Jeremiah 43

Jeremiah Taken to Egypt

1 When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them,

2 Azariah the son of ¹Hoshaiah and ²Johanan the son of Kareah and ³all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did not send you to say, ⁴'Do not go to Egypt to live there,'

3 but ⁵Baruch the son of Neriah ⁶has set you against us, ⁷to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon."

4 So ⁸Johanan the son of Kareah and all ⁹the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.

5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took ¹⁰all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven--

6 ¹¹the men, the women, the children, ¹²the princesses, and every person whom ¹³Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with ¹⁴Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.

7 And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they arrived at ¹⁵Tahpanhes.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in ¹⁶Tahpanhes:

9 "Take in your hands large stones and hide them in the mortar in the pavement that is at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in ¹⁷Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah,

10 and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, ¹⁸my servant, ¹⁹and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them.

11 He shall come ²⁰and strike the land of Egypt, ²¹giving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword.

12 ²²I shall kindle a fire ²³in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them ²⁴and carry them away captive. ²⁵And he shall clean the land of Egypt ²⁶as a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin, and he shall go away from there in peace.

13 He shall break the ²⁷obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt, ²⁸and the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.'"

Jeremiah 43 Commentary

Chapter 43

The leaders carry the people to Egypt. (1-7) Jeremiah foretells the conquest of Egypt. (8-13)

Verses 1-7 Only by pride comes contention, both with God and man. They preferred their own wisdom to the revealed will of God. Men deny the Scriptures to be the word of God, because they are resolved not to conform themselves to Scripture rules. When men will persist in sin, they charge the best actions to bad motives. These Jews deserted their own land, and threw themselves out of God's protection. It is the folly of men, that they often ruin themselves by wrong endeavours to mend their situation.

Verses 8-13 God can find his people wherever they are. The Spirit of prophecy was not confined to the land of Israel. It is foretold that Nebuchadnezzar should destroy and carry into captivity many of the Egyptians. Thus God makes one wicked man, or wicked nation, a scourge and plague to another. He will punish those who deceive his professing people, or tempt them to rebellion.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 42:1
• 2. See Jeremiah 40:8
• 3. Psalms 86:14; Isaiah 13:11; Malachi 4:1
• 4. Jeremiah 42:19
• 5. See Jeremiah 32:12
• 6. [Jeremiah 38:22]
• 7. [Jeremiah 37:13]
• 8. [See ver. 2 above]
• 9. Jeremiah 40:13
• 10. [Jeremiah 40:11, 12]
• 11. Jeremiah 44:20
• 12. See Jeremiah 38:23
• 13. Jeremiah 39:10; Jeremiah 40:7
• 14. See Jeremiah 39:14
• 15. Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 44:1; Jeremiah 46:14; [Isaiah 30:4]
• 16. [See ver. 7 above]
• 17. [See ver. 7 above]
• 18. See Jeremiah 25:9
• 19. Jeremiah 1:15
• 20. Jeremiah 44:13; Jeremiah 46:13
• 21. See Jeremiah 15:2
• 22. See Jeremiah 17:27
• 23. Jeremiah 46:25; Ezekiel 30:13; [Exodus 12:12; Isaiah 19:1]
• 24. [Jeremiah 48:7]
• 25. [Psalms 104:2; Isaiah 49:18]
• 26. [Psalms 104:2; Isaiah 49:18]
• 27. [Exodus 23:24]
• 28. [See ver. 12 above]

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 43

This chapter contains the answer of the princes and people to the prophet's message; a relation of their going into Egypt; and a prophecy of the destruction of that land. The persons that gave the answer are described, some by name, and all by their character; and the time of their giving it is mentioned, in which they charge the prophet with a falsehood; impute the whole to an instigation of Baruch, and an ill design of his, and so were disobedient to the command of God, Jer 43:1-4; and went into Egypt, and carried all with them, of every rank, age, and sex, and even Baruch, and the prophet too, and came to Tahpanhes, the seat of the kings of Egypt, Jer 43:5-7; upon this a prophecy is delivered out, concerning the destruction of that country, which is signified by a symbol explained; the person, the instrument of it, is mentioned by name, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; the devastation he should make is expressed by slaying with the sword, and carrying into captivity; by burning the temples of their gods, and breaking their images in pieces, Jer 43:8-13.