Jeremiah 42:4

4 "I've heard you," I replied. "I'll certainly pray to the LORD your God. I'll do what you have asked me to do. In fact, I'll tell you everything the LORD says. I won't keep anything back from you."

Jeremiah 42:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 42:4

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard [you],
&c.] He took notice of what they said to him, and found himself disposed to comply with their request, and readily granted it: behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God, according to your words;
be an intercessor for them; use his interest with his God, and their God; and, on account of relation, might expect to be heard; whom he would humbly entreat to direct what they should do, as they desired: and it shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the Lord shall
answer you, I will declare [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back from
you;
but faithfully make known the whole mind and will of God, just as it is delivered, be it in what way soever: and though it is not expressed, he might suggest that he had some doubt on his mind whether they would obey it or not; and that he expected they would be open and free in declaring themselves on that point; since he had so readily complied with their request, and was determined to act the faithful part to them; hence the following reply:

Jeremiah 42:4 In-Context

2 All of them said to me, "Please listen to our appeal. Pray to the LORD your God. Pray for all of us who are left here. Once there were many of us. But as you can see, only a few of us are left now.

3 So pray to the LORD your God. Pray that he'll tell us where we should go. Pray that he'll tell us what we should do."

4 "I've heard you," I replied. "I'll certainly pray to the LORD your God. I'll do what you have asked me to do. In fact, I'll tell you everything the LORD says. I won't keep anything back from you."

5 Then they said to me, "We'll do everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us to do. If we don't, may he be a true and faithful witness against us.

6 It doesn't matter whether what you say is in our favor or not. We're asking you to pray to the LORD our God. And we'll obey him. Things will go well with us. That's because we will obey the LORD our God."