Jeremiah 43

In Egypt Jeremiah Warns of Judgment

1 But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had ¹finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God -that is, all these words -

2 Azariah the ²son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are ³telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there ';

3 but ⁴Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon."

4 So ⁵Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, ⁶did not obey the voice of the LORD to ⁷stay in the land of Judah.

5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the ⁸entire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away, in order to reside in the land of Judah -

6 the men, the women, the children, the ⁹king's daughters and ¹⁰every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, together with ¹¹Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah -

7 and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the LORD ) and went in as far as ¹²Tahpanhes.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in ¹³Tahpanhes, saying,

9 "Take some large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some of the Jews;

10 and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am going to send and get ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, ¹⁵My servant, and I am going to set his throne right over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his ¹⁶canopy over them.

11 "He will also come and ¹⁷strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and ¹⁸those for the sword to the sword.

12 "And I shall set fire to the temples of the ¹⁹gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. So he will ²⁰wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself with his garment, and he will depart from there safely.

13 "He will also shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will 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 26:8; Jeremiah 51:63
• 2. Jeremiah 42:1
• 3. 2 Chronicles 36:13; Isaiah 7:9; Jeremiah 5:12, 13; Jeremiah 42:5
• 4. Jer 36:4, 10, 26, 32; Jeremiah 43:6; Jeremiah 45:1-3
• 5. Jeremiah 42:8
• 6. 2 Chronicles 25:16; Jeremiah 42:5, 6; Jeremiah 44:5
• 7. Psalms 37:3; Jeremiah 42:10-12
• 8. Jeremiah 40:11
• 9. Jeremiah 41:10
• 10. Jeremiah 39:10; Jeremiah 40:7
• 11. Ecclesiastes 9:1, 2; Lamentations 3:1
• 12. Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 44:1
• 13. Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 44:1; Jeremiah 46:14; Ezekiel 30:18
• 14. Jeremiah 25:9, 11
• 15. Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1; Jeremiah 25:9; Jeremiah 27:6
• 16. Psalms 18:11; Psalms 27:5; Psalms 31:20
• 17. Isaiah 19:1-25; Jeremiah 25:15-19; Jeremiah 44:13; Jeremiah 46:1, 2, 13-26; Ezekiel 29:19, 20
• 18. Jeremiah 15:2
• 19. Exodus 12:12; Isaiah 19:1; Jeremiah 46:25; Ezekiel 30:13
• 20. Psalms 104:2; Psalms 109:18, 19; Isaiah 49:18

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "princes"
• [b]. Or "princes"
• [c]. Lit "infants"
• [d]. Lit "the son"
• [e]. Lit "hand"
• [f]. Or "brickwork"
• [g]. Lit "house"
• [h]. Lit "men"
• [i]. Some ancient versions read "He will set"
• [j]. Or "stone pillars"
• [k]. Heb "Beth-shemesh;" i.e. the house of the sun-god

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.