  • Leviticus 10:19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
  • 2 Samuel 20:1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

“testimonies” Hebrew H5715 · used in 57 verses

  • Exodus 16:34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
  • Exodus 40:20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
  • 2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

“statutes” Hebrew H2708 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
  • Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
  • 2 Kings 17:34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

“Because” Hebrew H834 · used in 105 verses

  • Genesis 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
  • Genesis 31:49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
  • Deuteronomy 11:8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;