Topical Encyclopedia The term "Queen of Heaven" appears in the Bible primarily in the context of idolatrous worship practices condemned by the prophets. This title is associated with a goddess worshiped by certain groups in ancient Israel and Judah, particularly during periods of apostasy. The primary biblical references to the "Queen of Heaven" are found in the book of Jeremiah.Biblical References: 1. Jeremiah 7:18 : "The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger." This verse highlights the family-wide participation in the worship of the Queen of Heaven, indicating that this idolatrous practice was deeply ingrained in the society. The making of cakes and pouring out of drink offerings were acts of devotion to this deity, which provoked the wrath of the Lord. 2. Jeremiah 44:17-19 : "Instead, we will do everything we vowed, make offerings to the Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no disaster. But from the time we stopped making offerings to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine." Here, the people of Judah justify their idolatry by claiming that their prosperity was linked to their worship of the Queen of Heaven. This passage reveals the depth of their apostasy and their refusal to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah. 3. Jeremiah 44:25 : "This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words, saying, "We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows!'" This verse underscores the Lord's acknowledgment of the people's stubbornness in their idolatrous practices, even as He pronounces judgment upon them. Historical and Cultural Context: The identity of the "Queen of Heaven" is not explicitly detailed in the biblical text, but she is often associated with various goddesses from the ancient Near East. Some scholars suggest that she may be linked to Ishtar, Astarte, or Asherah, deities known for their roles in fertility, love, and war. These goddesses were widely worshiped in the surrounding cultures, and their influence occasionally infiltrated Israelite religious practices. The worship of the Queen of Heaven involved rituals that were contrary to the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel. The making of cakes, burning of incense, and pouring out of drink offerings were acts of devotion that violated the first commandment, which prohibits the worship of other gods (Exodus 20:3). Theological Implications: From a theological perspective, the worship of the Queen of Heaven represents a significant departure from the covenantal relationship between God and His people. It illustrates the recurring theme of idolatry in the Old Testament, where the Israelites frequently turned away from God to worship the deities of surrounding nations. This apostasy often led to divine judgment, as God sought to correct and restore His people to a right relationship with Him. The prophets, including Jeremiah, consistently warned against such practices, emphasizing the exclusive worship of Yahweh. The persistence of idolatry, despite prophetic warnings, highlights the struggle between faithfulness to God and the allure of cultural assimilation and syncretism. In summary, the "Queen of Heaven" serves as a symbol of the spiritual infidelity of the Israelites and the consequences of turning away from the one true God. The biblical narrative underscores the importance of faithfulness and the dangers of idolatry, themes that resonate throughout the Scriptures. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Queen of HeavenQUEEN OF HEAVEN (melekheth ha-shamayim, although there is another reading, mele'kheth, "worship" or "goddess"): Occurs only in two passages: Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, where the prophet denounces the wrath of God upon the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem who have given themselves up to the worship of the host of heaven. This is no doubt a part of the astral worship which is found largely developed among the Jews in the later period of their history in Canaan. It is first mentioned in 2 Kings 17:16 as practiced by the men of the Northern Kingdom when Samaria had fallen and the ten tribes were being carried away into captivity. Moses is represented as warning the Israelites against the worship of the sun and moon and stars and all the host of heaven, practiced by the people of Canaan (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3) and the existence of such worship among the Canaanites and neighboring nations is attested from an early period (compare Job 31:26-28). The worship of the heavenly bodies was widely spread in the East and in Arabia; and the Babylonian pantheon was full of astral deities, where each divinity corresponded either to an astral phenomenon or to some circumstance or occurrence in Nature which is connected with the course of the stars (Jeremias, The Old Testament in the Light of the Ancient East, I, 100). From the prophets we gather that before the exile the worship of the host of heaven had become established among all classes and in all the towns of Israel (Jeremiah ubi supra; Ezekiel 8:16). In that worship the queen of heaven had a conspicuous place; and if, as seems probable from the cakes which were offered, she is to be identified with the Assyrian Ishtar and the Canaanite Astarte, the worship itself was of a grossly immoral and debasing character. That this Ishtar cult was of great antiquity and widely spread in ancient Babylonia may be seen from the symbols of it found in recent excavations (see Nippur, II, 236). How far the astral theorists like Winckler and Jeremias are entitled to link up with this worship the mourning for Josiah, the lamentations over Tammuz, the story of Jephthah's daughter, and even-the narrative of the misfortunes and the exaltation of Joseph, is questionable. But that the people of Judah in the days before the exile had given themselves over to the worst and vilest forms of heathen worship and incurred the grievous displeasure of Yahweh is made clear by the denunciation of the worship of the queen of heaven by Jeremiah. Smith's Bible Dictionary Queen of Heaven(Jeremiah 7:18; 45:17,18,19,25) is the moon Ashtaroth or Astarte to whom worshiped as Hebrew women offered cakes in the streets of Jerusalem. ATS Bible Dictionary Queen of HeavenA name given by the Hebrew idolaters to the moon, Jeremiah 7:18 44:17-18. See ASHITORETH. Library Hail, Queen of Heaven Hail, all Hail, Great Queen of Heaven! On the Worthy Praise of the Pure Queen of Heaven. On the Unutterable Heart-Rending Grief of the Pure Queen of Heaven ... The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom And After. (xxx, xxxi, xxxix-Xliv. ) How a Light from Heaven Stood all Night Over his Relics, and How ... The Glory of Jesus and Mary. Resources How is theology “the queen of the sciences”? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Vashti in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Who was Esther in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Queen: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus |
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