Jeremiah42
New King James Version
1Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near
2and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see),
3that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.”
4Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the Lord answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.”
5So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you.
6Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”
7And it happened after ten days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
8Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
9and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him:
10‘If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you.
11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand.
12And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.’
13“But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God,
14saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell’—
15Then hear now the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you wholly set your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there,
16then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die.
17So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.’
18“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘As My anger and My fury have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will My fury be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.’
19“The Lord has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
20For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.’
21And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.
22Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell.”
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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