Jeremiah, the prophet of the Lord, speaking to the surviving remnant of Judah after Jerusalem's fall and Gedaliah's assassination.
A Word Sought but Not Submitted To
The Lord's word is not truly sought unless the heart is ready to obey it when it overturns fear-driven plans.
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The Lord's word is not truly sought unless the heart is ready to obey it when it overturns fear-driven plans.
Jeremiah 42 argues that the word of the Lord must rule the fears and strategies of God's people. The remnant appears humble by asking Jeremiah to pray, and their vow of obedience sounds exemplary. Yet the Lord's answer directly confronts their intended plan. They must remain in the land they fear and trust the Lord's promise of presence and deliverance. Egypt, the place they imagine will provide safety, will become the place of judgment if they flee there.
The chapter exposes the deadly inconsistency of seeking God's word while reserving the right to disobey when the answer conflicts with fear, preference, or visible security.
Johanan son of Kareah, the army officers, and the remnant of Judah, including those rescued from Ishmael's attempted deportation to Ammon.
After the assassination of Gedaliah and the rescue of the captives from Ishmael, while the remnant is gathered near Bethlehem and considering flight to Egypt.
The Lord's word is not truly sought unless the heart is ready to obey it when it overturns fear-driven plans.
Jeremiah, the prophet of the Lord, speaking to the surviving remnant of Judah after Jerusalem's fall and Gedaliah's assassination.
Johanan son of Kareah, the army officers, and the remnant of Judah, including those rescued from Ishmael's attempted deportation to Ammon.
After the assassination of Gedaliah and the rescue of the captives from Ishmael, while the remnant is gathered near Bethlehem and considering flight to Egypt.
- The people are traumatized, reduced in number, fearful of imperial retaliation, and tempted to make survival the ruling principle of their decision-making.
The chapter belongs to Jeremiah's post-fall remnant narratives. It tests whether those preserved through judgment will now live by the word of the Lord or repeat Judah's long pattern of distrust and disobedience.
The chapter moves from the remnant's request for prayer, to their vow of total obedience, to the Lord's promise if they remain in Judah, to the Lord's warning if they flee to Egypt, and finally to Jeremiah's exposure of their deceptive heart.
Theological exposition and fulfillment
The chapter forms God's people to seek divine guidance with surrendered hearts and to obey the Lord's word even when fear argues for another route.
- 42:1 3:
- 42:4 6:
- 42:7 12:
- 42:13 18:
- 42:19 22:
Theological Argument
Jeremiah 42 argues that the word of the Lord must rule the fears and strategies of God's people. The remnant appears humble by asking Jeremiah to pray, and their vow of obedience sounds exemplary. Yet the Lord's answer directly confronts their intended plan. They must remain in the land they fear and trust the Lord's promise of presence and deliverance. Egypt, the place they imagine will provide safety, will become the place of judgment if they flee there.
The chapter exposes the deadly inconsistency of seeking God's word while reserving the right to disobey when the answer conflicts with fear, preference, or visible security.
The remnant requests guidance, vows obedience, receives a clear command to stay, is warned against Egypt, and is exposed as divided-hearted.
- 1.Seeking God's word is not the same as submitting to God's word.
- 2.The LORD's answer addresses the real spiritual issue beneath the crisis: fear.
- 3.Remaining in Judah becomes an act of faith because it requires trusting God's promise over visible danger.
- 4.Egypt is a false refuge when chosen in defiance of God's word.
- 5.Disobedience becomes especially culpable when it follows a clear vow to obey.
Theological Focus
- True submission to the word of the Lord
- Fear as a rival authority
- False refuge
- Covenantal mercy after judgment
- The danger of conditional obedience
- Prophetic faithfulness
- Authority of God's Word
- Human Sinfulness
- Fear and Unbelief
- Divine Mercy
- Judgment
- Prayer and Intercession
- New Covenant Need
Covenant Significance
Jeremiah 42 presents the remnant at a covenant crossroads. After Jerusalem's judgment, the Lord still speaks, still offers mercy, and still calls for obedience. Remaining in the land under Babylonian pressure becomes an act of covenant trust. Fleeing to Egypt becomes a rejection of the Lord's word and a symbolic reversal of Israel's redemption story.
- The Lord still speaks after judgment
- The remnant is tested by obedience
- Build and plant language reverses judgment language
- Egypt represents covenant regression
- Vowed obedience intensifies accountability
Canonical Connections
The remnant's desire for Egypt repeats Israel's old temptation to seek visible safety rather than trust the Lord.
Jeremiah 42 joins the wider biblical witness that hearing God's word without obedience is self-deception.
The Lord's command not to fear Babylon aligns with Scripture's call to trust God's presence over visible threats.
The promise to build and plant the remnant reverses Jeremiah's earlier language of uprooting and tearing down.
The people's divided heart points toward the need for inward renewal by God's gracious work.
Christ fulfills perfect obedience to the Father where God's people repeatedly fail.
Jeremiah 42 exposes the human heart's need for more than information from God. The remnant receives a clear word, a gracious promise, and a severe warning, yet their hearts are already inclined toward Egypt. The gospel answers this deeper problem through Christ, the obedient Son who fully submits to the Father's will, bears judgment for sinners, rises to secure life, and gives the Spirit to write God's will upon the heart.
In Christ, God's people are not merely told which way to go; they are forgiven, renewed, indwelt, and taught to trust the Father beyond fear.
Primary Emphasis
Jeremiah 42 contributes to the biblical need for a people who not only ask for God's word but receive it with obedient hearts. The remnant's divided response exposes the inadequacy of external religious language without inward renewal. In Jeremiah's wider canonical movement, this points toward the new covenant promise in which the Lord writes His law on the heart.
Christ fulfills that hope by obeying the Father perfectly, securing forgiveness through His death and resurrection, and giving the Spirit so that His people may walk in obedient trust rather than fear-driven self-preservation.
Chapter Contribution
Jeremiah 42 argues that the word of the Lord must rule the fears and strategies of God's people. The remnant appears humble by asking Jeremiah to pray, and their vow of obedience sounds exemplary. Yet the Lord's answer directly confronts their intended plan. They must remain in the land they fear and trust the Lord's promise of presence and deliverance. Egypt, the place they imagine will provide safety, will become the place of judgment if they flee there.
The chapter exposes the deadly inconsistency of seeking God's word while reserving the right to disobey when the answer conflicts with fear, preference, or visible security.
When God’s will is revealed, His people are responsible to obey it.
God’s promise of protection and restoration is tied to the people’s obedience.
Rejecting God’s revealed will leads to judgment rather than security.
God’s people are responsible to obey His revealed word once it has been clearly delivered.
Even after judgment, God continues to act in faithfulness toward His covenant people.
God directs His people through His revealed word and appointed messengers.
Persistent rebellion against God’s command results in the experience of covenant curses.
God’s authority extends everywhere, and people cannot escape His discipline by relocating.
God remains sovereign over nations and rulers, including Babylon.
Moments of crisis expose humanity’s need for divine wisdom and direction.
People often pursue safety through political or material means rather than trusting God.
The prophet faithfully communicates God’s message, making the people accountable for their response.
The chapter centers on whether the word of the Lord will govern the remnant's direction.
The people's request for guidance is corrupted by a heart already leaning toward disobedience.
Fear of Babylonian retaliation becomes the pressure point through which unbelief seeks refuge in Egypt.
The Lord promises to build, plant, save, deliver, and show compassion if the remnant remains.
If the people flee to Egypt, the sword, famine, and plague they fear will overtake them there.
Jeremiah's role includes prayer for the people and faithful delivery of the Lord's whole word.
The gap between the people's vow and their heart exposes the need for inward transformation promised elsewhere in Jeremiah.
Theological exposition and fulfillment
- The chapter forms God's people to seek divine guidance with surrendered hearts and to obey the Lord's word even when fear argues for another route.
Sense Johanan, son of Kareah
Definition A military leader who rescued the captives from Ishmael and now leads the remnant in seeking Jeremiah's counsel.
Lexicon Johanan, son of Kareah
Why it matters Johanan appears responsible and courageous, yet the chapter exposes the danger of leadership driven by fear rather than submission.
Sense Jezaniah, son of Hoshaiah
Definition One of the leaders named among those who approach Jeremiah.
Lexicon Jezaniah, son of Hoshaiah
Why it matters His inclusion shows that the request comes from the leadership body and not merely from one individual.
Sense survivors, remainder, remnant
Definition Those who remain after disaster or judgment.
Lexicon survivors, remainder, remnant
Why it matters The chapter is not about Judah in strength but about the small surviving community whose future depends on obedience to the Lord.
Sense king of Babylon
Definition The imperial authority feared by the remnant after Gedaliah's murder.
Lexicon king of Babylon
Why it matters The Lord commands them not to fear Babylon's king because the Lord Himself is with them to save and deliver.
Sense judgment triad
Definition A recurring prophetic judgment formula describing war, hunger, and disease.
Lexicon judgment triad
Why it matters The very judgments the remnant fears in Judah will overtake them in Egypt if they disobey.
Sense to pray, intercede
Definition To intervene or intercede in prayer before God.
References Jeremiah 42:2, 42:4
Lexicon to pray, intercede
Why it matters The people ask Jeremiah to intercede, but the chapter shows that prayer must be joined to obedience, not used to sanctify a pre-chosen plan.
Sense way, road, path, manner of life
Definition A path of travel or a figurative course of conduct.
References Jeremiah 42:3
Lexicon way, road, path, manner of life
Why it matters The remnant asks which way to go, but the deeper issue is whether their way will be governed by the Lord's word.
Sense voice, sound
Definition A voice or sound, often used for hearing and obeying the LORD's command.
References Jeremiah 42:6, 42:13, 42:21
Lexicon voice, sound
Why it matters The repeated emphasis on obeying the voice of the Lord frames the chapter as a test of covenant hearing.
Form in passage Qal · Imperfect · 1st Person · Common · Plural What is this?
Sense to hear, listen, obey
Definition To hear with responsive attention, often including obedience.
References Jeremiah 42:6, 42:13, 42:21
Lexicon to hear, listen, obey
Why it matters The chapter turns on whether the remnant will truly hear the Lord's voice or only request it outwardly.
Sense good, pleasing, beneficial
Definition Good in quality, outcome, or moral alignment.
References Jeremiah 42:6
Lexicon good, pleasing, beneficial
Why it matters The people promise to obey whether the word is good or bad in their eyes, raising the issue of whether God's word governs their perception of what is good.
Cross-language bridge 1 link · View in lexicon
Sense evil, bad, disagreeable, harmful
Definition That which is evil, unpleasant, harmful, or unfavorable depending on context.
References Jeremiah 42:6
Lexicon evil, bad, disagreeable, harmful
Why it matters The people claim willingness to obey even if the word is unfavorable, but their coming refusal exposes the hollowness of that claim.
Cross-language bridge 1 link · View in lexicon
Sense to build, rebuild, establish
Definition To construct, rebuild, or establish.
References Jeremiah 42:10
Lexicon to build, rebuild, establish
Why it matters The Lord promises to build the remnant up, reversing earlier judgment language and offering mercy in the land.
Cross-language bridge 4 links · View in lexicon
Sense to plant, establish
Definition To plant or establish securely.
References Jeremiah 42:10
Lexicon to plant, establish
Why it matters The promise to plant them counters their fear of being uprooted and recalls Jeremiah's broader judgment-restoration vocabulary.
Sense to fear, be afraid, revere
Definition To fear, dread, or revere depending on context.
References Jeremiah 42:11, 42:16
Lexicon to fear, be afraid, revere
Why it matters Fear of Babylon is the emotional and spiritual pressure beneath the remnant's desire to flee.
Cross-language bridge 1 link · View in lexicon
Sense to save, deliver, rescue
Definition To save or deliver from danger.
References Jeremiah 42:11
Lexicon to save, deliver, rescue
Why it matters The Lord promises to save the remnant from Babylon if they remain, making His presence their true refuge.
Cross-language bridge 2 links · View in lexicon
Sense to deliver, rescue, snatch away
Definition To rescue or deliver from another's power.
References Jeremiah 42:11
Lexicon to deliver, rescue, snatch away
Why it matters The Lord's promise to deliver them from Babylon confronts their assumption that Egypt is necessary for safety.
Form in passage Masculine · Plural · Absolute What is this?
Sense compassion, mercy
Definition Deep mercy, compassion, or tender concern.
References Jeremiah 42:12
Lexicon compassion, mercy
Why it matters The Lord promises compassion after judgment, grounding hope not in the remnant's strength but in divine mercy.
Sense Egypt
Definition The nation of Egypt, often associated in Israel's story with bondage and false refuge when sought apart from the LORD.
References Jeremiah 42:14-19
Lexicon Egypt
Why it matters Egypt is the visible refuge the remnant desires, but the Lord declares it will become the place of judgment if chosen in disobedience.
Lexicon data: MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML (CC0) · Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0) · Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon (CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible Data (CC BY 4.0) · Full details
C.F. Keil & F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–91) — public domain
The chapter forms God's people to seek divine guidance with surrendered hearts and to obey the Lord's word even when fear argues for another route.
- Unconditional listening - Before seeking counsel, confess the temptation to obey only if the answer fits Your preferred plan.
- Prayerful waiting - Allow time for clarity instead of forcing decisions under anxiety.
- Fear naming - Identify the specific fear driving the decision, as the remnant feared Babylonian retaliation.
- Promise rehearsal - Set the Lord's promises against the fear that seems most persuasive.
- Warning reception - Treat biblical warnings as grace meant to prevent ruin.
- Obedience without preference-control - Practice obeying Scripture even when obedience is not emotionally favorable.
- The chapter warns that a person can ask for God's will while secretly requiring that God's answer confirm an already chosen path.
- Do not ask for God's direction while keeping disobedience as an option.
- Do not let fear define wisdom.
- Do not seek safety in the place God has forbidden.
- Do not mistake religious language for surrendered faith.
- Do not assume a delayed answer means permission to proceed by instinct.
- Do not demand a favorable word before obeying.
- The remnant is spiritually mature because they ask Jeremiah to pray. - Their request sounds humble, but the chapter exposes that asking for prayer and guidance can still mask an unwilling heart.
- Egypt is condemned because geography itself is always sinful. - Egypt is sinful here because the Lord specifically forbids this flight and because the people seek it as refuge apart from His word.
- The chapter teaches passivity in the face of danger. - The chapter teaches obedience to the Lord's revealed word. The issue is not passivity versus action, but faith versus disobedient self-protection.
- The promise to build and plant means the remnant has earned restoration. - The promise is mercy after judgment, not reward for merit. The Lord offers compassion in response to His own covenant purposes.
- Jeremiah is being harsh by exposing their deception. - Jeremiah's warning is pastoral truth-telling. He names their danger before they act fully on it.
- The chapter is only about ancient foreign policy. - The political setting is real, but the theological issue is whether God's people will obey God's word when fear offers another path.
- Where am I asking God for guidance while already planning what I intend to do?
- What is my 'Egypt', the place that feels safe but would require distrust or disobedience?
- Do I obey only when God's word confirms what already feels wise to me?
- How do I respond when God's answer delays longer than I expected?
- Am I more afraid of visible danger than I am of disobeying the Lord?
- Do I receive warnings from God's word as mercy or as interference?
- What promise of God must govern the fear that is currently pressing on me?
- When I say, 'Pray for me,' am I seeking surrendered obedience or divine approval for my own plan?
- Preach Jeremiah 42 as a searching sermon on the difference between consulting God's word and surrendering to God's word.
- Use the chapter to help fearful believers identify the decisions they are making from panic, trauma, or perceived necessity rather than obedient trust.
- Leaders must beware of asking for prayer, counsel, or biblical input only after they have already decided their course.
- The chapter provides a framework for congregational decision-making: pray, wait, hear the whole word, and obey even when obedience feels costly.
- Teach believers that delayed answers test whether they are seeking God Himself or merely seeking quick relief.
- Hard warnings are sometimes the most merciful words a shepherd can give when a person is moving toward destruction.
- Train disciples to examine whether their language of obedience is matched by actual willingness to submit.
- Prayer requests should not become a way of baptizing disobedience. Prayer must remain tied to surrender.
Track judgment as covenant accountability, divine justice, and eschatological reckoning.
Trace remnant preservation, covenant continuity, and mercy under judgment across Scripture.
Follow shepherding as divine care, messianic leadership, and pastoral oversight across Scripture.
The Biblical World
Chapter At A Glance
The chapter moves from the remnant's request for prayer, to their vow of total obedience, to the Lord's promise if they remain in Judah, to the Lord's warning if they flee to Egypt, and finally to Jeremiah's exposure of their deceptive heart.
Jeremiah 42 presents the remnant at a covenant crossroads. After Jerusalem's judgment, the Lord still speaks, still offers mercy, and still calls for obedience. Remaining in the land under Babylonian pressure becomes an act of covenant trust. Fleeing to Egypt becomes a rejection of the Lord's word and a symbolic reversal of Israel's redemption story.
Jeremiah 42 exposes the human heart's need for more than information from God. The remnant receives a clear word, a gracious promise, and a severe warning, yet their hearts are already inclined toward Egypt. The gospel answers this deeper problem through Christ, the obedient Son who fully submits to the Father's will, bears judgment for sinners, rises to secure life, and gives the Spirit to write God's will upon the heart.
In Christ, God's people are not merely told which way to go; they are forgiven, renewed, indwelt, and taught to trust the Father beyond fear.
Focus Points
- True submission to the word of the Lord
- Fear as a rival authority
- False refuge
- Covenantal mercy after judgment
- The danger of conditional obedience
- Prophetic faithfulness
- Authority of God's Word
- Human Sinfulness
- Fear and Unbelief
- Divine Mercy
- Judgment
- Prayer and Intercession
- New Covenant Need
Passages
Chapter opening: Jeremiah 42:1-6
Jer 42:1-6 "And there drew near all the captains, namely, Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from little to great, Jer 42:2. And said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our supplication come before thee, and pray for us to Jahveh thy God, for all this remnant (for we are left a few out of many, as thine eyes see us); Jer 42:3.
That Jahveh thy God may tell us the way in which we should go, and the thing that we should do." Of the captains, two, viz. , Johanan and Jezaniah, are mentioned as the leaders of the people and the directors of the whole undertaking, who also, Jer 42:1. , insolently accuse the prophet of falsehood, and carry out the proposed march to Egypt. Jezaniah is in Jer 40:8 called the Maachathite; here he is named in connection with his father, "the son of Hoshaiah;" while in Jer 43:2, in conjunction with Johanan the son of Kareah, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah is mentioned, which name the lxx also have in Jer 42:1 of this chapter.
Hitzig, Ewald, etc. , are consequently of the opinion that יזניה in our verse has been written by mistake for עזריה. But more probable is the supposition that the error is in the עזריה of Jer 43:2, inasmuch as there is no reason to doubt the identity of Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah with the Jezaniah descended from Maacha (Jer 40:8); and the assumption that יזניה is incorrect in two passages (Jer 42:1 and Jer 40:8) is highly improbable.
They go to the prophet Jeremiah, whom they had taken with them from Mizpah, where he was living among the people, with the rest of the inhabitants of the place (Jer 41:16). תּפּל־נא as in Jer 37:20; see on Jer 36:7. The request made to the prophet that he would intercede for them with the Lord, which they further urge on the ground that the number left out of the whole people is small, while there is implied in this the wish that God may not let this small remnant also perish; - this request Nägelsbach considers a piece of hypocrisy, and the form of asking the prophet "a mere farce," since it is quite plain from Jer 43:1-6 that the desire to go to Egypt was already deeply rooted in their minds, and from this they would not allow themselves to be moved, even by the earnest warning of the prophet.
But to hypocrites, who were playing a mere farce with the prophet, the Lord would have probably replied in a different way from what we find in Jer 42:8-22. As the Searcher of hearts, He certainly would have laid bare their hypocrisy. And however unequivocally the whole address implies the existence of disobedience to the voice of God, it yet contains nothing which can justify the assumption that it was only in hypocrisy that they wished to learn the will of God.
We must therefore assume that their request addressed to the prophet was made in earnest, although they expected that the Lord’s reply would be given in terms favourable to their intention. They wished to obtain from God information as to which way they should go, and what they should do, - not as to whether they should remain in the country or go to Egypt. "The way that we should go" is, of course, not to be understood literally, as if they merely wished to be told the road by which they would most safely reach Egypt; neither, on the other hand, are the words to be understood in a merely figurative sense, of the mode of procedure they ought to pursue; but they are to be understood of the road they ought to take in order to avoid the vengeance of the Chaldeans which they dreaded, - in the sense, whither they ought to go, in order to preserve their lives from the danger which threatened them.
Jer 42:7-11 The word of the Lord. - At the end of ten days, the reply that had been asked for came from the Lord. Hitzig and Graf think that Jeremiah had lingered ten days with the answer, in order to obtain strong and clear conviction, "matured through his own meditation, probably also in part confirmed by the arrival of further news." This opinion is characterized by Nägelsbach as "in harmony with modern science, but unhistorical;" it should rather be called unscriptural, as resting on a denial of divine inspiration.
The reason why the Lord did not make known His will to the prophet for ten days was a disciplinary one. By waiting, those who asked would get time for bethinking themselves, and for quietly considering the situation of affairs, so that they might be able, calmly and collectedly, to receive and obey the answer of God, which was far from satisfying the fears and wishes of their heart.
Jer 42:8. Jeremiah called the captains and all the people together, and announced to them as follows: Jer 42:9. "Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, to whom ye have sent me, that I might bring your supplication before Him: Jer 42:10. If ye will indeed abide in this land, then will I build you up and not pull down; and I will plant you, but not root out; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you.
Jer 42:11. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, whom ye fear, be not afraid of him, saith Jahveh; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you out of his hand. Jer 42:12. And I will get pity for you, so that he shall take pity on you, and bring you back to your land. Jer 42:13. But if ye say, We will not remain in this land, so that ye will not obey the voice of Jahveh your God, Jer 42:14.
Saying, Nay, but we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the wound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger after bread, and we will dwell there. - Jer 42:15. Now therefore hear the word of Jahveh, ye remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye do indeed set your face to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, Jer 42:16.
Then shall the sword, of which ye are afraid, overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and hunger, which ye dread, shall there follow hard after you, in Egypt, and there shall ye die. Jer 42:17. And all the men who have set their face to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, and through hunger, and from the plague; nor shall they have any one left or escaped from the evil which I will bring on them.
Jer 42:18. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath were poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you when ye go to Egypt, and ye shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall not see this place again. - Jer 42:19. Jahveh hath spoken to you, O remnant of Judah.
Go not to Egypt: ye shall know for certain that I have warned you to-day. Jer 42:20. For ye err at the risk of your souls when ye sent me to Jahveh your God, saying, Pray for us to Jahveh our God, and according to all that Jahveh our God shall say to us, so tell us, and we will do it. Jer 42:21. Now I have told you to-day, and ye have not obeyed the voice of Jahveh your God, nor in anything for which He hath sent me unto you.
Jer 42:22. Now, therefore, ye must surely know that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have been pleased to go to sojourn." The Lord’s reply extends as far as Jer 42:18; the last four verses (19-22) form an epilogue, a further address by the prophet, in which he once more specially impresses God’s resolution on the minds of the people.
The answer of God consists (1) in the promise that, if they will remain in the land, the Lord is willing to build them up, and protect them from the wrath of the king of Babylon (Jer 42:9-12); and (2) the threat that, if they will go to Egypt against the advice and will of the Lord, they shall certainly perish there by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 42:13-18). On the expression הפּיל תּהנּה, see on Jer 36:7.
שׁוב (Jer 42:10) can only be inf. abs. of ישׁב, for ישׁוב ; if we view it as coming from שׁוּב morf , we get no suitable meaning, for the thought si revertendo illuc manseritis in hâc terrâ (C. B. Michaelis) could not be expressed by שׁוב תּשׁבוּ. Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as שׁוב being used for ישׁוב; in a verb like ישׁב, however, which drops the י in the inf.
constr. , a like omission in the inf. abs. is quite conceivable, while the supposition of some injury having been done to the text (Olshausen, Gram . §89) is less probable. On the expression, "I will build you," etc. , cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:4; Jer 33:7. "I repent of the evil" is an anthropopathic expression for the cancelling of a penal sentence: cf. Joe 2:14, etc.
- In Jer 42:11, the repetition of the words "do not fear him" produces special emphasis.
Jer 42:7-11 The word of the Lord. - At the end of ten days, the reply that had been asked for came from the Lord. Hitzig and Graf think that Jeremiah had lingered ten days with the answer, in order to obtain strong and clear conviction, "matured through his own meditation, probably also in part confirmed by the arrival of further news." This opinion is characterized by Nägelsbach as "in harmony with modern science, but unhistorical;" it should rather be called unscriptural, as resting on a denial of divine inspiration.
The reason why the Lord did not make known His will to the prophet for ten days was a disciplinary one. By waiting, those who asked would get time for bethinking themselves, and for quietly considering the situation of affairs, so that they might be able, calmly and collectedly, to receive and obey the answer of God, which was far from satisfying the fears and wishes of their heart.
Jer 42:8. Jeremiah called the captains and all the people together, and announced to them as follows: Jer 42:9. "Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, to whom ye have sent me, that I might bring your supplication before Him: Jer 42:10. If ye will indeed abide in this land, then will I build you up and not pull down; and I will plant you, but not root out; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you.
Jer 42:11. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, whom ye fear, be not afraid of him, saith Jahveh; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you out of his hand. Jer 42:12. And I will get pity for you, so that he shall take pity on you, and bring you back to your land. Jer 42:13. But if ye say, We will not remain in this land, so that ye will not obey the voice of Jahveh your God, Jer 42:14.
Saying, Nay, but we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the wound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger after bread, and we will dwell there. - Jer 42:15. Now therefore hear the word of Jahveh, ye remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye do indeed set your face to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, Jer 42:16.
Then shall the sword, of which ye are afraid, overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and hunger, which ye dread, shall there follow hard after you, in Egypt, and there shall ye die. Jer 42:17. And all the men who have set their face to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, and through hunger, and from the plague; nor shall they have any one left or escaped from the evil which I will bring on them.
Jer 42:18. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath were poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you when ye go to Egypt, and ye shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall not see this place again. - Jer 42:19. Jahveh hath spoken to you, O remnant of Judah.
Go not to Egypt: ye shall know for certain that I have warned you to-day. Jer 42:20. For ye err at the risk of your souls when ye sent me to Jahveh your God, saying, Pray for us to Jahveh our God, and according to all that Jahveh our God shall say to us, so tell us, and we will do it. Jer 42:21. Now I have told you to-day, and ye have not obeyed the voice of Jahveh your God, nor in anything for which He hath sent me unto you.
Jer 42:22. Now, therefore, ye must surely know that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have been pleased to go to sojourn." The Lord’s reply extends as far as Jer 42:18; the last four verses (19-22) form an epilogue, a further address by the prophet, in which he once more specially impresses God’s resolution on the minds of the people.
The answer of God consists (1) in the promise that, if they will remain in the land, the Lord is willing to build them up, and protect them from the wrath of the king of Babylon (Jer 42:9-12); and (2) the threat that, if they will go to Egypt against the advice and will of the Lord, they shall certainly perish there by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 42:13-18). On the expression הפּיל תּהנּה, see on Jer 36:7.
שׁוב (Jer 42:10) can only be inf. abs. of ישׁב, for ישׁוב ; if we view it as coming from שׁוּב morf , we get no suitable meaning, for the thought si revertendo illuc manseritis in hâc terrâ (C. B. Michaelis) could not be expressed by שׁוב תּשׁבוּ. Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as שׁוב being used for ישׁוב; in a verb like ישׁב, however, which drops the י in the inf.
constr. , a like omission in the inf. abs. is quite conceivable, while the supposition of some injury having been done to the text (Olshausen, Gram . §89) is less probable. On the expression, "I will build you," etc. , cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:4; Jer 33:7. "I repent of the evil" is an anthropopathic expression for the cancelling of a penal sentence: cf. Joe 2:14, etc.
- In Jer 42:11, the repetition of the words "do not fear him" produces special emphasis.
Jer 42:7-11 The word of the Lord. - At the end of ten days, the reply that had been asked for came from the Lord. Hitzig and Graf think that Jeremiah had lingered ten days with the answer, in order to obtain strong and clear conviction, "matured through his own meditation, probably also in part confirmed by the arrival of further news." This opinion is characterized by Nägelsbach as "in harmony with modern science, but unhistorical;" it should rather be called unscriptural, as resting on a denial of divine inspiration.
The reason why the Lord did not make known His will to the prophet for ten days was a disciplinary one. By waiting, those who asked would get time for bethinking themselves, and for quietly considering the situation of affairs, so that they might be able, calmly and collectedly, to receive and obey the answer of God, which was far from satisfying the fears and wishes of their heart.
Jer 42:8. Jeremiah called the captains and all the people together, and announced to them as follows: Jer 42:9. "Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, to whom ye have sent me, that I might bring your supplication before Him: Jer 42:10. If ye will indeed abide in this land, then will I build you up and not pull down; and I will plant you, but not root out; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you.
Jer 42:11. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, whom ye fear, be not afraid of him, saith Jahveh; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you out of his hand. Jer 42:12. And I will get pity for you, so that he shall take pity on you, and bring you back to your land. Jer 42:13. But if ye say, We will not remain in this land, so that ye will not obey the voice of Jahveh your God, Jer 42:14.
Saying, Nay, but we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the wound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger after bread, and we will dwell there. - Jer 42:15. Now therefore hear the word of Jahveh, ye remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye do indeed set your face to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, Jer 42:16.
Then shall the sword, of which ye are afraid, overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and hunger, which ye dread, shall there follow hard after you, in Egypt, and there shall ye die. Jer 42:17. And all the men who have set their face to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, and through hunger, and from the plague; nor shall they have any one left or escaped from the evil which I will bring on them.
Jer 42:18. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath were poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you when ye go to Egypt, and ye shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall not see this place again. - Jer 42:19. Jahveh hath spoken to you, O remnant of Judah.
Go not to Egypt: ye shall know for certain that I have warned you to-day. Jer 42:20. For ye err at the risk of your souls when ye sent me to Jahveh your God, saying, Pray for us to Jahveh our God, and according to all that Jahveh our God shall say to us, so tell us, and we will do it. Jer 42:21. Now I have told you to-day, and ye have not obeyed the voice of Jahveh your God, nor in anything for which He hath sent me unto you.
Jer 42:22. Now, therefore, ye must surely know that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have been pleased to go to sojourn." The Lord’s reply extends as far as Jer 42:18; the last four verses (19-22) form an epilogue, a further address by the prophet, in which he once more specially impresses God’s resolution on the minds of the people.
The answer of God consists (1) in the promise that, if they will remain in the land, the Lord is willing to build them up, and protect them from the wrath of the king of Babylon (Jer 42:9-12); and (2) the threat that, if they will go to Egypt against the advice and will of the Lord, they shall certainly perish there by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 42:13-18). On the expression הפּיל תּהנּה, see on Jer 36:7.
שׁוב (Jer 42:10) can only be inf. abs. of ישׁב, for ישׁוב ; if we view it as coming from שׁוּב morf , we get no suitable meaning, for the thought si revertendo illuc manseritis in hâc terrâ (C. B. Michaelis) could not be expressed by שׁוב תּשׁבוּ. Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as שׁוב being used for ישׁוב; in a verb like ישׁב, however, which drops the י in the inf.
constr. , a like omission in the inf. abs. is quite conceivable, while the supposition of some injury having been done to the text (Olshausen, Gram . §89) is less probable. On the expression, "I will build you," etc. , cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:4; Jer 33:7. "I repent of the evil" is an anthropopathic expression for the cancelling of a penal sentence: cf. Joe 2:14, etc.
- In Jer 42:11, the repetition of the words "do not fear him" produces special emphasis.
Jer 42:7-11 The word of the Lord. - At the end of ten days, the reply that had been asked for came from the Lord. Hitzig and Graf think that Jeremiah had lingered ten days with the answer, in order to obtain strong and clear conviction, "matured through his own meditation, probably also in part confirmed by the arrival of further news." This opinion is characterized by Nägelsbach as "in harmony with modern science, but unhistorical;" it should rather be called unscriptural, as resting on a denial of divine inspiration.
The reason why the Lord did not make known His will to the prophet for ten days was a disciplinary one. By waiting, those who asked would get time for bethinking themselves, and for quietly considering the situation of affairs, so that they might be able, calmly and collectedly, to receive and obey the answer of God, which was far from satisfying the fears and wishes of their heart.
Jer 42:8. Jeremiah called the captains and all the people together, and announced to them as follows: Jer 42:9. "Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, to whom ye have sent me, that I might bring your supplication before Him: Jer 42:10. If ye will indeed abide in this land, then will I build you up and not pull down; and I will plant you, but not root out; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you.
Jer 42:11. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, whom ye fear, be not afraid of him, saith Jahveh; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you out of his hand. Jer 42:12. And I will get pity for you, so that he shall take pity on you, and bring you back to your land. Jer 42:13. But if ye say, We will not remain in this land, so that ye will not obey the voice of Jahveh your God, Jer 42:14.
Saying, Nay, but we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the wound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger after bread, and we will dwell there. - Jer 42:15. Now therefore hear the word of Jahveh, ye remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye do indeed set your face to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, Jer 42:16.
Then shall the sword, of which ye are afraid, overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and hunger, which ye dread, shall there follow hard after you, in Egypt, and there shall ye die. Jer 42:17. And all the men who have set their face to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, and through hunger, and from the plague; nor shall they have any one left or escaped from the evil which I will bring on them.
Jer 42:18. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath were poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you when ye go to Egypt, and ye shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall not see this place again. - Jer 42:19. Jahveh hath spoken to you, O remnant of Judah.
Go not to Egypt: ye shall know for certain that I have warned you to-day. Jer 42:20. For ye err at the risk of your souls when ye sent me to Jahveh your God, saying, Pray for us to Jahveh our God, and according to all that Jahveh our God shall say to us, so tell us, and we will do it. Jer 42:21. Now I have told you to-day, and ye have not obeyed the voice of Jahveh your God, nor in anything for which He hath sent me unto you.
Jer 42:22. Now, therefore, ye must surely know that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have been pleased to go to sojourn." The Lord’s reply extends as far as Jer 42:18; the last four verses (19-22) form an epilogue, a further address by the prophet, in which he once more specially impresses God’s resolution on the minds of the people.
The answer of God consists (1) in the promise that, if they will remain in the land, the Lord is willing to build them up, and protect them from the wrath of the king of Babylon (Jer 42:9-12); and (2) the threat that, if they will go to Egypt against the advice and will of the Lord, they shall certainly perish there by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 42:13-18). On the expression הפּיל תּהנּה, see on Jer 36:7.
שׁוב (Jer 42:10) can only be inf. abs. of ישׁב, for ישׁוב ; if we view it as coming from שׁוּב morf , we get no suitable meaning, for the thought si revertendo illuc manseritis in hâc terrâ (C. B. Michaelis) could not be expressed by שׁוב תּשׁבוּ. Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as שׁוב being used for ישׁוב; in a verb like ישׁב, however, which drops the י in the inf.
constr. , a like omission in the inf. abs. is quite conceivable, while the supposition of some injury having been done to the text (Olshausen, Gram . §89) is less probable. On the expression, "I will build you," etc. , cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:4; Jer 33:7. "I repent of the evil" is an anthropopathic expression for the cancelling of a penal sentence: cf. Joe 2:14, etc.
- In Jer 42:11, the repetition of the words "do not fear him" produces special emphasis.
Jer 42:7-11 The word of the Lord. - At the end of ten days, the reply that had been asked for came from the Lord. Hitzig and Graf think that Jeremiah had lingered ten days with the answer, in order to obtain strong and clear conviction, "matured through his own meditation, probably also in part confirmed by the arrival of further news." This opinion is characterized by Nägelsbach as "in harmony with modern science, but unhistorical;" it should rather be called unscriptural, as resting on a denial of divine inspiration.
The reason why the Lord did not make known His will to the prophet for ten days was a disciplinary one. By waiting, those who asked would get time for bethinking themselves, and for quietly considering the situation of affairs, so that they might be able, calmly and collectedly, to receive and obey the answer of God, which was far from satisfying the fears and wishes of their heart.
Jer 42:8. Jeremiah called the captains and all the people together, and announced to them as follows: Jer 42:9. "Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, to whom ye have sent me, that I might bring your supplication before Him: Jer 42:10. If ye will indeed abide in this land, then will I build you up and not pull down; and I will plant you, but not root out; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you.
Jer 42:11. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, whom ye fear, be not afraid of him, saith Jahveh; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you out of his hand. Jer 42:12. And I will get pity for you, so that he shall take pity on you, and bring you back to your land. Jer 42:13. But if ye say, We will not remain in this land, so that ye will not obey the voice of Jahveh your God, Jer 42:14.
Saying, Nay, but we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the wound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger after bread, and we will dwell there. - Jer 42:15. Now therefore hear the word of Jahveh, ye remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye do indeed set your face to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, Jer 42:16.
Then shall the sword, of which ye are afraid, overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and hunger, which ye dread, shall there follow hard after you, in Egypt, and there shall ye die. Jer 42:17. And all the men who have set their face to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, and through hunger, and from the plague; nor shall they have any one left or escaped from the evil which I will bring on them.
Jer 42:18. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath were poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you when ye go to Egypt, and ye shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall not see this place again. - Jer 42:19. Jahveh hath spoken to you, O remnant of Judah.
Go not to Egypt: ye shall know for certain that I have warned you to-day. Jer 42:20. For ye err at the risk of your souls when ye sent me to Jahveh your God, saying, Pray for us to Jahveh our God, and according to all that Jahveh our God shall say to us, so tell us, and we will do it. Jer 42:21. Now I have told you to-day, and ye have not obeyed the voice of Jahveh your God, nor in anything for which He hath sent me unto you.
Jer 42:22. Now, therefore, ye must surely know that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have been pleased to go to sojourn." The Lord’s reply extends as far as Jer 42:18; the last four verses (19-22) form an epilogue, a further address by the prophet, in which he once more specially impresses God’s resolution on the minds of the people.
The answer of God consists (1) in the promise that, if they will remain in the land, the Lord is willing to build them up, and protect them from the wrath of the king of Babylon (Jer 42:9-12); and (2) the threat that, if they will go to Egypt against the advice and will of the Lord, they shall certainly perish there by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 42:13-18). On the expression הפּיל תּהנּה, see on Jer 36:7.
שׁוב (Jer 42:10) can only be inf. abs. of ישׁב, for ישׁוב ; if we view it as coming from שׁוּב morf , we get no suitable meaning, for the thought si revertendo illuc manseritis in hâc terrâ (C. B. Michaelis) could not be expressed by שׁוב תּשׁבוּ. Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as שׁוב being used for ישׁוב; in a verb like ישׁב, however, which drops the י in the inf.
constr. , a like omission in the inf. abs. is quite conceivable, while the supposition of some injury having been done to the text (Olshausen, Gram . §89) is less probable. On the expression, "I will build you," etc. , cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:4; Jer 33:7. "I repent of the evil" is an anthropopathic expression for the cancelling of a penal sentence: cf. Joe 2:14, etc.
- In Jer 42:11, the repetition of the words "do not fear him" produces special emphasis.
Jer 42:12 "I shall give you compassion," i.e., obtain it for you, so that the king of Babylon will show pity on you; cf. Gen 43:14; 1Ki 8:50. J. D. Michaelis, Hitzig, Ewald, and Graf, following the lxx, Vulgate, and Syriac, would change והשׁיב into הושׁיב (make you dwell); but there is no necessity for this, since השׁיב makes good enough sense, provided we refer it, not to the return of those who had been exiled to Babylon, but, as the connection requires, to the departure from Mizpah, after the half near Bethlehem, in the intended flight to Egypt; we must, besides, view this departure as a complete forsaking of their country, and the leaders in this emigration as being fugitives who had fled before the Chaldeans, and had returned only a short time before, for the purpose of settling down again in the country.
Jer 42:13-16 The threatening if, in spite of warning and against God’s will, they should still persist in going to Egypt. The protasis of the conditional sentence begun in Jer 42:13, "If ye say," etc. , extends onwards through Jer 42:14; the apodosis is introduced co-ordinately with the commencement of Jer 42:15, "Now therefore," etc. קול שׁופר, "the sound of war-trumpet," as in Jer 4:19.
On "hungering after bread," cf. Amo 8:11. הלחם (with the article) is the bread necessary for life. "The remnant of Judah" is to be understood of those who still remained in the land, as is shown by Jer 42:2; see also Jer 42:19, Jer 43:5; Jer 44:12, Jer 44:14. The warning given in Jer 42:16 contains the idea that the very evil which they feared would come on them in Judah will befall them in Egypt.
There they shall perish by sword, famine, and plague, since Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt; cf. Jer 43:8-13.
Jer 42:13-16 The threatening if, in spite of warning and against God’s will, they should still persist in going to Egypt. The protasis of the conditional sentence begun in Jer 42:13, "If ye say," etc. , extends onwards through Jer 42:14; the apodosis is introduced co-ordinately with the commencement of Jer 42:15, "Now therefore," etc. קול שׁופר, "the sound of war-trumpet," as in Jer 4:19.
On "hungering after bread," cf. Amo 8:11. הלחם (with the article) is the bread necessary for life. "The remnant of Judah" is to be understood of those who still remained in the land, as is shown by Jer 42:2; see also Jer 42:19, Jer 43:5; Jer 44:12, Jer 44:14. The warning given in Jer 42:16 contains the idea that the very evil which they feared would come on them in Judah will befall them in Egypt.
There they shall perish by sword, famine, and plague, since Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt; cf. Jer 43:8-13.
Jer 42:13-16 The threatening if, in spite of warning and against God’s will, they should still persist in going to Egypt. The protasis of the conditional sentence begun in Jer 42:13, "If ye say," etc. , extends onwards through Jer 42:14; the apodosis is introduced co-ordinately with the commencement of Jer 42:15, "Now therefore," etc. קול שׁופר, "the sound of war-trumpet," as in Jer 4:19.
On "hungering after bread," cf. Amo 8:11. הלחם (with the article) is the bread necessary for life. "The remnant of Judah" is to be understood of those who still remained in the land, as is shown by Jer 42:2; see also Jer 42:19, Jer 43:5; Jer 44:12, Jer 44:14. The warning given in Jer 42:16 contains the idea that the very evil which they feared would come on them in Judah will befall them in Egypt.
There they shall perish by sword, famine, and plague, since Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt; cf. Jer 43:8-13.
Jer 42:13-16 The threatening if, in spite of warning and against God’s will, they should still persist in going to Egypt. The protasis of the conditional sentence begun in Jer 42:13, "If ye say," etc. , extends onwards through Jer 42:14; the apodosis is introduced co-ordinately with the commencement of Jer 42:15, "Now therefore," etc. קול שׁופר, "the sound of war-trumpet," as in Jer 4:19.
On "hungering after bread," cf. Amo 8:11. הלחם (with the article) is the bread necessary for life. "The remnant of Judah" is to be understood of those who still remained in the land, as is shown by Jer 42:2; see also Jer 42:19, Jer 43:5; Jer 44:12, Jer 44:14. The warning given in Jer 42:16 contains the idea that the very evil which they feared would come on them in Judah will befall them in Egypt.
There they shall perish by sword, famine, and plague, since Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt; cf. Jer 43:8-13.
Jer 42:17-22 ויהיוּ, used instead of the impersonal והיה, is referred to the following subject by a rather unusual kind of attraction; cf. Ewald, §345, b . All the men who set their faces, i. e. , intend, to go to Egypt shall perish; not a single one shall escape the evil; for the same judgment of wrath which has befallen Jerusalem shall also come on those who flee to Egypt; cf.
Jer 7:20. On the expression "ye shall become a curse," etc. , cf. Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:18. Taking for granted that the leaders of the people will not obey, Jeremiah appends to the word of the Lord an earnest address, in which several points are specially insisted on, viz. , that the Lord had spoken to them, that He had forbidden them to go to Egypt, and that he (the prophet), by proclaiming the word of the Lord, had warned them (העיד בּ, to testify, bear witness against a person, i.
e. , warn him of something, cf. Jer 11:7). Thus he discloses to them the dangerous mistake they are in, when they first desire some expression of the mind of the Lord regarding their intentions, and, in the hope that He will accede to their request, promise unconditional obedience to whatever He may direct, but afterwards, when they have received a message from the Lord, will not obey it, because it is contrary to what they wish.
The Kethib התעתים has been incorrectly written for התעיים, the Hiphil from תּעה, to err ; here, as in Pro 10:17, it means to make a mistake. בּנפשׁותיכם, not, "you mislead your own selves ," decepistis animas vestras (Vulg.) , nor "in your souls," - meaning, in your thoughts and intentions (Nägelsbach), - but "at the risk of your souls," your life; cf. Jer 17:21.
וּלכל אשׁר (Jer 42:21), "and that in regard to all that for which Jahveh has sent me to you," points back to their promise, Jer 42:5, that they would do "according to all the word." By employing the perfect in Jer 42:20, Jer 42:21, the thing is represented as quite certain, as if it had already taken place. Jer 42:22 concludes the warning with a renewed threat of the destruction which shall befall them for their disobedience.
Jer 42:17-22 ויהיוּ, used instead of the impersonal והיה, is referred to the following subject by a rather unusual kind of attraction; cf. Ewald, §345, b . All the men who set their faces, i. e. , intend, to go to Egypt shall perish; not a single one shall escape the evil; for the same judgment of wrath which has befallen Jerusalem shall also come on those who flee to Egypt; cf.
Jer 7:20. On the expression "ye shall become a curse," etc. , cf. Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:18. Taking for granted that the leaders of the people will not obey, Jeremiah appends to the word of the Lord an earnest address, in which several points are specially insisted on, viz. , that the Lord had spoken to them, that He had forbidden them to go to Egypt, and that he (the prophet), by proclaiming the word of the Lord, had warned them (העיד בּ, to testify, bear witness against a person, i.
e. , warn him of something, cf. Jer 11:7). Thus he discloses to them the dangerous mistake they are in, when they first desire some expression of the mind of the Lord regarding their intentions, and, in the hope that He will accede to their request, promise unconditional obedience to whatever He may direct, but afterwards, when they have received a message from the Lord, will not obey it, because it is contrary to what they wish.
The Kethib התעתים has been incorrectly written for התעיים, the Hiphil from תּעה, to err ; here, as in Pro 10:17, it means to make a mistake. בּנפשׁותיכם, not, "you mislead your own selves ," decepistis animas vestras (Vulg.) , nor "in your souls," - meaning, in your thoughts and intentions (Nägelsbach), - but "at the risk of your souls," your life; cf. Jer 17:21.
וּלכל אשׁר (Jer 42:21), "and that in regard to all that for which Jahveh has sent me to you," points back to their promise, Jer 42:5, that they would do "according to all the word." By employing the perfect in Jer 42:20, Jer 42:21, the thing is represented as quite certain, as if it had already taken place. Jer 42:22 concludes the warning with a renewed threat of the destruction which shall befall them for their disobedience.
Jer 42:17-22 ויהיוּ, used instead of the impersonal והיה, is referred to the following subject by a rather unusual kind of attraction; cf. Ewald, §345, b . All the men who set their faces, i. e. , intend, to go to Egypt shall perish; not a single one shall escape the evil; for the same judgment of wrath which has befallen Jerusalem shall also come on those who flee to Egypt; cf.
Jer 7:20. On the expression "ye shall become a curse," etc. , cf. Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:18. Taking for granted that the leaders of the people will not obey, Jeremiah appends to the word of the Lord an earnest address, in which several points are specially insisted on, viz. , that the Lord had spoken to them, that He had forbidden them to go to Egypt, and that he (the prophet), by proclaiming the word of the Lord, had warned them (העיד בּ, to testify, bear witness against a person, i.
e. , warn him of something, cf. Jer 11:7). Thus he discloses to them the dangerous mistake they are in, when they first desire some expression of the mind of the Lord regarding their intentions, and, in the hope that He will accede to their request, promise unconditional obedience to whatever He may direct, but afterwards, when they have received a message from the Lord, will not obey it, because it is contrary to what they wish.
The Kethib התעתים has been incorrectly written for התעיים, the Hiphil from תּעה, to err ; here, as in Pro 10:17, it means to make a mistake. בּנפשׁותיכם, not, "you mislead your own selves ," decepistis animas vestras (Vulg.) , nor "in your souls," - meaning, in your thoughts and intentions (Nägelsbach), - but "at the risk of your souls," your life; cf. Jer 17:21.
וּלכל אשׁר (Jer 42:21), "and that in regard to all that for which Jahveh has sent me to you," points back to their promise, Jer 42:5, that they would do "according to all the word." By employing the perfect in Jer 42:20, Jer 42:21, the thing is represented as quite certain, as if it had already taken place. Jer 42:22 concludes the warning with a renewed threat of the destruction which shall befall them for their disobedience.
Jer 42:17-22 ויהיוּ, used instead of the impersonal והיה, is referred to the following subject by a rather unusual kind of attraction; cf. Ewald, §345, b . All the men who set their faces, i. e. , intend, to go to Egypt shall perish; not a single one shall escape the evil; for the same judgment of wrath which has befallen Jerusalem shall also come on those who flee to Egypt; cf.
Jer 7:20. On the expression "ye shall become a curse," etc. , cf. Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:18. Taking for granted that the leaders of the people will not obey, Jeremiah appends to the word of the Lord an earnest address, in which several points are specially insisted on, viz. , that the Lord had spoken to them, that He had forbidden them to go to Egypt, and that he (the prophet), by proclaiming the word of the Lord, had warned them (העיד בּ, to testify, bear witness against a person, i.
e. , warn him of something, cf. Jer 11:7). Thus he discloses to them the dangerous mistake they are in, when they first desire some expression of the mind of the Lord regarding their intentions, and, in the hope that He will accede to their request, promise unconditional obedience to whatever He may direct, but afterwards, when they have received a message from the Lord, will not obey it, because it is contrary to what they wish.
The Kethib התעתים has been incorrectly written for התעיים, the Hiphil from תּעה, to err ; here, as in Pro 10:17, it means to make a mistake. בּנפשׁותיכם, not, "you mislead your own selves ," decepistis animas vestras (Vulg.) , nor "in your souls," - meaning, in your thoughts and intentions (Nägelsbach), - but "at the risk of your souls," your life; cf. Jer 17:21.
וּלכל אשׁר (Jer 42:21), "and that in regard to all that for which Jahveh has sent me to you," points back to their promise, Jer 42:5, that they would do "according to all the word." By employing the perfect in Jer 42:20, Jer 42:21, the thing is represented as quite certain, as if it had already taken place. Jer 42:22 concludes the warning with a renewed threat of the destruction which shall befall them for their disobedience.
Jer 42:17-22 ויהיוּ, used instead of the impersonal והיה, is referred to the following subject by a rather unusual kind of attraction; cf. Ewald, §345, b . All the men who set their faces, i. e. , intend, to go to Egypt shall perish; not a single one shall escape the evil; for the same judgment of wrath which has befallen Jerusalem shall also come on those who flee to Egypt; cf.
Jer 7:20. On the expression "ye shall become a curse," etc. , cf. Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:18. Taking for granted that the leaders of the people will not obey, Jeremiah appends to the word of the Lord an earnest address, in which several points are specially insisted on, viz. , that the Lord had spoken to them, that He had forbidden them to go to Egypt, and that he (the prophet), by proclaiming the word of the Lord, had warned them (העיד בּ, to testify, bear witness against a person, i.
e. , warn him of something, cf. Jer 11:7). Thus he discloses to them the dangerous mistake they are in, when they first desire some expression of the mind of the Lord regarding their intentions, and, in the hope that He will accede to their request, promise unconditional obedience to whatever He may direct, but afterwards, when they have received a message from the Lord, will not obey it, because it is contrary to what they wish.
The Kethib התעתים has been incorrectly written for התעיים, the Hiphil from תּעה, to err ; here, as in Pro 10:17, it means to make a mistake. בּנפשׁותיכם, not, "you mislead your own selves ," decepistis animas vestras (Vulg.) , nor "in your souls," - meaning, in your thoughts and intentions (Nägelsbach), - but "at the risk of your souls," your life; cf. Jer 17:21.
וּלכל אשׁר (Jer 42:21), "and that in regard to all that for which Jahveh has sent me to you," points back to their promise, Jer 42:5, that they would do "according to all the word." By employing the perfect in Jer 42:20, Jer 42:21, the thing is represented as quite certain, as if it had already taken place. Jer 42:22 concludes the warning with a renewed threat of the destruction which shall befall them for their disobedience.
Jer 42:17-22 ויהיוּ, used instead of the impersonal והיה, is referred to the following subject by a rather unusual kind of attraction; cf. Ewald, §345, b . All the men who set their faces, i. e. , intend, to go to Egypt shall perish; not a single one shall escape the evil; for the same judgment of wrath which has befallen Jerusalem shall also come on those who flee to Egypt; cf.
Jer 7:20. On the expression "ye shall become a curse," etc. , cf. Jer 24:9; Jer 25:18; Jer 29:18. Taking for granted that the leaders of the people will not obey, Jeremiah appends to the word of the Lord an earnest address, in which several points are specially insisted on, viz. , that the Lord had spoken to them, that He had forbidden them to go to Egypt, and that he (the prophet), by proclaiming the word of the Lord, had warned them (העיד בּ, to testify, bear witness against a person, i.
e. , warn him of something, cf. Jer 11:7). Thus he discloses to them the dangerous mistake they are in, when they first desire some expression of the mind of the Lord regarding their intentions, and, in the hope that He will accede to their request, promise unconditional obedience to whatever He may direct, but afterwards, when they have received a message from the Lord, will not obey it, because it is contrary to what they wish.
The Kethib התעתים has been incorrectly written for התעיים, the Hiphil from תּעה, to err ; here, as in Pro 10:17, it means to make a mistake. בּנפשׁותיכם, not, "you mislead your own selves ," decepistis animas vestras (Vulg.) , nor "in your souls," - meaning, in your thoughts and intentions (Nägelsbach), - but "at the risk of your souls," your life; cf. Jer 17:21.
וּלכל אשׁר (Jer 42:21), "and that in regard to all that for which Jahveh has sent me to you," points back to their promise, Jer 42:5, that they would do "according to all the word." By employing the perfect in Jer 42:20, Jer 42:21, the thing is represented as quite certain, as if it had already taken place. Jer 42:22 concludes the warning with a renewed threat of the destruction which shall befall them for their disobedience.
Jer 43:1-3 The march of the people to Egypt. - When Jeremiah had thus ended all the words which the Lord had announced to him for the people, then came forward Azariah (probably an error for Jezaniah, see on Jer 42:1) the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and the rest of the insolent men, and said to Jeremiah, "Thou dost utter falsehood; Jahveh our God hath not sent thee unto us, saying, Ye must not go to Egypt to sojourn there; Jer 43:3.
But Baruch the son of Neriah inciteth thee against us, in order to give us into the hand of the Chaldeans, to kill us, and to take us captive to Babylon." אמרים is not the predicate to כּל־האנשׁים, but forms a resumption of ויּאמר, with which it thus serves to connect its object, Jeremiah, and from which it would otherwise be pretty far removed. Azariah (or, more correctly, Jezaniah) occupies the last place in the enumeration of the captains, Jer 40:8, and in Jer 42:1 is also named after Johanan, who is the only one specially mentioned, in what follows, as the leader on the march.
From this we may safely conclude that Jezaniah was the chief speaker and the leader of the opposition against the prophet. To avoid any reference to the promise they had made to obey the will of God, they declare that Jeremiah’s prophecy is an untruth, which had been suggested to him, not by God, but by his attendant Baruch, with the view of delivering up the people to the Chaldeans.
Jer 43:1-3 The march of the people to Egypt. - When Jeremiah had thus ended all the words which the Lord had announced to him for the people, then came forward Azariah (probably an error for Jezaniah, see on Jer 42:1) the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and the rest of the insolent men, and said to Jeremiah, "Thou dost utter falsehood; Jahveh our God hath not sent thee unto us, saying, Ye must not go to Egypt to sojourn there; Jer 43:3.
But Baruch the son of Neriah inciteth thee against us, in order to give us into the hand of the Chaldeans, to kill us, and to take us captive to Babylon." אמרים is not the predicate to כּל־האנשׁים, but forms a resumption of ויּאמר, with which it thus serves to connect its object, Jeremiah, and from which it would otherwise be pretty far removed. Azariah (or, more correctly, Jezaniah) occupies the last place in the enumeration of the captains, Jer 40:8, and in Jer 42:1 is also named after Johanan, who is the only one specially mentioned, in what follows, as the leader on the march.
From this we may safely conclude that Jezaniah was the chief speaker and the leader of the opposition against the prophet. To avoid any reference to the promise they had made to obey the will of God, they declare that Jeremiah’s prophecy is an untruth, which had been suggested to him, not by God, but by his attendant Baruch, with the view of delivering up the people to the Chaldeans.
Jer 43:1-3 The march of the people to Egypt. - When Jeremiah had thus ended all the words which the Lord had announced to him for the people, then came forward Azariah (probably an error for Jezaniah, see on Jer 42:1) the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and the rest of the insolent men, and said to Jeremiah, "Thou dost utter falsehood; Jahveh our God hath not sent thee unto us, saying, Ye must not go to Egypt to sojourn there; Jer 43:3.
But Baruch the son of Neriah inciteth thee against us, in order to give us into the hand of the Chaldeans, to kill us, and to take us captive to Babylon." אמרים is not the predicate to כּל־האנשׁים, but forms a resumption of ויּאמר, with which it thus serves to connect its object, Jeremiah, and from which it would otherwise be pretty far removed. Azariah (or, more correctly, Jezaniah) occupies the last place in the enumeration of the captains, Jer 40:8, and in Jer 42:1 is also named after Johanan, who is the only one specially mentioned, in what follows, as the leader on the march.
From this we may safely conclude that Jezaniah was the chief speaker and the leader of the opposition against the prophet. To avoid any reference to the promise they had made to obey the will of God, they declare that Jeremiah’s prophecy is an untruth, which had been suggested to him, not by God, but by his attendant Baruch, with the view of delivering up the people to the Chaldeans.
Jer 43:4-7 Thereupon Johanan and the other captains took "all the remnant of Judah, that had returned from all the nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah-the men and women and children, the king’s daughters, and all the souls whom Nebuzaradan, chief of the body-guard, had committed to Gedaliah... and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah, - and went to the land of Egypt - for they did not hearken to the voice of Jahveh - and came to Tahpanhes."
In this enumeration of those who were conducted to Egypt, Hitzig, Graf, and others distinguish two classes: (1) the men, women, children, etc. , who had been in Mizpah with Gedaliah, and had been led to Gibeon, after the murder of the latter, by Ishmael, but had afterwards been brought to Bethlehem by Johanan and the other captains (Jer 43:6, cf. Jer 40:7; Jer 41:10, Jer 41:16); (2) those who had returned from the foreign countries whither they had fled, but who had hitherto lived in the country, scattered here and there, and who must have joined the company led by Johanan to Bethlehem during the ten days of halt at that resting-place (Jer 43:5, cf.
Jer 40:11-12). There is no foundation, however, for this distinction. Neither in the present chapter is there anything mentioned of those who had been dispersed through the land joining those who had marched to Bethlehem; nor are the Jews who had returned from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries to their own home distinguished, in Jer 40 and 41, as a different class from those who had been with Gedaliah in Mizpah; but on the other hand, according to Jer 40:12, these returned Jews also came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered grapes and fruit.
Besides, in these verses the distinction can only be made after the insertion into the text of the conjunction ו before את־הגּברים. To "all the remnant of Judah who had returned from the nations" belong the men, women, children, etc. , whom Nebuzaradan had committed to the care of Gedaliah. The enumeration in Jer 43:6 gives only one specification of the "whole remnant of Judah," as in Jer 41:16.
"And all the souls;" as if it were said, "and whoever else was still left alive;" cf. Jos 10:28. Tahpanhes was a frontier town of Egypt on the Pelusian branch of the Nile, and named Δάφναι by the Greeks; see on Jer 2:16. Here, on the borders of Egypt, a halt was made, for the purpose of coming to further resolutions regarding their residence in that country.
Here, too, Jeremiah received a revelation from God regarding the fate now impending on Egypt.