Jeremias 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to offer libations to strange gods, and to provoke me to anger.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Filii colligunt ligna, et patres succendunt ignem, et mulieres conspergunt adipem, ut faciant placentas reginæ cæli, et libent diis alienis, et me ad iracundiam provocent.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν συλλέγουσιν ξύλα, καὶ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν καίουσι πῦρ, καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν τρίβουσιν σταῖς, τοῦ ποιῆσαι χαυῶνας τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔσπεισαν σπονδὰς θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἵνα παροργίσωσίν με.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- הַבָּנִ֞ים מְלַקְּטִ֣ים עֵצִ֗ים וְהָֽאָבוֹת֙ מְבַעֲרִ֣ים אֶת הָאֵ֔שׁ וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים לָשׁ֣וֹת בָּצֵ֑ק לַעֲשׂ֨וֹת כַּוָּנִ֜ים לִמְלֶ֣כֶת הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְהַסֵּ֤ךְ נְסָכִים֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים לְמַ֖עַן הַכְעִסֵֽנִי
Haydock's commentary
Heaven. That is, the moon, which they worshipped under that name. (Challoner)
Some understand the sun also and stars, chap. xliv. 17., and Isaias lxv. 11. All the family contributes to promote this idolatry.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Origen Origen De Principiis, Chapter VII
We think, then, that they may be designated as living beings, for this reason, that they are said to receive commandments from God, which is ordinarily the case only with rational beings. “I have given a commandment to all the stars,” says the Lord. What, now, are these commandments? Those, namely, that each star, in its order and course, should bestow upon the world the amount of splendour which has been entrusted to it. For those which are called “planets” move in orbits of one kind, and those which are termed ἀπλανεῖς are different. Now it manifestly follows from this, that neither can the movement of that body take place without a soul, nor can living things be at any time without motion. …
St John Chrysostom Homilies on First Corinthians, Homily VIII
“Yea,” saith some one, “I have sinned.” “Yea,” is thy word to me with the tongue: say it to me with thy mind, and with the word mourn heavily, that thou mayest have continual cheerfulness. Since, if we did grieve for our sins, if we mourned heavily over our offences, nothing else could give us sorrow, this one pang would expel all kinds of dejection. Here then is another thing also which we should gain by our thorough confession; namely, the not being overwhelmed ( βαπτίζεσθαι ) with the pains of the present life, nor puffed up with its splendors. And in this way, again, we should more entirely propitiate God; just as by our present conduct we provoke Him to anger. …
St Athanasius Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life, (For 347.) Coss. Rufinus, Eusebius; Præf. the same Nestorius; Indict. v; Easter-day, Prid. Id. Apr., Pharmuthi xvii; Æra Dioclet. 63; Moon 15
2. For actions not done lawfully and piously, are not of advantage, though they may be reputed to be so, but they rather argue hypocrisy in those who venture upon them. Therefore, although such persons feign to offer sacrifices, yet they hear from the Father, ‘Your whole burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices do not please Me; and although ye bring fine flour, it is vanity, incense also is an abomination unto Me.’ For God does not need anything; and, since nothing is unclean to Him, He is full in regard to them, as He testifies, by Isaiah, saying, ‘I am full.’ Now there was a law given about these things, for the instruction of the people, and to prefigure things to come, for Paul saith to the Galatians; ‘Before faith came, we were kept guarded under the law, being shut up in the faith which should afterwards be revealed unto us; wherefore the law was our instructor in C …