Jeremiah Chapter 44 · Verse 9
Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Original Language Analysis
הַֽשְׁכַחְתֶּם֩
Have ye forgotten
H7911
הַֽשְׁכַחְתֶּם֩
Have ye forgotten
Strong's:
H7911
Word #:
1 of 22
to mislay, i.e., to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
2 of 22
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם
of your fathers
H1
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם
of your fathers
Strong's:
H1
Word #:
4 of 22
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
וְאֶת
H853
וְאֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
5 of 22
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
8 of 22
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
וְאֵת֙
H853
וְאֵת֙
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
9 of 22
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
וְאֵת֙
H853
וְאֵת֙
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
12 of 22
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
וְאֵ֖ת
H853
וְאֵ֖ת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
14 of 22
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
אֲשֶׁ֤ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֤ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
17 of 22
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
עָשׂוּ֙
which they have committed
H6213
עָשׂוּ֙
which they have committed
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
18 of 22
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
20 of 22
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
Historical Context
Judah's kings from Manasseh (687-642 BC) through Zedekiah (597-586 BC) largely promoted or tolerated idolatry. Manasseh's reign particularly featured syncretistic worship, child sacrifice, and astral cults (2 Kings 21:1-18). Josiah's reforms (622 BC) proved temporary; his successors reverted to idolatry. The mention of wives reflects women's significant role in domestic religious practices and the 'Queen of Heaven' cult (Jeremiah 7:18, 44:15-25).
Questions for Reflection
- How does generational sin create patterns that persist despite clear warnings?
- What role does 'forgetting' (willful neglect of God's past judgments) play in continued disobedience?
- Why does God hold both leaders and ordinary citizens, men and women, accountable for corporate sin?
Analysis & Commentary
Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers—the interrogative hăšəkaḥtem (have you forgotten?) uses the verb šākaḥ, implying willful neglect, not mere lapse of memory. This introduces a genealogy of guilt covering five categories: fathers, kings of Judah, their wives, your own wickedness, wickedness of your wives. The comprehensive catalog spans generations (fathers), leadership (kings), domestic life (wives), and personal responsibility (your own). The inclusion of wives is significant—women apparently led in 'Queen of Heaven' worship (44:15-19, 25).
Which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem recalls the specific geography of their former rebellion. The Hebrew ʿāśû (they have done/committed) is a perfect tense showing completed historical action with ongoing results. This creates a tragic continuity: what destroyed Judah in Judah is now being repeated in Egypt. Forgetting here isn't cognitive failure but moral refusal to learn from judgment. The question form adds rhetorical force—their behavior proves they've 'forgotten' (ignored) the very lessons God taught through Jerusalem's destruction.