Jeremiah42
New American Standard
1Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the small to the great approached
2and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our pleading come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God for all this remnant—since we have been left only a few out of many, just as your own eyes now see us—
3that the Lord your God will tell us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.”
4Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the Lord your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the Lord gives you as an answer. I will not withhold a word from you.”
5Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the Lord your God will send you to us.
6Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well for us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.”
7Now at the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
8Then he called for Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him, and for all the people from the small to the great,
9and said to them, “This is what the Lord says, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea before Him:
10‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent of the disaster that I have inflicted on you.
11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I am with you to save you and rescue you from his hand.
12I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil.
13But if you are going to say, “We will not stay in this land,” so as not to listen to the voice of the Lord your God,
14saying, “No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war, or hear the sound of a trumpet, or hunger for bread, and we will stay there”;
15then in that case listen to the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “If you really set your minds to enter Egypt and go in to reside there,
16then the sword, of which you are afraid, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt, and you will die there.
17So all the people who set their minds to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; and they will have no refugees or survivors from the disaster that I am going to bring on them.”’”
18For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “As My anger and wrath have gushed out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will gush out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation, and a disgrace; and you will not see this place again.”
19The Lord has spoken to you, you remnant of Judah, “Do not go to Egypt!” You know for certain that I have admonished you today.
20For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the Lord your God, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God; and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.”
21So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the Lord your God in whatever He has sent me to tell you.
22And now you shall know for certain that you will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague in the place where you desire to go to reside.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 42.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Johanan desires Jeremiah to ask counsel of God. (1-6). They are assured of safety in Judea, but of destruction in Egypt. (7-22).
vv1-6
To serve a turn, Jeremiah is sought out, and the captains ask for his assistance. In every difficult, doubtful case, we must look to God for direction; and we may still, in faith, pray to be guided by a spirit of wisdom in our hearts, and the leadings of Providence. We do not truly desire to know the mind of God, if we do not fully resolve to comply with it when we know it. Many promise to do what the Lord requires, while they hope to have their pride flattered, and their favourite lusts spared. Yet something betrays the state of their hearts.
vv7-22
If we would know the mind of the Lord in doubtful cases, we must wait as well as pray. God is ever ready to return in mercy to those he has afflicted; and he never rejects any who rely on his promises. He has declared enough to silence even the causeless fears of his people, which discourge them in the way of duty. Whatever loss or suffering we may fear from obedience, is provided against in God's word; and he will protect and deliver all who trust in him and serve him. It is folly to quit our place, especially to quit a holy land, because we meet with trouble in it. And the evils we think to escape by sin, we certainly bring upon ourselves. We may apply this to the common troubles of life; and those who think to avoid them by changing their place, will find that the grievances common to men will meet them wherever they go. Sinners who dissemble with God in solemn professions especially should be rebuked with sharpness; for their actions speak more plainly than words. We know not what is good for ourselves; and what we are most fond of, and have our hearts most set upon, often proves hurtful, and sometimes fatal.
Key Words
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
שַׂר: a head person (of any rank or class)
חַיִל: probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength
יוֹחָנָן: Jochanan, the name of nine Israelites
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
קָרֵחַ: Kareach, an Israelite
יְזַנְיָה: Jezanjah, an Israelite
הוֹשַׁעְיָה: Hoshajah, the name of two Israelites
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
קָטָן: abbreviated, i.e. diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance)
Cross References
Jeremiah 42God explicitly forbade His people from returning to Egypt to prevent entanglement in idolatry.
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The tiny remainder of people fulfills the divine curse of being left few in number.
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They call on God as a witness, echo of the ancient covenant witness formula.
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The metaphor of building and planting is used elsewhere for God establishing His people.
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God's repenting of the evil echoes the covenant promise of mercy in Deuteronomy.
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Echoes Israel's historical empty promises of obedience when receiving God's laws.
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Jeremiah's resolve to keep nothing back reflects the faithful prophetic standard of Samuel.
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Paul echoes this prophetic integrity, keeping back nothing profitable from his hearers.
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Fleeing to escape the sword only brings the sword upon the disobedient.
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Dissembling in their hearts brings self-ruin; God is not mocked by hypocrisy.
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Asking a prophet to lift up a prayer for a surviving remnant.
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Setting their faces to enter Egypt contrasts Christ setting His face to go to Jerusalem.
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The pouring out of God's fury mimics the previous destruction of Jerusalem.
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The ten-day delay tested their hearts to prove their willingness to obey.
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