Jeremiah Chapter 42 — The Warning Against Egypt
The remnant of Judah asks Jeremiah for God's guidance on where to settle, but God warns them that fleeing to Egypt will lead to their destruction.
1Then 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,
2and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, even for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us,
3that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the things that we should do.”
4Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your words; and it will happen that whatever thing the LORD answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.”
5Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness among us, if we don’t do according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to tell us.
6Whether it is good, or whether it is bad, 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.”
7After ten days, the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah.
8Then 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,
9and said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before him, says:
10‘If you will still live 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 grieve over the distress that I have brought on you.
11Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Don’t be afraid of him,’ says the LORD, ‘for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
12I will grant 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,” so that you don’t obey the LORD your God’s voice,
14saying, “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 we will dwell;” ’
15now therefore hear the LORD’s word, O remnant of Judah! The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to live there,
16then it will happen that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are afraid, will follow close behind you there in Egypt; and you will die there.
17So will it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to live there. They will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. None of them will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.’
18For the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and my wrath has been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you, when you enter into Egypt; and you will be an object of horror, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you will see this place no more.’
19“The LORD has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah, ‘Don’t go into Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have testified to you today.
20For you have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God says, so declare to us, and we will do it.’
21I have declared it to you today; but you have not obeyed the LORD your God’s voice in anything for which he has sent me to you.
22Now therefore know certainly that you will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live.”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Jeremiah 42:6
“Whether it is good, or whether it is bad, 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.”
This verse reflects the people's initial commitment to total submission to God's will, regardless of the consequences.
Jeremiah 42:10
“‘If you will still live 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 grieve over the distress that I have brought on you.’”
God offers a promise of restoration and stability if the people remain in their homeland rather than fleeing.
Jeremiah 42:19
““The LORD has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah, ‘Don’t go into Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have testified to you today.””
This is the central command and warning of the chapter, clearly stating God's prohibition against going to Egypt.
Chapter Summary
Following the turmoil in Judah, the remaining military leaders and people approach Jeremiah, asking him to seek God's direction on their next steps. They swear an oath to obey the Lord's instructions, regardless of whether the message is favorable or difficult. After ten days, Jeremiah delivers God’s response: if the people choose to stay in the land of Judah, God will protect and establish them, delivering them from their fear of the king of Babylon. However, God strictly forbids them from going to Egypt. He warns that if they set their faces to enter Egypt for safety, the very sword and famine they fear will follow them there, resulting in their death. Jeremiah concludes by noting that the people had dealt deceitfully, as they were already set on their own path despite their promise to follow God's voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The captains and the remnant of the people asked Jeremiah to pray to God on their behalf to find out where they should go and what they should do next, promising to obey whatever God said.
God promised that if they stayed, He would build them up and protect them from the King of Babylon. He assured them that He would grant them mercy so they could remain safely in their own land.
God warned that Egypt would not provide the safety they sought. Instead, the war and famine they were trying to escape would follow them there, and they would perish by the sword, famine, and pestilence.
Jeremiah waited ten days before the word of the Lord came to him regarding the people's request for guidance.
Study Note
The ten-day delay before Jeremiah received God's word emphasizes that true prophecy was not at the prophet's command but required waiting on the Lord's specific timing.
Related Chapters
Jeremiah Chapter 41
Provides context for the chaos and fear that led the remnant to seek Jeremiah's help.
Jeremiah Chapter 43
Shows the immediate aftermath and how the people responded to the warning given in chapter 42.
Exodus Chapter 14
Offers a thematic contrast to the Exodus, where God previously led His people out of Egypt.
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