Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

JEREMIAH 44:25KJV
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Jeremiah 44:25 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 44:25 mean?

Jeremiah 44:25 presents God’s response to people who insist on keeping their promises to worship the queen of heaven. Through Jeremiah, God tells them to go ahead with those promises, words that carry a sharp sense of judgment rather than approval.

The verse addresses the people and their wives together. Its contrast between mouths and hands connects what they promised with what they actually did. The final command takes up their own determined language and turns it back on them.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 44:25

  • “fulfilled” — מָלֵא (maleʾ): This word can mean to fill or complete. Here, fulfilling a promise “with your hand” pictures people carrying their spoken promise into action.
  • “surely accomplish” — קוּם (qum): This word can carry the sense of establishing or carrying out something. Its repeated form adds force to the command, echoing the people’s determination to keep their vows.

Why Jeremiah 44:25 matters

  • The promises were acts of worship, not merely private pledges. The people promised to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the queen of heaven.
  • Jeremiah’s words expose a conflict between the people’s resolve and God’s judgment. The next verse announces consequences for those living in Egypt, making clear that “surely accomplish your vows” is not approval.
  • The husbands are included in the charge. Earlier in the passage, the women say their husbands knew about the offerings (verse 19); verse 25 addresses both groups as responsible for what was done.

Where else these words appear

“queen” Hebrew H4446 · used in 5 verses

  • Jeremiah 7:18 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.
  • Jeremiah 44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
  • Jeremiah 44:18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

“out” Hebrew H5258 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 35:14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.
  • 1 Chronicles 11:18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,
  • Jeremiah 7:18 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.

“vowed” Hebrew H5087 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
  • Deuteronomy 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
  • 2 Samuel 15:8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

“vows” Hebrew H5088 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
  • Numbers 30:5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
  • 2 Samuel 15:7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.