Jérémie 42:2

2 Et dirent à Jérémie, le prophète: Reçois favorablement notre prière et intercède auprès de l'Éternel ton Dieu pour nous, pour tout ce qui reste! Car, de beaucoup que nous étions, nous sommes restés peu, comme tes yeux le voient.

Jérémie 42:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 42:2

And said unto Jeremiah the prophet
That is, some one of them, as the mouth of the whole body, very probably Johanan: let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee;
they treat the prophet with great respect, and are very humble and submissive, as if they were very hearty and sincere in their request: and pray for us unto the Lord thy God;
as if they were conscious of their own inability to pray for themselves, and of their unworthiness to call God their God; and as if they had a high opinion of, he prophet, as having an interest in God, and great power with him in prayer, whom he could not well deny anything: [even] for all this remnant;
this poor remnant, this handful of people, left of the sword, famine, and pestilence, left in the land by the Chaldeans, and who had escaped the cruelty of Ishmael; and for whom it might be hoped the Lord would still have a regard, since he had so mercifully and wonderfully preserved them: for we are left [but] a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us;
the number of the people had been very large, but by the judgments of the sword, famine, and pestilence, and captivity, they were greatly reduced; here was their whole number before the prophet; his eyes beheld them, and the condition they were in: this they said to move his compassion, and very likely to suggest to him how improbable it was that they should ever be able to continue in their own land; but that it would be better to put themselves under the protection of a neighbouring nation, Egypt, whither they were inclined to go; and hoped to have a word from the Lord by the prophet, to direct them thither.

Jérémie 42:2 In-Context

1 Alors tous les chefs des troupes, Jochanan, fils de Karéach, Jézania, fils de Hoshaja, et tout le peuple, depuis le plus petit jusqu'au plus grand, s'approchèrent,

2 Et dirent à Jérémie, le prophète: Reçois favorablement notre prière et intercède auprès de l'Éternel ton Dieu pour nous, pour tout ce qui reste! Car, de beaucoup que nous étions, nous sommes restés peu, comme tes yeux le voient.

3 Et que l'Éternel ton Dieu nous indique le chemin que nous devons suivre et ce que nous avons à faire.

4 Alors Jérémie, le prophète, leur répondit: J'entends. Voici, je vais prier l'Éternel votre Dieu, selon ce que vous avez dit; et tout ce que l'Éternel vous répondra, je vous le déclarerai. Je ne vous en cacherai pas un mot.

5 Et ils dirent à Jérémie: Que l'Éternel soit contre nous un témoin véritable et fidèle, si nous ne faisons tout ce que l'Éternel ton Dieu t'enverra nous dire.