Jeremiah 42 commentary

JEREMIAH 42 COMMENTARY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
1 Then all the army officers, including Johanan
son of Kareah and Jezaniah[a] son of Hoshaiah,
and all the people from the least to the greatest
approached
BARNES, "Among those delivered by Johanan from Ishmael had been Jeremiah and
Baruch Jer_43:6; and to them now all, without exception, come for counsel.
Jezaniah - He is called Azariah in Jer_43:2. The Septuagint, in both places, call him
Azariah. Since there is little reason for identifying him with Jezaniah the Maachathite
Jer_40:8, it is probable that the Septuagint is right in calling him in both places Azariah,
and that the reading Jezaniah arose from some scribe assuming that his name must be
found in the earlier list.
CLARKE, "The captains of the forces - The different leaders of the small bands
or companies, collected from different parts of the land. The principal are those here
named.
GILL, "Then all the captains of the forces,.... Having taken up their residence at
the habitation of Chimham, in their way to Egypt, where they were desirous of going,
and being afraid of the Chaldeans, as they pretended:
and Johanan the son of Kareah; or, "even Johanan" (s); especially and particularly
he, the principal captain and chief spokesman in this affair:
and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah; said to be the son of a Maachathite, Jer_40:8;
and all the people from the least even unto the greatest: a phrase expressive of
the universality of them in the strongest terms:
came near; that is, to Jeremiah; who either was at Mizpah when Gedaliah was slain,
but preserved by the Lord; and though carried captive by Ishmael with the rest, was
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rescued by Johanan; and now along with him: or rather after he had been with Gedaliah
at Mizpah, and made a short stay there, he went to Anathoth, and there abode till now;
and when Johanan took those that were left at Mizpah, he gathered together all the rest
of the Jews in different places to him, in order to go to Egypt, and among the rest the
Prophet Jeremiah; for it can hardly be thought, had he been at Mizpah when Ishmael
was there, he would have escaped without a miracle.
HENRY 1-3, "We have reason to wonder how Jeremiah the prophet escaped the
sword of Ishmael; it seems he did escape, and it was not the first time that the Lord hid
him. It is strange also that in these violent turns he was not consulted before now, and
his advice asked and taken. But it should seem as if they knew not that a prophet was
among them. Though this people were as brands plucked out of the fire, yet have they
not returned to the Lord. This people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; and
contempt of God and his providence, God and his prophets, is still the sin that most
easily besets them. But now at length, to serve a turn, Jeremiah is sought out, and all the
captains, Johanan himself not excepted, with all the people from the least to the
greatest, make him a visit; they came near (Jer_42:1), which intimates that hitherto
they had kept at a distance from the prophet and had been shy of him. Now here,
I. They desire him by prayer to ask direction from God what they should do in the
present critical juncture, Jer_42:2, Jer_42:3. They express themselves wonderfully well.
1. With great respect to the prophet. Though he was poor and low, and under their
command, yet they apply to him with humility and submissiveness, as petitioners for his
assistance, which yet they intimate their own unworthiness of: Let, we beseech thee, our
supplication be accepted before thee. They compliment him thus in hopes to persuade
him to say as they would have him say. 2. With a great opinion of his interest in heaven:
“Pray for us, who know not how to pray for ourselves. Pray to the Lord thy God, for we
are unworthy to call him ours, nor have we reason to expect any favour from him.” 3.
With a great sense of their need of divine direction. They speak of themselves as objects
of compassion: “We are but a remnant, but a few of many; how easily will such a
remnant be swallowed up, and yet it is a pity that it should. Thy eyes see what distress
we are in, what a plunge we are at; if thou canst do any thing, help us.” 4. With desire of
divine direction: “Let the Lord thy God take this ruin into his thoughts and under his
hand, and show us the way wherein we may walk and may expect to have his presence
with us, and the thing that we may do, the course we may take for our own safety.”
Note, In every difficult doubtful case our eye must be up to God for direction. They then
might expect to be directed by a spirit of prophecy, which has now ceased; but we may
still in faith pray to be guided by a spirit of wisdom in our hearts and the hints of
Providence.
JAMISON, "Jer_42:1-22. The Jews and Johanan inquire of God, through Jeremiah,
as to going to Egypt, promising obedience to his will. Their safety on condition of
staying in Judea, and their destruction in the event of going to Egypt, are foretold.
Their hypocrisy in asking for counsel which they meant not to follow, if contrary to
their own determination, is reproved.
K&D 1-6, ""And there drew near all the captains, namely, Johanan the son of
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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 ‫ָה‬‫י‬ְ‫ַנ‬‫ז‬ְ‫י‬ in our verse has been written by mistake for
‫ָה‬‫י‬ ְ‫ַר‬‫ז‬ֲ‫ע‬. 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). ‫ל־נא‬ָ‫פּ‬ ִָ‫תּ‬ 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_42:4-6
Jeremiah replies: "I have heard (i.e., acceded to your request); behold, I will pray to
Jahveh your God, according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatever
Jahveh answers you I will tell you, I will not keep anything from you." Jer_42:5. They
said further: "Let Jahveh be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not just
according to all the word which Jahveh thy God shall send thee (to declare) unto us.
Jer_42:6. Whether it be good or bad, we shall obey the voice of Jahveh our God, to
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whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of Jahveh our
God." ‫ד‬ֵ‫,ע‬ Pro_14:25, and ‫ן‬ ָ‫ֱמ‬‫א‬ֶ‫נ‬, Isa_8:2; Psa_89:38. Both predicates occupy emphatic
positions. God is to be a faithful witness, not in regard to the truth of what they say, but
as regards the fulfilment of their promise, so that, if they would not obey His word, He
might come forward to punish them. ֲ‫ח‬ָ‫ל‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫י‬ is construed with a double accusative: to
send away a person with something, i.e., to give him a commission. After "whether it be
good or evil," there is no need for supplying "in our eyes" (‫ֵינוּ‬‫נ‬‫י‬ֵ‫ע‬ ְ‫,)בּ‬ as Hitzig and Graf
allege: "whether it please us or not;" the subject is ‫ר‬ ָ‫ב‬ ָ‫דּ‬ ַ‫:ה‬ "we will obey the word,
whether it be good or evil," i.e., whether it announce good or evil to come (cf. Ecc_
12:14). The Kethib ‫ֲנוּ‬‫א‬ occurs only in this passage in the Old Testament; the Qeri
accordingly substitutes ‫נוּ‬ ְ‫ַח‬‫נ‬ֲ‫א‬: the former, however, is taken from the vulgar tongue, and
should not be altered here. ‫י‬ ִ‫כּ‬ ‫ע‬ ַ‫מ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫נ‬ does not mean "because we obey," but "when we
obey." The hearing is the condition, not the cause of the prosperity.
CALVIN, "I have said that John, and his associates, and the whole people acted
much more culpably by coming to the Prophet, than if they had not done so, and
had gone directly to Egypt: for they either came dissemblingly, and thus designedly
spoke what was false, or they were extremely stupid, and hypocrisy had wholly
deprived them of their understanding. They came to the Prophet to ask counsel;
nay, that he might be to them God’s interpreter, and that thus they might know
what to do; and they promised to obey, as we shall hereafter see. However this may
have been, they sought an oracle in which it was their duty to acquiesce, except they
resolved openly to shake off the yoke and to show themselves to be gross and
profane despisers of God. They came to the Prophet, when yet it was their fixed
purpose, as we shall see, to go to Egypt.
He who asks counsel, ought first to see that he bring no prejudice, but be free and
honest: but it is, however, a fault too common, that men deliberate and ask counsel,
when they have already settled what to do; nay, nothing is more common than this;
for those who consult do not, for the most part, wish to learn what is right, but that
others should fall in with their own inclinations. He who has resolved on this or that
point, pretends that he is in doubt, and held in suspense; he asks what ought to be
done: if the answer be according to his wishes, he embraces what is said; but if he
who is consulted, disapproves of what he has already resolved to do, he rejects the
counsel given. Such was the dissimulation described by the Prophet, when the
leaders of the forces and the whole people came to him.
He mentions, first, the leaders of the forces, and then John the son of Kareah, and
Jezaniah the son of Hoshiah He adds these two last; but it was to give them honor,
as when the angel said,
“Go and tell his disciples and Peter.” (Mark 16:7)
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He did not put aside Peter, as though he was inferior to all the rest; but for the sake
of honor he mentions his name, after having spoken generally of them all. So also
here, the Prophet names generally the leaders, but as John the son of Kareah, and
Jezaniah were the chief men, he expressly gives their names. He adds, the whole
people, from the least to the greatest This does not refer to age; but what he means
is, that all, of every grade, came with one consent to Jeremiah. It was not then the
conspiring of a few men, but all from the least to the greatest had resolved to go to
Egypt; and yet they came, as though with an honest purpose, to the Prophet;
wherefore? They wished their own perverse design to be approved by God, and thus
to subject God to their own will and humor; for they did not suffer themselves to be
ruled by his Spirit, but audaciously disregarded his word. The Prophet then shews
that they were all implicated in the same sin.
COFFMAN, "The Prophet at length concludes his discourse, after having
mentioned the reasons why God would deal so severely with them, even because
their perfidy, impiety, ingratitude, and obstinate contempt were unsufferable. After
having then shewn that they had no reason to expostulate as though God were
extremely rigid, he at length declares what end awaited them, even that they should
die by the sword, famine, or pestilence, that is, that there would be no hope of safety
to them, because if they escaped from the sword, they should be beset with famine,
and if they evaded the famine, they should be destroyed by pestilence. It is a
common mode of speaking with the Prophets, as it is well known, that when they
intimate that the ungodly in vain hope for impunity, they represent God as having
at his command all kinds of punishment.
Ye shall then, he says, die in that place which ye seek for your sojourn, he again
shews the object of the people, for they did not intend to dwell perpetually in Egypt,
but only for a time, until there was liberty to return to their own country. In short,
they wished to be restored, as it were, against God’s will; and yet they ceased not
falsely to put forward the name of God, as hypocrites, who mock God, always do.
Now follows, —
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:1 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of
Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even
unto the greatest, came near,
Ver. 1. Then all the captains of the forces and Johanan.] Or, Even Johanan; he
among the rest, and above the rest. Ille huic negotio non interfuit modo, sed etiam
praefuit.
And Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah.] Brother, belike, to that Azariah, [Jeremiah
43:2] a noble pair of brethren in evil.
And all the people.] Who follow their rulers; as in a beast the whole body followeth
the head.
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Drew near.] They came as clients use to do for counsel.
WHEDON, " THE REMNANT DESIRE JEREMIAH TO INQUIRE OF GOD,
Jeremiah 42:1-6.
1. All the captains — The “captains” who were with the scattered Jews in the
neighbourhood.
Johanan… and Jezaniah — In addition to the “captains” above referred to. This
last is called, in Jeremiah 43:2, “Azariah.” This has led to the conjecture that an
error has crept into the Hebrew text as to the form of this name. The Septuagint in
both places gives the name Azariah.
EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, "THE DESCENT INTO EGYPT
Jeremiah 42:1-22, Jeremiah 43:1-13
"They came into the land of Egypt, for they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah."-
Jeremiah 43:7
THUS within a few days Jeremiah had experienced one of those sudden and
extreme changes of fortune which are as common in his career as in a sensational
novel. Yesterday the guide, philosopher, and friend of the governor of Judah, today
sees him once more a helpless prisoner in the hands of his old enemies. Tomorrow
he is restored to liberty and authority, and appealed to by the remnant of Israel as
the mouthpiece of Jehovah. Johanan ben Kareah and all the captains of the forces,
"from the least even unto the greatest, came near" and besought Jeremiah to pray
unto "Jehovah thy God," "that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we
may walk, and the thing we may do." Jeremiah promised to make intercession and
to declare faithfully unto them whatsoever Jehovah should reveal unto him.
And they on their part said unto Jeremiah: "Jehovah be a true and faithful witness
against us, if we do not according to every word that Jehovah thy God shall send
unto us by thee: We will obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee,
Whether it be good or evil, that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of
Jehovah our God."
The prophet returned no hasty answer to this solemn appeal. As in his controversy
with Hananiah, he refrained from at once announcing his own judgment as the
Divine decision, but waited for the express confirmation of the Spirit. For ten days
prophet and people were alike kept in suspense. The patience of Johanan and his
followers is striking testimony to their sincere reverence for Jeremiah.
On the tenth day the message came, and Jeremiah called the people together to hear
God’s answer to their question, and to learn that Divine will to which they had
promised unreserved obedience. It ran thus:-
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"If you will still abide in this land,
I will build you and not pull you down,
I will plant you and not pluck you up."
The words of Jeremiah’s original commission seem ever present to his mind:-
"For I repent Me of the evil I have done unto you."
They need not flee from Judah as an accursed land; Jehovah had a new and
gracious purpose concerning them, and therefore:-
"Be not afraid of the king of Babylon,
Of whom ye are afraid;
Be not afraid of him-it is the utterance of Jehovah-
For I am with you,
To save you and deliver yon out of his hand.
I will put kindness in his heart toward you,
And he shall deal kindly with you,
And restore you to your lands."
It was premature to conclude that Ishmael’s crime finally disposed of the attempt to
shape the remnant into the nucleus of a new Israel. Hitherto Nebuchadnezzar had
shown himself willing to discriminate; when he condemned the princes, he spared
and honoured Jeremiah, and the Chaldeans might still be trusted to deal fairly and
generously with the prophet’s friends and deliverers. Moreover the heart of
Nebuchadnezzar, like that of all earthly potentates, was in the hands of the King of
Kings.
But Jeremiah knew too well what mingled hopes and fears drew his hearers towards
the fertile valley and rich cities of the Nile. He sets before them the reverse of the
picture: they might refuse to obey God’s command to remain in Judah; they might
say, "No, we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the
sound of the trumpet, nor hunger for bread, and there will we dwell." As of old,
they craved for the flesh pots of Egypt; and with more excuse than their forefathers.
They were worn out with suffering and toil, some of them had wives and children;
the childless prophet was inviting them to make sacrifices and incur risks which he
7

could neither share nor understand. Can we wonder if they fell short of his inspired
heroism, and hesitated to forego the ease and plenty of Egypt in order to try social
experiments in Judah?
"Let what is broken so remain.
The Gods are hard to reconcile:
‘Tis hard to settle order once again.
Sore task to hearts worn out by many wars."
But Jeremiah had neither sympathy nor patience with such weakness. Moreover,
now as often, valour was the better part of discretion, and the boldest course was the
safest. The peace and security of Egypt had been broken in upon again and again by
Asiatic invaders; only recently it had been tributary to Nineveh, till the failing
strength of Assyria enabled the Pharaohs to recover their independence. Now that
Palestine had ceased to be the seat of war the sound of Chaldean trumpets would
soon be heard in the valley of the Nile. By going down into Egypt, they were leaving
Judah where they might be safe under the broad shield of Babylonian power, for a
country that would soon be afflicted by the very evils they sought to escape:-
"If ye finally determine to go to Egypt to sojourn there,
The sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt.
The famine whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt,
And there shall ye die."
The old familiar curses, so often uttered against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, are
pronounced against any of his hearers who should take refuge in Egypt:-
"As Mine anger and fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem,
So shall My fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter in Egypt."
They would die "by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence"; they would be "an
execration and an astonishment, a curse and a reproach."
He had set before them two alternative courses, and the Divine judgment upon each:
he had known beforehand that, contrary to his own choice and judgment, their
hearts were set upon going down into Egypt; hence, as when confronted and
contradicted by Hananiah, he had been careful to secure divine confirmation before
he gave his decision. Already he could see the faces of his hearers hardening into
8

obstinate resistance or kindling into hot defiance; probably they broke out into
interruptions which left no doubt as to their purpose. With his usual promptness, he
turned upon them with fierce reproof and denunciation:
"Ye have been traitors to yourselves.
Ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying,
Pray for us unto Jehovah our God;
According unto all that Jehovah our God shall say,
Declare unto us, and we will do it.
I have this day declared it unto you,
But ye have in no wise obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God.
Ye shall die by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,
In the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn."
His hearers were equally prompt with their rejoinder; Johanan ben Kereah and "all
the proud men" answered him:-
"Thou liest! It is not Jehovah our God who hath sent thee to say, Ye shall not go into
Egypt to sojourn there; but Baruch ben Neriah setteth thee on against us, to deliver
us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may slay us or carry us away captive to
Babylon."
Jeremiah had experienced many strange vicissitudes, but this was not the least
striking. Ten days ago the people and their leaders had approached him in reverent
submission, and had solemnly promised to accept and obey his decision as the word
of God. Now they called him a liar; they asserted that he did not speak by any
Divine inspiration, but was a feeble impostor, an oracular puppet, whose strings
were pulled by his own disciple.
Such scenes are, unfortunately, only too common in Church history. Religious
professors are still ready to abuse and to impute unworthy motives to prophets
whose messages they dislike, in a spirit not less secular than that which is shown
when some modern football team tries to mob the referee who has given a decision
against its hopes.
Moreover we must not unduly emphasise the solemn engagement given by the Jews
to abide Jeremiah’s decision. They were probably sincere, but not very much in
earnest. The proceedings and the strong formulae used were largely conventional.
9

Ancient kings and generals regularly sought the approval of their prophets or
augurs before taking any important step, but they did not always act upon their
advice. The final breach between Saul and the prophet Samuel seems to have been
due to the fact that the king did not wait for his presence and counsel before
engaging the Philistines. (Samuel 13) Before the disastrous expedition to Ramoth
Gilead, Jehoshaphat insisted on consulting a prophet of Jehovah, and then acted in
the teeth of his inspired warning. [1 Kings 22:1-53]
Johanan and his company felt it essential to consult some divine oracle; and
Jeremiah was not only the greatest prophet of Jehovah, he was also the only prophet
available. They must have known from his consistent denunciation of all alliance
with Egypt that his views were likely to be at variance with their own. But they were
consulting Jehovah-Jeremiah was only His mouthpiece; hitherto He had set His face
against any dealings with Egypt, but circumstances were entirely changed, and
Jehovah’s purpose might change with them, He might "repent." They promised to
obey, because there was at any rate a chance that God’s commands would coincide
with their own intentions. But let’s remark that men may be expected to act "not
only upon an even chance, but upon much less," specially applies to such promises
as the Jews made to Jeremiah. Certain tacit conditions may always be considered
attached to a profession of willingness to be guided by a friend’s advice. Our
newspapers frequently record breaches of engagements that should be as binding as
that entered into by Johanan and his friends, and they do so without any special
comment. For instance, the verdicts of arbitrators in trade disputes have been too
often ignored by the unsuccessful parties; and-to take a very different illustration-
the most unlimited professions of faith in the infallibility of the Bible have
sometimes gone along with a denial of its plain teaching and a disregard of its
imperative commands. While Shylock expected a favorable decision, Portia was "a
Daniel come to judgment": his subsequent opinion of her judicial qualities has not
been recorded. Those who have never refused or evaded unwelcome demands made
by an authority whom they have promised to obey may cast the first stone at
Johanan.
After the scene we have been describing, the refugees set out for Egypt, carrying
with them the princesses and Jeremiah and Baruch. They were following in the
footsteps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of Jeroboam, and many another Jew who
had sought protection under the shadow of Pharaoh. They were the forerunners of
that later Israel in Egypt which, through Philo and his disciples, exercised so
powerful an influence on the doctrine, criticism, and exegesis of the early Christian
Church.
Yet this exodus in the wrong direction was by no means complete. Four years later
Nebuzaradan could still find seven hundred and forty-five Jews to carry away to
Babylon, [Jeremiah 52:30] Johanan’s movements had been too hurried to admit of
his gathering in the inhabitants of outlying districts.
When Johanan’s company reached the frontier, they would find the Egyptian
10

officials prepared to receive them. During the last few months there must have been
constant arrivals of Jewish refugees, and rumour must have announced the
approach of so large a company, consisting of almost all the Jews left in Palestine.
The very circumstances that made them dread the vengeance of Nebuchadnezzar
would ensure them a hearty welcome in Egypt. Their presence was an unmistakable
proof of the entire failure of the attempt to create in Judah a docile and contented
dependency and outpost of the Chaldean Empire. They were accordingly settled at
Tahpanhes and in the surrounding district.
But no welcome could conciliate Jeremiah’s implacable temper, nor could all the
splendour of Egypt tame his indomitable spirit. Amongst his fellow countrymen at
Bethlehem, he had foretold the coming tribulations of Egypt. He now renewed his
predictions within the very precincts of Pharaoh’s palace, and enforced them by a
striking symbol. At Tahpanhes- the modern Tell Defenneh-which was the ancient
Egyptian frontier fortress and settlement on the more westerly route from Syria, the
word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying Take great stones in thine hand, and
hide them in mortar in the brick pavement, at the entry of Pharaoh’s palace in
Tahpanhes, in the presence of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Thus saith
Jehovah Sabaoth, the God of Israel:
"Behold, I will send and take My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon:
I will set his throne upon these stones which I have hid,
And he shall spread his state pavilion over them."
He would set up his royal tribunal, and decide the fate of the conquered city and its
inhabitants.
"He shall come and smite the land of Egypt;
Such as are for death shall be put to death,
Such as are for captivity shall be sent into captivity,
Such as are for the sword shall be slain by the sword.
I will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt;
He shall burn their temples, and carry them away captive:
He shall array himself with the land of Egypt
As a shepherd putteth on his garment."
The whole country would become a mere mantle for his dignity, a comparatively
11

insignificant part of his vast possessions.
"He shall go forth from thence in peace."
A campaign that promised well at the beginning has often ended in despair, like
Sennacherib’s attack on Judah, and Pharaoh Necho’s expedition to Carchemish.
The invading army has been exhausted by its victories, or wasted by disease and
compelled to beat an inglorious retreat. No such misfortune should overtake the
Chaldean king. He would depart with all his spoil, leaving Egypt behind him
subdued into a loyal province of his empire.
Then the prophet adds, apparently as a kind of afterthought:-
"He also shall break the obelisks of Heliopolis, in the land of Egypt" (so styled to
distinguish this Beth-Shemesh from Beth-Shemesh in Palestine),
"And shall burn with fire the temples of the gods of Egypt."
The performance of this symbolic act and the delivery of its accompanying message
are not recorded, but Jeremiah would not fail to make known the Divine word to his
fellow country men, It is difficult to understand how the exiled prophet would be
allowed to assemble the Jews in front of the main entrance of the palace, and hide
"great stones" in the pavement. Possibly the palace was being repaired, or the
stones might be inserted under the front or side of a raised platform, or possibly the
symbolic act was only to be described and not performed. Mr. Flinders Petrie
recently discovered at Tell Defenneh a large brickwork pavement, with great stones
buried underneath, which he supposed might be those mentioned in our narrative.
He also found there another possible relic of these Jewish emigres in the shape of the
ruins of a large brick building of the twenty-sixth dynasty-to which Pharaoh
Hophra belonged-still known as the "Palace of the Jew’s Daughter." It is a natural
and attractive conjecture that this was the residence assigned to the Jewish
princesses whom Johanan carried with him into Egypt.
But while the ruined palace may testify to Pharaoh’s generosity to the Royal House
that had suffered through its alliance with him, the "great stones" remind us that,
after a brief interval of sympathy and cooperation, Jeremiah again found himself in
bitter antagonism to his fellow countrymen. In our next chapter we shall describe
one final scene of mutual recrimination.
PETT, "Verses 1-6
The People Approach Jeremiah And Seek Guidance, Giving The Impression Of
Wanting To Obey YHWH (Jeremiah 42:1-6).
As a result of what had happened to Jerusalem Jeremiah had now been proved to be
a true prophet of YHWH. Thus on finding him among the captives the people came
12

to him ostensibly in order to receive the word of YHWH. What they really wanted
was a religious assurance that the plan which they had formulated was the right
one. They wanted God to back up their plans, rather than themselves wanting to fall
into line with God’s plans.
There may be a deliberate parallel between what is said here and what is said in
Exodus 24. In both cases the covenant is renewed with a promise being made by the
people that they would obey it. It is setting the scene in both cases for their future
disobedience.
Jeremiah 42:1
‘Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah
the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, came
near,’
It would appear that Johanan was the recognised leader of the military forces,
probably by common consent of the commanders, with the son(s) of Hoshaiah
possibly being the recognised leaders of the people in general. Compare Jeremiah
43:1 where Azariah the son of Hoshaiah takes precedence over Johanan in dealing
with Jeremiah’s prophecy. Jezaniah as used here may simply have been another
name for Azariah, or it may be that the two were brothers, both belonging to the
same aristocratic family. He may or may not have been the same person as Jezaniah
the Maachathite (Jeremiah 40:8). But it is emphasised here that both they, and all
from highest to lowest, were concerned to seek Jeremiah’s support for their venture.
This is speaking, of course, of those who were planning the flight to Egypt.
Purportedly they wanted YHWH’s guidance. Actually it would turn out that they
simply wanted to be told that they were right. It was not that they were deliberately
dishonest. They genuinely wanted God’s will, but only as long as it conformed to
theirs. And we must remember that they lived in a day when turning to the divine
about future plans was looked on as the necessary thing to do. The gods were always
consulted before any great enterprise. It is not therefore their religious sincerity
which is in doubt but the condition of their hearts.
PETT, "Verses 1-13
The Refugees Seek YHWH’s Guidance Through Jeremiah But On Receiving It
Reject It Because It Does Not Fit In With Their Inclinations With The Consequence
That Jeremiah Prophesies Judgment Against Them (Jeremiah 42:1 to Jeremiah
43:13).
That Judah had still not learned its lesson comes out in that on receiving the word of
YHWH from Jeremiah they immediately reject it and determine to follow their own
inclinations. We have here a reproduction in miniature of the whole history of
Israel. They sought to Egypt rather than to YHWH. They were reversing Israel’
previous deliverance. Jeremiah on the other hand promised them that if only they
13

would obey YHWH all that he had prophesied against Judah would be reversed,
but they refused to listen. Mighty Egypt appeared to offer a better guarantee of
safety than the promises of YHWH. Little were they to know that mighty Egypt
would itself be humiliated by Nebuchadrezzar, and that they would be caught up in
the repercussions.
BI 1-6, "All the people . . . came near, and said unto Jeremiah the prophet.
The people and the prophet
I. Prayerfulness. “Pray for us.” The prophet was implored to intercede with God on
behalf of his countrymen. That which prosperity had failed to teach, was quickly learned
in the day of adversity. God is honoured when His people cast themselves on His all-
sufficiency; and He will repay their confidence by revelations of enlarged, and ever-
enlarging, favour.
II. Teachableness. “That the Lord thy God may show,” &c. Matthew Henry well says, “In
every difficult and doubtful case our eye must be up to God for direction: we cannot be
guided by a spirit of prophecy, which has ceased; but we may pray to be guided in our
movements by a spirit of wisdom, and the hints of providence.”
1. A teachable spirit is not a credulous spirit. It does not believe, except on evidence;
as the preacher is to persuade men, so is he ever to re-echo the first words God
addresses to His rebellious creatures, “Come, now, and let us reason together.”
2. A teachable spirit is not a captious spirit.
3. A teachable spirit is not a reluctant spirit. (W. G. Barrett.)
The Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you.—
Portrait of a true preacher
I. The true preacher seeks his message for the people from Heaven. “I will pray,” &c.
There are preachers who seek their message from the theories of philosophy, from the
works of literature, from the conclusions of their own reasoning. But a true teacher looks
to Heaven. In his studies his great question is, “What saith the Lord”; in his ministration
his language is, “Thus saith the Lord.” We cannot render the spiritual service to
humanity, of which it is in urgent need, by endeavouring to instruct it with human ideas,
even though they come from the highest intellects of the world. The ideas of God can
alone renovate, spiritually enlighten, purify, ennoble, and save the human soul.
II. The true preacher delivers his message to the people full and faithfully. “I will keep
nothing back from you.”
(1) Though it strike against your prejudices.
(2) Though it enkindle your indignation. (Homilist.)
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2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please
hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God
for this entire remnant. For as you now see,
though we were once many, now only a few are
left.
GILL, "And said unto Jeremiah the prophet,.... That is, some one of them, as the
mouth of the whole body, very probably Johanan:
let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee; they treat the
prophet with great respect, and are very humble and submissive, as if they were very
hearty and sincere in their request:
and pray for us unto the Lord thy God; as if they were conscious of their own
inability to pray for themselves, and of their unworthiness to call God their God; and as
if they had a high opinion of, he prophet, as having an interest in God, and great power
with him in prayer, whom he could not well deny anything:
even for all this remnant; this poor remnant, this handful of people, left of the
sword, famine, and pestilence, left in the land by the Chaldeans, and who had escaped
the cruelty of Ishmael; and for whom it might be hoped the Lord would still have a
regard, since he had so mercifully and wonderfully preserved them:
for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us; the number of the
people had been very large, but by the judgments of the sword, famine, and pestilence,
and captivity, they were greatly reduced; here was their whole number before the
prophet; his eyes beheld them, and the condition they were in: this they said to move his
compassion, and very likely to suggest to him how improbable it was that they should
ever be able to continue in their own land; but that it would be better to put themselves
under the protection of a neighbouring nation, Egypt, whither they were inclined to go;
and hoped to have a word from the Lord by the prophet, to direct them thither.
JAMISON, "Jeremiah — He probably was one of the number carried off from
Mizpah, and dwelt with Johanan (Jer_41:16). Hence the expression is, “came near”
(Jer_42:1), not “sent.”
Let ... supplication be accepted — literally, “fall” (see on Jer_36:7; Jer_37:20).
pray for us — (Gen_20:7; Isa_37:4; Jam_5:16).
thy God — (Jer_42:5). The Jews use this form to express their belief in the peculiar
15

relation in which Jeremiah stood to God as His accredited prophet. Jeremiah in his
reply reminds them that God is their God (“your God”) as well as his as being the
covenant people (Jer_42:4). They in turn acknowledge this in Jer_42:6, “the Lord our
God.”
few of many — as had been foretold (Lev_26:22).
CALVIN, "It is added, that they said, as though they were ready to obey, Let our
prayer fall before thee. This, as we have said, when addressed to God, is an evidence
of humility; but it is applied here to man; and when the Hebrews make a humble
request, they say, “Let my prayer fall before thee,” that is, Hear what I suppliantly
and humbly ask. Pray, they said, to Jehovah thy God for us They called him the
God of Jeremiah, not that they intended to exempt themselves from his authority;
they did not mean that they were alienated from God; but in this way they extolled
Jeremiah, and acknowledged him to be God’s true and lawful Prophet. In short, this
saying refers to the prophetic office, as though they had said, that Jeremiah had
hitherto confirmed his vocation, so that it was clearly evident that he had been sent
from above.
We hence see why they called Jehovah the God of Jeremiah, not as though they had
rejected God, and as though he was not their God in common with Jeremiah, but
they allowed that the Prophet possessed a higher honor, and that his faithfulness
and integrity were beyond controversy.
But this admission justly recoiled on their own head; for if Jeremiah was God’s
Prophet, why did they not instantly obey him, after knowing that what he faithfully
told them he had received from God? and why did they insolently and ferociously
resist him and accuse him of falsehood? Their own admission then was not sincere,
but a fallacious flattery, as is the case with all hypocrites, who never speak in
sincerity and truth.
They afterwards added, Pray for all this remnant, for we are left, a few from many
This they added to produce pity, in order that they might more easily obtain from
Jeremiah what they asked; nor was that difficult; but as they felt conscious of
wrong, they sought the favor of the Prophet by flatteries, Had they asked him
without disguise, they knew that he was of himself disposed to seek the well being of
the people; but as they were of a double mind, they set before him their miserable
state, which might; have roused the Prophet still more to make intercession to God
for them. And for this reason they added, as thine eyes see us And they set before
him this sad spectacle, to create sympathy in the Prophet. And it then follows, And
may Jehovah thy God shew us the way in which we are to walk. They now explained
more clearly why they wished prayer to be made for them, even that God might
answer and shew what he wished them to do.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:2 And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee,
our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God,
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[even] for all this remnant; (for we are left [but] a few of many, as thine eyes do
behold us:)
Ver. 2. Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee.] Here they
seem to humble themselves before Jeremiah the prophet; which, because King
Zedekiah did not, he came to ruin. [2 Chronicles 36:12]
And pray for us unto the Lord thy God.] Good words may be found even in a hellish
mouth sometimes. Who would think but these men had spoken what they did
unfeignedly, and from their very hearts? whenas it soon after appeared that all was
no better than deep dissimulation. They had made their conclusion beforehand to go
down to Egypt, only in a pretence of piety, and for greater credit, they would have
had God’s approbation; which, since they cannot, they will go on with their design
however, fall back, fall edge. O most hateful hypocrisy! O contumacy worthy of all
men’s execration!
WHEDON, "2. Pray for us — Nagelsbach regards this as a piece of hypocrisy, since
their mind seems to have been already strongly set to go to Egypt. But this is by no
means necessary. They may have been sincerely desirous to know God’s will, even
though they greatly preferred that it should be in a given direction. It is not unusual
for honest people to consult God or his servants, not so much to know the right as to
secure approval for that already determined on.
PETT, "Jeremiah 42:2-3
‘And said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let, we pray you, our supplication be presented
before you, and pray for us to YHWH your God, even for all this remnant, for we
are left but a few of many, as your eyes do behold us, that YHWH your God may
show us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.”
For the last phrase compare Exodus 18:20. Outwardly their hopes were very pious.
They wanted to know YHWH’s will and to do it. Indeed they claimed that they
wanted to walk in the way of YHWH. And so they asked Jeremiah to pray to
YHWH so that He would guide them (as it will turn out, as so often with us today, it
was on condition that He said what they wanted Him to say). Note the reference to
the remnant. They were very conscious that their once well populated land was now
comparatively sparsely populated, mainly through slaughter, and through death by
means of famine and pestilence, and through fleeing as refugees, rather than
through exile, for only the cream of the people had actually been exiled. Isaiah in
Jeremiah 6:11-13 had prophesied that Judah would be reduced to a remnant and
that even that remnant would need to be purged. Here now was a remnant but it
will soon become apparent that they too need to be purged. Outwardly, however,
they give the impression of having learned their lesson.
Note that here they speak of ‘YHWHyourGod’, the idea being that Jeremiah was
very much YHWH’s prophet, and that YHWH was the One from Whom he
17

received His prophecies. Other prophets would go to other gods and even many
gods, but they knew that Jeremiah had only one God.
PULPIT, "Said unto Jeromiah the prophet. Jeremiah, we have been already told,
was one of the refugees at Mizpah (Jeremiah 40:6), and consequently was forced
into the train of Ishmael (Jeremiah 41:16). Pray for us. This petition has been
accused of hypocrisy, but the prophecy of Jeremiah assumes throughout that it was
made in earnest. The "captains" never supposed it possible that Jeremiah could
direct them to stay in Judah; the only question with them was as to the best
direction for flight.
3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where
we should go and what we should do.”
CLARKE, "That the Lord thy God may show us - They all thought there was no
safety in Jerusalem or in Judea, and therefore determined to leave the land: but they did
not know which might be the safest direction to take; for though they inclined to Egypt,
yet they wished to know the mind of God on that point.
GILL, "That the Lord thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk,....
Not the way of their duty as to religious worship, or their moral conversation, which was
the way of God's commandments, and had been shown them, and they knew it; but
which way they should steer their course for their safety; they had departed from Mizpah
of themselves, and had taken up their dwelling at Geruthchimham, in the way to Egypt;
whither they had set their faces, and where their hearts were, only they wanted the
Lord's sanction for it, pretending they would be directed by him:
and the thing that we should do; the steps they should take in order to proceed; and
what they should do before they left their own country, and went into another.
JAMISON, "They consulted God, like many, not so much to know what was right, as
wishing Him to authorize what they had already determined on, whether agreeable to
His will or not. So Ahab in consulting Micaiah (1Ki_22:13). Compare Jeremiah’s answer
(Jer_42:4) with Micaiah’s (1Ki_22:14).
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CALVIN, "They came then, as it has been stated, as though they were ready to
obey; and then they professed humility, because they did not wish to do anything
rashly, but only to follow where God called them. Had they spoken from the heart, it
would have been a rare virtue thus to-have fled in perplexities to God, and to have
allowed themselves to be ruled by his word; but we shall see that it was all a pre-
tence. We have then here set before us the hypocrisy of that people, so that we may
learn that whenever we ask what pleases God, we should bring a pure and sincere
heart, so that nothing may prevent or hinder us immediately to embrace whatever
God may command us. But their hypocrisy is discovered to have been still baser,
when the Prophet adds,
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:3 That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we
may walk, and the thing that we may do.
Ver. 3. That the Lord thy God may show us the way.] But they had set themselves in
the way to Egypt before they came with this request to the prophet: why went they
else to Goruth Chimham, the road toward Egypt? [Jeremiah 41:17] why were they
also so peremptory, when they knew God’s mind to the contrary? [Jeremiah 43:7]
And the thing that we may do.] Good words all along; but those, we say, are light
cheap: Quid vero verba quaero, facta cum videam? They were as forward to speak
fair, as their ancestors were in the wilderness; but oh that there were a heart in this
people, saith God, to do as they have said!
4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the
prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your
God as you have requested; I will tell you
everything the Lord says and will keep nothing
back from you.”
GILL, "Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you,.... He
took notice of what they said to him, and found himself disposed to comply with their
request, and readily granted it:
behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God, according to your words; be an
19

intercessor for them; use his interest with his God, and their God; and, on account of
relation, might expect to be heard; whom he would humbly entreat to direct what they
should do, as they desired:
and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I
will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you; but faithfully make
known the whole mind and will of God, just as it is delivered, be it in what way soever:
and though it is not expressed, he might suggest that he had some doubt on his mind
whether they would obey it or not; and that he expected they would be open and free in
declaring themselves on that point; since he had so readily complied with their request,
and was determined to act the faithful part to them; hence the following reply:
HENRY, "II. Jeremiah faithfully promises them to pray for direction for them, and,
whatever message God should send to them by him, he would deliver it to them just as
he received it without adding, altering, or diminishing, Jer_42:4. Ministers may hence
learn, 1. Conscientiously to pray for those who desire their prayers: I will pray for you
according to your words. Though they had slighted him, yet, like Samuel when he was
slighted, he will not sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for them, 1Sa_12:23. 2.
Conscientiously to advise those who desire their advice as near as they can to the mind
of God, not keeping back any thing that is profitable for them, whether it be pleasing or
no, but to declare to them the whole counsel of God, that they may approve themselves
true to their trust.
JAMISON, "I have heard — that is, I accede to your request.
your God — Being His by adoption, ye are not your own, and are bound to whatever
He wills (Exo_19:5, Exo_19:6; 1Co_6:19, 1Co_6:20).
answer you — that is, through me.
keep nothing back — (1Sa_3:18; Act_20:20).
CALVIN, "In order to prepare them to obey, he testified that he would be a faithful
messenger of God; for there is no doubt but that the Prophet, as we shall see,
regarded them with suspicion. That he might therefore have them teachable and
obedient to the answer expected from God, he said beforehand, that he would
honestly and faithfully perform his office as a Prophet.
I have heard, he says; here he shews how ready he was to attend, and how he
neglected nothing conducive to their well being. I have heard, he says, Behold, I will
pray according to your words There is no doubt but that he thus intimated that he
wished well to them; and it might have rendered them more attentive to the oracle to
know that the Prophet was influenced by love. Nor is there a doubt but that the
Prophet testified his love towards them, that his doctrine might afterwards have
more weight with them.
By saying, Whatever your God will answer, he did not mean that the oracle would
be revealed to all, for the words could not be otherwise explained than through the
Prophet, who would openly make known to the whole people what he heard from
God’s mouth. But he says, that the answer would be given to them, because God
20

would give the answer which was to be communicated to all, as it is said that God
spoke to Moses, and also to all the people, for the doctrine was intended for all.
Moses did not receive the law, nor its interpretation, in his own private character,
but in order that the people might know what was right. So Jeremiah did here; the
answer he received from God he made known as belonging in common to all the
people.
But in calling God their God, he did not mean to flatter them or to praise their piety,
but to exhort them to surrender and devote themselves wholly to God, as though he
had said, that they had to do with God, who had bound them to himself when he
adopted them as his peculiar people, and then favored them with so many blessings.
Since then God had made himself known to them, they could not reject his counsel
with impunity, for there was no pretext of ignorance. We hence see what weight
there is in this, your God; for Jeremiah reminded them that they could not with
impunity trifle with God, for they were not their own, but had been chosen to be
God’s people, and on this condition, to be wholly subject to his authority. Then the
sum of the whole is this, that the Prophet would faithfully convey to the Jews the
answer God would give them; and he said this that his doctrine might have a greater
authority among them. It now follows, —
COFFMAN, "Verse 4
JEREMIAH TO PROPHESY; PEOPLE PROMISE OBEDIENCE
"Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray
unto Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass that
whatsoever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep
nothing back from you. Then they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful
witness amongst us, if we do not according to all the word wherewith Jehovah thy
God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the
word of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee; that it many be well with us, when
we obey the voice of Jehovah our God."
This promise seems to be sincere enough, since it even calls upon God Himself to be
a witness against them if they should fail to keep their vow.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard
[you]; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it
shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will
declare [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.
Ver. 4. I have heard you; behold, I will pray.] The wisdom from above is
persuasible, easy to be entreated, [James 3:18] and good men are ready to every
good work. [Titus 3:1] Jeremiah hoped they might speak their whole hearts, and
promiseth to do his best for them, both by praying and prophesying.
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Whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare.] Sic veteres nihil ex se
vel potuerunt, vel protulerunt. The prophets spake as they were inspired by the
Spirit of truth. Christ spake nothing but what was consonant to the Holy Scriptures.
The apostles delivered to the churches what they had received of the Lord. [1
Corinthians 11:23] Polycarp told the churches that he delivered nothing to them but
what he had received of the apostles. (a)
PETT, "Jeremiah 42:4
‘Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to
YHWH your God according to your words; and it will come about that whatever
thing YHWH will answer you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from
you.”
Jeremiah then assured them that he had heard their cry for help, and that he would
pray to YHWH on their behalf as they had requested. He further promised that he
would assuredly tell them what YHWH’s answer to them was, and would keep
nothing back from them. This emphasis suggests that Jeremiah was already aware
that his reply was not likely to please them. He knew that God did not want His
people to return to Egypt (compare Isaiah 30:1-4; Hosea 11; Ezekiel 17:15; and
often). Egypt was doomed (Ezekiel 29-32)
Note again the designation ‘YHWH your God’, this time spoken to the people.
Jeremiah wants them to recognise in their turn that YHWH is their sole God too,
the God to Whom they owe covenant responsibility, and the God Who is interested
in their concerns.
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a
true and faithful witness against us if we do not
act in accordance with everything the Lord your
God sends you to tell us.
BARNES, "Between us - Against us, as in Jer_42:19 (margin.)
According to all things - literally, “according to the whole word as to which
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Yahweh thy God shall send thee to us.”
CLARKE, "The Lord be a true and faithful Witness - The Lord is such; and as
ye have bound yourselves to obey his voice, he will register the covenant, and bless or
curse according as ye shall conduct yourselves in this matter.
GILL, "Then they said to Jeremiah, the Lord be a true and faithful witness
between us,.... Which is the form of an oath; a solemn appeal to God, as a witness to
what they were about to say, and to the sincerity of their hearts in it; who is true to his
word, and faithful to his promises and threatenings; and who bears a true and faithful
testimony, and will do what is just and right; and yet these people never intended to
perform what they promised; which is a most shocking piece of atheism in a professing
people; and who, at this very time, could not but observe the judgments of God upon
their nation, city, and temple:
if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall
send thee to us; they promise to do everything the Lord should signify by the prophet
as his will; and, if they did not, wish the severest judgments of God might fall upon
them.
HENRY 5-6, "They fairly promise that they will be governed by the will of God, as
soon as they know what it is (Jer_42:5, Jer_42:6), and they had the impudence to
appeal to God concerning their sincerity herein, though at the same time they
dissembled: “The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us; do thou in the fear of
God tell us truly what his mind is and then we will in the fear of God comply with it, and
for this the Lord the Judge be Judge between us.” Note, Those that expect to have the
benefit of good ministers' prayers must conscientiously hearken to their preaching and
be governed by it, as far as it agrees with the mind of God. Nothing could be better than
this was: Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord
our God, that it may be well with us. 1. They now call God their God, for Jeremiah had
encouraged them to call him so (Jer_42:4): I will pray to the Lord your God. He is ours,
and therefore we will obey his voice. Our relation to God strongly obliges us to
obedience. 2. They promise to obey his voice because they sent the prophet to him to
consult him. Note, We do not truly desire to know the mind of God if we do not fully
resolve to comply with it when we do know it. 3. It is an implicit universal obedience that
they here promise. They will do what God appoints them to do, whether it be good or
whether it be evil: “Though it may seem evil to us, yet we will believe that if God
command it it is certainly good, and we must not dispute it, but do it. Whatever God
commands, whether it be easy or difficult, agreeable to our inclinations or contrary to
them, whether it be cheap or costly, fashionable or unfashionable, whether we get or lose
by it in our worldly interests, if it be our duty, we will do it.” 4. It is upon a very good
consideration that they promise this, a reasonable and powerful one, that it may be well
with us, which intimates a conviction that they could not expect it should be well with
them upon any other terms.
23

JAMISON, "Lord be a true ... witness — (Gen_31:50; Psa_89:37; Rev_1:5; Rev_
3:14; Rev_19:11).
CALVIN, "It hence appears that the people understood for what purpose Jeremiah,
before he consulted God, assured them of his faithfulness and sincerity; for it was
not without reason that they promised to be obedient to God; but as they saw that
they were suspected as being not sincere by Jeremiah, and as he had promised to be
a true and faithful teacher, they on the other hand declared that they would be
sincere disciples, and would receive whatever God might command them. But they
soon betrayed their perfidy, for when they heard that what they had resolved to do
did not please God, they not only rejected the counsel of God and the Prophet, but
treated him insolently, and even loaded the holy man with reproaches, as though he
had told them what was false. Their hypocrisy ought at the same time to be a lesson
to us, so that when God is pleased through a singular favor to shew us the way of
acting rightly by faithful instructors and competent teachers, we may not be like
them, but be teachable and ready to obey, and prove this not only by the mouth but
also by our deeds.
The Prophet then says, that they spoke thus, Let God be a faithful and true witness
between us. Being not content with a simple affirmation, they dared to interpose the
name of God; and thus we see how blind is hypocrisy. For if men duly weigh what it
is to profane God’s name, surely they would dread and abominate all perjury. As
then they rushed on so audaciously to swear, it is evident that they were as it were
stupefied; and there is no inebriety which so confuses the minds of men and all their
senses as hypocrisy.
They then added, According to whatever word which Jehovah thy God shall send to
us, so will we do, that is, whatever Jehovah shall command us by thee; for God is
said to send to men, when he sends a messenger in his name to bring his commands.
Jeremiah then was, as it were, a middle person to address the people in God’s name,
as though he had been sent from heaven. They therefore said, that they would do
whatever God commanded. A stronger expression follows, Whether good or evil, we
will obey the voice of Jehovah our God They did not here charge God’s word with
being wrong, as though it had anything unjust in it; but they used good in the sense
of joyful, and evil as meaning what is sad or grievous, as though they had said, that
they asked for no other thing but that God should declare what pleased him, and
that they were so submissive as to refuse nothing though contrary to the flesh. Had
this declaration proceeded from the heart, it would have been a testimony of true
piety; for the minds of the godly ought to be so framed as to obey God without
making any exception, whether he commands what is contrary to their purpose, or
leads them where they do not wish to go; for they who wish to make a compact with
God, that he should require nothing but what is agreeable to them, shew that they
know not what it is to serve God. Hence the obedience of faith in an especial manner
requires this, that man should renounce his own desires, that he should not set up
24

his own counsels and wishes against the word of God, nor object and say, this is
hard, that is not quite agreeable. Whether then it be good or evil, that is, though it
may be contrary to the feelings of the flesh, we ought still to embrace what God
requires and commands: this is the rule of true religion.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:5 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and
faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which
the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.
Ver. 5. The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us.] Did these men know
what it was so solemnly to swear a thing? Or were they stark atheists, thus to
promise that with an oath which they never meant to perform?
“ At sperate Deum memorem fandi atque nefandi. ”
Their king, Zedekiah, paid dearly for his perjury to God and men.
‘Then they said to Jeremiah, “YHWH be a true and faithful witness amongst us, if
we do not according to all the word with which YHWH your God will send you to
us.” ’
In bold words they asserted their determination to obey YHWH. They called on
YHWH to act as a true and faithful prosecuting witness among them if they failed to
obey His words which would He would send to them through Jeremiah. In other
words they were indicating that they would be prepared to face up to a searching
examination of their obedience. It was a powerfully phrased request. All seemed set
well for the future. In this confident declaration we discover a decided similarity
with similar declarations in the past. It indicated confirmation of the covenant. See
Exodus 24:3; Exodus 24:7; and compare Joshua 24:21.
6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will
obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending
you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey
the Lord our God.”
25

BARNES, "We - The form used here occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, but
is the regular form of the pronoun in the Talmud. It is one out of many instances of
Jeremiah using the popular instead of the literary language of his times.
GILL, "Whether it be good, or whether it be evil,.... Not morally good, or evil; for
nothing but what is good, and not evil, in this sense, can come from God; but whether
pleasantly or profitably good or evil; whether agreeable or disagreeable, pleasing or
displeasing, advantageous or not; whether it seemed to them good or evil, be it what it
would in their opinion and esteem:
we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; this was
well spoken, had they been sincere in it; and had they implored and depended on the
grace of God to have enabled them to obey; but they spoke not in the uprightness of their
hearts; and, did they, it was with too much confidence of their own strength, and the
power of their free will:
that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God; they
spoke as if they knew their own interest; for so it was, that it was well or ill with those
people, as they obeyed or disobeyed the voice of the Lord; and yet they acted not
according to it; and, what was worse still, did not intend it. What a wretched scene of
hypocrisy is here!
JAMISON, "evil — not moral evil, which God cannot command (Jam_1:13), but
what may be disagreeable and hard to us. Piety obeys God, without questioning, at all
costs. See the instance defective in this, that it obeyed only so far as was agreeable to
itself (1Sa_15:3, 1Sa_15:9, 1Sa_15:13-15, 1Sa_15:20-23).
CALVIN, "As the Jews spoke feignedly by assuming a character not their own, they
profaned God’s name. But if we desire to prove our fidelity to God, the only way of
acting is, to regard his word as binding, whether it be agreeable or otherwise, and
never to murmur, as the ungodly do; for when God would have a yoke laid on them,
they complain that his doctrine is too hard and burdensome. Away, then, with all
those things which can render God’s word unacceptable to us, if we desire to give a
sure proof of our fidelity. Hence they said, Whether it be good or evil, what God will
lay down we will obey his voice.
They afterwards added, For which we send thee to him (127) Here they still further
cast themselves into toils. Jeremiah did not in express words require them to make
an oath; they yet did make an oath; and then in various ways still more bound
themselves over to punishment, if they became perjurers. They now shew that it
would be a two-fold crime, should they disobey God; how? Had the Prophet been
sent to them, they might have made excuses; though vain, they might yet have
something to allege; but when they of their own accord asked God, when they
offered of themselves to do this, and promised to be obedient in all things, it is
26

evident that unless afterwards they acted according to their pledged faith, they must
have been more inexcusable, because they tempted God: for who induced them to
come to the Prophet? We hence see that God extorted from them what doubled their
crime. But the more hypocrites attempt by disguises to conceal their impiety, the
faster they bind themselves, and the more they kindle God’s wrath against
themselves.
They then added, That it may be well with us when we obey the voice of Jehovah By
this circumstance also they aggravated their crime. For if the Prophet had promised
them a prosperous issue, they might not have believed; in that case they would have
indeed sinned; but their wicked-ness would have been more tolerable than when
they themselves had spoken, as though they were the organs of the Holy Spirit; they
said themselves, It shall be well with us; it will be our chief happiness to follow the
voice of God and to obey him. As, then, they thus protested to God and the Prophet,
that they might appear to be God’s faithful servants, the greater condemnation they
brought on themselves; for if they believed that nothing would turn out happily,
except according to God’s command, how was it that they did not submit to God?
why did they despise what was afterwards said by the Prophet? But as we have
already said, as they deceived themselves by dealing falsely with God and profaning
his holy name, let us learn and know that we can in no other way expect a happy
issue in all that we do, but by obeying the voice of God; for whatever men may
attempt of themselves, it will be accursed before God. This, then, is our only sure
hope, that when we attempt nothing but what is according to God’s word, there will
be a good and happy issue, though many things may happen otherwise than we hope
or think.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:6 Whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil, we will obey
the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us,
when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.
Ver. 6. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil,] i.e., Whether it please us or cross
us. Veniat, veniat verbum Domini: et submittemus ei, sexcenta si nobis essent colla,
said a good man once - that is, Let God’s Word come to us once and he shall be
obeyed, whatever come of it. These in the text seem to say as much, but they say it
only; neither was it much to be liked that they were so free of their promises, and all
in their own strength, without any condition of help from heaven: as if the matter
had been wholly in their own hands, and they had free will to whatsoever good
purpose or practice.
“ O caecas mentes hominum! ”
“O the blind mind of men”
We will obey the voice of the Lord.] Yes, as far as a few good words will go.
“ Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest. ” - Ovid.
27

WHEDON, " 6. Good, or… evil — That is, agreeable or disagreeable according as
in accord with our wishes or opposed to them.
We will obey — The theory of these men was certainly perfect. “Piety obeys God
without questioning, at all costs.” The pronoun here is anu, ( ‫),אנו‬ a form which
occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament. It is, however, the ordinary form of the
pronoun in the Talmud. It illustrates Jeremiah’s tendency to use the language of the
people rather than that of literature.
‘Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of YHWH our God,
to whom we send you, that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of YHWH
our God.’
Indeed, they declared, they would obey the voice of YHWH through Jeremiah
whether it spoke good or evil, in other words whatever it spoke, so that it might be
well with them. The thought was pious and theologically correct. The problem was
that they meant it only if it fitted in with their own ideas of what they should do,
something common to many of us in our dealings with God.
Note that taking up Jeremiah’s indication that YHWH was ‘their God’ they now
themselves spoke of Him as ‘our God’. By this they were acknowledging their
responsibility to look only to Him as their only God and to obey and worship Him.
7 Ten days later the word of the Lord came to
Jeremiah.
BARNES, "evil — not moral evil, which God cannot command (Jam_1:13), but what
may be disagreeable and hard to us. Piety obeys God, without questioning, at all costs.
See the instance defective in this, that it obeyed only so far as was agreeable to itself
(1Sa_15:3, 1Sa_15:9, 1Sa_15:13-15, 1Sa_15:20-23).
CLARKE, "After ten days - All this time he was waiting upon God; for it is evident
28

the prophets could not prophesy when they pleased, any more than the disciples of our
Lord could work miracles when they wished. The gift of prophecy and the gift of miracles
were both dependent on the will of the Most High, and each of them was given only for
the moment; and when the necessity was over, the influence ceased.
GILL, "And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the Lord came
unto Jeremiah. Abarbinel thinks it was on the tenth day of the seventh month, the day
of atonement, that the answer was returned; but it is clear, from the context, that it was
ten days from the time the Jews applied to the prophet to inquire of the Lord for them,
and he promised to do it, that this word came from the Lord to him; not that he was
praying all this while, as some think; but, having spread the case before the Lord, he
waited for an answer; which was deferred, that it might have the greater weight with it
when it came; and that it might appear that it was not of the prophet himself, a device of
his own; and chiefly this was to mortify these people, who were impatient of an answer;
and whose hypocrisy the Lord knew; and whose disobedience he foresaw; and therefore
did not think fit to give the answer directly, but keep them in suspense awhile.
HENRY, "We have here the answer which Jeremiah was sent to deliver to those who
employed him to ask counsel of God.
I. It did not come immediately, not till ten days after, Jer_42:7. They were thus long
held in suspense, perhaps, to punish them for their hypocrisy or to show that Jeremiah
did not speak of himself, nor what he would, for he could not speak when he would, but
must wait for instructions. However, it teaches us to continue waiting upon God for
direction in our way. The vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak.
II. When it did come he delivered it publicly, both to the captains and to all the
people, from the meanest to those in the highest station; he delivered it fully and
faithfully as he received it, as he had promised that he would keep nothing back from
them. If Jeremiah had been to direct them by his own prudence, perhaps he could not
have told what to advise them to, the case was so difficult; but what he has to advise is
what the Lord the God of Israel saith, to whom they had sent him, and therefore they
were bound in honour and duty to observe it. And this he tells them,
JAMISON, "ten days — Jeremiah did not speak of himself, but waited God’s time
and revelation, showing the reality of his inspiration. Man left to himself would have
given an immediate response to the people, who were impatient of delay. The delay was
designed to test the sincerity of their professed willingness to obey, and that they should
have full time to deliberate (Deu_8:2). True obedience bows to God’s time, as well as His
way and will.
K&D 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
29

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
‫יל‬ ִ‫פּ‬ ַ‫ה‬ ‫ָה‬‫נּ‬ ִ‫ה‬ ְ‫,תּ‬ see on Jer_36:7. ‫ב‬ ‫שׁ‬ (Jer_42:10) can only be inf. abs. of ‫ב‬ַ‫ָשׁ‬‫י‬, for ‫ב‬ ‫ָשׁ‬‫י‬ ; 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 ‫ב‬ ‫שׁ‬
‫בוּ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ ֵ‫.תּ‬ Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as ‫ב‬ ‫שׁ‬ being used for ‫ב‬ ‫ָשׁ‬‫י‬; in a
verb like ‫ב‬ַ‫ָשׁ‬‫י‬, 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
30

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.
CALVIN, "Here Jeremiah declares what answer he received from God; and he gave
it in his name to the leaders of the forces and to the whole people. The answer was,
that they were to continue in the land; for this would be for their good. We shall
hereafter see, that they had falsely asked counsel of God, whom they had resolved
not to obey, as it has been already stated. But the Prophet shews again more clearly
how perversely they acted after God had commanded them to remain quiet, and
especially not to proceed to Egypt.
Now he says, that at the tenth day God answered him. He might have done so
immediately, but he deferred, that the prophecy might have more weight. Had the
Prophet been asked any question respecting the common rule of life, as a faithful
expounder of the Law, he might have explained to them what their duty was; but as
he had been asked on a special subject, he could not have immediately answered
them. And God, as I have said, kept them for a time in suspense; not only that the
Prophet’s answer might be made without ostentation, but also that. the people might
embrace as coming from God what the Prophet would say; for his doctrine could
not have been doubted, for he did not instantly bring forth what had arisen in his
own head, but prayerfully waited to know what pleased God, and at length
announced his commands. We now then perceive the cause of delay, why God did
not immediately convey to his servant the answer required.
Let us at the same time learn from this passage, that if God does not immediately
extricate us from all perplexity and doubt, we ought patiently to wait, according to
the direction of Paul, who, when speaking of doctrine, admonished the faithful to
remain contented until what they knew not should be revealed to them. (Philippians
3:15.) Much more should we do so, when we ask counsel as to any particular thing.
When God does not immediately make known to us what we ask, we ought, as I
have already said, to wait with calm and resigned minds for the time and the season
when it shall be made known to us.
COFFMAN, "Verse 7
AFTER TEN DAYS; GOD REPLIED
"And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah.
Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that
were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest."
"After ten days ..." (Jeremiah 42:7). Upon other occasions, God had replied almost
31

at once to the prophet; but here, as in the case of the prophecy against Hananiah,
the Word of God came after a delay of ten days. Why? We cannot agree with such
writers as those mentioned by Keil, who thought the delay was for the purpose of
allowing Jeremiah time to "get further news," or for Jeremiah's own "meditations
to mature." As Keil noted, "Such an interpretation is unscriptural and rests upon a
denial of divine inspiration."[3] The basic understanding of the Bible requires
absolutely that its readers understand what is written, not as the words of men, but
as the "Word of God through men!"
Feinberg's word on this is: "The prophets never confused God's revelation with
their personal desires, judgments, or conclusions. They would not announce God's
will until they were certain that they knew what it was. The Scripture always
distinguishes between the subjective thoughts of the prophets and the objective
Word of God."[4]
Two radical critics, Hitzig and Graf, stated that the ten-day delay in God's reply to
Jeremiah was for the purpose of "Giving Jeremiah time to collect information and
make up his mind."[5] However, as Smith observed, "That would turn Jeremiah
into a wise politician instead of a divine prophet!"[6]
The 10-day delay was disciplinary, giving the people time themselves to pray and
await the arrival of God's Word. Instead of that, it seems that the people pushed
forward their preparations for going into Egypt; for, as events proved, they were
determined to do their own will in that matter, not the will of God.
COKE, "Jeremiah 42:7. It came to pass after ten days— The prophet prayed during
these ten days, to obtain from God the revelation of his will; for the prophets had
not always the spirit of prophecy at their command. The Spirit came and went as he
would, and communicated himself only by intervals. Here Jeremiah begins the
prophecy which he had as it were announced at the commencement of chap. 40: the
relation whereof he has hitherto postponed, in order to inform his reader of what
happened before, with which his prophecy was connected. During these ten days
Jeremiah continued in retirement and prayer. See Calmet.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the
LORD came unto Jeremiah.
Ver. 7. And it came to pass that after ten days.] So long God held his holy prophet in
request; and so he doth still his best servants many times, thereby tying, as it were,
the sacrifice to the horns of the altar. How impatient those wretched roysters were
of such a delay, we may well imagine (the Chinese use to whip their gods when they
will not hear and help them forthwith); but God held them off as unworthy of any
answer, and seemed by his silence to say unto them, as in Ezekiel 20:3, "Are ye come
to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord, I will not be inquired of by you."
WHEDON, " JEREMIAH’S ANSWER, (A) SAFETY IN JUDEA, Jeremiah
32

42:7-12.
7. After ten days — The delay was doubtless to prepare them for the answer. The
excitement of the time would in some measure have passed away, and they would
have had time to consider the situation of affairs. It is good for man to wait God’s
time.
PETT, "Verses 7-22
Jeremiah Brings To The People The Word Of YHWH (Jeremiah 42:7-22).
The break of ten days during which Jeremiah waited on YHWH brings out the
importance of what is to be said. The run of cultic prophets spoke spontaneously,
having stirred themselves up into ecstasy, but this was no spontaneous word from
Jeremiah. He had to wait on YHWH for the genuine word of YHWH. The wait
would meanwhile leave the people feeling uneasy in the light of the impending threat
of Nebuchadrezzar. It suggests that God was testing their faith and giving them time
to think over their situation. He knew that what He was about to command would
be contrary to all their intentions.
We soon discover the reason for the waiting. YHWH’s word was that, rather than
fleeing to Egypt, they were to remain in Judah under His own protection. They must
trust in Him not in Egypt (compare Isaiah 30:1-5). He further indicated, in terms
reminiscent of Jeremiah’s previous prophecies, that the judgment which Jeremiah
had previously pronounced against Judah had now been reversed, and that if they
remained in the land, rather than their being delivered up to Nebuchadrezzar, they
would be established and would be delivered out of his hand. On the other hand if
they chose to go into Egypt they would find themselves subjected to all the
judgments from which they were trying to escape. The choice before them was
stark. YHWH or Egypt.
The passage closes with Jeremiah, expressing his awareness in a kind of postscript
that their decision has been to disobey YHWH, declaring that they will in fact prove
disobedient, and will thus come under God’s renewed judgment. It was not, of
course, just the seeking of refuge in Egypt that was the problem. It was that once
they had done so they would start to look to other gods, something which Jeremiah
44:15 ff. make clear is precisely what happened.
Jeremiah 42:7
‘And it came about after ten days, that the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah.’
‘Ten days’ may simply signify ‘a period longer than seven days’. In Genesis ‘three
days’ regularly indicated a short period, with ‘seven days’ indicating a relatively
longer period. ‘Ten days’ may therefore have been the next stage up the scale
(compare ‘ten times’ in Genesis 31:41). But however that may be, the description
33

indicated that Jeremiah had to wait some considerable period, well over a seven day
period, for YHWH’s answer, something unusual in the field of prophecy (compare,
however, Jeremiah 28:11-12; Ezekiel 3:16). It was a reminder that with the genuine
prophets YHWH’s word was not just something that could be produced by religious
manipulation, but was a genuine word from Him.
The impression we gain (Jeremiah 42:2; Jeremiah 42:4) is that Jeremiah was to
spend much of the time in prayer and supplication. Then at YHWH’s discretion His
word came to Jeremiah. The wait should have convinced God’s people that the word
which came would be of vital importance. God was doing His best to bring home to
them the importance of what He was about to say.
PULPIT, "After ten days. Why this delay? Keil thinks it was for the sake of the
people, who needed time to collect themselves and listen calmly to the revelation.
Ezekiel once waited seven days (Ezekiel 3:16); but this was owing to his own
disturbed state of mind. The answer of the Lord extends to verse 18, the last four
verses being an epilogue enforcing the Divine declaration. It consists of the promise
(verses 9-12) that, if the people will remain quietly in the land, they will be
protected; and of the threat (verses 13-18) that, if they presume to migrate into
Egypt, they will perish there by sword, famine, and pestilence.
8 So he called together Johanan son of Kareah
and all the army officers who were with him and
all the people from the least to the greatest.
GILL, "Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah,.... That is, Jeremiah, as soon
as he had received the answer from the Lord, called to Johanan; who, after the death of
Gedaliah, was a person of the greatest authority, and had the command of the people, to
come unto him, and hear what it was: he either called to him vocally and by name; or he
sent a proper messenger to him, to meet him at some convenient place, to receive it; and
not him only, but
all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people, from
the least even unto the greatest; they were all convened together, as it was proper
they should, to hear the word of the Lord; and the rather, since they all joined in a
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request to the prophet, Jer_42:1.
CALVIN, "Jeremiah says, that he called John and the other leaders of the forces
and all the people, from the least to the greatest This is expressed that we may know
that it happened, not through the fault of one or two, that this prophecy was
disregarded, but that all the people were united together. The people themselves,
then, could not have pretended that they were free from blame; for we see that they
were all implicated. The leaders are particularly mentioned, and on the other hand
the people, so that the leaders could not object and say that they were forced by a
popular tumult, nor could the people throw the blame on the leaders. The Prophet
then shews that they all rebelled against God, and that there was no exception.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the
captains of the forces which [were] with him, and all the people from the least even
to the greatest,
Ver. 8. And all the people, from the least unto the greatest.] For the Word of God
belongeth to all of all sorts; and as the smaller fish bite first, so the poor are
evangelized [Matthew 11:5] when the richer stand off.
‘Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who
were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,’
Having received YHWH’s word Jeremiah then solemnly called together the whole
leadership, together with all the people who were in the camp, from the
commanders and the king’s daughters, to the lowest servants. The whole assembly
of the people was to be there to hear YHWH’s command.
9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the
God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present
your petition, says:
GILL, "And said unto them, thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel,.... That had
chosen Israel; had a favour for that people, and bestowed many blessings on them, and
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continued in a covenant relation to them; and therefore what he said should be regarded
by them. This preface is made by the prophet, to show that what he was about to say was
not of himself, and in his own name; but was from the Lord, and who bore a good will to
them; and therefore whatever he said should be taken in good part, and as what was best
for them:
unto whom ye sent me, to present your supplication before him; or, "to cause
your supplication to fall before him" (t); to make it in the most humble and submissive
manner; and which carries in it other arguments to engage them to obey the word of the
Lord he brought to them; both because they had sent him to the Lord on this errand, to
get a word from him; and by him had entreated him for it, in the most suppliant manner.
The word from the Lord follows:
CALVIN, "He then says that he faithfully related to them what God had
commanded, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me By this
circumstance he shews that they were more bound to obey; for if God had sent his
Prophet to them,’ they ought to have obeyed his voice; but when they of their own
accord came to him and prayed for a favor, and wished God’s will to be made
known to them, they became doubly culpable when they refused the answer given
them in God’s name. And he adds, That I might prostrate, or make to fall, your
prayer before God We have stated what is meant by this mode of speaking; but
there is a difference to be noticed, for he had been requested sup-pliantly to ask
God; and he says here that he had not only prayed, but had presented the prayer of
the whole people, because he acted for the public; and then he was a middle person
between God and the people. On this account he says, that he had been seat to
present the prayer of the people to God, for he asked nothing for himself, but acted
for them all, and asked God to answer the people.
COFFMAN, "Verse 9
ISRAEL COMMANDED TO STAY IN PALESTINE
"And (Jeremiah) said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto whom
ye sent me to present your supplication before him: If ye will abide in this land, then
will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up;
for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of
Babylon, of whom ye are afraid,; be not afraid of him, saith Jehovah: for I am with
you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will grant you mercy, that
he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land."
From here through Jeremiah 42:22 Jeremiah revealed the prophetic word from God
as doing the following things: (1) It promised them security and salvation if they
would obey. (2) It warned them against disobedience. (3) It emphatically
commanded them not to go down into Egypt. (4) It warned them against self-
deception of a heart which asks for guidance when it has already made its decision.
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The remnant who were determined to go into Egypt were afraid of the king of
Babylon, who was indeed a terrible and powerful enemy; but God Himself promised
to save the people from him, if they would only obey their God. "In the year 582
B.C. Nebuchadnezzar did again return to Jerusalem and take more captives (See
Jeremiah 52:30),"[7] that event being associated (by some scholars) with the actual
date of Gedaliah's assassination. But God, if the people had obeyed his word, would
easily have saved everyone of them exactly as he had promised. Many of God's
blessings and promises were cancelled because of the disobedience of his children.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of
Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;
Ver. 9. Unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication.] Heb., To make your
supplication fall in his presence. This I have not ceased to do ever since, but had no
answer till now; and it may be that now you may the better regard it. Cito data eito
vilescunt. Soon given, soon worthless.
WHEDON, " 9. Thus saith the Lord — How definite and vivid, apparently, was the
consciousness of Jeremiah that he was the organ of God! And how clearly does such
a belief as this on the part of individuals and the people generally lie at the
foundation of every thing characteristic in the Old Testament.
‘And said to them, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to
present your supplication before him,’
He reminded them that it was they who had sent him to ‘YHWH, the God of Israel’,
in other words to ‘their God’, in order that he might pray before Him so that they
might receive the true word of YHWH through him.
10 ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and
not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot
you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I
have inflicted on you.
37

BARNES, "I repent me - As punishment had been inflicted, the divine justice was
satisfied.
CLARKE, "For I repent me of the evil - The meaning is, As I have punished you
only because you continued to be rebellious, I will arrest this punishment as soon as you
become obedient to my word. You need not fear the king of Babylon if you have me for
your helper; and I will so show mercy to you that he shall see it, and cease from afflicting
you, as he shall see that I am on your side.
GILL, "If ye will still abide in this land,.... In the land of Judea, their native
country, where they had always lived, and where they continued when their brethren
were carried captive; and yet they thought of going out of it, which the Lord knew; and
therefore to encourage them to abide in it, and not think of departing into Egypt; that if
they would take up their residence in it, and determine to continue there, he thus
promises them:
then will I build you, and not pull you down: and I will plant you,
and not pluck you up; that is, they should be firm and stable, happy and prosperous;
and abound with all kind of blessings, and increase in numbers, wealth, and riches. The
metaphors are taken from building houses, and planting fields and vineyards:
for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you; not that he had done any
unjust thing to them; or that he changed his mind concerning them; but that he had
compassion on them, and would change his way and course of providence towards them,
according to his unchangeable will.
JAMISON, "If ye ... abide — namely, under the Babylonian authority, to which God
hath appointed that all should be subject (Dan_2:37, Dan_2:38). To resist was to resist
God.
build ... plant — metaphor for, I will firmly establish you (Jer_24:6).
I repent ... of the evil — (Jer_18:8; Deu_32:36). I am satisfied with the
punishment I have inflicted on you, if only you add not a new offense [Grotius]. God is
said to “repent,” when He alters His outward ways of dealing.
CALVIN, "He now adds, If remaining ye will remain in this land, I will build you
up and plant you, I will not pull you down nor root you up Here the Prophet testifies
that the counsel he gave them in God’s name would be for their good; and what is
good or useful is deemed by men, when they theorize, as they say, to be of great
value. The simple authority of God ought, indeed, to be sufficient; and had God only
commanded them in one word to remain, they ought to have acquiesced. But God
here accommodated himself to their infirmity, and was pleased, in a manner, to let
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himself down in order to promote their well being, and did not require obedience
according to his authority and sovereign power, as he might have justly done. We
hence see how kindly God dealt with this people, as he did not demand what he
might, but gave his counsel, and testified that it would be good and useful to them.
Now when orators adduce what is useful in order to persuade, they have recourse to
conjectures, they state human reasons; but the Prophet here promised in God’s
name, that that if they remained it would be for their good. God’s promise, then, is
brought forward here instead of conjectures and reasons. Therefore the obstinacy of
the people was without excuse, when they rejected the authority of God; and then
despised his counsel, and also disbelieved his promise. Then to the contempt of God
was added unbelief: and we know that no greater reproach can be offered to God
than when men do not believe him.
The metaphors here used occur often in Scripture. God is said to build up men
when he confirms them in a settled state; and in the same sense he is said to plant
them. This we have already seen, and it is especially evident from Psalms 44:2,
where God is said to have “planted” in the land of Canaan the people he had
brought out of Egypt. He then promised that the condition of the people would be
secure, and safe, and perpetual, if only they did not change their place. When he
adds, I will not pull down nor pluck up, he: follows what is done commonly in
Hebrew. Neither the Latins nor the Greeks speak in this manner; but negatives of
this kind in Hebrew are confirmations, as though the Prophet had said, “God will so
plant you that your root will remain. There will then be no danger of being plucked
up when you have been planted by God’s hand; nor will he suffer you to be
subverted or pulled down when he has built you up by his own hand.” What then
they ought to have especially sought, God freely promised them, even to be safe and
secure in the land; for this especially was what the Prophet meant.
It afterwards follows, For I repent of the evil which I have brought on you. The verb
‫,נחם‬ nuchem, sometimes means to repent, and often to comfort; but the former sense
comports better with this passage, that God repented of the evil. If, however, we
prefer this rendering, “For I have received comfort,” then the meaning would be, “I
am satisfied with the punishment with which I have visited your sins;” for they to
whom satisfaction is given are said to receive comfort. As then God was content with
the punishment he had inflicted on the Jews, the words may be rendered thus, “For
I have received satisfaction from the evil,” or, “I am satisfied with the evil,” etc. The
other meaning, however, is more generally taken, that God repented of the evil.
(128) But this mode of speaking is, indeed, somewhat harsh, yet it contains nothing
contrary to the truth; for we know that God often transfers to himself what
peculiarly belongs to man. Then repentance in God is nothing else than that having
been pacified, he does not pursue men to an extremity, so as to demand the
punishment which they justly deserve. Thus, then, God repented of the evil which he
had brought on the people, after having sufficiently chastised their sins, according
to what we read in Isaiah, when God says, that he had exacted double for their sins.
(Isaiah 40:2.) He called the punishment he had inflicted double, not that it exceeded
39

a just measure, but he spoke according to his paternal feeling, that he had treated
his people in a harder way than he wished, as a father, who is even displeased with
himself when he has been very severe towards his children.
We now, then, perceive what is meant by the reason here given, that the Jews were
not to fear if they dwelt in the land, because God had sufficiently chastised them,
and that he was so pacified that he would not further pursue them with severity.
Jeremiah at the same time reminds us, that whatever evils happen to us, they ought
to be ascribed to God’s judgment, and not to adverse fortune. We hence see that by
these words the people were exhorted to repent; for as they were bidden to entertain
good hope, because their safety was in God’s hand, so also the Prophet shews that as
to the time past they had suffered nothing by chance, but that they had been
punished because they had provoked God’s wrath. It follows, —
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and
not pull [you] down, and I will plant you, and not pluck [you] up: for I repent me of
the evil that I have done unto you.
Ver. 10. Then will I build you.] Promittitur felicitatio; parabola ab architectura et
agricultura desumpta. God promiseth to bless and settle them by a twofold
similitude, used also by the apostle, [1 Corinthians 3:9] "Ye are God’s husbandry,
ye are God’s building." See Jeremiah 24:6.
For I repent me of the evil.] A term taken from men, [Genesis 6:6] though
repentance in men is a change of the will; but repentance in God is only the willing
of a change, mutatio rei, non Dei. See Jeremiah 18:8.
WHEDON, " 10. If ye will still abide — One chapter of their probation had closed,
another now opens. They had proven disobedient and corrupt under Jewish rule,
and the catastrophe had come; they were again to be put to trial under Babylonian
rule. Though they had proven rebellious, and so had been given over into the power
of their enemies, God had by no means deserted them, or become their enemy. And
so this message is full of assurances of his continued interest in their behalf: “I
repent me,” “I will build you,” “save you,” “deliver you,” “show mercies unto you.”
“If you will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and
I will plant you, and not pluck you up, for I repent me of the evil that I have done to
you.’
The initial words are a reversal of the trend of Jeremiah’s previous prophecies
against Judah (see Jeremiah 1:10), and guarantee a fulfilment of His promises in
Jeremiah 18:7-10; Jeremiah 31:4-5; Jeremiah 33:7. YHWH promises to fulfil in
Judah what is also promised to the exiles outside Judah (Jeremiah 24:6), their
‘building up and planting’. It was an offer to bring about the fulfilment of the
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promises concerning the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:27-34 (see especially
Jeremiah 31:28). YHWH promises them that if they will remain in the land and put
their trust in Him He will ‘build them up and plant them’ because as a result of His
judgments He has been able to change His mind about their situation. We should
notice in this regard that YHWH’s ‘repentance’ is always as a result of changed
circumstances which enable Him to view things differently. He changes His mind
because the situation has changed enabling Him to act differently, not because He
had previously made the wrong decision or was sorry for what He had done.
Thus if they are willing to truly obey YHWH the beginning of the reversal of the
judgments of God can commence, with a future bright in the light of the promises in
chapters 30-31. They will be able to enter into a new covenant with YHWH, a
covenant that changes the heart, the Davidic king will take his throne, and the whole
land will become prosperous. It must not be overlooked that this was a prospective
turning point in salvation history. Sadly it did not come to fruition.
PULPIT, "Build you, and not pull you down, etc. Some of Jeremiah's favourite
phrases (see on Jeremiah 24:6). I repent me. And yet in 1 Samuel 15:29 we read that
"Israel's Trust … is not a man that he should repent." The key to the discrepancy
may be found in Psalms 18:25, Psalms 18:26, "With the pious thou showest thyself
pious … and with the froward thou showest thyself froward." There is no change in
the nature or purpose of God, but only in his conduct towards man. The term
"repent" is, therefore, only used analogically.
11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom
you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares
the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and
deliver you from his hands.
GILL, "Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid,.... Lest he
should revenge the death of Gedaliah upon them, which was a groundless fear; see Jer_
41:18; or that they should be dealt hardly with by him, and be cruelly oppressed, and not
able to live in subjection to him; see Jer_40:9;
be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: who, being omniscient, knew they were;
and, being omnipotent, a greater King than the king of Babylon, the King of king?, they
41

had no reason to fear anything from him, since they were under his protection:
for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand; from his
avenging and oppressing hand; though they were not to be delivered as yet from
subjection to him, or being tributaries to him; which they might be, and yet dwell in
peace and safety.
HENRY 11-12, "That it is the will of God that they should stay where they are, and
his promise that, if they do so, it shall undoubtedly be well with them he would have
them still to abide in this land, Jer_42:10. Their brethren were forced out of it into
captivity, and this was their affliction; let those therefore count it a mercy that they may
stay in it and a duty to stay in it. Let those whose lot is in Canaan never quit it while they
can keep it. It would have been enough to oblige them if God had only said, “I charge you
upon your allegiance to abide still in the land;” but he rather persuades them to it as a
friend than commands it as a prince. (1.) He expresses a very tender concern for them in
their present calamitous condition: It repenteth me of the evil that I have done unto you.
Though they had shown small sign of their repenting of their sins, yet God, as one
grieved for the misery of Israel (Jdg_10:16), begins to repent of the judgments he had
brought upon them for their sins. Not that he changed his mind, but he was very ready
to change his way and to return in mercy to them. God's time to repent himself
concerning his servants is when he sees that, as here, their strength is gone, and there is
none shut up or left, Deu_32:36. (2.) He answers the argument they had against abiding
in this land. They feared the king of Babylon (Jer_41:18), lest he should come and
avenge the death of Gedaliah upon them, though they were no way accessory to it, nay,
had witnessed against it. The surmise was foreign and unreasonable; but, if there had
been any ground for it, enough is here said to remove it (Jer_42:11): “Be not afraid of
the king of Babylon, though he is a man of great might and little mercy, and a very
arbitrary prince, whose will is a law, and therefore you are afraid he will upon this
pretence, though without colour of reason, take advantage against you; be not afraid of
him, for that fear will bring a snare: fear not him, for I am with you; and, if God be for
you to save you, who can be against you to hurt you?” Thus has God provided to obviate
and silence even the causeless fears of his people, which discourage them in the way of
their duty; there is enough in the promises to encourage them. (3.) He assures them that
if they will still abide in this land they shall not only be safe from the king of Babylon, but
be made happy by the King of kings: “I will build you and plant you; you shall take root
again, and be the new foundation of another state, a phoenix-kingdom, rising out of the
ashes of the last.” It is added (Jer_42:12), I will show mercies unto you. Note, In all our
comforts we may read God's mercies. God will show them mercy in this, that not only
the king of Babylon shall not destroy them, but he shall have mercy upon them and help
to settle them. Note, Whatever kindness men do us we must attribute it to God's
kindness. He makes those whom he pities to be pitied even by those who carried them
captives, Psa_106:46. “The king of Babylon, having now the disposal of the country,
shall cause you to return it to your own land, shall settle you again in your own
habitations and put you in possession of the lands that formerly belonged to you.” Note,
God has made that our duty which is really our privilege, and our obedience will be its
own recompence. “Abide in this land, and it shall be your own land again and you shall
continue in it. Do not quit it now that you stand so fair for the enjoyment of it again. Be
no so unwise as to forsake your own mercies for lying vanities.”
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CALVIN, "The Prophet obviates the doubt which might have grieved or agitated
the minds of the people. They ought, indeed, to have recumbed on God’s promise
alone; but it was difficult to be without doubts in a state of things so uncertain and
confused; for the king of Babylon, as it has been stated, was grievously offended
when the governor of the land was slain. The king had received wrong from the
people, and the heat of war since the late victory had not cooled. They then justly
feared, being conscious of the evil that had been done; and then they had to do with
a proud and cruel enemy. God therefore removed from them this doubt; and thus he
confirmed the paternal care which he had shewn towards them by kindly freeing
them from every fear, and taking away every ground of terror.
Though Nebuchadnezzar had been offended, and might avenge the wrong done to
him, yet God promised to prevent this, and declared that he would not suffer him to
do any evil to the Jews. “Ye fear,” he says, “Nebuchadnezzar, but cease to do so; let
this fear be dismissed, for he will not hurt you.” And the reason is added, Because I
am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand Here he bade the Jews to
entertain good hope, because, while relying on his protection they would be safe: for
there is no more any reason for doubting, when God declares that he will stand on
our side. For if he is ours, we may be confident, as David was, when he said,
“I will not fear what man may do to me; for thou, God,”
he says, “art with me;”
and also,
“I will not fear though hosts surrounded me oft every side.”
(Psalms 23:4; Psalms 27:3)
We ought then to feel wholly assured, that the help of God is above that of all
creatures. Thus were the whole world to rise up against us, we might as from a
secure and safe place look down with indifference on all attempts, forces, and
preparations. This is then the sum of what is here said; and it is according to what
Christ says,
“My Father, who has given you to me, is greater than all.”
(John 10:29)
Had there then been a grain of faith in the Jews, they would have laid hold on this
promise; and then had they tenaciously held it, as though it were a plank in a
shipwreck, it would have led them safe to the harbor. It ought then to be sufficient
to shake off all cares, to drive away all fears, and to put to flight every diffidence,
when God promises to stand on our side. I am, he says, with you to save you, and he
adds, to deliver you He expresses the way and manner of saving them; for they
might still have objected and said, “What will be this salvation? for
Nebuchadnezzar is like a furious lion; how then can we be saved, since we cannot
think otherwise than that he will be enraged against us?” To this God answers, by
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pointing out the manner, for he would deliver them from his hand.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are
afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I [am] with you to save you, and to
deliver you from his hand.
Ver. 11. Fear not the king of Babylon.] See on Jeremiah 41:18.
For I am with you to save you.] Not only to protect you from the Babylonian, but
also to incline his heart to clemency toward you. [Jeremiah 42:12]
“Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not be afraid
of him, the word of YHWH, for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from
his hand.”
YHWH assures the people that if they remain in the land they need not fear
Nebuchadrezzar’s revenge because on ‘the word of YHWH’ they can be sure that
He, YHWH, will deliver them out of Nebuchadrezzar’s hand. And this even though
they are afraid of him. So once more YHWH’s people are called on to look to Him
and trust Him to be their Deliverer and Saviour, and act accordingly, with the
promise that if they are obedient they will enjoy His full protection.
12 I will show you compassion so that he will have
compassion on you and restore you to your land.’
BARNES, "Or, I will give you compassion before (i. e., obtain pity from) the king of
Babylon, and “he shall have mercy upon you, and let you dwell upon your own soil.”
GILL, "And I will show mercies unto you,.... Bestow blessings of goodness upon
them, out of pure mercy and compassion to them, and not according to their merits; or I
will cause others to show mercy to them, even the king of Babylon, as follows: God
shows mercy to men when he stirs up the compassion of others towards them:
that he may have mercy upon you; and not avenge the death of Gedaliah, or any
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way cruelly oppress them, but show them all the favour they could wish for or expect
under such a government, and in such circumstances; giving them vineyards and fields,
and allowing them to gather the fruits of them, and enjoy them:
and cause you to return to your own land: this is said, not of the captives in
Babylon, as Kimchi and Abarbinel, since these were not to return till seventy years were
ended; and when they did, it was not by the order and direction of the king of Babylon,
but of the king of Persia: this is said of those who, from the time that Jerusalem had
been besieged, had deserted their houses and fields, but should have liberty to return to
them; or of those who more lately had been carried captive by Ishmael, from the places
where they had settled, but should be returned to them again, and live peaceably and
comfortably there under the government and protection of the king of Babylon.
JAMISON, "show mercies — rather, I will excite (in him) feelings of mercy
towards you [Calvin].
cause you to return — permit you to return to the peaceable enjoyment of the
possessions from which you are wishing to withdraw through fear of the Chaldeans. By
departing in disobedience they should incur the very evils they wished thereby to escape;
and by staying they should gain the blessings which they feared to lose by doing so.
K&D, ""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 ‫יב‬ ִ‫שׁ‬ ֵ‫ה‬ ְ‫ו‬ into ‫יב‬ ִ‫שׁ‬ ‫ה‬ (make
you dwell); but there is no necessity for this, since ‫יב‬ ִ‫שׁ‬ ֵ‫ה‬ 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.
CALVIN, "He confirms the same thing in other words, I will shew mercies to you
Some explain this as meaning, that God would be merciful towards them; and I
allow that this is the first reason why they ought to have entertained hope; but I
doubt not but that the Prophet refers here to Nebuchadnezzar, as though he had
said, “I will turn the heart of the king of Babylon to mercy, so that he will deal
mercifully with you.” For God is said to shew mercies, when he forgives, and when
he reconciles those who have sinned to himself; but he is said also to shew mercies,
when he inclines the hearts of men to mercy. For this reason Jacob says,
“God will shew you mercies before the man.”
(Genesis 43:14)
But I abstain from other proofs on a point which ought to be well known.
45

The sum of what is said then is, that Nebuchadnezzar would be humane and
merciful towards the Jews, because it was in God’s power to change his heart. For
we know that God turns as he pleases the hearts of men; and he often changes
wolves into sheep. The meaning then is, that though Nebuchadnezzar boiled with
hatred towards the people, and was prepared wholly to destroy the remnant, there
yet would be a remedy in God’s hand, for he could soften his hardness, pacify his
wrath, and from a savage wild beast make him a father, merciful, as it were,
towards his children.
Now this passage teaches us, that the hearts and purposes of men are governed by a
power from above, so that enemies, even the worst, while they rage against us, are
moved not only by their own feelings, but also by the hidden working of God, and
according to his counsel, as he would have them thus to try our faith. For if God
moderates those who boil with anger and wrath, and renders them placable to us; so
also he lets loose the reins to those who rage against us, and not only so, but he also
stirs them up, when his purpose is to punish us for our sins, according to the
doctrine taught us everywhere in Scripture. So in Psalms 106:0, it is said that God
turned the hearts of the heathens to hate his people. But here, on the other hand,
God promises, that Nebuchadnezzar would be kind and humane, so as to spare the
Jews, because he would control his heart, and shew them mercy by inclining the
king to forgive the people.
This then ought to be carefully noticed; for when we see ourselves surrounded on
every side by the ungodly whom Satan drives to madness, so that they seek no other
thing than to tread us under their feet, especially when they have the power to
destroy us, except we feel fully assured, that their hearts, feelings, and all their
thoughts are in God’s hands, we must necessarily be wholly disheartened. Hence to
mitigate all our fears, it avails us much to hear that men’s hearts are turned and
ruled according to the will of God. It now follows, —
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have
mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
Ver. 12. And I will shew mercies unto you.] Tender mercies, such as proceed from
the heart, and of a parent, nay, a mother. This was more than all the rest.
“And I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to
return to your own land.”
For as a result of YHWH granting them mercy (a word indicating a mother’s tender
care and compassion), they can be sure that Nebuchadrezzar will also consequently
have mercy on them, the final consequence of this being that they can now return
safely to occupy their own land under YHWH’s protection, rather than seeking
46

refuge in Egypt.
Indeed it is clear that by fleeing to Egypt they would in fact be giving
Nebuchadrezzar the impression that they were guilty of being involved in
Gedaliah’s assassination, and in the murder of the Babylonians who had been
stationed in Mizpah. Had they in fact remained and informed Nebuchadrezzar of
the efforts that they had made to bring the murderers to justice they may well have
been believed. But they were aware of what he had done to Zedekiah and the rulers
of Judah, and panicked.
PULPIT. "I will show mercies unto you; rather, I will procure you mercy. And
cause you to return to. As if the journey to Bethlehem were a virtual Exodus, But it
is far more natural to read the consonants of the text in a slightly different manner,
rendering, "and cause you to dwell in." So the Syriac, the Vulgate, and Aquila.
13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this
land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God,
GILL, "But if ye say, we will not dwell in this land,.... Or continue any longer in
it, but go into Egypt:,
neither obey the voice of the Lord your God; or, "so as not to hearken to" or
"obey", &c. (u); for they did not say in so many words that they would not obey the voice
of the Lord; they had promised they would; but resolving, against his declared will, that
they would not abide in the land, but go into Egypt, was interpretatively saying they
would not obey his voice.
HENRY 13-18, "That as they tender the favour of God and their own happiness they
must by no means think of going into Egypt, not thither of all places, not to that land out
of which God had delivered their fathers and which he had so often warned them not to
make alliance with nor to put confidence in. Observe here, (1.) The sin they are supposed
to be guilty of (and to him that knew their hearts it was more than a supposition): “You
begin to say, We will not dwell in this land (Jer_42:13); we will never think that we can
be safe in it, no, not though God himself undertake our protection. We will not continue
in it, no, not in obedience to the voice of the Lord our God. He may say what he please,
but we will do what we please. We will go into the land of Egypt, and there will we
dwell, whether God give us leave and go along with us or no,” Jer_42:14. It is supposed
47

that their hearts were upon it: “If you wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and are
obstinately resolved that you will go and sojourn there, though God oppose you in it
both by his word and by his providence, then take what follows.” Now the reason they go
upon in this resolution is that “in Egypt we shall see no war, nor have hunger of bread,;
as we have had for a long time in this land,” Jer_42:14. Note, It is folly to quit our place,
especially to quit the holy land, because we meet with trouble in it; but greater folly to
think by changing our place to escape the judgments of God, and that evil which pursues
sinners in every way of disobedience, and which there is no escaping but by returning to
our allegiance. (2.) The sentence passed upon them for this sin, if they will persist in it. It
is pronounced in God's name (Jer_42:15): “Hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of
Judah, who think that because you are a remnant you must be spared of course (Jer_
42:2) and indulged in your own humour.” [1.] Did the sword and famine frighten them?
Those very judgments shall pursue them into Egypt, shall overtake them, and overcome
them there (Jer_42:16, Jer_42:17): “You think, because war and famine have long been
raging in this land, that they are entailed upon it; whereas, if you trust in God, he can
make even this land a land of peace to you; you think they are confined to it, and, if you
can get clear of this land, you shall get out of the reach of them, but God will send them
after you wherever you go.” Note, the evils we think to escape by sin we certainly and
inevitably run ourselves upon. The men that go to Egypt in contradiction to God's will, to
escape the sword and famine, shall die in Egypt by sword and famine. We may apply it
to the common calamities of human life; those that are impatient of them, and think to
avoid them by changing their place, will find that they are deceived and that they do not
at all better themselves. The grievances common to men will meet them wherever they
go. All our removes in this world are but from one wilderness to another; still we are
where we were. [2.] Did the desolations of Jerusalem frighten them? Were they willing
to get as far as they could from them? They shall meet with the second part of them too
in Egypt (Jer_42:18): As my anger and fury have been poured out here upon
Jerusalem, so they shall be poured out upon you in Egypt. Note, Those that have by sin
made God their enemy will find him a consuming fire wherever they go. And then you
shall be an execration and an astonishment. The Hebrews were of old an abomination
to the Egyptians (Gen_43:32), and now they shall be made more so than ever. When
God's professing people mingle with infidels, and make their court to them, they lose
their dignity and make themselves a reproach.
JAMISON, "if ye say, etc. — avowed rebellion against God, who had often (Deu_
17:16), as now, forbidden their going to Egypt, lest they should be entangled in its
idolatry.
K&D 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.
‫ל‬ ‫ק‬ ‫ר‬ָ‫פ‬ ‫,שׁ‬ "the sound of war-trumpet," as in Jer_4:19. On "hungering after bread," cf.
Amo_8:11. ‫ם‬ ֶ‫ח‬ֶ‫ל‬ ַ‫ה‬ (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
48

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.
CALVIN, "God having promised, that the counsel he gave to the Jews would be
good and safe, now, on the other hand, threatens them, that if they disobeyed,
everything they would attempt would end miserably. They had not expressly asked
whether it would be for their good to go into Egypt, or whether it would be pleasing
to God; but God, who penetrates into all hidden purposes, anticipated them, and
declared that their going would be unhappy, if they fled into Egypt. We hence see
how the Prophet, or rather God himself, who spoke by his servant, tried by all
means to keep them in the way of duty.
He then says, If ye say, We shall not dwell in this land, it shall be ill with you, he
says: but before he denounced punishment, he shewed that they deserved to be
destroyed, if they went to Egypt; for had the thing been in itself lawful, yet to
attempt such a thing against the express will of God was, as we know, an impious
and a diabolical presumption and rashness. God had forbidden them specifically in
his Law ever to set their hearts on Egypt, (Deuteronomy 17:16;) and he had often
confirmed the same thing by his Prophets, (Isaiah 30:2; Isaiah 31:1;) and now again
he seals the former prophecies, as he expressly forbids them to go to Egypt. The
Prophet then sets this crime before their eyes: “If ye flee into Egypt, what is it that
compels you? even because ye will not obey God.” There is then great weight in
these words, Nor obey the voice of Jehovah your God; as though he had said, that
they could not think of Egypt, except they designedly, as it were, rejected the
authority of God, and resisted his counsel.
COFFMAN, "Verse 13
WARNINGS AGAINST DISOBEDIENCE
"But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land; so that ye obey not the voice of
Jehovah your God. saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall
see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there
will we dwell: now therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, O remnant of Judah:
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, if ye indeed set your faces to enter
Egypt, and go to sojourn there; then it shall come to pass, that the sword which ye
fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine whereof ye are
afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. So shall it
be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there: they shall
die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them shall
remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them."
In view of the long record of the prophecies of Jeremiah which the Jews had already
seen fulfilled exactly, it appears almost incredible that they would have stubbornly
49

gone right on down into Egypt after a warning like this; but they went!
No comment is appropriate here except a word of grief and disappointment that the
remnant of Judah should have been so blindly disobedient to the word of the Lord.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey
the voice of the LORD your God,
Ver. 13. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land.] Because more barren than
Egypt, and besides beset with many and mighty enemies
Neither obey the voice of the Lord your God.] Which you ought to do, whatever
come of it, since rebellion is as witchcraft. [1 Samuel 15:22-23]
“But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ so that you do not obey the voice of
YHWH your God, saying, ‘No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we will
see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread, and there
will we dwell,’ ”
On the other hand they are warned that if they refuse to take this option of dwelling
in the land, thereby flagrantly disobeying YHWH, but rather declare that that they
will go into Egypt and dwell there in order to avoid war and the sound of war, and
in order to avoid hunger, then they must face the consequences which he is about to
pronounce.
14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in
Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the
trumpet or be hungry for bread,’
BARNES, "Egypt had lost the battle of Carchemish, but it had not been the scene
itself of military operations; while Judaea, from the date of the battle of Megiddo, had
perpetually been exposed to the actual horrors of war.
50

GILL, "Saying, no, but we will go into the land of Egypt,.... It was all one as if
they had said, no, we will not obey the voice of the Lord to continue in our own land; we
are determined to go into Egypt, induced by the following reasons:
where we shall see no war; either internal, or with a foreign enemy; as both of late in
their own land, and which they feared would be again; but promised themselves
exemption from both in the land of Egypt, and therefore coveted to dwell there:
nor hear the sound of the trumpet; neither hear of wars nor rumours of wars; not
the sound of the trumpet in the armies of the enemy, or among themselves, to gather
together and prepare for battle; or, as Jarchi thinks, the sound of the trumpet blown by
the watchman, giving notice to the people of the approach of an enemy:
nor have hunger of bread; as they had had while Judea was invaded and Jerusalem
besieged, and a foreign army in the land; and though they had no reason to fear this
now, yet they thought they should be more out of the danger of it in Egypt, a fruitful
country, overflowed by the Nile:
and there will we dwell; in peace, prosperity, and safety: this was their resolution, to
go and abide there; and this their confidence, that such would be their happy state.
JAMISON, "where we shall see no war — Here they betray their impiety in not
believing God’s promise (Jer_42:10, Jer_42:11), as if He were a liar (1Jo_5:10).
CALVIN, "He adds, Saying, No; for we will go into the land of Egypt, where we
shall not see war, etc. here the Prophet discovers the very fountain of rebellion,
namely, that they paid no regard to God’s favor. They were indeed exposed to many
dangers in their own land, which produced fear and trembling, and its desolation
also might have filled them with horror and weariness; but as God had declared
that their safety would be cared for by him, how great and how base an ingratitude
it was to deem as nothing that aid which he had freely promised! The Prophet then,
in condemning their disobedience, shews at the same time the cause of it, even that
unbelief led them away from rendering obedience to God. If, then, ye say, No, —
this word was a proof of their obstinacy; but he adds, We shall go into Egypt, where
we shall not see war, where we shall not hear the sound of the trumpet, as though,
indeed, the promise of God were false or void. But the Prophet here discovers their
hidden impiety, that they did not recumb on God’s promise. They promised then to
themselves a peaceable life in Egypt. Was it in their power to effect this? and God,
what could he do? he had declared that they would be safe and secure in the land of
Canaan. It was to charge God with falsehood, to hope for rest in Egypt, and to
imagine nothing but disturbances in the land where God bade them to remain in
quietness.
We now then see why he says, We shall go into Egypt, where we shall not see war,
nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor hunger for bread They promised to
51

themselves an abundance of all blessings, for the land of Egypt was fruitful. But
could not God afflict them with want? The Egyptians, we know, had also been
sometimes visited with famine. We hence see why God so much condemned the
design of the people as to their going into Egypt; for they entertained vain hopes,
and at the same time charged God indirectly with falsehood.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where
we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread;
and there will we dwell:
Ver. 14. Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt.] Infamous for idolatry,
luxury, and the oppression of your ancestors there, besides God’s express
prohibition and [Deuteronomy 17:16] commination of it, as the last and greatest
plague. "The Lord shall bring thee unto Egypt." [Deuteronomy 28:68]
And there will we dwell.] The prophet now, by their looks, or some other way,
perceived their purpose so to do, whatever they had promised. [Jeremiah 42:5-6]
15 then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant
of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the
God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go
to Egypt and you do go to settle there,
CLARKE, "If ye - set your faces to enter into Egypt, etc - Every evil that ye
dreaded by staying in your own land shall come upon you in Egypt.
GILL, "And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of
Judah,.... A small remnant indeed, a few that were left in the land; who ought therefore
to have admired the distinguishing goodness of Providence in preserving them in it;
where they should have continued and made use of their privilege, to the glory of God
and their mutual good:
thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; the Lord of armies above and
52

below, the Lord God omnipotent, and so able to protect them in their land; and who had
a peculiar favour to Israel, and stood in a particular relation to them, and therefore
would do it, of which they had no reason to doubt; but, disobliging him, what judgments
might they not expect?
if you wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt: are resolved upon it, and are
actually engaged in it; turning their faces from Judea towards Egypt, and obstinately
pursuing it, nor can be reclaimed from it: the phrase expresses their resolution,
impudence, and obstinacy:
and go to sojourn there: to be sojourners and strangers there, as their fathers had
been before; the remembrance of which was enough to set them against going into Egypt
any more.
JAMISON, "wholly set your faces — firmly resolve (Luk_9:51) in spite of all
warnings (Jer_44:12).
CALVIN, "He adds, Hear the word of Jehovah, ye remnant of Judah Jeremiah, by
thus addressing them, no doubt endeavored to lead them to obedience. We indeed
know that men in prosperity are in a manner inebriated, so that they are not easily
induced to obey sound counsels. For whence comes it that kings and princes of the
world indulge themselves so much, and allow such license to their lusts? even
because the splendor of their fortune inebriates them. So also private men, when all
things succeed according to their wishes, they lodge in their own dregs; hence it is
that they are difficult to be ruled. The Prophet, on the other hand, shews that there
is no reason for them to be proud. Ye are, he says, a small number, and God has
wonderfully saved you. Hear, then, ye remnant of Judah In short, they are
reminded of their humble and miserable condition, that they might be more
teachable. But this also was done without any fruit, as we shall hereafter see.
This saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel Of these words we have spoken
elsewhere. God is often called the God of hosts on account of his power: so by this
term God sets forth his own greatness. Afterwards when he is said to be the God of
Israel, we know that the benefit of adoption was thus brought to the recollection of
the people; for God had them especially as his people, and bound them as it were to
himself. This ought then to have been a most holy bond of faithfulness and
obedience. It was not, then, by way of honor that the Prophet thus spoke, but in
order to reprove the Israelites for their hardness and ingratitude towards God. If,
he adds, ye set your faces to go into Egypt, and ye enter in there to sojourn, it shall
be that the sword which ye fear shall meet you, etc. Here is their punishment
described, and there is nothing obscure in the words. God shows that they were
greatly deceived, if they thought that they would be prosperous in Egypt; for no
prosperity can be hoped except through the favor and blessing of God; and God
pronounced a curse on all their perverse counsels when he saw that they would not
be restrained by his word. If, then, we attempt anything contrary to the prohibition
of God, it must necessarily end unsuccessfully; and why? because the cause of all
53

prosperity is the favor of God, and so his curse always renders all issues sad and
unhappy: and however prosperous at first may be what we undertake against God’s
will, yet the end will be wretched and miserable, according to what the Prophet
teaches here.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye
remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set
your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;
Ver. 15. If ye wholly set your faces.] As now I see ye do, and shall therefore tell you
what to trust unto; with the froward God will wrestle. [Psalms 18:26]
“Now therefore hear you the word of YHWH, O remnant of Judah. Thus says
YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt,
and go to sojourn there,’
Jeremiah now gives a solemn pronouncement of what will happen to them if they
choose Egypt. Returning to Egypt is constantly seen in Scripture as an indication of
backsliding. Israel had hankered after Egypt in the wilderness (Exodus 16:3;
Numbers 11:5; Numbers 14:4), and they had continued to do so ever since even
though Egypt had in the end brought them nothing but hurt (see Hosea 11).
Scripture constantly sees their hearts as being centred on Egypt (‘the fleshpots of
Egypt’ - Exodus 16:3), even though God had delivered them from it, that was why in
the end the One Who represented Israel had to be called out of Egypt (Matthew
2:15). Deliverance from ‘Egypt’ and all that it stood for is essential for salvation.
16 then the sword you fear will overtake you
there, and the famine you dread will follow you
into Egypt, and there you will die.
CLARKE, "The sword - and the famine - shall follow close after you - Shall
be at your heels; shall overtake and destroy you; for there ye shall die.
GILL, "Then it shall come to pass,.... That the various judgments following should
54

come upon them:
that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of
Egypt; that is, the sword; of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, which they feared they
should fall by in Judea; this should come after them in Egypt, and there overtake them,
as it did; Egypt being destroyed by the king of Babylon, as it was foretold it should, Jer_
46:25;
and the famine, whereof you were afraid, shalt follow close after you there
in Egypt; the famine they were afraid would come upon them in Judea, should pursue
them, overtake them, seize on them, and cleave unto them, in Egypt; thus the evils they
thought to escape, by moving from one place, should befall them in another; there is no
fleeing from the presence, power, and hand of God:
and there ye shall die; either by the sword, or by famine, or by pestilence, as in the
Jer_42:17.
JAMISON, "Jer_42:16. Sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you. The very evils
we think to escape by sin, we bring on ourselves thereby.
sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you — The very evils we think to escape
by sin, we bring on ourselves thereby. What our hearts are most set on often proves fatal
to us. Those who think to escape troubles by changing their place will find them
wherever they go (Eze_11:8). The “sword” here is that of Nebuchadnezzar, who fulfilled
the prediction in his expedition to Africa (according to Megasthenes, a heathen writer),
300 b.c.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:16 Then it shall come to pass, [that] the sword, which ye
feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye
were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
Ver. 16. Then it shall come to pass, that the sword which ye feared shall overtake
you there.] Categorice intonat propheta. God hath long hands; neither can wicked
men anywhere live out of the reach of his rod.
And the famine whereof ye were afraid.] Egypt was very fertile, the granary of the
world, and yet God could cause a famine there; he hath treasures of plagues for
sinners, and can never be exhausted.
“Then it shall come about, that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in
the land of Egypt; and the famine, of which you are afraid, will follow hard after
you there in Egypt. And there you will die.”
For what would they find in Egypt? Would they find peace and security and
wellbeing and life? No. Rather they would experience being overtaken by the sword
and by famine and by death, the very things which they wished to avoid. Egypt
55

could offer them no security.
17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt
to settle there will die by the sword, famine and
plague; not one of them will survive or escape the
disaster I will bring on them.’
GILL, "So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to
sojourn there,.... Not all that went into Egypt, but all that were resolutely set upon it;
that were obstinately bent to go there, and did go, contrary to the express command of
God; for otherwise there were some that were forced to go against their wills, as
Jeremiah, Baruch, and no doubt others:
they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; three of the
Lord's sore judgments; some should die by one, and some by another, and some by a
third; all should die by one or the other:
and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon
them; that is, none of those who wilfully, and of their own accord, went down to Egypt;
they all perished there, none could escape the hand of God, or the evil he determined to
bring upon them; which is to be understood of the above judgments.
JAMISON, "all the men — excepting the “small number” mentioned (Jer_44:14,
Jer_44:28); namely, those who were forced into Egypt against their will, Jeremiah,
Baruch, etc., and those who took Jeremiah’s advice and fled from Egypt before the
arrival of the Chaldeans.
K&D17-22m "‫יוּ‬ ְ‫ה‬ִ‫י‬ ְ‫,ו‬ used instead of the impersonal ‫ָה‬‫י‬ ָ‫ה‬ ְ‫,ו‬ 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
56

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 (‫יד‬ ִ‫ע‬ ֵ‫ה‬
ְ‫,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 ‫ֶם‬‫י‬‫י‬ֵ‫ע‬ ְ‫ת‬ ִ‫,ה‬ the Hiphil from ‫ה‬ָ‫ע‬ ָ‫,תּ‬ to err; here, as in Pro_10:17, it means to make
a mistake. ‫ם‬ ֶ‫יכ‬ ֵ‫ת‬ ‫שׁ‬ ְ‫ַפ‬‫נ‬ ְ‫,בּ‬ 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. ‫ֹל‬‫כ‬ ְ‫וּל‬ ‫ר‬ֶ‫ֲשׁ‬‫א‬ (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.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go
into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the
pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring
upon them.
Ver. 17. They shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.] Three
threats, answerable to those three promises, [Jeremiah 42:10-12] in case of their
obedience.
WHEDON, "17. All the men — This universal expression is not to be pressed with
mathematical exactness. The fact that some loyal and obedient men, like Jeremiah
and Baruch, were carried to Egypt and afterward escaped does not stand against
this passage. See Jeremiah 44:28 : “Yet a small number… shall return out of the
land of Egypt.”
“So will it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there.
They will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, and none of them
will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.”
This is what it will be like for all who set their faces on Egypt to go there. They will
experience the judgments of sword and famine and pestilence (contagious disease),
and none of them will escape from them, for YHWH Himself will bring them on
them because of their disobedience. Sword, famine and pestilence are regularly
described together as the means of God’s judgments (Jeremiah 14:12; Jeremiah
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21:7; Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 24:10; Jeremiah 27:8; Jeremiah 27:13; Jeremiah
29:17-18; Jeremiah 32:24; Jeremiah 32:36; Jeremiah 34:17; Jeremiah 38:2;
Jeremiah 44:13; Ezekiel 5:12; Ezekiel 5:17; Ezekiel 6:11-12; Ezekiel 7:15; Ezekiel
12:16). In Ezekiel 14:21, where they are supplemented by wild beasts, they represent
YHWH’s four judgments. They were the killers of the ancient world. And he
emphasises that none will escape these judgments.
18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of
Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been
poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so
will my wrath be poured out on you when you go
to Egypt. You will be a curse[b] and an object of
horror, a curse[c] and an object of reproach; you
will never see this place again.’
GILL, "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,.... See Gill on Jer_
42:15;
as mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; like a large hasty shower of rain; or rather like melted metal, which
suddenly and swiftly runs, and spreads itself, and burns and consumes with a violent
heat; such was the wrath of God on Jerusalem, in the destruction of it by the Chaldeans:
so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt; as
soon as they had well got there, quickly after they were settled there; for it was in the
time of the then present king of Egypt, Pharaohhophra, and by the then present king of
Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, that the destruction of Egypt was, in which these Jews
suffered:
and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a
reproach; men should be astonished at the hand of God upon them, reproach them for
their sins; and when they made any imprecation on themselves, it would be in this form,
if it be so, let the same calamities come upon me as upon the Jews in Egypt:
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and ye shall see this place no more; and so their case would be worse than their
brethren in Babylon; who, after a term of years were expired, would return to their own
land, which these would never see any more.
JAMISON, "As mine anger, etc. — As ye have already, to your sorrow, found Me
true to My word, so shall ye again (Jer_7:20; Jer_18:16).
shall see this place no more — Ye shall not return to Judea, as those shall who
have been removed to Babylon.
CALVIN, "The Prophet confirms what he had already said, by an example of God’s
vengeance, which had lately been shewn as to the Jews; for though the destruction
of the city and the Temple had been often predicted to them, they yet had become
torpid as to God’s threatenings. God, however, after having delayed for a long time,
at length executed what he had threatened. They had titan seen that dreadful
example, which ought to have filled them, and also their posterity, with fear. Then
the Prophet, as he saw that they were so tardy and stupid that they thoughtlessly
derided God’s threat-enings, reminded them of what they had lately seen. “Ye
know,” he says, “how God’s fury had been poured forth on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, such also will be poured forth on those who will flee into Egypt.”
Now Jeremiah was able to speak with authority, as he had been the herald of that
vengeance now mentioned. If any other had declared in God’s name what had
happened, they might have objected and said, that they had indeed been justly
punished by God, but that it did not hence follow flint what he said was true; but as
the Prophet had for forty years often and constantly denounced on them what at
length they had really and by experience found to have been predicted to them from
above, he was able to repeat a similar judgment of God with the highest authority,
as he now does.
Thus saith Jehovah, he says, as my fury was poured forth, etc. The similitude is
taken either from water or from metals: hence some give this rendering, “As my
fury flowed down;” but the verb used by Jeremiah means properly to pour forth. It
may, however, as I have said, be applied to water, which spreads when poured out,
or to metals, which being liquid spread here and there. He then means, that all who
should go to Egypt would be wretched and miserable; for wheresoever they might
try to withdraw themselves, the vengeance of God would yet find them though
exiles, for it would spread like a deluge over all the inhabitants, so that they would
in vain seek hiding-places. We now see the design of the Prophet. The meaning is,
that as the Jews had by their calamity known him to have been a true and faithful
servant of God in foretelling the destruction of the city and Temple, so would they
find now, except they repented, that the message by which he threatened a second
destruction, had come also from God. Poured forth, he says, shall be mine
indignation on you when ye come into Egypt
He afterwards adds a passage from the Law, which often occurs in the Prophets,
59

that they would be an execration, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach The
word ‫אלה‬ , ale, which we have rendered “execration,” means properly an oath; but
as imprecation is often added, when we wish to be believed, it is also understood as
an execration. He then says that they would be an execration, that is, a formula of
execration, as we have elsewhere explained. Whosoever then had a wish to express a
curse, they would, as the Prophet says, use this form as a common proverb, “May
God curse thee as he did the Jews,” — “May I perish as the Jews perished.” In
short, he intimates that the punishment would be so horrible that men would turn it
to a common proverb, he adds, And an astonishment, that is, that God’s vengeance
would be so dreadful, that all would be filled with amazement. He further adds, And
a curse and a reproach The sum of what is said is, that God would inflict on the
Jews not a common punishment, but such as would be remembered among all the
heathens, in order that it might appear that their wickedness in obstinately rejecting
the prophetic word was not light.
He lastly adds that they should never see their own land; for it was not the design of
the Jews to dwell perpetually in Egypt; for they pretended that they remained firm
and constant in their dependence on God’s promise, and boasted that they had a
hope of a return, because God had fixed seventy years for their exile. As they then
thus foolishly gloried, that they hoped in God for the promised favor, he says that
they were shut out as to any hope of a return; for though God would restore the
other captives dispersed throughout the East, yet the Egyptian guests were doomed
to die in their exile. This then was to cut off from them every hope, in order that
they might know that they were wholly rejected, and would have a place no more
among- God’s people, however they might wish to be deemed the first. It follows, —
COFFMAN, "Verse 18
FINAL WORD TO THOSE BOUND FOR EGYPT
"For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath
have been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be
poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt; and ye shall be an
execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this
place no more."
"The Lord's reply to the people's request regarding God's will for them extends
through this Jeremiah 42:18; but the last four verses of the chapter constitute an
epilogue, in which Jeremiah once more pleads with the people to do God's will."[8]
The summary of God's whole message was (1) remain in Judaea, and God will bless
you, build you up, etc. (2) Go to Egypt, and you will incur the wrath of God; and the
last one of you that go shall die there by the sword, the famine, or the pestilence. (3)
Furthermore, the very things that make you afraid to remain in Judah shall befall
you in Egypt.
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TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As
mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye
shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye
shall see this place no more.
Ver. 18. As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth,] (a) scil., Like scalding
lead or burning bell-metal, (b) which runneth fiercely, spreadeth far, and burneth
extremely.
Upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem.] Out of which fire I have late pulled you as a
brand; the smell thereof is yet upon your clothes, as it were: Cavete. Beware.
“For thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, As my anger and my wrath have
been poured forth on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured forth
on you, when you shall enter into Egypt, and you shall be an execration, and an
astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and you shall see this place no more.”
For their returning to Egypt will be as heinous a crime as that of the disobedience of
the inhabitants of Jerusalem which brought YHWH’s anger and wrath on them. In
the same way will His wrath be poured out on those who enter Egypt. They will
experience the Levitical and Deuteronomic curses of being viewed with execration
and astonishment (Leviticus 26:32; Deuteronomy 28:37), of being a curse and a
reproach. and they will certainly never see their homeland again.
19 “Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do
not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today
BARNES, "The request made in Jer_42:3 has been fulfilled: Yahweh has spoken. The
prophet now adds these four verses as a sort of epilogue, in which he urges upon them
the several points of the divine message. In the ten days which had intervened between
the request and the answer Jeremiah had become aware that neither princes nor people
were prepared to obey unless the answer was in accordance with their own wishes. He
does therefore his best to convince them, but as usual it was his lot to speak the truth to
willful men, and gain no hearing.
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CLARKE, "Go ye not into Egypt - Why? Because God knew, such was their
miserable propensity to idolatry, that they would there adopt the worship of the country,
and serve idols.
GILL, "The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah,.... Or,
"unto you" (w); by the mouth of the prophet; or, "against you" (x); that which was
contrary to their inclination and will, as follows:
go ye not into Egypt: this was the express command of God:
know certainly that I have admonished you this day; not to go into Egypt: or,
"have testified unto you" (y); the will of God concerning this matter; and therefore they
could not plead ignorance.
HENRY 19-22, " That God knew their hypocrisy in their enquiries of him, and that
when they asked what he would have them to do they were resolved to take their own
way; and therefore the sentence which was before pronounced conditionally is made
absolute. Having set before them good and evil, the blessing and the curse, in the close
he makes application of what he had said. And here, (1.) He solemnly protests that he
had faithfully delivered his message, Jer_42:19. The conclusion of the whole matter is,
“Go not down into Egypt; you disobey the command of God if you do, and what I have
said to you will be a witness against you; for know certainly that, whether you will hear
or whether you will forbear, I have plainly admonished you; you cannot now plead
ignorance of the mind of God.” (2.) He charges them with base dissimulation in the
application they made to him for divine direction (Jer_42:20): “You dissembled in your
hearts; you professed one thing and intended another, promising what you never meant
to perform.” You have used deceit against your soul (so the margin reads it); for those
that think to put a cheat upon God will prove in the end to have put a damning cheat
upon themselves. (3.) He is already aware that they are determined to go contrary to the
command of God; probably they discovered it in their countenance and secret
mutterings already, before he had finished his discourse. However, he spoke from him
who knew their hearts: “You have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God; you have
not a disposition to obey it.” Thus Moses, in the close of his farewell sermon, had told
them (Deu_31:27, Deu_31:29), I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck, and that you will
corrupt yourselves. Admire the patience of God, that he is pleased to speak to those
who, he knows, will not regard him, and deal with those who, he knows, will deal very
treacherously, Isa_48:8. (4.) He therefore reads them their doom, ratifying what he had
said before: Know certainly that you shall die by the sword, Jer_42:22. God's
threatenings may be vilified, but cannot be nullified, by the unbelief of man. Famine and
pestilence shall pursue these sinners; for there is no place privileged from divine arrests,
nor can any malefactors go out of God's jurisdiction. You shall die in the place whither
you desire to go. Note, We know not what is good for ourselves; and that often proves
afflictive, and sometimes fatal, which we are most fond of and have our hearts most set
upon.
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JAMISON, "I have admonished — literally, “testified,” that is, solemnly
admonished, having yourselves as My witnesses; so that if ye perish, ye yourselves will
have to confess that it was through your own fault, not through ignorance, ye perished.
CALVIN, "Here the Prophet explains more fully their sin; for their punishment
might have appeared extreme, had not their impiety been more clearly unfolded. He
then says that this punishment ought not to be regarded as too rigid, because God
had not once only protested against the Jews and admonished them in a solemn
manner and before witnesses; but they to the last not, only despised his counsel and
warnings, but proudly rejected them. And he adds, that they dealt falsely and
perfidiously with God, because they pretended that they would be obedient as soon
as the will of God was known; but they shewed that in reality they had no such
purpose; for their own vanity and deceit took full possession of them when the
Prophet answered them in God’s name; nor had they a desire to obey God.
Let us now consider the words: Jehovah hath spoken against you, the remnant of
Judah He again calls them a remnant, in order that they might remember that they
had no reason any more to be proud. We know how the Jews while in prosperity
disregarded the Prophets; for they were inebriated with their good fortune. But God
had dissipated this pride, with which they were previously filled. The Prophet had
also set before them the favor through which they had been liberated, that they
might learn hereafter to submit to God and his word. For this reason then he called
them a remnant, even to render them more attentive and teachable. But it was done
without any benefit; for though their affairs were nearly hopeless, and they were
reduced almost to nothing, yet they had not laid aside their high spirits. They were
then still swollen with false confidence. But this warning, however, availed to render
them more inexcusable.
If ye enter into Egypt, he says, knowing know ye, or, knowing ye shall know. The
verb is in the future tense, though it may be taken as an imperative. But the future
tense is the most suitable, knowing ye shall know, that is, the event itself will teach
you, but too late, as the foolish are never wise till after the evil has taken place.
Knowing ye shall know that I have protested against you this day. God says that he
had left nothing undone to bring the Jews to a right mind; for a protest is usually
made in a solemn manner, witnesses being called in, so that no one can plead that.
he has gone astray through ignorance. To take away then every ground of excuse,
witnesses were wont to be called. Hence God speaks according to the common
practice and in a forensic sense, and says that he had protested against the Jews, lest
they should by chance offend through want of knowledge. It then follows, that they
knowingly perished, as though they had sought their own destruction.
COFFMAN, "Verse 19
CERTAIN DOOM AWAITS THEM IN EGYPT
63

"Jehovah hath spoken concerning you, O remnant of Judah, Go ye not into Egypt:
know certainly that I have testified unto you this day. For ye have dealt deceitfully
against your own souls; for ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us
unto Jehovah our God; and according unto all that Jehovah our God shall say, so
declare unto us, and we will do it. And I have this day declared it to you; but ye
have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God in anything for which he hath sent
me unto you. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the
famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn there."
"Ye have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah ..." (Jeremiah 42:21). Some scholars
object to this statement and suppose that by bringing in Jeremiah 43:1-3 prior to
this paragraph they might improve the sense. This is not necessary at all, for two
reasons: (1) these words are not simple past tense, but the prophetic tense in which
the future is spoken of as having already occurred, so certain is the fulfillment of
God's Word; and (2) by reason of the people's rushing headlong to get ready for
their departure to Egypt during that ten days in which the prophet had waited for
the word of Jehovah, Jeremiah had already learned their answer. They were fully
determined to go to Egypt, no matter what the Lord might say. "Jeremiah's answer
here was from God, "from Him who knows the hearts of men."[9] This word from
the holy prophet is similar to that of Moses in his final address to Israel, who told
Israel, "I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck, and that you will corrupt
yourselves" (Deuteronomy 31:27,29).
COKE, "Jeremiah 42:19. The Lord hath said, &c.— God commanded the Jews by
Moses not to have any commerce with Egypt, that they might not practise the
idolatrous customs of that country; and this was the reason why he often reproved
them by his prophets for making alliances with Egypt. But there were particular
reasons at this time for so severe a prohibition; for the Jews had learned several of
their idolatrous practices from the Egyptians, and were confirmed in them by their
example. Besides, it was the rival kingdom, which contended for empire with that of
Babylon. The Jews therefore, by seeking protection in Egypt, refused to submit
themselves to the king of Babylon, to whom God had given the government of
Judaea, and all the neighbouring countries. See chap. Jeremiah 27:6 and Lowth.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Jeremiah in all these changes had by divine Providence been
preserved: perhaps he had retired to Anathoth, and thus escaped the massacre at
Mizpah, and now joined Johanan's company. Hereupon, in their present difficulties,
1. They unanimously resolve to consult him, and beg his prayers and advice. With
greatest respect they approach him, desire a favourable acceptance of their request,
and intreat him to pray for them; intimating how unworthy they thought themselves
to open their lips, and what a confidence they placed in his interest in the divine
regard. They were now reduced to a helpless few, as he saw; their condition truly
deplorable, not knowing what to do, or whither to go, and therefore desiring divine
direction. Note; In our difficulties and distress our first recourse should be made to
64

God in prayer; and if we have not a prophet's word to guide us, we may hope for
God's good providence to direct us.
2. Jeremiah readily undertakes the task. The slights that he had received did not
abate his zeal and regard for the welfare of his countrymen. His prayers shall be
ever for them, and he promises faithfully to report what God should reveal to him.
Note; (1.) Ministers should be men of prayer; it is this must make way for the
efficacy of their advice. (2.) It is required of such to be faithful, delivering, without
reserve, the whole counsel of God.
3. They solemnly engage to conform to God's will entirely without reserve, and
appeal to him for the uprightness of their intentions, professing their full conviction
that it never can be well with them, unless they are unfeignedly obedient: a shocking
piece of hypocrisy throughout, when they really meant nothing less. Note; (1.) They
who would profit by a minister's prayers must pay serious attention to his
preaching. (2.) We never can be sincere with God, if we do not obey his will so far as
it is known to us. (3.) It can only then be ever well with us, when we are found
following God in simplicity and truth.
2nd, God might well have refused to be inquired of by those whose hypocrisy he well
knew; but, after ten days of suspense, he vouchsafes them an answer, which
Jeremiah, in a public convocation of all the people, from the least unto the greatest,
faithfully delivers.
1. God enjoins them to abide in the land where they were, nor think of going into
Egypt; and, to engage them hereunto, he assures them of his own compassion
towards them; that he repented of the evil that he had done unto them; would
change his providential dispensations towards them; and, instead of the destruction
which they apprehended, build and plant them in their own land. Nor need they
fear the king of Babylon; since God would shew them mercies, he shall be disposed
to do the same; God will restrain him, and save them from the revenge which they
feared he would take, and cause them peaceably and comfortably to possess the
heritage of the Lord, with all who, having taken shelter in the neighbouring
countries, would return to join them. Note; (1.) God's mercy is the foundation of all
our hopes and happiness. (2.) He has in his hands the hearts of kings, and can turn
them according to his own will and wisdom. (3.) They who carefully obey God's will
may humbly expect his blessing.
2. He threatens them, in case of disobedience, with the most terrible destruction. If
they refused to abide in Judaea, and, contrary to this clear declaration of God's will,
thought themselves wiser than him, and wilfully resolved for Egypt, on the
presumption that there they should see no war, or want of bread; he solemnly
assures them, as many at least as set their faces to go into Egypt, and having the
power might force the reluctant to join them, that thither God's wrath should
pursue them; the evils that they feared should terribly overtake them; the pestilence,
famine, and sword destroy them; so that not one of them should see their native land
65

again; but all the storms of vengeance, which so lately broke upon Jerusalem, with
redoubled fury should be poured upon them, and they be made an execration, and
an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, to all who beheld their dire
catastrophe. Note; (1.) They who think by sin to escape suffering, are only rushing
on the thick bosses of God's buckler. (2.) The curse of God follows sinners close as
their shadow; they can no more fly from it, than from themselves. (3.) They who
have made themselves vile by their sin, God will make viler by the judgments that
he will inflict upon them.
3. The prophet reproaches them with their abominable hypocrisy, and, to leave
them without excuse, repeats the warning, Go ye not into Egypt. They knew in their
consciences the dissimulation which they had used, and that, before they inquired of
God, they had taken their resolution to go, and were resolved to abide by it:
therefore, since they were obstinately hardened, and refused to obey God's word,
notwithstanding the solemn appeal they had made to him of their sincerity, their
doom is unchangeably fixed; and in Egypt, where they chose to sojourn, they shall
die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. Note; (1.) Dissemblers with
God are sure to bring fearful ruin on their own souls. (2.) If sinners will not obey,
yet it becomes us to bear our testimony, and leave them at least inexcusable in their
iniquity. (3.) The favourite schemes which the sinner forms to perpetuate his
prosperity, or secure himself from harm, hurry him only the sooner to the precipice
of ruin.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:19 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of
Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
Ver. 19. Go ye not into Egypt.] Be ruled, or you will rue it when you have learned
their evil manners, and shall perish in their punishments. It is better for you to be in
cold irons at Babylon than to serve idols in Egypt at never so much liberty. Your
fathers brought a golden calf thence; Jeroboam brought two.
PETT, "Verses 19-22
Recognising That They Have No Intention Of Obeying YHWH Jeremiah
Pronounces Over Them What Is To Come On Them (Jeremiah 42:19-22).
Having been brought down to being a remnant, Judah have now been given the
opportunity to re-establish themselves as God’s people and renew God’s kingdom.
God’s judgment was over and YHWH was willing to begin again with them. But in
spite of their earlier commitment to obey His voice (which humanly speaking had
brought them this offer) it is clear to Jeremiah from their reaction that it is their
intention to turn away from the fulfilment of their promise.
This was one of those moments in history when all future history could have been
changed, but the stubbornness, hardheartedness and disobedience of the people
prevented it from happening. And Jeremiah could only watch in despair and
66

declare to them that because they had made false promises, sword, famine and
pestilence would surely come on them in the very place where they had hoped to
find safety.
Jeremiah 42:19
‘YHWH has spoken concerning you, O remnant of Judah, “Do not go into Egypt,”.
Know certainly that I have testified to you this day.”
Having watched the reactions of the people and their leaders Jeremiah realises with
a sinking heart that they have no intention of obeying YHWH, and makes his last
hopeless plea to ‘the remnant of Judah’. The ‘remnant of Judah’ were those for
whom God had promised so much, but it was essential, if they were to retain their
purity of faith, that they remain in Judah. They must not ‘go into Egypt’ with all
that that will involve. And he emphasises that that was the command of YHWH
which they had promised to obey, and which Jeremiah was now solemnly testifying
to them.
20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent
me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the
Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says
and we will do it.’
BARNES, "Ye dissembled in your hearts - Or, “ye have led yourselves astray,” i.
e., your sending me to ask counsel of God was an act of self-delusion. You felt so sure
that God would direct you to go into Egypt, that now that He has spoken to the contrary,
you are unable to reconcile yourselves to it.
CLARKE, "For ye dissembled in your hearts - What a most miserable and
incorrigible people! Ingratitude, hypocrisy, rebellion, and cruelty seem to have been
enthroned in their hearts! And what are they still? Just what their fathers were, except in
the mere article of idolatry; and that they do not practice because they are indifferent to
67

their own religion and to that of all others. Examine their devotions and their lives, and
see whether Charity herself can say they believe in the God of Abraham!
GILL, "For ye dissembled in your hearts,.... Did not honestly and faithfully
declare their intentions; they said one thing with their mouths, and meant another in
their minds; they pretended they would act according to the will of God, as it should be
made known to them by him, when they were determined to take their own way. Some
render it, "ye have deceived me in your hearts" (z); the prophet, so Kimchi; by that
which was in their hearts, not declaring what was their real intention and design: or, "ye
have deceived your souls" (a); you have deceived yourselves and one another; I have not
deceived you, nor the Lord, but you have put a cheat upon your own souls: or, "you have
used deceit against your souls" (b); to the hurt of them, to your present ruin and
everlasting destruction:
when ye sent me unto the Lord your God; the prophet did not go of himself, they
desired him to go:
saying, pray for us unto the Lord our God; to be directed in the way they should
go; so that the prophet did nothing but what they desired him to do:
and according to all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and
we will do it; they pressed him to a faithful declaration of the will of God to them, and
promised they would act according to it. Now he had done all this; he had been wire
God, prayed unto him as they requested, and had brought them his mind and will, and
made a faithful relation of it, and yet they did not attend to it; so that the deceit was not
in him, but in them, as follows:
JAMISON, "dissembled in your hearts — rather, “ye have used deceit against
your (own) souls.” It is not God, but yourselves, whom ye deceive, to your own ruin, by
your own dissimulation (Gal_6:7) [Calvin]. But the words following accord best with
English Version, ye have dissembled in your hearts (see on Jer_42:3) towards me,
when ye sent me to consult God for you.
CALVIN, "He now adds another circumstance, that they had sent him under the
pretense of rare piety, as though they were in every way ready to render obedience
to God. But he first says that they had deceived themselves, or had been deceived.
The verb ‫,תעה‬ toe, from which the Hithpael comes, means to err or go astray. But
interpreters do not agree; for some give this explanation, that they deceived the
Prophet in their hearts, that is, that they craftily retained their perverse design of
going to Egypt, and at the same time professed that they were ready to obey. But as
the Prophet’s name is not mentioned here, this explanation seems unnatural. I
therefore prefer the other explanation, that they deceived themselves; and ‫,ב‬ beth, is
here redundant, as in many places: Ye deceived, then, your own souls, when ye sent
me, he says, to Jehovah The Prophet intimates that when they sought to act craftily
they were deceived; for God is wont to discover the astute, and when they devise this
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or that, they only weave snares and toils for themselves; and we see that craftiness
ever brings the ungodly to ruin. The Prophet, according to this sense, derides that
perverse affectation of astuteness, when the ungodly seek to deceive God; and he
says that they deceived themselves, as we see also daily. Then he says that they
themselves had been the authors of the evil, for they had brought themselves to ruin
by their astute and crafty counsel, when they sent him to Jehovah. The ‫כי‬ , ki, is to
be taken here as an adverb of time, When ye sent me to Jehovah your God, saying,
Pray for us. (129)
He reproves them not only for perfidy, but also for sacrilege, because they wickedly
profaned the name of God. For it. was not to be endured that they should pretend a
regard for religion, and testify that they would be obedient to God, and should at
the same time cherish in their hearts that perverse intention which afterwards they
discovered. And hence he not only relates that he had been sent, but that he had also
been solicited to intercede for them. It was then a twofold sacrilege, for they had
asked what would please God, and afterwards disregarded the prophecy, — and
then they offered a prayer, and when God gave them an answer by his servant., they
counted it as nothing! We now perceive why Jeremiah so expressly mentioned these
two things.
Pray for us to our God, and according to all which Jehovah our God shall say, relate
thou to us: the people seemed to act with wonderful sincerity; they exhorted the
Prophet to dissemble nothing, to add nothing and to diminish nothing’. What better
can be wished than that men should lay aside all ambiguity and all evasions, and not
wish God’s words to be corrupted? And this the Jews expressed in high terms,
Whatever Jehovah our God shall answer, declare thou to us Here they seemed to
have more zeal than Jeremiah himself; for they enjoined a law, that he should add
nothing and diminish nothing, but that he should be a faithful interpreter of God’s
will. They seemed then to be half-angels. They afterwards testified that they would
do whatever God should command them.
19.The word of Jehovah to you, the remnant of Judah, is this, Enter not into Egypt;
knowing, know (or, surely know,) that I make this pro-
20.test to you this day. Verily, ye do go greatly astray against your own selves; for ye
sent me to Jehovah your God, etc., etc.
The first clause is according to the Vulg. The express message was, not to enter into
Egypt. What they were to know and remember was the protest he made to them.
Then in verse 20th, he charges them with inconsistency, that they went astray from
their own professions, and afterwards he specifies what they had promised. There
is, according to this view, a consistency in the whole passage. The word soul is often
taken for the person: “against your own selves,” is literally “against your own
souls.” The meaning of the phrase is, that they belied themselves, as it is evident
from what follows. The past tense in Hebrew may often be rendered by the present,
as it refers to time up to the present and including the present. The future also in
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Hebrew may be rendered by the present, because it refers often to what is now and
continues to be. — Ed.
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto
the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according
unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do [it].
Ver. 20. For ye dissembled in your hearts.] Heb., Ye seduced in your souls or in your
minds. The Vulgate hath it, You deceived your souls, and not God, by playing fast
and loose with him, by dealing with him ac si puer esset, scurra, vel morio, and if he
sould be a boy, a baffoon or an idiot.
WHEDON, "20. Ye dissembled, etc. — The marginal reading is better: ye have used
deceit against your souls. That is, your self-delusion is against your own souls.
‘For you have dealt deceitfully against your own souls, for you sent me to YHWH
your God, saying, “Pray for us to YHWH our God; and according unto all that
YHWH our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do it, and I have this day
declared it to you. But you have not obeyed the voice of YHWH your God in
anything for which he has sent me to you.’
And he brings out that the reason for his final solemn plea is because he can see that
all their past promises have been deceitful. They have even deceived themselves,
‘dealt deceitfully against their own souls’. He recognises that they have in fact from
the beginning had no intention of obeying YHWHwhatever He said’, even though
they may have convinced themselves otherwise. Their obedience had rather been
conditional on YHWH aligning Himself with their own intentions, which in their
view were the only safe ones. Their view was that YHWH had to fit in with what
they saw as their only real hope of security, refuge in Egypt. For to them the might
and security of Egypt under Pharaoh Hophra offered them their only hope. Thus
when they had called on Jeremiah to pray to YHWH for guidance and had
promised to do all that he declared to them as from YHWH, which was what he had
done, they had done so only conditionally on it fitting in with their own inclinations.
Refuge in Egypt had indeed always been the final choice for people in the land of
Canaan. It was ever a safe haven in times of trouble and famine. And because in the
past Egypt had always seen Canaan as a kind of protectorate the refuge was usually
offered. Archaeology bears witness to how often parties of Canaanites were
welcomed in Egypt. We can compare Abraham in Genesis 12:10; and Jacob in the
time of Joseph (Genesis 42:1-3).
‘But you have not obeyed the voice of YHWH your God in anything for which he
has sent me to you.’ But the truth was that Israel had never obeyed the voice of
YHWH, even though they claimed Him as their God. And they were not ready to
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obey Him now. This may be a reference back to Judah as a whole, linking these
people before him with the previous behaviour of Judah, or it may simply indicate
that he recognises that they have come to a decision, and that that decision was to
disobey YHWH. Thus in their intentions they have already disobeyed YHWH, just
as they always have in the past.
PULPIT, "For ye dissembled in your hearts; rather, for ye have gone astray (from
the right path) at the risk of your lives; or, another possible rendering, for ye hate
led yourselves astray. Hypocrisy is certainly not the accusation which Jeremiah
brings against the people.
21 I have told you today, but you still have not
obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell
you.
CLARKE, "Ye have not obeyed the voice - Though ye have requested to have
this particular revelation of the Divine will, and promised obedience, yet have ye not
done one thing for which ye sent me to inquire of the Lord.
GILL, "And now I have this day declared it unto you,.... The whole will of God,
and had not kept back anything from them:
but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God; or, "ye will not obey" (c);
the prophet knew they would not obey the command of the Lord not to go into Egypt,
either by his conversation with them during the ten days the answer of the Lord was
deferred, by which he plainly saw they were determined to go into Egypt; or by their
countenances and behaviour, while he was delivering the Lord's message to them; by
what he observed in them, he knew what was said was not agreeable to them, and that
their mind was to go into Egypt: or he had this, as others think, by divine revelation;
though without that he knew the cast of this people, and what a rebellious and
disobedient people they were, and had been, never obeying the voice of the Lord:
nor any thing for which he hath sent me unto you: not anyone particular thing
respecting this present affair; nor indeed any of his prophecies had they regarded, with
which he had been sent to them before.
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JAMISON, "declared it — namely, the divine will.
I ... but ye — antithesis. I have done my part; but ye do not yours. It is no fault of
mine that ye act not rightly.
CALVIN, "He at length adds, And I have this day declared it to you Here he sets
forth his own fidelity, not for the sake of boasting, but that their impiety might be
reproved, who at length despised the oracle of God, which they had boasted that
they would obey. Ye have not hearkened, he says, to the voice of Jehovah your God,
and according to all the things on account of which he hath sent me to you. The
Prophet again confirms the truth, that it was their own fault that the Jews did not
follow what was right, and also what was for their good, for he had faithfully
delivered to them what God had commanded. He now adds, —
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:21 And [now] I have this day declared [it] to you; but ye
have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any [thing] for the which he
hath sent me unto you.
Ver. 21. But ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord.] Nay, you take a clean
contrary course, as if ye would despitefully spit in the face of Heaven, and wrestle a
fall with the Almighty.
22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the
sword, famine and plague in the place where you
want to go to settle.”
CLARKE, "Now therefore know certainly - As ye have determined to disobey,
God has determined to punish. Ye may now follow the full bent of your wicked devices,
and I will follow the requisitions of my justice. Ye shall die by the sword, by the
pestilence, and by the famine, in the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn. Thus was
their doom sealed.
With such dispositions and with such rebellion of heart, it is strange that they should
put themselves to any trouble to inquire of the Lord relative to their future operations.
They did not intend to obey; but as a matter of curiosity they would inquire to hear what
the prophet might say; and if according to their own inclination, they would obey.
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GILL, "Now therefore know certainly,.... Or, "in knowing know" (d); they might
assure themselves of this, that it would certainly come to pass, and most justly and
deservedly; since it was at their own request the prophet sought the mind of the Lord for
them, and had faithfully related it to them, and they had promised to observe it;
wherefore, should they go into Egypt, as their inclination scented to be entirely that way,
they must expect what follows:
that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; by one or
other of these, or all of them; some by one, and some by another, as before threatened;
evils they thought to escape by going thither, but which should surely follow them, and
overtake them:
in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn; that is, in Egypt, to which
they had a strong inclination, where they greatly desired to be, pleased themselves with
the thoughts of, and which they chose of their own will and pleasure for their habitation.
JAMISON, "sojourn — for a time, until they could return to their country. They
expected, therefore, to be restored, in spite of God’s prediction to the contrary.
CALVIN, "The Prophet at length concludes his discourse, after having mentioned
the reasons why God would deal so severely with them, even because their perfidy,
impiety, ingratitude, and obstinate contempt were unsufferable. After having then
shewn that they had no reason to expostulate as though God were extremely rigid,
he at length declares what end awaited them, even that they should die by the
sword, famine, or pestilence, that is, that there would be no hope of safety to them,
because if they escaped from the sword, they should be beset with famine, and if
they evaded the famine, they should be destroyed by pestilence. It is a common
mode of speaking with the Prophets, as it is well known, that when they intimate
that the ungodly in vain hope for impunity, they represent God as having at his
command all kinds of punishment.
Ye shall then, he says, die in that place which ye seek for your sojourn, he again
shews the object of the people, for they did not intend to dwell perpetually in Egypt,
but only for a time, until there was liberty to return to their own country. In short,
they wished to be restored, as it were, against God’s will; and yet they ceased not
falsely to put forward the name of God, as hypocrites, who mock God, always do.
Now follows, —
TRAPP, "Jeremiah 42:22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the
sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go
[and] to sojourn.
Ver. 22. Now, therefore, know certainly that ye shall die.] In running from death ye
shall but run to it, as Jonah did.
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“ Quo fugis, Encelade? quaseunque accesseris orss,
Sub Iove semper eris. ”
‘Now therefore know certainly that you will die by the sword, by the famine, and by
the pestilence, in the place to which you desire to go to sojourn there.’
Jeremiah thus pronounces on them YHWH’s final verdict. In the very place to
which they intended to go in order tolivethere, sword and famine and pestilence will
overtake them, bringing about their deaths. Rather than escaping from them they
will have brought them upon themselves. And this is not just a possibility, but is a
certainty.
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Jeremiah 42 commentary

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Jeremiah 42 commentary