Jeremiah 7:18

Both sexes and all ages unite in the public dishonouring of God's name by shameless idolatries.

cakes The Hebrew word is of Assyrio-Babylonian origin, and occurs elsewhere only in Jeremiah 44:19, where see further. The cakes were either shaped, or stamped, to represent the "queen of heaven," probably to be identified, not with the moon, but with the planet Venus, the Ishtar of Babylonian worship (Co.). The cult was thence derived, and appears to have been introduced in Manasseh's reign. "The description points to its prevalence among the poorer classes, who have to collect firewood and do all the work themselves." Pe. The Mass., by a different vocalisation of the word for "queen," apparently to avoid this sense, gives work(meaning, however, host, in accordance with the Rabbinic interpretation of "work" in Genesis 2:1 f.) of heaven; and so LXX here, whereas in Jeremiah 44:17 etc. they render rightly "queen."