Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 43:4
So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.
All the people – Many, nevertheless, would be unwilling agents, compelled to do what their unscrupulous leaders forced upon the community.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
That is, they resolved not to obey the message God had sent them by Jeremiah.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people,…. The generality of them, at least, all agreed together, were of the same mind, and in the same sentiment and practice: and so
obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah; it was the command of the Lord they should dwell there, and not go into Egypt; but they would not believe this was the voice of the Lord, only a scheme concerted between the prophet and Baruch; or which the former was instigated to deliver as the word of the Lord by the latter, and therefore would not give heed unto it; though the truth of the matter was, it was contrary to their inclination and resolution, and therefore, though they had reason to believe it was the will of God they should abide in their own land, yet they were determined they would not, but go into Egypt, as they, did.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Thereupon Johanan and the other captains took “all the remnant of Judah, that had returned from all the nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah-the men and women and children, the king’s daughters, and all the souls whom Nebuzaradan, chief of the body-guard, had committed to Gedaliah…and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah, – and went to the land of Egypt – for they did not hearken to the voice of Jahveh – and came to Tahpanhes.” In this enumeration of those who were conducted to Egypt, Hitzig, Graf, and others distinguish two classes: (1) the men, women, children, etc., who had been in Mizpah with Gedaliah, and had been led to Gibeon, after the murder of the latter, by Ishmael, but had afterwards been brought to Bethlehem by Johanan and the other captains (Jer 43:6, cf. Jer 40:7; Jer 41:10, Jer 41:16); (2) those who had returned from the foreign countries whither they had fled, but who had hitherto lived in the country, scattered here and there, and who must have joined the company led by Johanan to Bethlehem during the ten days of halt at that resting-place (Jer 43:5, cf. Jer 40:11-12). There is no foundation, however, for this distinction. Neither in the present chapter is there anything mentioned of those who had been dispersed through the land joining those who had marched to Bethlehem; nor are the Jews who had returned from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries to their own home distinguished, in Jer 40 and 41, as a different class from those who had been with Gedaliah in Mizpah; but on the other hand, according to Jer 40:12, these returned Jews also came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered grapes and fruit. Besides, in these verses the distinction can only be made after the insertion into the text of the conjunction before . To “all the remnant of Judah who had returned from the nations” belong the men, women, children, etc., whom Nebuzaradan had committed to the care of Gedaliah. The enumeration in Jer 43:6 gives only one specification of the “whole remnant of Judah,” as in Jer 41:16. “And all the souls;” as if it were said, “and whoever else was still left alive;” cf. Jos 10:28. Tahpanhes was a frontier town of Egypt on the Pelusian branch of the Nile, and named by the Greeks; see on Jer 2:16. Here, on the borders of Egypt, a halt was made, for the purpose of coming to further resolutions regarding their residence in that country. Here, too, Jeremiah received a revelation from God regarding the fate now impending on Egypt.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
The Prophet had sufficiently shewn that John the son of Kareah and the rest had not in good faith inquired of the Prophet what the will of God was; for when they saw that God’s counsel did not harmonize with their wicked and foolish desire, they rose up against the Prophet. But he now more clearly condemns their obstinacy in not obeying God; and it is said emphatically, that they did not obey the voice of God, because they denied that God had spoken. Though then they sought to evade, Jeremiah on the other hand declares, that he was a true interpreter of God’s will, that he had announced nothing but what had come from God. He then brings them all in as guilty, the leaders and the whole people, that no man might think it strange that innocent men, willing to submit to God, were driven into Egypt. Hence the Prophet shews here that they were all implicated in the same sin, since the leaders alone did not resist the oracle, but also the whole people. It now follows,
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
To what a desperate degree of boldness in sin, doth sin harden! It is somewhat extraordinary however, under all, that the life of the Prophet is so sacred. The reason is assigned us: Jer 1:19 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 43:4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.
Ver. 4. So Johanan the son of Kareah, &c. ] Nothing is more audacious and desperate than a hypocrite when once discovered. Now these subdoli show themselves in their colours, appear in their likeness, going on end with their work.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
obeyed: Jer 42:5, Jer 42:6, Jer 44:5, 2Ch 25:16, Ecc 9:16
to dwell: Jer 42:10-13, Psa 37:3
Reciprocal: Num 25:6 – in the sight of Moses Jdg 6:10 – ye have 1Ki 22:8 – but I hate him 2Ki 25:26 – General Jer 41:16 – even
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 43:4. Some people do not appreciate a good thing when they have It. These captives of Babylon had been given the privilege of remaining in their own home land, but now they ignored that favor and planned to flee out of the country. Such an action was as bad in principle as that of a “trusty” who abuses his parole by fleeing.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 43:4-7. So Johanan and all the captains, &c., obeyed not, &c. That is, they resolved not to obey the message God had sent them by Jeremiah; but took all the remnant of Judah that were returned, &c. The resolution which they had formed they presently put in practice. Though Jeremiah and Baruch, and probably many of the people, were not willing to go along with them, yet these rebellious captains forced them to go; so that the prophet and his pious friends were now a kind of prisoners to their own countrymen. So they came into the land of Egypt Their great inclination to go into Egypt arose, as has been intimated, from a supposition that they should be safer there from the Babylonians, who, they thought, might injure them at any time while they stayed in Judea; but would not venture to attack Egypt, on account of its strongly fortified cities, which commanded the passes into the country, and the various channels of the Nile, which were great obstructions to the march of an army. Thus they came even to Tahpanhes One of the principal cities of Egypt, and a place of residence for their kings. The word is contracted to Hanes, Isa 30:4, and joined with Zoan, the chief city of the kingdom. Tahpanhes gave a name to a queen of Egypt, (1Ki 11:19,) and is supposed by many to be the same city which was afterward called Daphn Pelusiac. In this behaviour of the Jews we have an instance of great impiety joined to hypocrisy. They had promised with an oath to follow the advice of the prophet; but, because his counsel was not agreeable to their inclinations, they went down into Egypt, and even charged the prophet with speaking falsely in the name of the Lord. In these Jews we see a picture of those persons who, upon some occasions, express their zeal and good intentions, but reject the most wholesome counsels when those counsels thwart their passions, and are in opposition to what they have secretly purposed. With respect to Jeremiah, it may be observed, God suffered him to be carried to Egypt, that he might there denounce the ruin of the Egyptians as well as of the Jews, who had put their trust in them. Wherever the wicked are, the hand of God finds them out; and those who think, by disobeying him, to avoid the evils which they dread, and to that end make use of unlawful means, fall by those very means into the evils they expect to shun, and are confounded in their hope.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Johanan, the guerrilla commanders, and all the refugees did not obey Yahweh’s instruction to stay in the land. "All the people" in view here, must refer to all the people in this group of Judahites near Bethlehem, not all the people still in the land. Many Judeans remained in the land and did not go to Egypt. Here was a final moment of opportunity for the Judahites still in the land, but they continued to reject the Lord’s instructions.