Jeremiah 44:16 Meaning and Explanation
“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jeremiah 44:16 records a painful moment of clarity. The people do not misunderstand Jeremiah, ask for time, or seek further explanation. They know he has spoken in the name of the LORD and deliberately refuse to hear him. The verse exposes how religious rebellion can become public, deliberate, and defended by a whole community.
The Judeans in Egypt openly reject Jeremiah's message as the LORD's word. Their reply reveals a settled refusal to listen, even after Jerusalem's ruin had shown the grave consequences of turning from God.
The Context of Jeremiah 44:16
Jeremiah speaks to Judeans who had gone to Egypt after Jerusalem's fall and were living in several Egyptian places. The LORD recalls Judah's desolation and identifies their worship of other gods as the cause of judgment. He calls them to humility and obedience, warning that continued idolatry in Egypt will bring further calamity. In verses 15-19, men and women from the community answer Jeremiah together. Verse 16 gives their blunt rejection; verse 17 immediately states their intention to continue offerings to the queen of heaven. Jeremiah then answers by connecting their former idolatry with Judah's devastation.
What Does Jeremiah 44:16 Mean?
The opening words, "As for the word," show that the people are responding directly to Jeremiah's warning. They acknowledge that he has spoken "in the name of the LORD," so the issue is not uncertainty about the claimed source of the message. Their words, "we will not hearken unto thee," express chosen resistance. In Scripture, hearkening includes attentive hearing that receives God's word and acts upon it. Their refusal is especially grave because the chapter has already placed before them the ruined cities of Judah and the long record of prophetic warnings. They have evidence before their eyes, yet they declare that Jeremiah's message will have no governing place in their lives.
This answer forms the turning point of the chapter's confrontation. The LORD has described their idolatry, their lack of humility, and the judgment that followed it. The people answer with a contrary vow of their own: they will keep burning incense and pouring drink offerings to the queen of heaven. Their response treats their own memory of former prosperity as a better guide than the LORD's interpretation of Judah's history. Jeremiah answers in verses 20-23 that the LORD remembered those offerings and that their sin and disobedience brought the disaster they now see. The chapter therefore sets human promises against God's word, then declares that God's word will stand.
Jesus also met a sorrowful refusal in Jerusalem. He spoke of gathering Jerusalem's children as a hen gathers her chickens, and he named their unwillingness. That later lament gives a fitting canonical echo to Jeremiah's scene: God's servants bring his call, and people may harden themselves against it. Jeremiah 44:16 does not present refusal as a small private preference. It shows a community answering divine warning with a public decision. The verse also preserves the faithfulness of God's messenger. Jeremiah speaks the word entrusted to him even when his hearers reject it, leaving the truth of the LORD's warning clear before them.
Bible Verses Related to Jeremiah 44:16
“But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.”
- Jeremiah 7:24
“Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.”
- 2 Kings 17:14
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
- Exodus 20:3
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
- Matthew 23:37
Where Jeremiah 44:16 Echoes in Scripture
Matthew 23:37 echoes the grief behind Jeremiah 44:16. Jesus addresses Jerusalem and speaks of his desire to gather her children, while naming their unwillingness. Jeremiah's audience refuses the word spoken in the LORD's name; Jesus' lament shows the same tragic pattern of resistance to God's merciful call. Both passages honor God's earnest dealing with his people and portray refusal as a real human response with serious consequences.
How to Apply Jeremiah 44:16 Today
This verse invites honest attention to the ways we receive correction. We may hear a warning from Scripture, from wise counsel, or from the consequences of past choices, then quietly decide that our own plans will govern us. Jeremiah's hearers spoke their refusal plainly; our resistance can be more concealed. A useful practice is to name before God the word we find hardest to receive and to ask whether fear, habit, or a desired outcome is shaping our response. Listening becomes concrete through repentance, truthful speech, and faithful actions that agree with God's command.
Reflection & Prayer
What word from God have we been tempted to set aside because another path seems safer, easier, or more familiar? Let us ask for a willing heart that receives correction before consequences deepen. Suggested prayer: "Lord, make us humble hearers of thy word. Turn our hearts from stubbornness, and teach us to walk faithfully before thee."