Jeremias 44:14

14 And he said, false; I do not flee to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; and Saruia caught Jeremias, and brought him to the princes.

Jeremias 44:14 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 44:14

So that none of the remnant of Judah
Which were left in the land of Judea after the captivity: which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or
remain;
escape either the sword, or the famine, or the pestilence, or remain in the land of Egypt, or in the land of the living; so general should be the destruction: that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have
a desire to return there;
or, "have lift up their souls ^F2 to return there": most earnestly desire it, and have raised hopes and expectations of it; for it seems that those Jews that went into Egypt did not go with a design to settle there for ever; but to return to their own land, when there should be better times, and more safety and security there; particularly when they thought the affair of the death of Gedaliah would be no further inquired into: for none shall return but such as shall escape;
out of the hands of Johanan, and the rest of the captains; and should get out of the land of Egypt before the Chaldeans came into it. Some understand this of those that should escape out of Babylon; that none should return to Judea but those of that captivity, who should be released by the proclamation of Cyrus. Jarchi interprets it of Jeremiah and Baruch, whom Nebuchadnezzar removed to Babylon, when Egypt fell into his hands, in the twenty seventh year of his reign, as is related in the Jewish chronicles ^F3.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Mvpn ta Myavnm) "elevant, [vel] elevantes animam, suam", Pagninus, Vatablus, Calvin; "attolunt animam suam", Schmidt.
F3 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 26. p. 77.

Jeremias 44:14 In-Context

12 that Jeremias went forth from Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to buy thence in the midst of the people.

13 And he was in the gate of Benjamin, and there a man with whom he lodged, Saruia the son of Selemias, the son of Ananias; and he caught Jeremias, saying, Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans.

14 And he said, false; I do not flee to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; and Saruia caught Jeremias, and brought him to the princes.

15 And the princes were very angry with Jeremias, and smote him, and sent him into the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made this a prison.

16 So Jeremias came into the dungeon, and into the cells, and he remained there many days.