Around Egypt
In the previous chapter, we left the remnant of Judah in Egypt, specifically in the city of Tahpanhes. As this chapter opens, it addresses Judeans who are spread out over a wider area: “Migdol, and Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and in the land of Pathros” (Jeremiah 44:1). “Migdol” (meaning “watchtower”) was located nearby. Memphis (Hebrew Noph) was the ancient northern capital of Egypt, not far from modern Cairo. Pathros, on the other hand, was a region, not a city. Egypt had two major regions: the north and south (literally “Lower” and “Upper”, referring to the elevation with Lower being in the north and Upper in the south). Lower (north) Egypt is essentially the Nile delta region. Pathros refers to Upper (south) Egypt, extending from south of Memphis to Aswan. This means that the Judean remnant has spread over a wider area by now. Some time has presumably passed.
We see the land of Pathros mentioned a few other times in the Bible. Isaiah 11:11 lists a variety of regions where the Lord will buy the remnant of his people, which includes “from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush”, making a progression from north to south. It is also mentioned in Ezekiel 30:14 among a list of cities and regions the Lord will judge but also appears in Ezekiel 29:14 that it will be restored. God’s punishment and restoration don’t apply to Israel only – he will restore Egypt, too, albeit in a reduced state.
The Queen of Heaven
Jeremiah presents a message from the Lord, reminding them how Judah was destroyed because of their disobedience. He warns them to repent so that the same disaster will not overtake them in Egypt. However, the people do not respond favorably:
“We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD! We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”
Jeremiah 44:16-18
They connect the destruction of Judah with not worshipping the Queen of Heaven properly. They seem to be criticizing King Josiah’s reforms from a few decades earlier. She is most likely either the Canaanite goddess Astarte (Hebrew Ashtoreth) or the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar (or a blending of the two). Jeremiah 7:18 is the only other place where she is mentioned. They have not learned their lesson and are repeating their past sins. Therefore, God will repeat his punishment.
God gives a sign of the impending punishment at the end of the chapter: “I am going to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him” (Jeremiah 44:30). Hophra was the pharaoh who unsuccessfully tried to help Judah against Babylon (Jeremiah 37:5). True to Jeremiah’s prophecy, he was ousted by one of his generals in 570 BC, possibly after Jeremiah’s death.
To Ponder…
- Have you ever had a wrong cause-effect observation? What does it take for God to get your attention?