Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 43:1
And it came to pass, [that] when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, [even] all these words,
These captains belonged to the party who had all along resisted Jeremiahs counsels, and had led Zedekiah astray. Now however that events had proved that the prophets counsels had been wise and true, they cannot for shame find fault with him, but they affirm that he is under the influence of Baruch, a traitor who has sold himself to the Chaldaeans, and seeks only the hurt of the people.
These captains belonged to the party who had all along resisted Jeremiahs counsels, and had led Zedekiah astray. Now however that events had proved that the prophets counsels had been wise and true, they cannot for shame find fault with him, but they affirm that he is under the influence of Baruch, a traitor who has sold himself to the Chaldaeans, and seeks only the hurt of the people.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER XLIII
The leading men, discrediting Jeremiah’s prophecy, carry the
people into Egypt, 1-7.
Jeremiah, by a type, foretells the conquest of Egypt by
Nebuchadnezzar, 8-13.
This mode of conveying instruction by actions was very
expressive, and frequently practised by the prophets. The image
of Nebuchadnezzar arraying himself with Egypt, as a shepherd
puts on his garment, is very noble. Egypt at this time
contended with Babylon for the empire of the east; yet this
mighty kingdom, when God appoints the revolution, shifts its
owner with as much ease as a shepherd removes his tent or
garment, which the new proprietor has only to spread over him.
See Jer 43:12.
NOTES ON CHAP. XLIII
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Hebrew word which we translate
words signifieth also things. The prophet is very exact in letting us know that he had from the Lord what he delivered to them, he therefore twice repeats it, the words of the lord their God, and for which the Lord had sent him to them: not that the prophets always limited themselves to those syllabical words they had revealed to them, but to the matter only of the revelation; which every minister of the gospel is still bound to do, delivering to the people only what they have received from the Lord, as 1Co 11:23, as to the matter and substance of what they deliver, though they clothe it with words and phrases of their own.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And it came to pass, [that] when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people,…. The princes and the people, the whole body of them, who had desired the prophet to seek the Lord for them, and whom he called together to relate his answer, and declare his will; see Jer 42:1; they heard him out, and that was as much as they did; for as soon as he had done, they rose up and contradicted him: however, he faithfully declared
all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God sent him to them, [even] all the words; which are related in the preceding chapter, which were the words of the Lord, and so ought to have been regarded; and the rather, as they were the words of their God, whom they professed, and which he had sent his prophet to declare unto them; and who had kept back nothing, but had made known the whole; he had told the truth, and nothing but the truth, and all the truth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The march of the people to Egypt. – When Jeremiah had thus ended all the words which the Lord had announced to him for the people, then came forward Azariah (probably an error for Jezaniah, see on Jer 42:1) the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and the rest of the insolent men, and said to Jeremiah, “Thou dost utter falsehood; Jahveh our God hath not sent thee unto us, saying, Ye must not go to Egypt to sojourn there; Jer 43:3. But Baruch the son of Neriah inciteth thee against us, in order to give us into the hand of the Chaldeans, to kill us, and to take us captive to Babylon.” is not the predicate to , but forms a resumption of , with which it thus serves to connect its object, Jeremiah, and from which it would otherwise be pretty far removed. Azariah (or, more correctly, Jezaniah) occupies the last place in the enumeration of the captains, Jer 40:8, and in Jer 42:1 is also named after Johanan, who is the only one specially mentioned, in what follows, as the leader on the march. From this we may safely conclude that Jezaniah was the chief speaker and the leader of the opposition against the prophet. To avoid any reference to the promise they had made to obey the will of God, they declare that Jeremiah’s prophecy is an untruth, which had been suggested to him, not by God, but by his attendant Baruch, with the view of delivering up the people to the Chaldeans.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The People’s Insolent Reply. | B. C. 588. |
1 And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words, 2 Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: 3 But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. 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. 5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; 6 Even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. 7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.
What God said to the builders of Babel may be truly said of this people that Jeremiah is now dealing with: Now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do, Gen. xi. 6. They have a fancy for Egypt, and to Egypt they will go, whatever God himself says to the contrary. Jeremiah made them hear all he had to say, though he saw them uneasy at it; it was what the Lord their God had sent him to speak to them, and they shall have it all. And now let us see what they have to say to it.
I. They deny it to be a message from God: Johanan, and all the proud men, said to Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely, v. 2. See here, 1. What was the cause of their disobedience–it was pride; only by that comes contention both with God and man. They were proud men that gave the lie to the prophet. They could not bear the contradiction of their sentiments and the control of their designs, no, not by the divine wisdom, by the divine will itself. Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey him? Exod. v. 2. The proud unhumbled heart of man is one of the most daring enemies God has on this side hell. 2. What was the colour for their disobedience. They would not acknowledge it to be the word of God: The Lord hath not sent thee on this errand to us. Either they were not convinced that what was said came from God or (which I rather think) though they were convinced of it they would not own it. The light shone strongly in their face, but they either shut their eyes against it or would not confess that they saw it. Note, The reason why men deny the scriptures to be the word of God is because they are resolved not to conform to scripture-rules, and so an obstinate infidelity is made the sorry subterfuge of a wilful disobedience. If God had spoken to them by an angel, or as he did from Mount Sinai, they would have said that it was a delusion. Had they not consulted Jeremiah as a prophet? Had he not waited to receive instructions from God what to say to them? Had not what he said all the usual marks of prophecy upon it? Was not the prophet himself embarked in the same bottom with them? What interests could he have separate from theirs? Had he not always approved himself an Israelite indeed? And had not God proved him a prophet indeed? Had any of his words ever fallen to the ground? Why, truly, they had some good thoughts of Jeremiah, but they suggest (v. 3), Baruch sets thee on against us. A likely thing, that Baruch should be in a plot to deliver them into the hands of the Chaldeans; and what would he get by that? If Jeremiah and he had been so well affected to the Chaldeans as they would represent them, they would have gone away at first with Nebuzaradan, when he courted them, to Babylon, and not have staid to take their lot with this despised ungrateful remnant. But the best services are no fences against malice and slander. Or, if Baruch had been so ill disposed, could they think Jeremiah would be so influenced by him as to make God’s name an authority to patronise so villainous a purpose? Note, Those that are resolved to contradict the great ends of the ministry are industrious to bring a bad name upon it. When men will persist in sin they represent those that would turn them from it as designing men for themselves, nay, as ill-designing men against their neighbours. It is well for persons who are thus misrepresented that their witness is in heaven and their record on high.
II. They determine to go to Egypt notwithstanding. They resolve not to dwell in the land of Judah, as God had ordered them (v. 4), but to go themselves with one consent and to take all that they had under their power along with them to Egypt. Those that came from all the nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah, out of a sincere affection to that land, they would not leave to their liberty, but forced them to go with them into Egypt (v. 5), men, women, and children (v. 6), a long journey into a strange country, an idolatrous country, a country that had never been kind of faithful to Israel; yet thither they would go, though they deserted their own land and threw themselves out of God’s protection. It is the folly of men that they know not when they are well off, and often ruin themselves by endeavouring to better themselves; and it is the pride of great men to force those they have under their power to follow them, though ever so much against their duty and interest. These proud men compelled even Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch his scribe to go along with them to Egypt; they carried them away as prisoners, partly to punish them (and a greater punishment they could not inflict upon them than to force them against their consciences; theirs is the worst of tyranny who say to men’s souls, even to good men’s souls, Bow down, that we may go over), partly to put some reputation upon themselves and their own way. Though the prophets were under a force, they would make the world believe that they were voluntary in going along with them; and who could have blamed them for acting contrary to the word of the Lord if the prophets themselves had acted so? They came to Tahpanhes, a famous city of Egypt (so called from a queen of that name, 1 Kings xi. 19), the same with Hanes (Isa. xxx. 4); it was now the metropolis, for Pharaoh’s house was there, v. 9. No place could serve these proud men to settle in but the royal city and near the court, so little mindful were they of Joseph’s wisdom, who would have his brethren settle in Goshen. If they had had the spirit of Israelites, they would have chosen rather to dwell in the wilderness of Judah than in the most pompous populous cities of Egypt.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
JEREMIAH – CHAPTER 43
REJECTING THE COUNSEL OF GOD
Vs. 1-7: THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT
1. Jeremiah was barely permitted to finish relating the message that God had sent to the small remnant in Judah before he was charged with lying! (vs. 1-2; comp. Jer 26:8-9; Jer 5:11-13).
2. They charge that, instead of declaring the word of the Lord to them, he is furthering the interests of Baruch who wants to see them all in the hands of the Chaldeans, (vs. 3; Jer 36:26). So absurd were their charges that Jeremiah did not even bother to answer them!
3. Thus, Johanan, the captain of the forces, and all the people refused to obey the voice of the Lord in this matter – determined that they would not remain in the land of Judah, (vs. 4; Jer 42:5; Jeremiah 10-12; Jer 44:5; comp. Psa 37:3-4).
4. So, all the people who -had returned to Judah from afar -intending to settle there again under Gedaliah – were taken to the land of Egypt; this included Jeremiah and Baruch – who seem not to have been given any choice in the matter, (vs. 5-6).
5. Disobeying the voice of Jehovah, they came to Tahpanhes, in Egypt, (vs. 7)
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Here the Prophet proceeds with the remaining part of the narrative. He says that the whole people obstinately persevered in their wicked design, so that he effected nothing by his warning and protest. Now this stupidity of the people was monstrous; for they had found out by experience the fidelity of the Prophet for many years; and further, they had gone to him because they believed that he was a faithful and an approved servant of God. He had not merely answered them in God’s name, but as he knew their hardness, he added protestations which might have moved even stones. But he addressed the deaf; and it hence appears that they were wholly fascinated by the devil. And thus let us learn not to mock God, nor bring a double heart when we inquire as to his will, but to suffer ourselves to be ruled by his word.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.1. Chronology of the Chapter.Continuous with the preceding.
2. National Affairs.The miserable remnant (Jer. 43:5-6) left by Nebuchadnezzar, now controlled by wilful men, were led away to Egypt, and reach Tahpanhes (Jer. 43:7).
3. Contemporaneous History.Probably, in Egypt, at this very time Pharaohs palace was in course of erection; for the mention (Jer. 43:9) of the brick-kiln and clay [i.e. mortar] at the entry of Pharaohs house implies this. The deadly struggle between the Chaldeans, under Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and the Egyptians, under Pharaoh-Hophra, for ascendency in the East, was now at its fiercest heat. In Jer. 43:10 the issue of the struggle is predicted; and Josephus states that on the fifth year after the overthrow of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar, leaving the siege of Tyre, undertook his expedition to Egypt (Antiq. X. ix. 7).
4. Geographical References.Jer. 43:7. Into the land of Egypt to Tahpanhes, vide note, chap. Jer. 2:16, in loc. This place, being on the frontier of Egypt towards Palestine, they naturally come to first.
Jer. 43:13. Beth-shemesh, i.e. the house, or temple, of the Sun, known to us by its Greek name Heliopolis, and in Hebrew by On, a very ancient city of Egypt. It is situate on the east of the Nile, a few miles south of Memphis, vide note, chap. Jer. 2:16, in loc. Ruins of its celebrated Temple of the Sun, and an obelisk, nearly seventy feet high, covered with hieroglyphics, still remain to mark its site.
5. Manners and Customs.He shall spread his royal pavilion over them, i.e. a canopy, which, being very ornate with gilt and gorgeous work, is described as a glittering canopy. Oriental monarchs have such an adorned parasol held over them for protection from the suns rays.
Literary Criticisms.Jer. 43:10. The word rendered royal pavilion, is from , to be polished, shining, beautiful.
Jer. 43:12. I will kindle, and he shall burn them. The change of persons seems abrupt; and he shall kindle seems better. The LXX., Syriac, and Vulgate so read; and the difference is effected by a transposition [possibly a penmans slip in the Hebrew] of the final letters, for .
SUBJECT OF CHAPTER 43
JEREMIAH CARRIED INTO EGYPT
Jer. 43:1-6. Theme: WILFULNESS TAKING ITS OWN COURSE. See homilies on preceding chapter. In a wilful career
I. Arrogance leads the way. All the proud men (Jer. 43:2). Pride is the pioneer of wilfulness; and wilfulness leads on to rebellion against God.
II. Sinister unbelief comes to its aid. Baruch, being the younger man, naturally would protest more vehemently against their departure for Egypt. This the proud men interpret as betraying a preference for the Chaldeans. So they fortify their own self-will, and charge lies on Gods servants in their own justification.
Notes.Henry remarks: Those that are resolved to contradict the great ends of the ministry, are industrious to bring a bad name upon it. And Cramer: Observe the old diabolical trick; when preachers practise Gods word and their office with zeal, the world understands how to conflict it with another name and call it personal interest.
III. Impious disobedience follows in its train. So all obeyed not the voice of the Lord (Jer. 43:4), &c. Such defiance is the natural and necessary outgrowth of wilfulness.
IV. Overpowering force completes its designs (Jer. 43:5-6). No resisting its violence. The good in a man is compelled to yield as well as the evil in him; as here, Jeremiah and Baruch were carried off with the people. For when once Wilfulness becomes regnant, it overpowers the less vehement forces and bears all before it.
Jer. 43:2. Theme: PROUD MEN.
I. Proud men are distinguished for their disbelief of the Divine testimony.
1. Some deny the record God has given of creation; array geology against Moses.
2. Others disbelieve the record of miracles, on the plea that God never can depart from the great laws by which He governs the universe. Yet it is now a law that man comes into existence by propagation, and as a babe; but it is certain that the first man did not come into being by propagation. Here, then, is action by God apart from law; and if one instance stands, so may all supernatural records.
3. Others disbelieve the record of salvation by Jesus Christ; call Christianity a myth; they will not bow to the Crucified One; will not admit their guilt, &c.
II. Proud men not only dishonour God by disbelieving His testimony, and thus pave the way to their own destruction; they are accessories to the ruin of others.
1. Others endorse their scepticism, imbibe their views, follow their example, and thus perish through their misleading.
2. Pride has prompted kings and potentates to all the sanguinary wars that have desolated lands and homes.
III. Pride being so hateful to God, He specially honours and approves humility.
1. Humility was the garment in which Christ was arrayed when He came into the world. He took upon Him the form of a servant.
2. This adornment of Christ should be the garment of Christians. Be clothed with humility.
3. Thus attired, proud men may despise us. But though they occupy high stations, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be brought low, &c.
4. But while God resisteth the proud, He giveth grace to the humble. He who inhabits eternity has promised to dwell with the lowly. Thus attired, good men will esteem us, angels will look upon us with complacency, and God will crown us with His richest favour.Walks with Jeremiah, Rev. D. Pledge.
Jer. 43:5-7. Theme: LIFES AIM DEFEATED. So the captains took Jeremiah and Baruch into the land of Egypt.
I. The ill most dreaded was eventually realised. Nothing could be more bitter to Jeremiah than this being carried at last to Egypt.
1. Throughout his whole prophetio career he had pleaded with his nation against looking towards Egypt for any befriending. It is the sum of his prophetic ministry: Go not into Egypt (Jer. 43:2).
2. At the downfall of Jerusalem he had chosen to stay with the remnant in his own land, rather than go away into Chaldea; prompted thereto by a noble patriotism (chap. Jer. 40:4-6).
3. The penalty of his faithful service of his country comes now in the most odious form it could assume, forced to go to the country from which he most instinctively recoils (Jer. 43:6-7).
Note.How hard at times seems the irony of fate! as the worldly call it; but the ordering of Providence!
Lifes hopes oerturned, its projects crossed!
II. Godly men entailed in the calamities of impiety.
1. Their ministry for God and their people cruelly resisted and repudiated (Jer. 43:2).
2. Their wise and self-sacrificing career contemned amid the excitement and passion of a popular caprice.
3. The very wrongs inflicted upon them which they most dread.
Notes.(1.) How painful in his old age to be thus torn from the land he had so loved and heroically served!
(2.) After all his righteous denunciation of Egypt, and of his nation for turning thitherwards, how bitter this experience of being forced to go thither!
(3.) If he must go from his own land, he had opportunity of going amid honours, and where he would have received kindness (chap. Jer. 40:4), and where he could have served God amid the worthier part of his nation.
III. Lifes painful frustrations.
1. Surely after such a faithful career of service for God, Jeremiah deserved a kindlier end than this!
2. It strangely baffles our faith when all our hopes and aims, which we know to be right, are thus defeated.
3. Certainly if lifes services were only rewarded on earth, we should see most grievous failures of justice.
4. A sorrowful career, such as Jeremiahs, closing in deepest shadows of disappointment and defeat, surely predicts a brighter world.
To steel his melting heart,
To act the martyrs sternest part;
To watch with firm, unshrinking eye
His darling visions as they die.
Too happy if, that dreadful day,
His life be given him for a prey.
(See Kebles Christian Year.)
Jer. 43:7-13. Theme: FLEEING FROM GODS CONTROL. So they came into the land of Egypt.
I. Allured thither by delusions (chap. Jer. 42:14).
II. Defiant of Jehovahs counsels (chap. Jer. 43:4).
III. Choosing for themselves a refuge regardless of God (Jer. 43:7).
IV. Followed by the denunciations of offended justice (Jer. 43:8-10).
V. Overtaken at last by the foe from whom they fled (Jer. 43:10-13).
Note.The ways of the Lord (says Lange) are wonderful. Israel flies from Nebuchadnezzar far away to Egypt. But there they are not safe. The Lord causes it to be proclaimed to them that, at the entrance of the kings palace at Tahpanhes, Nebuchadnezzars tent shall stand. Now, indeed, there is a brick-kiln there, in the clay of which Jeremiah is to place foundation-stones, as it were, for the Chaldean kings palace. Thus the Lord lays the germs of future events, and whatever. He prepares in secret He reveals in His own time, to the glory of His wisdom, omniscience, and omnipotence.
Jer. 43:12. KINDLE A FIRE IN THE HOUSES OF THE GODS OF EGYPT. Egypt was full of temples and idol-gods; those of wood the conquering army would commit to the flames; those of. gold they would carry away as spoil to Babylon.
This burning of temples and idols by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by the Persian kings, was mercifully ordered by God to wean the exiles there from their idolatry into which they sank, and to revive their faith in the God of Israel.
ARRAY HIMSELF WITH THE LAND OF EGYPT. A bold figure. The king of Babylon, from whom you expect to escape by fleeing to Egypt, where you hope to dwell securely and peacefully (chap. Jer. 42:11; Jer. 42:14), will come; and with the same ease as a shepherd wraps himself about in his mantle, in order to lay quietly down in it and take his rest, so will Nebuchadnezzar possess himself of the land.
The Egyptians, according to the Arabs, have a tradition that their land was devastated by Nebuchadnezzar in consequence of their king having received the Jews under his protection, and that it lay desolate forty years.
PROPHECY FULFILLED
Note.I. This is definite prophecy (Jer. 43:10-13). The name of the invader is given; his work of spoliation is described. Gods predictions are not generalisations or conjectures; but explicit fore-statements of events. This prophecy by Jeremiah in Egypt was echoed (without collusion) by Ezekiel in Babylon by the river Chebar (Ezekiel 29-37.)
II. Predictions literally accomplished. The historian follows with his pen long after the prophet has written his predictions; and in Josephus we have impartial testimony. He writes: Which things came to pass accordingly; for on the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem, which was the twenty-third of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he made an expedition into Cle-Syria; and fell upon Egypt, in order to overthrow it; and he slew the king that then reigned, and set up another; and he took those Jews, that were there captives, and led them away to Babylon (Antiq. X. ix. 7).
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
4. The rashness of the leaders (Jer. 43:1-7)
TRANSLATION
(1) And it came to pass after Jeremiah finished speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God which the LORD their God sent him, even all these words, (2) that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men began saying unto Jeremiah, You are speaking falsehood! The LORD our God did not send you to say, Do not go to Egypt to sojourn there. (3) But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us in order to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans that they might slay us or take us captive to Babylon. (4) And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the officers of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD to dwell in the land of Judah. (5) And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the officers of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which the LORD had driven them in order to sojourn in the land of Judah(6) the men, women, children, and daughters of the king, even every soul which Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah; (7) and they went to the land of Egypt for they would not obey the voice of the LORD. And they came to Tahpanhes,
COMMENTS
While the people heard the prophet, it was obvious that the word of God was not getting through to them. Scarcely had he finished speaking when opposition arose. A certain Azariah, most likely a brother of Jezaniah (Jer. 42:1),[356] seems to have assumed the role of chief spokesman. Joining with him were all the proud men. The Hebrew word used here is used of those arrogant, insolent loud mouths who have the audacity to speak out against God and question His word. You are a liar! they yelled at the prophet. God did not send you to say, Do not go down to Egypt! They did not attempt to answer Jeremiahs arguments; instead they challenge his integrity and veracity. They point the finger of accusation at Baruch and hurl a groundless but vicious charge at the faithful scribe: Baruch has set you against us in order to give us into the hands of the Chaldeans (Jer. 43:3). Just what the basis of this violent outburst against Baruch was is not made clear. Defiant disobedience must be rationalized and Baruch was made the scapegoat. Perhaps he was in the employ of the Chaldeans in some capacity. At any rate the attack made against him was patently absurd. Jeremiah does not even bother to try to dissuade the crowd, which by this time had become a mob, from their course of action. Unbelief had hardened into apostasy. The die was cast. To Egypt they would go.
[356] Some scholars think that Jezahiah of Jer. 42:1 and the Azariah here are one and the same. Both are said to be the son of Hoshaiah.
Having determined to disobey the commandment of God, Johanan instructed the people to hastily make preparation for the flight to Egypt. Too much time had already been wasted waiting on Jeremiah to deliver his oracle. They could feel, so they thought, Nebuchadnezzar breathing down their neck. Therefore all the men, women, children, and the kings daughters are told to pack their meager belongings for the trip southward. Jeremiah and Baruch are both listed among those who went down to Egypt, It is impossible to imagine that this faithful man of God agreed to join the refugees of his own accord since he knew that the whole venture was contrary to the will of God. The angry leaders must have forced the old man and his faithful companion to go with them in order that they might share whatever fate awaited the group in Egypt.
One of the saddest verses in the whole book of Jeremiah is Jer. 43:7. So they come into the land of Egypt; for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord; thus they came even to Tahpanhes. How ironical. The Israelites, who tine hundred years earlier had been delivered from Egypt, have now returned. Those who were seeking peace and security were marching into the jaws of death. Those who were trying to avoid confrontation with Nebuchadnezzar would shortly face their dreaded foe on foreign soil. The remnant ended their flight at Tahpanhes (modern Daphne), a fortress city just inside the Egyptian border.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
The People Of Judah And Their Leaders Reject The Word Of YHWH And Seek Refuge In Egypt ( Jer 43:1-7 ).
Even as Jeremiah had been giving to the people ‘the word of YHWH’ he had recognised from their reaction that they were going to reject it. And so it proved. A group of ‘proud men’, which included the leaders of the people, came to Jeremiah and accused him of prophesying at the behest of Baruch, the son of Neriah, who had been Jeremiah’s amanuensis and was a man of high standing. And they then subsequently sought refuge in Egypt, in the border town of Tahpanes. This had clearly always been their intention, whatever word from YHWH Jeremiah brought them. So once again Judah proved itself unwilling to obey the voice of YHWH.
We must not underestimate the significance of this event. YHWH had made a clear offer to Judah to re-establish it in accordance with His promises in Jer 31:28, by ‘building it and planting it’. This was thus an open and direct rejection of the new covenant. It will be noted that they did not attack Jeremiah directly. They did so through Baruch, suggesting that Jeremiah’s influence over many of the people was still large. By this means they justified to themselves their disobedience to the word of YHWH. How easily we can find ourselves doing the same thing. We do not directly refuse to obey God. Instead we find some way of arguing our way round what He demands in order to justify our own position.
Jer 43:1
‘And it came about that, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking to all the people all the words of YHWH their God, with which YHWH their God had sent him to them, even all these words,’
Note the emphasis on the fact that Jeremiah had brought to them the word of ‘YHWH THEIR God’ (repeated twice), and that they had listened while he pronounced the whole. It was a momentous situation. Judah were once more being faced up to the question as to whether they were truly willing to respond to YHWH as THEIR God by obeying His word through Jeremiah, as they had solemnly promised to do (Jer 42:2-5).
Jer 43:2-3
‘Then spoke Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. YHWH our God has not sent you to say, “You shall not go into Egypt to sojourn there but Baruch the son of Neriah set you on against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death, and carry us away captive to Babylon.”
Up to this point Johanan had been the prominent one but now the leadership is taken by Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, who may have been the brother of the Jezaniah mentioned in Jer 42:1, or may indeed be identical with him. (It was not unusual for people to have two names. Some, however, see one of the names as being a copying error, but there is no reason why this should be so, although LXX sees it that way). This may have been because Azariah was the leader of the discontented party, or because in governmental matters he held precedence over the military leaders. The ‘arrogant/proud men’ were those whose self-pride made them exalt themselves against YHWH, they were the ‘discontents’. It may simply be a way of describing the whole attitude of the group of leading men.
They came as a group to Jeremiah and informed him that in their view he was speaking falsely, and not bringing them the word of YHWH at all. They refused to believe that YHWH had commanded them not to go to Egypt. It may be significant that they altered what Jeremiah had actually said, replacing ‘al (not at this time) with lo (not at all). This has ever been the method of the deceiver of men, right from the time of his activity in the Plain of Eden.
Indeed they claimed that he had simply been influenced by Baruch, the son of Neriah, his former amanuensis and assistant (Jer 32:12-16; Jer 36:4-32), who was also with the party (Jer 43:6). Baruch was clearly a man from an influential family, and an aristocrat, who undoubtedly owed his freedom to the fact that he had been Jeremiah’s close supporter (his brother Seraiah had been transported to Babylon (Jer 51:59) and was designated as a ‘prince’ or ‘noble’). He is rebuked elsewhere for a certain tendency to seek greatness and influence (Jer 45:5), a danger for us all. This may suggest that unlike Jeremiah he had taken advantage of Nebuchadrezzar’s goodwill to further himself and his ambitions, something for which he had to be rebuked. In Jewish tradition he is depicted as the author of the apocryphal book of Baruch, and is portrayed as having lived in Babylon for a period, and as having had influence there, although we must remember that that book might have arisen directly as a result of what is written here. However that might be, Jeremiah is being accused of being influenced by Baruch with a view to Nebuchadrezzar being able to gain his revenge on them. The words bear all the marks of being an excuse, but they do indicate how sure they were that Nebuchadrezzar would seek to do just that.
Of course most of them had for a long period in the past been prejudiced against Jeremiah, considering him to be a false prophet. Thus in spite of the fact that what he had prophesied came true, and that he had refused to go to Babylon and had remained among them, there was that within them that would always hold Jeremiah in suspicion of being a Babylonian collaborator
Jer 43:4
‘So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of YHWH, to dwell in the land of Judah.’
The consequence was that the commanders of the Judean forces, headed by Johanan, together with ‘all the people’ (i.e. those present in the party) did not obey YHWH’s voice. They refused to continue living in the land of Judah with the constant threat of Nebuchadrezzar’s vengeance hanging over them. There is a reminder here for all of us that before changing our whereabouts we should consider the will of God.
Jer 43:5-6
‘But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, who were returned from all the nations where they had been driven, to sojourn in the land of Judah, the men, and the women, and the children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah,’
Thus the whole group, ‘the remnant of Judah’, decamped and set off for Egypt. It is difficult to know how far the description of those who went with them takes in all the inhabitants of Judah. The description certainly covers the men who were in the various fighting groups who had been guerillas, no doubt along with their families, (they would see themselves as liable to retribution), together with former refugees who had returned to Judah and could be seen as there ‘without permission’ (Jer 40:11). And it includes all who had been living in Mizpah under the protection of Gedaliah, who could be seen as liable to suspicion, especially daughters of the royal house who could be made an example of. And it includes Jeremiah and Baruch who were probably forced to go with them (even though they may have been quite willing to go so as to cater to the spiritual needs of the people) . But there would be many elsewhere in Judah who had survived the invasion, and among them would be many of ‘the poor of the land’ to whom Nebuzaradan had given land who were no doubt scattered throughout Judah (Jer 39:10). None of them had much to fear from Nebuchadrezzar’s reprisals. Thus the land may well have remained fairly well populated, as in fact is required by the fact that when Nebuchadrezzar did arrive he was able to take into exile 745 of the leading men in Judah (Jer 51:30), no doubt with their families.
Jer 43:7
‘And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of YHWH, and they came to Tahpanhes.’
So the refugees made for Egypt, and it is emphasised that this was because ‘they did not obey the voice of YHWH’. And when they came to the border town of Tahpanhes they settled there. A thpnhs is in fact referred to in a Phoenician papyrus letter of the 6th century BC found in Egypt.
Tahpanhes is usually located at modern Tell Defneh, 43 km south-south-west of Port Said (on the grounds of location, the archaeological discovery of Greek pottery, and its similarity in name to the Greek Daphnae, a fortress town fortified by Psammatichus I) and it may mean ‘Mansion of the Nubian’ (t-h(wt)-p-nhsy), having reference to the fortress built there by Psammeticus I for Greek mercenaries. It is probable that there was already a Jewish community there.
Jeremiah no doubt saw it as ironic that after over 600 years of ‘freedom’ from Egypt God’s nominal people had returned there. They had by their own free choice returned to the subjection from which they had been delivered. We can compare how Hosea, in fact, insisted that their heart had always been there (Hosea 11). That was why God’s initial step after the birth of His Son, was to bring Him out of Egypt (Mat 2:15) finally fulfilling deliverance from Egypt and reversing what had happened here. Men’s hearts have to be ‘delivered from Egypt’.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
SECTION 2 ( Jer 26:1 to Jer 45:5 ).
Whilst the first twenty five chapters of Jeremiah have mainly been a record of his general prophecies, mostly given during the reigns of Josiah and Jehoiakim, and have been in the first person, this second section of Jeremiah (Jer 26:1 to Jer 45:5) is in the third person, includes a great deal of material about the problems that Jeremiah faced during his ministry and provides information about the opposition that he continually encountered. This use of the third person was a device regularly used by prophets so that it does not necessarily indicate that it was not directly the work of Jeremiah, although in his case we actually have good reason to think that much of it was recorded under his guidance by his amanuensis and friend, Baruch (Jer 36:4).
It can be divided up as follows:
1. Commencing With A Speech In The Temple Jeremiah Warns Of What Is Coming And Repudiates The Promises Of The False Prophets (Jer 26:1 to Jer 29:32).
2. Promises Are Given Of Eventual Restoration And Of A New Covenant Written In The Heart (Jer 30:1 to Jer 33:26).
3. YHWH’s Continuing Word of Judgment Is Given Through Jeremiah And Its Repercussions Leading Up To The Fall Of Jerusalem Are Revealed (Jer 34:1 to Jer 39:18).
4. Events Subsequent To The Fall Of Jerusalem (Jer 40:1 to Jer 45:5).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Commencement Of Judah’s Restoration Is Thwarted By The Assassination Of Gedaliah The Governor And By The Refusal Of The People To Listen To Jeremiah As They Take Refuge In Egypt ( Jer 40:1 to Jer 43:13 ).
This deals with ‘the word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH’ after he had been delivered from his manacles by Nebuzaradan. It opens with the historical background to this prophecy in which Gedaliah, Nebuchadrezzar’s appointed Governor, commences the re-establishment of Judah in the land (40), and is then assassinated (Jer 41:1-10), resulting in the decision by the people of Judah to seek refuge from Nebuchadrezzar’s revenge in Egypt (Jer 41:11-18). However, prior to doing so they consult Jeremiah who gives them ‘the word of YHWH’ that they are to remain in the land under His protection (42).
But as always Judah choose to disobey YHWH and do seek refuge in Egypt, with the consequence that Jeremiah vividly prophecies that Nebuchadrezzar’s retribution will overtake them there (43).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
SECTION 2 ( Jer 26:1 to Jer 45:5 continued).
As we have previously seen this Section of Jeremiah from Jer 26:1 to Jer 45:5 divides up into four main subsections, which are as follows:
1. Commencing With A Speech In The Temple Jeremiah Warns Of The Anguish That Is Coming And Repudiates The Promises Of The False Prophets (Jer 26:1 to Jer 29:32).
2. Following On After The Anguish To Come Promises Are Given Of Eventual Restoration, Central To Which is A New Covenant Written In The Heart And The Establishment Of A Shoot (Branch) Of David On His Throne (Jer 30:1 to Jer 33:26).
3. YHWH’s Continuing Word of Judgment Is Given Through Jeremiah, The Continuing Disobedience Of The People Is Brought Out, And Jeremiah’s Resulting Experiences Leading Up To The Fall Of Jerusalem Are Revealed (Jer 34:1 to Jer 39:18).
4. Events Subsequent To The Fall Of Jerusalem Are Described Including The Rejection By The Remnant Of Judah Of YHWH’s Offer Of Full Restoration (Jer 40:1 to Jer 45:5).
We have already commented on Subsections 1 in Jeremiah 4; subsection 2 in Jeremiah 5; and subsection 3 in Jeremiah 6. We must now therefore consider subsection 4 here. This subsection deals with various experiences of Jeremiah amidst what remained of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem.
SECTION 2. Subsection 4). Events Subsequent To The Fall Of Jerusalem, Including The Rejection By The Remnant Of Judah Of YHWH’s Offer Of Full Restoration, Resulting In Further Judgment On God’s Recalcitrant People ( Jer 40:1 to Jer 45:5 ).
Within this subsection, which opens with the familiar words ‘the word which came to Jeremiah from YHWH –’ (which in this case indicates that the section as a whole which follows contains prophecies of Jeremiah which are put into an historical framework, for what immediately follows is historical narrative), we have described events subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem:
‘The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH –.’ The appointment of Gedaliah as governor of Judah and his attempt, along with Jeremiah, to re-establish it as a viable state (Jer 40:1-16).
Gedaliah’s assassination by a recalcitrant prince of Judah, who himself then had to flee to Ammon, resulting in the feeling among many who had been re-established in Judah that it would be necessary to take refuge in Egypt (Jer 41:1-18).
The people promise obedience to YHWH and are assured by Jeremiah that if they remain in Judah and are faithful to Him YHWH will ensure that they prosper, whereas if they depart for Egypt it can only result in disaster (Jer 42:1-22).
Jeremiah’s protestations are rejected by the Judeans who take refuge in Egypt and are warned by Jeremiah that soon Nebuchadrezzar would successfully invade Egypt itself (Jer 43:1-13).
‘The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt –.’ Having settled in Egypt the people return to idolatry, rejecting Jeremiah’s warnings of the consequences, and are assured by him that they will suffer as Jerusalem has suffered, with only a remnant being able to return to Judah (Jer 44:1-30).
‘’The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah –.’ YHWH’s assurance given to the faithful Baruch in the days of Jehoiakim that He would be with him, come what may (Jer 45:1-5).
It will be noted that the markers given by the author actually divide the subsection into three parts, Jer 40:1 to Jer 43:13, Jer 44:1-30 and Jer 45:1-5. Thus ‘the word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH –’ is a phrase which covers the whole of Jer 40:1 to Jer 43:13, with Jer 40:1 b-42:6 being the necessary historical introduction to the actual ‘word from YHWH’ given in Jer 42:7 onwards. The importance of this word is emphasised by the ten day wait. (In comparison with this incorporation of a prophecy within an historical framework we should note how constantly in Genesis covenants and words from YHWH were regularly put within an historical framework).
The main purpose of this section is in order to establish:
1. that what has happened to Judah and Jerusalem was YHWH’s own doing, as verified even by Nebuchadrezzar’s imperial guard commander.
2. that nevertheless YHWH had not totally forsaken His people but would re-establish them if they looked to Him and were obedient,
3. that their future success depended on that obedience, an obedience which proved to be lacking.
It is difficult for us to realise quite what a crushing blow the destruction of Jerusalem would have been to Jewry worldwide. All their pet beliefs had been brought crashing down. Whilst many were in exile far away from their homeland they had gained confidence from the fact that the Temple still stood and that the covenant worship still continued. But now the idea of the inviolability of the Temple had proved invalid, Jerusalem had been destroyed, and the very power of YHWH was being called into question. Could therefore now any trust be placed in YHWH? It was therefore necessary in this regard that it be emphasised by Jeremiah that it was not YHWH Who had failed, but His people. He brought out that they had in fact brought their devastation on themselves. The new beginning that he had promised could only arise out of the ashes of the old, because the old had been distorted beyond all recognition. His words would be a bedrock on which their new ideas about YHWH could be fashioned.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Refugees Seek YHWH’s Guidance Through Jeremiah But On Receiving It Reject It Because It Does Not Fit In With Their Inclinations With The Consequence That Jeremiah Prophesies Judgment Against Them ( Jer 42:1 to Jer 43:13 ).
That Judah had still not learned its lesson comes out in that on receiving the word of YHWH from Jeremiah they immediately reject it and determine to follow their own inclinations. We have here a reproduction in miniature of the whole history of Israel. They sought to Egypt rather than to YHWH. They were reversing Israel’ previous deliverance. Jeremiah on the other hand promised them that if only they would obey YHWH all that he had prophesied against Judah would be reversed, but they refused to listen. Mighty Egypt appeared to offer a better guarantee of safety than the promises of YHWH. Little were they to know that mighty Egypt would itself be humiliated by Nebuchadrezzar, and that they would be caught up in the repercussions.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Flight into Egypt
v. 1. And it came to pass that, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord, their God, for which the Lord, their God, v. 2. then spake Azariah, v. 3. but Baruch, the son of Neriah, v. 4. So Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces and all the people, v. 5. But Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah that were returned from all nations whither they had been driven, v. 6. even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, v. 7. So they came into the land of Egypt, for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
The flight to Egypt; Jeremiah’s prediction of Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Egypt.
Jer 43:2
All the proud men. It would seem as if the “proud men” were distinguished from others. Jeremiah had called the whole people together (Jer 42:8); but a few domineering men assumed to represent the rest.
Jer 43:3
Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on. A singular suppositionJeremiah leaving the initiative to his secretary! It may be conjectured that Baruch had somehow made himself specially unpopular; he may have been a more practical man (comp. Jer 45:5) than Jeremiah.
Jer 43:5
All the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations. The specification is peculiar, as it seems to leave out of sight the most important part of the gathering at Mizpah, via. the “men, and women, and children, and those of the poor of the land” (Jer 40:7)the very persons who are mentioned just afterwards. Possibly there is some confusion in the text. “All nations” doubtless means especially Moab, Ammon, and Edom.
Jer 43:7
Tahpanhea. An Egyptian frontier city (see Eze 30:18 and note on Jer 2:16), where the fugitives had to wait till the views of the Egyptian government respecting them were made known. The supposed site of the Pelusiac Daphnae has not yet been explored; a single inscribed fragment would reveal the Egyptian name, and probably ratify the identity of Daphnae with the Tahpanhes of the prophets.
Jer 43:9
Take great stones, etc. A strange symbolic act of Jeremiah’s is here described. “We must not suppose, arguing from our Western and precise notions, that he would be at all necessarily interfered with. In fact, he would have a twofold security, as a prophet of God to those who acknowledged him as such, and in the opinion of others as insane, and, according to Eastern ideas, thus especially under Divine promptings in his acts” (Streane). He is directed to take great stones and embed them in the mortar (not “clay”) in the brick pavement at the entry of the palace. When the events predicted came to pass, these stones would testify that Jeremiah had predicted them. The word rendered “brick pavement” is of doubtful meaning. In Nah 3:14 it signifies “brick kiln.”
Jer 43:10
And will set his throne, etc.; viz. for the victorious king to hold judgment (comp. Jer 1:15, Jer 1:16; Jer 49:38). He shall spread his royal pavilion; rather, his tapestry (the root means “brilliance”); i.e. the bright coloured covering of the throne.
Jer 43:11
He shall smite the land of Egypt. On the invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, wrongly controverted by some, see note on Jer 46:13. Such as are for death. Such as are destined for death (i.e. pestilence, as Jer 15:2; Jer 18:21). The words, “and deliver,” prefixed in the Authorized Version, are unnecessary; “land” is equivalent to “population.”
Jer 43:12
Burn them; viz. the temples. Egypt was full of gorgeous and imposing temples, which could not, however, always be burned, nor were the conquerors of Egypt anxious to display hostility to Egyptian religion. Carry them away captives; viz. the idol gods (comp. Jer 48:7, “Chemosh shall no forth into captivity:” and Isa 46:2, “Their soul [or, ‘personality’] hath gone into captivity”). The prophet speaks from the point of view of a believer in the idol gods. He shall array himself with the land of Egypt, etc. (For “array himself with” and “putteth on,”read wrap himself in and wrappeth himself in.) Ewald well explains this figure. “As easily as the shepherd in the open field wraps himself in the cool night in his mantle, will he be able to grasp Egypt with his hand and fling it round him like an easily managed garment, in order then to leave the land as an absolute conqueror, clothed in this attire of booty, in peace, without an enemy.”
Jer 43:13
The images of Beth-shemesh; rather, the pillars of Beth-shemesh; i.e. the obelisks of the temple of Ra, the sun god, from Which Heliopolis derived its sacred name “Pe-Ra” “the abode of Ra.” It was the custom to place obelisks in pairs at the entrance of their temples. Only one of those of Heliopolis is still standing, though that, indeed, is the oldest in Egypt, for it was “set up at least four thousand years ago”. That is in the land of Egypt. To distinguish it from the Beth-shemesh in Palestine. But we may also render “which are,” etc.; comp. “the gods of Egypt” in the second verse half. The Septuagint reads, “which are in On.”
HOMILETICS
Jer 43:2
Moral causes of unbelief.
The causes of unbelief may be either intellectual or moral. It is not just to assume that they are of the latter character. There is an honest doubt, and many a brave soul has been forced to fight its way over a wild desert of difficulties before seeing the light of Divine revelation. Nevertheless, it is necessary for our own warning and in controversy with others to remember that there are moral causes for unbelief, and that in some cases these may be much more operative than any purely intellectual consideration. Azariah and his friends have discovered no good ground for doubting the Divine authority of Jeremiah’s message. They have seen nothing to detract from the claims of the prophet and nothing to contradict what he says. Yet they reject his message and charge him with falsehood. The palpable explanation of their conduct may serve to explain the ground of much unbelief in our own day. In the main this consists in two things.
I. THE UNPOPULARITY OF THE DOCTRINE. Jeremiah had run counter to the determination of the leaders of the people. Instead of modifying their conduct in obedience to the Divine message, they preferred to reject the message and deny its authority. This was most irrational, Yet it is a sample of the commonest conduct. People test their creed by their will instead of their reason and conscience and its own evidences. They say they do not like certain ideas, as though truth were a matter of taste. But truth is the statement of facts, and facts are not altered by sentiments. In the present instance the question was as to God’s will. Was it not possible from the first that this might contradict the opinions of the people? Otherwise what was the use of the prayer for direction, that these very men had asked Jeremiah to offer, and the reply to which was his unpopular message? If God’s will and truth always agreed with our private notions, what would be the good of revelation and commandment? It is in the conflict of the two that the chief value of the Divine message is to be found.
II. THE PRIDE OF MAN. We are expressly told that they were “proud men” who rejected the prophet’s message. The rest of the people seem to have been willing to acquiesce in it. There is nothing so blinding as pride. Your proud man is an inevitable bigot. By undue assurance of knowledge he closes the avenues of fresh knowledge and limits his own possession of it. Thus pride cuts away the ground beneath its own feet.
Jer 43:3
The credulity of unbelief.
I. UNBELIEF INVOLVES CREDULITY. Johanan and his companions here bring before us a striking instance of the credulity of unbelief. Refusing to admit that Jeremiah was divinely inspired, they asserted that he was instigated by Baruch the scribe. Now, we have seen Baruch acting solely as the amanuensis and spokesman of the prophetindeed, effacing himself with genuine humility and wisdom to serve the prophet the more faithfully; could this man be the inspirer of his master’s most decided utterances? The idea is preposterous. It is an evidence of gross credulitythe credulity that believes in one’s own inventions, though they are infinitely less reasonable than the opposite ideas they are set up to oppose. All unbelief is beliefit is belief in the negation of a proposition, and it requires as much evidence as the proposition it denies. It also has its consequences in reason which should be followed out remorselessly. Defenders of the faith have been too apologetic. They would often have been wiser if they had turned the flank of opponents and exposed the weakness of their position. It might often be shown that, in accepting this position, the opponents were standing on less firm ground than that which they dispute. For something must be true. If we came down to absolute nihilism, and discovered that nothing existed, even that discovery would be a truth. The absolute rejection of one proposition involves the acceptance of its opposite. But this opposite may be beset with heavier difficulties or favoured with weaker evidences than those which accompany the rejected proposition. If so, to accept the opposite proposition is really a mark of greater credulity than to admit that which presented the first claims.
II. THE CREDULITY OF UNBELIEF MAY BE ILLUSTRATED IN THE CONTROVERSIES OF THE AGE. Consider it in relation to the main topics of these controversies, viz.:
1. The being of God. If there be no God, then the world must be eternal or self-createdconclusions which may be shown to leave more difficulties than the hypothesis of a Creatorand all the best thoughts of the highest orders of minds must be misconceptionsa strange result for those who would regard the mind of man as the highest existence in the universe.
2. The immortality of the soul. Difficulties beset the theory of immortaIity. But what greater difficulties they have to face who, first believing in God (and we now have a right to start from that position), hold that the deepest appetite of man is destined never to be satisfied, that his highest aspirations are directed to an impossibility, and that his greatest powers are doomed to be blighted before they have grown to their full development? What credulity is required to make us believe that a good God could create a Tantalus!
3. The inspiration of the Bible. if the Bible be not inspired of God, the first literature of the world, containing by far its deepest, wisest, purest thoughts, and exercising unbounded influence for good, is founded on a delusion or a lie; for the writers of the Bible plainly claim to be inspired.
4. The Divine origin of Christianity. Christianity is the greatest fact in history; it revolutionized the decaying life of the old world, and gave a fresh upward movement to humanity; it is now the leading factor in the highest life of the foremost races of mankind; and it claims to be Divine. It seems to some of us that to say this claim is false, and thus to force upon us the inevitable alternative that its founders were deluded, and that it is a mere growth of human thought and effort, requires a faith which is so irrational as to be justly characterized as credulity.
Jer 43:8-13
Prophetic stones.
Jeremiah planting stones at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace was prophesying by act. The stones were mute prophecies interpreted by the verbal prophecies which in turn they were to confirm in the future. These prophetic stones have their lessons for us.
I. DIVINE PURPOSES ARE FIRM AND PERMANENT. They are like the great stones. Words are but air waves; to the incredulous the strongest words may be mere sound and fury, signifying nothing; they melt as they fall. But in the stone we have weight, massiveness, persistence, something that cannot be blown aside with a breath, which will not fade with time, which may be handled, and which remains after it is forgotten, and can be exhumed after being buried. Such is a Divine purposethus solid and thus enduring.
II. DIVINE PURPOSES MAY BE HIDDEN UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE EXECUTION OF THEM. Jeremiah hides the stones. There are prophecies which have been uttered once, and the method of executing them kept secret from us until they are fulfilled. But many Divine purposes are never known till they are accomplished.
III. EARTHLY THRONES ABE SET UP ON FOUNDATIONS OF DIVINE APPOINTMENT. Jeremiah lays the foundation of a throne (verse 10), and he does this as a servant of God executing his will. All earthly power rests ultimately upon a Divine sanction. Yet this fact does not diminish the human responsibility of those who exercise it. The prophet planted the stones; he did not erect the throne. Nebuchadnezzar would be responsible for the throne he set up, the way he established it, and the use he made of it.
IV. GOD EMPLOYS HUMAN INSTRUMENTS IN THE EXECUTION OF HIS JUDGMENTS. Nebuchadnezzar is God’s servant. There is a Divine economy in this. If evil cannot be stayed without the withdrawal of those liberties that God sees it to be right to leave intact, the harm of it may be mitigated by making it self-counteractive, the wickedness of one hindering or punishing that of another.
V. FLIGHT FROM THE JUDGMENT OF GOD IS IMPOSSIBLE. The Babylonian yoke was a Divine chastisement upon the Jews. They were urged by inspired prophets to submit to it as appointed by God. Some refused and fled to Egypt. But in Egypt they were neither out of the reach of God nor beyond the power of his instrument Nebuchadnezzar. There is no escape from God but by fleeing to God, no deliverance from the doom of sin but in submission to him against whom we have sinned.
VI. COMPANIONS IN GUILT WILL BE COMPANIONS IN DOOM. The Jews who fled to Egypt were to share the punishment of that nation. The Egyptians who harboured the Jews were to bring upon themselves the fate that followed the refugees.
HOMILIES BY A.F. MUIR
Jer 43:8-13
The stones of Tahpanhes.
Great uncertainty as to the fulfilment of this prophetic parable. Are we bound to assume that it was actually carried out? It is possible, according to some critics (but see Exposition on Jer 46:13), that the accomplishment of the prediction, as of many others, was only contingent. It is very vivid and definite, but that is quite consistent with the intermediate occurrence of circumstances in the spiritual state of the Jewish sojourners that enabled God to cancel it. Just as at this time their disposition may have been alarmingly idolatrous and worldly, so at a later stage it may have changed.
I. WHAT THE PARABLE MAY HAVE SUGGESTED.
1. The contingent certainty of Divine judgment. The action may have represented, not only the sequence of events, but that of principles. If, then, the events did not occur, it would still remain true that, in the kingdom of God. such a dependence of principles is eternal; sin is ever nigh to cursing. So much is this the case, that it may be said to contain the elements of its own punishment, like the stones hidden in the clay.
(1) The stones are hidden in the clay with which, although heterogeneous, they stand in a divinely appointed relation.
(2) The interpretation given by the prophet further strengthened this impression in the minds of the spectators. It was the same power, viz. the Chaldean, which had already scourged Judah, that was to follow the remnant into distant Egypt. The continuity of the judgment with those which preceded it is thus forcibly set forth. Nebuchadnezzar, if or when he came, could not be mistaken for other than a divinely ordained instrument of vengeance. The advantage of such an understanding of the prophecy is obviousit ceases to have a particular and transitory significance, and becomes at once necessary and universal. We need that lesson graven upon our hearts today: “The soul that sinneth it shall die;” “He that soweth to the flesh,” etc.
2. That dependence upon any earthly power is utterly vain. Egypt is dreamt of as a refuge from their woes. Its power, typified by the clay of the kiln or brick field, only overlies the power of God, typified by the Stones. They would be in his hands still, although they knew it not. Through the clay of worldly dependence they must needs fall upon the stones of Divine judgment. Man cannot flee from his Maker. There is no earthly security from the consequences of sin. If the remnant of Judah, pursuing its tendency towards worldly mindedness and idolatry to the hitter end, should persist in putting its trust in the Egyptian power, to whose religion and life it was in such imminent danger of assimilating itself, woe to it! Through Pharaoh even will they be confronted with Nebuchadnezzar yet again. God is the only true Helper and Saviour, and in the practice of holiness and the precepts of true religion is security alone to be found. What assurance company can shield the sinner from the consequences of his misdeeds? And if God be for any man, who can he against him?
II. WHAT THE PARABLE MAY HAVE EFFECTED. It has been conjectured (by Naegelsbach and others) that the symbolic action of Jeremiah and its interpretation so forcibly appealed to the imagination and conscience of the Jews as to change their hearts. That some such consequence as this was intended seems very probable. If it resulted as they suppose, then the judgment was averted which depended upon their misconduct and worldliness. “God repented him of the evil.” This is one of the great aims of such teachingso to affect the heart through the imagination as to subdue its evil tendencies and lead it to the pursuit of righteousness and truth. The crowded Jewish colony of Alexandria may then be taken, not as a refutation of the words of Jeremiah, but as a proof that these words produced their legitimate impression, and brought about a deep and lasting reformation. The lesson of all which is that the relation between sin and its punishment, and the futility of earthly securities and screens from Divine vengeance, cannot be too forcibly represented. God will bless the faithful preaching of his Word, and is infinitely more willing to have mercy than to prove his predictions by allowing men to harden their hearts.M.
HOMILIES BY S. CONWAY
Jer 43:1-13
Hearts set to do evil.
Such were the hearts of these Jews. They show concerning such
I. THAT AFFLICTION WALL NOT ALTER THEM. It is not always true that affliction will make the heart better. It serves this blessed end with somecf. “Before I was afflicted I went,” etc.but not with all. Did not in this case, but though “often reproved,” they only “hardened their neck.”
II. PRAYERS AND PROFESSION OF RELIGION DO NOT CONTROL THEM. They can go together. Alas! that it should be so; but they will not rule. They are but so many cobwebs, which the heart set to do evil will break through as easily as a man breaks through the gossamer filaments which stretch across the path on which he is walking.
III. PRETEXTS AND PRETENCES ARE ALWAYS READY TO EXCUSE THEM. “Thou speakest falsely,” they said to God’s prophet. “Baruch hath set thee on.” So, so pitifully, they try to justify themselves.
IV. GOD DOES NOT INTERFERE TO PREVENT THEM. We often wish be would, depriving us of our liberty when it would only do us ill. But his method is to let us go our own ways, and if, as is so wretchedly often the case, they be evil ways, then, when we are filled with the fruit of them, we may come to a better mind, and so more firmly choose the good which we should have chosen at the first. How much happier a man forever that younger son would have been if he had never previously left his father’s home for that far country!
V. TERRIBLE JUDGMENTS ARE SURE TO FOLLOW THEM. They did in this case; they always do sooner or later. For the will must bend to God.
VI. GOD‘S FAITHFUL SERVANTS WILL NOT BE DISMAYED BY THEM. See how bold as a lion is the prophet of God; how fearlessly he denounces his people’s sin. Oh, for fidelity such as that in all the prophets of the Lord!C.
Jer 43:8-13
Building on the sand.
The Jews trusted in the strength of Pharaoh. They had done this before, but to no purpose. The prophets of God always protested against such trust (cf. Isa 31:1-9.). Here, in spite of all warning, they are resolving upon such reliance again. But they were building on sand. The destruction came; the very destruction they thought, by their acting as they had done, they had certainly escaped. Thus do and shall be done by all who are like them. Such are
I. They that think to establish themselves by wicked ways.
II. Those that rely upon men and not on God.
III. Those that trust to uncertain riches.
IV. Those that think saying “Lord, Lord,” whilst living ungodly lives, will save them.C.
HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG
Jer 43:1
The view of a prophet’s complete work.
I. A PROPHET IS ONE WHO HAS TO SPEAK THE WORDS OF JEHOVAH. Not his own words, not the words of other men. This applies to the substance of the message; for it is plain that each prophet has his own style. The chief thing to be remembered is that a prophet never goes forth on his own impulse. Men in their zeal for right may go out to protest against wrong and fight against it, but this does not make them prophets. The prophet’s strength and claim and responsibility lie in this, that he can ever preface his announcements by “Thus saith the Lord.” And all preachers and teachers will approach the prophet’s position just in proportion to the extent in which they can fill their addresses with Divine declarations. The essential elements of prophecy can never be out of place.
II. HE HAS TO SPEAK ALL THE WORDS OF JEHOVAH. The prophet is not to be an eclectic, picking out some of God’s words as suitable and others as unsuitable. God’s omniscience can alone judge what is suitable. If to him it seems suitable a word should be spoken, then it is suitable. God speaks not to apparent needs, but to real ones. God, always saying something for the present, makes his weightiest words to bear upon the future. The responsibility of the prophet is simply that of being a brave and faithful messenger.
III. HE IS SENT TO SPEAK THESE WORDS. He does not merely take up words of Jehovah which he thinks suitable for the emergency. This is his work to act as a special messenger from Heaven. Others have to expound the Word already spoken, already written; but the prophet hears a voice directly from the excellent glory, “Go and make known my will to men.” And in all prophecy there is evidence, to one who will look for it, that the prophet is a sent man.
IV. HE HAS TO SPEAK WORDS TO THOSE ON WHOM GOD HAS A CLAIM. Jehovah is not only the God of Jeremiah, he is the God of all the people. This was an historical fact of which they could not get rid. It was the glory, security, and blessing of the people, if only they could see it. And is not Jehovah also our God?God coming for a while more closely in contact with one nation, that ultimately he may be in contact with all. If we admit the claim of Jesus, we admit the claim of Jehovah also. He speaks through ancient prophets to us, because the essentials of their message have to do with the permanent life of men.
V. HE SPEAKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE. In this particular instance the request came from all the people, so the message was correspondingly to all. Prophets, of course, had often messages for particular men, but even these messages are so founded upon general principles as to become worthy the attention of all. Prophecy concerns man as man; it meets the young with dawning consciousness, and grasps the old till their latest hour.
VI. THE PROPHET MUST TAKE CARE TO MAKE AN END OF HIS PROPHECY. He does not simply cease speaking; he has to make people feel he has said all he has to say, and that the time has come for them to have their say, or rather for them to enter with promptitude and devotion upon corresponding deeds. They may not hear all they would like to know, and thus it must be made clear they have been told all that it is good for them to know. With God all things are for edifying, not to inform curiosity or comply with every actual desire.Y.
Jer 43:8-13
The visitation upon Egypt.
Here again is one of the symbolic acts which the prophets were commanded at times to perform. So the hiding of the girdle by Euphrates (Jer 13:1-27), the commanded celibacy of the prophet (Jer 16:1-21.), the dashing of the potter s bottle to pieces (Jer 19:1-15.). But while these symbolic acts are described in terms which make them perfectly clear, the hiding of the great stones mentioned here needs more full explanation than we can reach to get the significance it. Still, this much of the drift of the action we perceive that Jehovah will make quite manliest, that Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Egypt is one divinely ordained and sustained. Not, of course, that Egypt is to suffer simply because these men have gone there; its idolatries are the deepest ground of its calamities. But the delusion of the men of Judah must be looked at in the light of the sufferings of Egypt. In all this experience of death and captivity and slaughter, of temple burning and image breaking; in all this entire appropriation of Egypt by the Babylonian king, these men of Judah must not expect to escape. There is no second land of Goshen for thema place of immunity and peace. If only they had stayed where they thought there would be no safety, then they would have been safe; and going where they made sure of safety, they found the worst of ruin. It reads as if Egypt was to come under Babylon more even than Jerusalem had done.Y.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
8. THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT
Jer 43:1-7
1And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end1 of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had 2sent him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud2 men, saying3 unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into 3Egypt to sojourn there: but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on [has excited thee]4 against us, for to deliver us into the land of the Chaldeans, that they might 4put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces [band-leaders], and all the people, 5obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the 6land of Judah; even men, and women, and children, and the kings daughters, and every person that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard [halberdiers] had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, 7and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
On the communication, which Jeremiah made in the name of Jehovah to the Jews, these declared, that they regard it, not as a message from their God, but as the result of incitement by Baruch, who is friendly to the Chaldeans (Jer 43:1-3). Thereupon they, with the whole mass of the remaining population, including Jeremiah and Baruch, commence their journey to Egypt, where, on their arrival, they settle first in Tahpanhes (Jer 43:4-7).
Jer 43:1-3. And it came to pass . . . into Babylon. The phrase all these words indicates that the words written in Jeremiah 42 are an exact rendering of the prophets verbal communication. Comp. Jer 51:60.On Azariah, the son of Hoshaiah. Comp. rems. on Jer 42:1.On what facts this charge against Baruch was supported, it is difficult to perceive. From this book we learn only that Baruch was a faithful adherent and servant of the prophet. It was doubtless merely the circumstance that Baruch, to the envy of many, was the most intimate of all the Jews with Jeremiah, which gave a handle to the accusation.
Jer 43:4-7. So Johanan Tahpanhes.All the remnant of Judah. Those who had returned from the dispersion are mentioned first, probably because among them there were few or none of the poor of the land (Jer 40:7) It seems surprising that in Jer 43:6 a specification follows which, on account of the mention of the kings daughter, does not correspond to the general statement in Jer 43:5 b. But the specification concludes with children, and with kings daughters commences the description of the second division of the remnant of Judah. Besides, those who had returned, viz., the kings daughters and all the other souls are mentioned. If we consider that in Jer 43:5 a, the heads of those who had remained in the country are named as the subjects of the deportation, it is intelligible that besides these the princesses were the most eminent personages in this category (comp. Jer 41:10).Every person. Comp. Jos 10:28. The expression is so general that it comprehends all the other members of (the remnant of Judah (comp. Jer 51:16).On Tahpanhes comp. rems. on Jer 43:8.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. On Jer 40:1-3. Although the calamity, which has come upon Jerusalem, is great and terrible, God does not allow such evil to befal it that good will not result from it, as the Chaldean captain not obscurely intimates, that he has made a fair beginning in the knowledge of the true God. For he confesses, first, that the God of the prophet is a lord; secondly, that He knows future things; thirdly, that He causes His servants to proclaim these beforehand; fourthly, that God has conducted the war and done everything; fifthly, that He was displeased with the sinful manners of the people (among which idolatry was the worst); sixthly, that He has punished their disobedience to His word. Cramer.
2. On Jer 40:4. The friendliness, shown to the prophet, appears to proceed from men, but it comes from God. For Gods works are all made so that they are hidden among the creatures; for as He conceals His wisdom in the creation of heaven and earth, as He hides His kindness in the fruits of the earth, so also He disguises His help in the king of Babylon. For God executes. His works now by rational and anon by irrational creatures. As when He fed Elijah by the widow and by the ravens and by the angels (1Ki 17:3 sqq.; 14 sqq. and Jer 19:5). For all are His instruments. Cramer.
3. On Jer 40:2-3. Nebusaradan attestatione sua comprobat et confirmat veritatem ac certitudinem prdictionum prophet. Unde haud inscite colligi conjicique potest, quod Satrapa ille Babylonicus prditus fuerit agnitione veri Dei eque salvatus. Et sic Deus subinde aliquos ex Magnatibus ad sui agnitionem et ternam salutem traducit (Psalms 68). Potest istud exemplum obverti absoluto Calvinianorum decreto. Frster.
4. On Jer 40:5. In this, that Jeremiah preferred remaining in the country to going to Babylon, it strikes me furtherthat a discreet man, who knows the world and his heart and the true interest of Gods causeis as much as possible contented, and does not think to better himself by going further. He is willing to remain at court unknown, and at any rate he would rather be taken away than go away.The advice, which Solomon gives, is verified, Stand not in the place of great men. We are a generation of the cross, and our symbol is an evil name and little understood. Zinzendorf.
5. On Jer 40:5. In Babylonia honor and a comfortable life invited the prophet, in Judea danger, dishonor and need in the desolated country. In Babylonia a respectable field of labor was opened to him among the great mass of his people, in Judea he had only rabble and condottieri about him. Jeremiah, however, was not a bad patriot, as many accused him of being. By remaining in Judea he showed that the import of his prophecies, apparently friendly to the Chaldeans and hostile to the Jews, had proceeded from the purest love to his people and his fatherland. Thus he imitated Moses, of whom it is written in Heb 11:25, that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. The holy ground of the fatherland bound him to it, and in additionif he went, who was to take spiritual oversight of the poor forsaken remnant, to proclaim the word of God and bestow on them consolation and admonition? Those who were in Babylon had Ezekiel. And could not the Lord raise up other prophets for them? So he remained with the sheep, who had no shepherd. Jeremiah had not sought his own through his whole life, nor did he here.
6. On Jer 40:7 sqq. Human reason, and indeed nature shows, that in worldly government men cannot be without a head. For as the been cannot be without a queen, or the sheep without a shepherd, so no large number of people can exist without a head and government. God has wisely ordered it, and we should be thankful for the authorities. Cramer.
7. On Jer 40:11 sqq. We may well perceive in this remnant of Judah a fulfilment of the prophecy in Isa 6:11 sqq.: Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and Jehovah have removed men far away, and great is the forsaking in the midst of the land. And if a tenth remains in it, this again must be removed. Yet as the terebinth and the oak, in which when they are felled, a ground-stock still remains, so is its stock a holy scion.
8. On Jer 40:13 sqq. Gedaliah, in whom not only Nebuchadnezzar, but also his people, had confidence, must have been a noble man, to whom it was difficult to think evil of his neighbor. Those who are of a pious disposition, cannot believe so much evil, as is told of people. But we must not trust too much, for the world is full of falseness (Wisd. 37:3). He who believes too easily, will be often deceived, and he who believes no one is also deceived. Therefore is he indeed a happy man, who can preserve the golden mean. Cramer.
9. On Jer 40:13 sqq. Misfortune is like the waves of the sea; when one is broken another follows, and the end of one trouble is the beginning of others. Cramer.
10. On Jer 41:1-3. Judass kiss and Jacobs brethren are very common in the world and take after their grandfather Cain, who spake kindly to Abel and yet had blood-thirsty thoughts (Gen 4:8). Yea, they take after their father, the devil, who is a murderous spirit (Joh 8:44), and disguises himself as an angel of light (2Co 11:14). Cramer.
11. On Jer 41:1 sqq. Similia perfidi exempla (simulat fraternitatis): 2Sa 13:24; 2Sa 20:9 sq. Quadrat etiam huc historia nuptiarum Parisiensium celebratum 1572 mense Augusto. Frster.
12. On Jer 41:4 sqq.
Murder and avarice love to go with each other,
And one crime is often a prolific mother.Cramer.
13. On Jer 41:16 sqq. It is very remarkable that even this last centre and rendezvous of the unfortunate people must be destroyed. It might be supposed that with the destruction of the city and deportation of the people the judgments would have terminated. It seems as if the deed of Ishmael and the removal of the remnant to Egypt transcended the measure of punishment fixed by Jehovah, for the Lord did not send Ishmael, and the removal to Egypt He directly forbade. And yet it seems that only by Ishmaels act and the flight to Egypt could the land obtain its Sabbath rest, which is spoken of in Lev 26:34-35.
14. On Jer 42:1-6. Had not Johanan and his people asked for advice, but gone directly to Egypt, their sin would not have been so great. They feigned, however, submission to the will of God, while they yet adhered to their own will. It is a common fault for people to ask advice while they are firmly resolved what they will do. For they inquire not to learn what is right, but only to receive encouragement to do what they wish. If we advise them according to their inclination they take our advice, if not, they reject it.We must be on our guard when we appeal to Gods decision, that we do not previously decide for ourselves. For thus we fall into hypocrisy, which is the most fatal intoxication and blindness. Heim and Hoffman, The Major Prophets. [Those will justly lose their comfort in real fears, that excuse themselves in sin with pretended fears. Henry.S. R. A.]
15. On Jer 42:7. After the murder of Gedaliah the anger of Nebuchadnezzar seemed inevitable. But the Lord, to whom nothing is impossible (Jer 32:17), promises to perform a miracle, and restore Israel to new prosperity in their land if they will give Him the honor and trust in Him. Nebuchadnezzars heart is indeed in His hand. If this is not acknowledged and Nebuchadnezzar more feared than the Lord, their sin is then against the first commandment.
16. On Jer 42:13 sqq. God reminds His people of the favor with which He adopted them as His people, which was the most sacred obligation to obedience; that Egypt was to them a land of destruction, a forbidden land, as indeed all confidence in human aid is forbidden to those who would live by faith, which was known to them from the history of their fathers and all the prophets. It is a great sin to deem ones self safer under the protection of man than under that of God. It is incomprehensible, how blind unbelief makes people, so that the Jews have not yet learned the truth in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple of God. Heim and Hoffman. Fides futurorum certa est ex prcedentibus. Tertull. Venient hc quoque sicut ista venerunt. Augustin.Frster.
17. On Jer 43:2 sqq. Hypocrites forsooth do not wish to be regarded as rejecting and setting themselves in opposition to Gods word, or accusing God of falsehood. For then is all the world pious, and no one refuses to be submissive to the dear Lord. God is truly God and remains so. It is only against this parson Jeremiah that they must act he lies, he is not sent, his ruling and preaching cannot be endured. Cramer.
18. On Jer 43:3. Observe the old diabolical trick: when preachers practice Gods word and their office with zeal, the world understands how to baptize it with another name and call it personal interest, as even here Baruch must bear the blame, as if he only wished to vent his anger on them and be contrary, Cramer.
19. On Jer 43:6. The ancients here examine the question why Jeremiah accompanied the people to Egypt and take occasion to discuss the 1 Comm. de fuga ministrorum with reference to Augustin. Epist. 150 ad Honorar. With respect to Jeremiah, it is clear that he did all in his power to avert the journey to Egypt. After the whole people, however, were once on their way it was impossible for him and Baruch to remain alone in the deserted country. They were obliged to go with their flock. The more these were wandering, the more need they had of the shepherds. Thus, even if they were not compelled, they had to go with them. It seems, however, to follow from the expression , Jer 43:5, that no choice was given them. The people wished to have the prophet with them. In no case can we say that Jeremiah fled, for according to his own prophecy, he knew that he was going to meet ruin in Egypt.
20. On Jer 43:8-13. At the present day when we wish to convey to posterity the account of some accomplished fact, or the prediction of some fact to be accomplished (ex. gr. a last testament), we take paper and ink, write it down, seal it, have it subscribed by witnesses and preserve it in the registrars or recorders office. In ancient times they took a simpler and surer way. Jacob and Laban simply erected a heap of stones (Genesis 31), the two and a half tribes (Joshua 22) built an altar on the bank of the Jordan. As long as the heap and the altar were standing, the record was transmitted from generation to generation for what object these stone witnesses were set up, and thus, that which it was desired to convey to posterity lived in the memory of men. Jeremiah also knows how to use ink and pen (Jeremiah 32), but here he returns once more to the old manner of preserving archives. He simply places great stones in the clay, declaring what they signify, viz., that here, on this spot, Nebuchadnezzars tent shall stand. Whether the Egyptians and Jews then believed him or not, is of no consequence. The record of these stones and their meaning at any rate remained alive, and the Lords word was thus safely preserved till the day of its fulfilment.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
1. On Jer 40:1-12; Jer 41:1-3; Jer 42:1-16. Israel, the chosen nation, is in its destinies a type of human life in general. Consider only the exodus from Egypt. So also the destinies of the people of Israel, after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, are pretypical. For 1. The deportation of the whole people in chains and fetters is a type of our universal human misery, from which no one (not even Jeremiah) is free. 2. The fate of Gedaliah and the journey to Egypt is a type of the insufficiency of all mere human help. 3. As the Jews after Gedaliahs murder, so men at all times, find protection and deliverance in the Lord alone.
2. On Jer 40:1-6. The Christian in the tumult of the world. 1. He is regarded externally like others. 2. The eye of the Lord watches with special care over him, so that (a) not a hair of his head is bent, (b) all his wants are provided for. 3. He, however, on his part directs all his efforts to the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and will not be turned aside from this either by the violence or the friendliness of the world.
3. On Jer 40:7 to Jer 41:3. Gedaliahs fate an example of what befals even the most noble in times of deep corruption. 1. They enjoy general confidence. 2. They are incapable of attributing extreme wickedness to men. 3. They become a sacrifice to their confidence. 4. They are therefore not in a condition to stay the divine judgments.
4. On Jer 42:1-16. What is the surest way of coming to the right conclusion in difficult cases? 1. To inquire of the Lord. 2. To obey unconditionally the direction which the Lord communicates. [We must still in faith pray to be guided by a spirit of wisdom in our hearts, and the hints of Providence. Henry.S. R. A.]
5. On Jer 43:1-7. Characteristic example of the artfulness of the human heart: the Jews inquire of the Lord and promise to obey His direction (Jer 42:20). But when the direction does not accord with their wish, they at once declare it to be supposititious, not from the Lord. The prophet must be a liar, an alleged enemy has incited him. But what was long previously determined in the heart is obstinately brought to execution. [Those that are resolved to contradict the great ends of the ministry, are industrious to bring a bad name upon it. It is well for persons who are thus misrepresented that their witness is in heaven, and their record on high. Henry.S. R. A.].
6. On Jer 43:8-13. The ways of the Lord are wonderful. Israel flees before Nebuchadnezzar far away to Egypt. But there they are not safe. The Lord causes it to be proclaimed to them that at the entrance of the kings palace at Tahpanhes Nebuchadnezzars tent shall stand. Now indeed there is a brick-kiln there, in the clay of which Jeremiah is to place stones, the foundation stones, as it were, for the Chaldean kings pavilion. Thus the Lord lays the germs of future events, and whatever He prepares in secret He reveals in His own time to the glory of His wisdom, omniscience and omnipotence.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
The awful rejection of the Prophet’s advice, by Johanan and his party, is related in this Chapter: and with daring impiety he and his followers carry Jeremiah / and the remnant of the people by force into Egypt.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Reader! mark in the progress of the history, the truth of that scripture; as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith, 2Ti 3:8 . How awful the state of judicial blindness!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
XII
THE CLOSING SCENES IN THE LIFE OF JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 40-44
These closing scenes in the life of the prophet took place subsequent to the year 586 B.C. and probably before 580 B.C. They occupied a space of about four or five years, possibly a few more.
We commence this discussion by looking at the fate of Jerusalem, and the fate of Jeremiah immediately following that event. In Jer 40:6 we have an account of the fall of the city and its destruction by the men of the Babylonian army. Zedekiah and the chief captain, through a breach in the wall sought to make their escape into the valley of the Jordan and the plains of Moab beyond. The king and the remnant of his army were overtaken and captured by the Chaldeans and taken to Riblah, the headquarters of Nebuchadnezzar. Many of them doubtless escaped. Some of these found refuge in Moab, and some in the mountains of Judah. Thus there was a considerable number of the inhabitants that made their escape by fleeing in every direction.
When the forces of Nebuchadnezzar broke through the walls of the city and took it, the ruthless soldiers of the Chaldeans doubtless wreaked their vengeance upon the inhabitants. Judging from the picture in the book of Lamentations, many were slaughtered and many of the nobles were butchered, but they did not really sack the city. They took many captives. Their main object was to take the inhabitants alive, as there was value in them as slaves, and this was their aim more than mere butchery of the people. Of course, they sought to take the king’s family and all of his household; also the nobles and all the chief families.
When they were destroying the city and taking the royal families, they found Jeremiah, the prophet, for he was imprisoned in the court of the guard. He was bound and taken out as far as Ramah, Jer 40:2-4 : “The captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, Jehovah thy God pronounced this evil upon this place; and Jehovah hath brought it, and done accordingly as he spake. . . . And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which are upon thy hand.” According to the account in the previous chapter he had received direct orders from the king to set Jeremiah free.
This heathen speaks as if he were a very pious man; as if he thoroughly believed in Jeremiah’s doctrine: “The Lord hath brought this evil upon this place and done as he spoke because ye have sinned against Jehovah.” Those are almost Jeremiah’s very words. He speaks to Jeremiah and tells him to go back to Gedaliah, the governor, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. This man that had been appointed governor was a member of the royal family and a great man, one of the princes of Jerusalem. Thus he returned and found that Gedaliah had called the people, and held a rally at Mizpah, about four or five miles from Jerusalem.
We have an account of the colony which was established at Mizpah (Jer 40:7-12 ). It is said that the people, when they heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, governor in the land, committed unto him the men and women and children. (Jer 40:8 gives the names of the princes and chief men. Gedaliah called the people together and made appointments as he had authority to do. It says in (Jer 40:9 , “And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam . . . [and this man, Ahikam, had saved the life of Jeremiah.] Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” Now, that was exactly what Jeremiah had been preaching for years.
Here was one man who was with Jeremiah. It was doubtless because of this fact that Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him to this position. He says in verse (Jer 40:10 : “As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans that shall come unto us.” They could not live in Jerusalem. The city was in ruins. He planned to live at Mizpah, to meet the Chaldeans that would come to him.
In the latter half of (Jer 40:10 , it says, “But ye, gather ye the wine and the summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.” In (Jer 40:11 he says, “The Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, when they heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah, they returned to their native land.” In the latter part of (Jer 40:12 it says, “And gathered wine and summer fruits very much,” which seems to indicate that the people simply helped themselves to the fields and vineyards that had been left.
The king of Ammon, having heard of this new colony established at Mizpah, with Gedaliah as governor, set to work to induce a certain fanatical Jew by the name of Ishmael, to murder him. We do not know just why he desired the murder of the governor. It may be that he thought that it would mean increase of territory to him and that the people would rally to him and that would mean more power. Again, it may be that this man Ishmael was a fanatical Israelite who hated the Chaldeans and any one of his own people who was friendly to them. So he connived with the king of Ammon to do the deed. When Johanan found out this plot he warned Gedaliah, his friend) that Ishmael was about to take his life. But Gedaliah did not believe it. He felt that no one would dare to take his life, the life of the governor whom the great king of Babylon had appointed, for Nebuchadnezzar would not fail to punish a crime like that. But this man Johanan knew and so he says in (Jer 40:15 , “Let me go, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it.” He knew that if Ishmael should slay the royal governor, Nebuchadnezzar would take vengeance on the people, and all must suffer.
An account of the murder of Gedaliah and his friends is given in Jer 41:1-3 . Ishmael was a fanatical patriot. He came to see Gedaliah, and the chiefs of the king’s officers were with him. They came to Mizpah. So they ate bread together and among Orientals that is a sacred thing. But this man, Ishmael, did not scruple to violate this custom of his fellows. (Jer 41:2 says, “Then arose Ishmael . . . and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him.”
The murder of Gedaliah was concealed, verse Jer 41:4 : “And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even four score men, having their beards shaven and their clothes rent.” They had frankincense and meal in their hands to bring them to the house of Jehovah. They were coming to worship. Note now the treachery of Ishmael. It is said in Jer 41:6 that he went forth to meet them, weeping all along as he went. He pretended to be in sorrow. He said to them when he met them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam,” and when they came in to the midst of the city Ishmael slew them and then cast them into the midst of the pit. But ten of them told this villain that they had stores of wealth, and begged him to spare them; so he saved them for the sake of their wealth. That gives us some idea of the character of this man, Ishmael. Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people and departed to go over to the children of Ammon (Jer 41:10 ).
Ishmael gathered together what people he had and started, but Johanan was not idle. He gathered others and pursued and when he came near, all the people who had been carried away captive by Ishmael came over to Johanan but Ishmael managed to escape.
Then the colony went to Bethlehem under the leadership of Johanan. We readily see the plight in which Johanan now found himself. Word would come to Nebuchadnezzar that his faithful governor had been slain. Johanan knew what that would mean, and so did the people. They knew that the great king would send his army, and then there would be no mercy shown. They were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael had slain the governor, Gedaliah (Jer 41:18 ).
An account of the colony at Bethlehem and Jeremiah’s relation to it is found in Jer 42:1-43:7 . We are following the nucleus of the nation, that part of the nation which constituted the organized body of Israel. There were thousands of the Jews in other nations at that time, but we are following here the nucleus. This nucleus constituted the organized germ of the nation. The prophet had been forced to go with them. See verse Jer 42:2 : “Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God.” Again, in verse Jer 42:3 : “That Jehovah thy God may show us the thing we should do and wherein we should walk.” It looks now as if they were actually turning to the prophet; that they were on his side; that they were coming to his terms. Has he at last succeeded in winning the nation? Not at all, as we shall see.
The prophet said, Well, I will inquire of Jehovah for you. I will do this if you will promise me that you will do what he says. Ten days passed, and the prophet doubtless spent them in prayer, while the people spent them in consultation. At the end of the ten days Jeremiah received his message, and they had likewise made up their minds as to what they were going to do. We have that message in Jer 42:10-11 : “If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith Jehovah: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hands.” Note also Jer 42:13 : “But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land; so that ye obey not the voice of your God, but say, We will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no more war, . . . So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.”
The prophet is able to see through their motive. Notice particularly verse Jer 42:20 : “For ye have dealt deceitfully against your souls; . . . saying unto me, Pray for us unto Jehovah our God.” In other words, he says, While begging me to inquire of God you have already made up your minds what you are going to do. Verse Jer 42:21 : “And I have this day declared it unto you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of God.” Now, that is like many people in modern life. They may want to know what God is going to do, what his will is, and yet at the same time have made up their minds already as to what they are going to do.
They refused to remain in Judah. “Then they spake to Jeremiah and said unto him, Ye have spoken falsely, for Jehovah your God hath not sent you unto us to say, Ye shall not dwell in the land of Egypt, to sojourn there.” Now, that was a very strange saying. Jeremiah had prophesied during forty years that the city would be destroyed, and his prophecy had been fulfilled to the letter, and other things that he had foretold had come to pass, and here he is giving another prophecy, and they listen to him; then tell him that he prophesies falsely; that he is a lying prophet. Notice in Jer 43:3 : “But Baruch setteth thee on against us, to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans to carry us away.” So they went into Egypt.
Jeremiah’s symbolic action in Egypt is described in Jer 43:8-13 . As soon as they arrived Jeremiah performed another of his symbolic actions, verse Jer 43:9 : “Take great stones in thy hand and hide them in mortar in the brickwork, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah.” Professor Petrie, perhaps the greatest of all Egyptologists, found a few years ago in the mortar of the brickwork of the ruins of that very city, great stones hidden in mortar. We do not know that these were the very stones that Jeremiah put there, but certainly it is very suggestive. It looks as if Jeremiah’s prophecy was verified. That city is in ruins. Verse Jer 43:12 : “I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captive.”
Now let us look at Jeremiah’s message to the Jews in Egypt (Jer 44:1-14 ). There was a great assembly at Tahpanhes. Jeremiah seizes this opportunity to deliver his message to them about idolatry. Their sins brought punishment upon them. He urges them to repent and turn from idolatry. Verse Jer 44:4 : “Oh, do not this abominable thing.” But the people were determined to remain in idolatry (Jer 44:15-23 ). The men had gathered together and their idolatrous wives were gathered with them. Verse Jer 44:16 : “As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us, we will not hearken unto thee.” In Jer 44:17 he says, “But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven.” Now, we come to a remarkable passage. These people argue that because they stopped worshiping the queen of heaven, their calamities had come upon them. Jeremiah said that it was because they turned from Jehovah; they said that it was because they learned from the queen of heaven. That was the issue. They said that when Josiah made them stop worshiping the queen of heaven, then their troubles began. Then the women began to make their excuse. They said that their husbands allowed them to worship the queen of heaven. They did that, maybe, to keep peace in the family, and now they were being charged with the trouble. The meaning of it all was that these people had simply made up their minds that they would be idolaters, and no power in the universe could turn them from it. Jeremiah had been preaching against it for forty years, and they would not hearken. Now, they tell him that they will not listen, they will not obey. Then Jeremiah presented his argument in answer to their excuses and reasons: You have sinned and this is the reason for your calamity.
This is Jeremiah’s last sermon, that is, it is the last one that we have any record of. He speaks to the people another word: “Hearken to this word: I have sworn by my great name, saith Jehovah, that my name shall no more be named by any man of Judah in Egypt. . . . And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt few in number.” He continues as to Egypt: “Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra into the hands of his enemies, as I gave Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hands of his enemies.” Indeed, it was only a few years till Nebuchadnezzar did invade Egypt and took it. There were Jews in Egypt until the time of Christ, but unquestionably very few of these Jews in Jeremiah’s time escaped the perilous times that followed. According to the last trustworthy account we have of Jeremiah he was in Egypt. Tradition says that he died at the hands of his own people.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the date of this section?
2. Give an account of the capture of Zedekiah and the chief captain, and those who escaped.
3. What disposition did the Chaldeans make of the inhabitants of Jerusalem ?
4. Give an account of Jeremiah’s capture and release.
5. Give an account of the colony which was established at Mizpah (Jer 40:7-12 ).
6. Give an account of the plot against Gedaliah and the work of Johanan.
7. Give an account of the murder of Gedaliah and his friends (Jer 41:1-8 ).
8. Give an account of the murder of the seventy pilgrims (Jer 41:4-10 ).
9. Describe the counter-attack of Johanan and Ishmael’s escape (Jer 41:11-15 ).
10. What is the result of this murder to Johanan and the people?
11. Give an account of the colony at Bethlehem and Jeremiah’s relation to it (Jer 42:1-43:7 ).
12. What was Jeremiah’s symbolic action in Egypt? (Jer 43:8-13 .)
13. What was Jeremiah’s message to the Jews in Egypt? (Jer 44:1-14 .)
14. How did they receive his message and what reason did they assign? (Jer 44:15-23 .) Give details.
15. What the last words of Jeremiah, where did he die, and what tradition respecting his death?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Jer 43:1 And it came to pass, [that] when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, [even] all these words,
Ver. 1. And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end, &c. ] See here how wicked men, and hypocrites especially, grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. Balaam being resolved to curse, however, went not as at other times but set his face toward the wilderness. Num 24:1-2 Now he would build no more altars, but curse whatever came of it; so would these refractories, without God’s good leave, go down to Egypt, putting it to the venture. Jeremiah’s sweet words were even lost upon them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jeremiah Chapter 43
The preceding scene ended with the gravest warning to the Jews in the land who had consulted the prophet. The present chapter shows how soon it proved unavailing. Will was at work. The difficulty lay there. They trusted themselves. They did not trust God. Egypt was near, Nebuchadnezzar at a distance. He who had chastised the apostate pride of Judah was offensive to them. They refused to bow to the word, or to confide in the working of the Lord in their favour. They had nevertheless loudly proffered to obey His voice; and He forbade them by His prophet to go down into Egypt, whither they wished to betake themselves.
“And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words, then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go Lot into Egypt to sojourn there: but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.” (Ver. 1-3.) Unbelief may go on quietly for a while, and even put forth pious professions; but a time of trial inevitably comes, and tests whether it is God’s will, or our own, that we are really seeking. Johanan, the son of Kareah (who had so lately opposed the crafty assassin and royal plunderer, Ishmael), is one of the proud men who insult the prophet and reject the message God sent by him. Had there been a lowly and contrite spirit, he would have trembled, and been enabled to hear the voice of Jehovah. But he was Lot of God; and an unjudged will blinded his eyes and dulled his ears. Perhaps he honestly thought what he said. but if so, how did he come to think so? What’ ground had Jeremiah given to sanction or so much as to excuse a doubt of his communication as from Jehovah? His own evil heart of unbelief not only mistrusted the prophet, but gave itself loose reins in surmising a plot between Baruch and the prophet to hand the rest over to the Chaldean conquerors. The credulity of the unbeliever is proverbial; and an evil self-willed action promptly follows.
“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. But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah: even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.” (Ver. 4-7.) Those who believe can afford to be calm and submit. If the hand of power compels them to go here or there, it is no longer their responsibility, but the guilt of such as despise the word of the Lord. Till Jesus returns in glory, the faithful, above all those entrusted with the testimony, have to swim against the current, and to suffer where overborne by violence.
But this does not silence the prophet, however naturally timid and sensitive. “Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and fake Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and set his throne upon these stones that I have hid: and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword. And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them, away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. He shall break also the images of Beth-shemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.” (Ver. 8-13.) Little did “all the proud men” expect that they were only carrying along with them one whose voice would so shortly open in Egypt to pronounce their doom; and this by the hand of the very conqueror against whom they hoped to erect an impassable barrier in the power of the king of the south. Vain hope to escape the hand of the God they despised! Out of their own will and in defiance of His word, did they retire into Egypt for shelter? For this very reason destruction fell not only on themselves, but on the broken reed in which they trusted.
So it is always. In righteous government our sin becomes ere long our chastening and the world’s woe, and what our blindness built on as the rock turns out to be a quicksand, the sport of waves and winds in the swift-coming day of visitation.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 43:1-7
1But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God-that is, all these words- 2Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there’; 3but Baruch 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. 4So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah. 5But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the entire 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 6the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah 7and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the LORD) and went in as far as Tahpanhes.
Jer 43:1 Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent This phrase, like Jeremiah the prophet in Jer 42:2; Jer 42:4, affirms the true status of Jeremiah. He was YHWH’s spokesperson to them. He was the giver of the voice of YHWH (cf. Jer 42:13; Jer 42:21). To disobey his prophecy was to disobey YHWH!
Jer 43:2
NASB, TEV,
NJBthe arrogant men
NKJVthe proud men
NRSVthe insolent men
PESHITTAthe wicked men
The Hebrew word (BDB 267) has the connotation of those who knowingly reject YHWH’s word/message (cf. Psa 119:21; Pro 21:24; Mal 4:1 [MT 3:19]).
This type of person is described in Jer 5:12-13. The consequences of this attitude was clearly stated in Jer 42:15-16.
you are telling a lie They knew that Jeremiah was a prophet because all of his predictions had come true, yet they had already made up their minds (cf. Jer 41:17). They wanted the pretense of spirituality but not the demanded obedience!
Jer 43:3 but Baruch is inciting you against us This shows that Baruch was more than just a secretary. He had great influence on Jeremiah (cf. chapter 45).
Jer 43:5 who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away, in order to reside in the land of Judah They were afraid because of Ishmael’s ruthless acts against Gedaliah and the Babylonian honor guard. These people had returned to live in the land of Judah; how ironical that now they were fleeing to Egypt.
Jer 43:6 together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch The prophet and his scribe were forced to accompany them in the face of God’s warning.
Jer 43:7 Tahpanhes This is one of the border cities (i.e., in Egyptian, the Fortress of Penhase) in the eastern delta region on the caravan route to Palestine. It was just barely into Egypt’s national boundary.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
all. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6, for the greater part, not all without exception.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Chapter 43
So it came to pass, when Jeremiah was through speaking to all of the people the words of Jehovah their God, then spake Azariah, and Johanan, and all of the proud men, saying to Jeremiah, You’re speaking falsely: Jehovah our God has not sent you to say, Don’t go to Egypt to dwell there ( Jer 43:1-2 ):
Now here they came and said, “Please pray to God, we beg you, pray to God for us, you know. Whatever God tells us we’ll do whether it’s good or evil. Please make supplication to God.” Now Jeremiah lays it out to them, they say, “Oh, you’re lying. God didn’t tell you to say that to us.”
But Baruch ( Jer 43:3 )
That conspirator, he’s the one that advised you to tell us this stuff in order that he might deliver us over as captives to the Babylonians.
that they might put us to death, and carry us away to Babylon. So Johanan, and the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah. But [all of these people] that had returned from these nations, that were with them; Even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah, along with Jeremiah, and Baruch ( Jer 43:3-6 ).
And it would seem according to Josephus that they forced Jeremiah to come and Baruch. They sort of kidnapped them. Took them by force.
So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes ( Jer 43:7 ).
This, of course, to me is one of those sad and tragic scriptures. It ranks really as one of the most tragic of all the passages in the Word of God. For it is always tragic when a man returns to that from which God has once delivered him. He goes back to Egypt. Egypt is a type of our life in sin, a life after the flesh and the bondage to our flesh. And whenever a man or a nation returns to that place from which God had once delivered them, that is always a sad and a tragic day. Nine hundred years earlier God had delivered their fathers out of the horrible, cruel oppression of their Egyptian slavery and bondage. And now the sad day that they return. The reason for their return-fear, a lack of faith and trusting in God to sustain them in the land. And the fear of the retaliation of the Babylonians against them drove them back to Egypt. The lack of faith, which resulted in their disobedience. “And so they obeyed not the voice of the Lord and thus they came to Tahpanhes.”
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, Take great stones in your hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of all of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. And when he comes, he will smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword. And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself in the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garments; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire ( Jer 43:8-13 ).
So God said, “Take these great stones and put them in this clay pit where they had taken out the clay to make the bricks in the sight of all of the people, and say unto them, ‘Over the top of these stones Nebuchadnezzar is going to build a pavilion of his court and he’s going to set right here ruling over Egypt, destroying Egypt and their gods.’ You come down here to escape Nebuchadnezzar, you’re not going to escape him. You try to run from your problems, you can’t run from your problems.” God always wants us to face our problems with His strength and with His help. Never to run. A person never successfully runs away from a problem. We need to deal with the issues squarely with the help of the Lord. God will give us the strength. God will give us the help.
Flinders Petrie, famous archaeologist, several years ago now, I think it was in the 1920’s, was excavating in Egypt Tell Defenneh. And as he was excavating there in Tell Defenneh, he came across this big pavement, pavilion, paved pavilion which was next to the ruins of the palace. And he dug under the bricks of this pavilion and found these very stones that Jeremiah had buried. These stones are now in a museum, the last I heard, in Cairo. The very stones that Jeremiah buried were found by Petrie as a witness to the truth of God’s Word. Because Nebuchadnezzar did come down; he did conquer Egypt. He set his throne right there above the stones that Jeremiah buried. God’s Word came to pass. God’s Word will always come to pass. You can trust that God will keep His Word always.
“
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Jer 43:1-7
Jer 43:1-4
JUDAH’S LEADERS REJECT GOD’S WORD
And it came to pass that, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of Jehovah their God, wherewith Jehovah their God had sent him to them, even all these words, then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: Jehovah our God hath not sent thee to say, Ye shall not go into Egypt to sojourn there; but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death, and carry us away captive to Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of Jehovah, to dwell in the land of Judah.
And all the proud men…
(Jer 43:2). The two prominent leaders, Azariah and Johanan, were backed up by a group of men, called here the proud men. The versions provide further insight into the meaning of these words: the insolent men (Revised Standard Version); the arrogant men (the Good News Bible). They were the bold and confident unbelievers who constituted the vast majority of that apostate generation of the Chosen People, having no regard whatever, either for Almighty God, or God’s prophets.
We do not believe that there was anything whatever in the allegations of those Jewish leaders of either truth or probability. For example, their suggestion that Baruch was the author of Jeremiah’s prophecies here was an outright falsehood. What a preposterous proposition it was that, “The prophet who would not trim his message for the king himself would have allowed himself to be manipulated by his secretary!”
All the people obeyed not…
(Jer 43:4) The insolent, loud-mouthed, arrogant, and confident claims of the false leaders quickly swept away all objections to their policies; and they proceeded at once to Egypt. Jeremiah did not defend himself against the charge of prophesying a falsehood, but trusted in the future to reveal who was true and who was false.
Jer 43:5-7
THE RETURN OF JUDAH TO EGYPT
But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all the nations whither they had been driven, to sojourn in the land of Judah; the men, and the women, and the children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah; and they came into the land of Egypt; for they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah: and they came unto Tahpanhes.
Johanan… took all the remnant. and Jeremiah… and Baruch… and came into the land of Egypt …..
(Jer 43:5-7). From this, it is certain that both Jeremiah and his amanuensis Baruch were unwilling participants in this migration back to Egypt.
Tragic as this pitiful maneuver actually was, “It resulted in the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy that Jerusalem would be uninhabited (Jer 24:8-10). This migration to Egypt accomplished the utter de-population of the land; and the sole hope of the nation was then (and afterward) centered in the Babylonian exiles.” In the light of the unbelieving arrogance and conceit of that whole generation of apostates, there was nothing whatever that God could have done with them, unless it had been preceded by the sincere repentance and reformation of the people, that being, according to all indications, an utterly impossible thing to have anticipated.
Tahpanhes…
(Jer 43:7). This was an important fortified city on the eastern Delta of the Nile, where Pharaoh had a summer home and some kind of an administrative center. It seems to be the same place which Herodotus called Daphnai, now thought to be the modern Tell-Defenneh, some 27 miles south-southwest of Port Said.
The immigrants probably stopped here in order to procure permission of Pharaoh to enter Egypt, and to explore possible ways of making a living.
4. The rashness of the leaders (Jer 43:1-7)
While the people heard the prophet, it was obvious that the word of God was not getting through to them. Scarcely had he finished speaking when opposition arose. A certain Azariah, most likely a brother of Jezaniah (Jer 42:1), seems to have assumed the role of chief spokesman. Some scholars think that Jezahiah of Jer 42:1 and the Azariah here are one and the same. Both are said to be the son of Hoshaiah. Joining with him were all the proud men. The Hebrew word used here is used of those arrogant, insolent loud mouths who have the audacity to speak out against God and question His word. You are a liar! they yelled at the prophet. God did not send you to say, Do not go down to Egypt! They did not attempt to answer Jeremiahs arguments; instead they challenge his integrity and veracity. They point the finger of accusation at Baruch and hurl a groundless but vicious charge at the faithful scribe: Baruch has set you against us in order to give us into the hands of the Chaldeans (Jer 43:3). Just what the basis of this violent outburst against Baruch was is not made clear. Defiant disobedience must be rationalized and Baruch was made the scapegoat. Perhaps he was in the employ of the Chaldeans in some capacity. At any rate the attack made against him was patently absurd. Jeremiah does not even bother to try to dissuade the crowd, which by this time had become a mob, from their course of action. Unbelief had hardened into apostasy. The die was cast. To Egypt they would go.
Having determined to disobey the commandment of God, Johanan instructed the people to hastily make preparation for the flight to Egypt. Too much time had already been wasted waiting on Jeremiah to deliver his oracle. They could feel, so they thought, Nebuchadnezzar breathing down their neck. Therefore all the men, women, children, and the kings daughters are told to pack their meager belongings for the trip southward. Jeremiah and Baruch are both listed among those who went down to Egypt, It is impossible to imagine that this faithful man of God agreed to join the refugees of his own accord since he knew that the whole venture was contrary to the will of God. The angry leaders must have forced the old man and his faithful companion to go with them in order that they might share whatever fate awaited the group in Egypt.
One of the saddest verses in the whole book of Jeremiah is Jer 43:7. So they come into the land of Egypt; for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord; thus they came even to Tahpanhes. How ironical. The Israelites, who tine hundred years earlier had been delivered from Egypt, have now returned. Those who were seeking peace and security were marching into the jaws of death. Those who were trying to avoid confrontation with Nebuchadnezzar would shortly face their dreaded foe on foreign soil. The remnant ended their flight at Tahpanhes (modern Daphne), a fortress city just inside the Egyptian border.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
The accuracy of Jeremiah’s judgment of the people was immediately manifest. Their leaders charged him with having spoken falsely under the inspiration of Baruch, and immediately all of them passed over into Egypt, taking with them both Jeremiah and Baruch. Again the intrepid courage of the man is manifest, for while he, with perhaps Baruch, to all appearances stood alone, he immediately continued his ministry of denunciation and warning.
At Tahpanhes he announced the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, against Egypt, and foretold Nebuchadnezzar’s complete victory over all that power in which these men had chosen to put their trust. They had fled to Egypt to escape from Babylon. Babylon was to become victorious over Egypt. Thus Jeremiah declared to them, in effect, the utter folly of any attempt to escape finally from the government of God. Willingly abiding therein, they would have been safe in the land, even under the dominion of Babylon. Departing therefrom, in fear of Babylon, they found themselves in the very place where Babylon was again to set up its authority by the victory of war.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Indignation filled the hearts of “the proud men” of Judah at these words. Angrily, Azariah and the captain, Johanan, exclaimed, “Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there. But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives to Babylon” (Jer 43:1-3).
It was a case of the wish being father to the thought. They were determined to go down to Egypt. They would not believe that GOD had forbidden them to do so. Nor did they have the effrontery, after all their humble speeches before, to charge Jeremiah with deliberately seeking to deceive them by palming off his own thoughts as a divine revelation; but Baruch was made the scapegoat, and upon him the blame was laid.
This man had faithfully stood in the breach with his master, and on several occasions had put his life in jeopardy by his boldness in carrying out commissions entrusted to him. But it was sheer folly to suppose the prophet to be a mere puppet moved by his servant. Only gross unbelief and determinate self-will could so conclude.
Forthwith Johanan and the captains gathered all the remnant together, forcing both Jeremiah and Baruch to be of the number, and set out for Egypt in direct opposition to the Word of the Lord. We read of no further delay until they arrived at Tahpanhes, where they concluded to settle (Jer 43:4-7). This city was located in northeastern Egypt, some twenty miles from the historic treasure city of Pithon, the scene and reminder of Israel’s former degradation, as built by their fathers in the days of their slavery. It was in the land of Goshen, and was dedicated to a heathen goddess.
Here the emigrants sought a home, hoping that they had left far behind them the awful trinity of destruction that had harassed them for so long – war, pestilence, and famine.
This could not be, however, for they were bent on a course of rebellion against the Lord. They could never be at home in the land from which He had once delivered them, when He separated them to Himself.
Jeremiah is again commissioned to warn them of the impending storm of divine wrath. He may be in a sense a prisoner, but “the Word of the Lord is not bound,” and he is bidden to instruct the people both by an object-lesson and by word of mouth. At the Lord’s bidding, he took great stones in his hand, which he hid in the brick-kiln at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in the city, in the sight of the men of Judah. From this it would appear that the king of Egypt sometimes resided in Tahpanhes (Jer 43:8-9), if at this time it was not, indeed, his capital.
Having thus attracted the attention of the people, he declared in the name of the Lord of hosts that He was about to send Nebuchadrezzar, who is again designated “My servant,” (Jer 43:10) and all the land of Egypt should be given into his hands. His throne was to be set upon the stones thus hidden, and his royal pavilion spread over them. Like a shepherd (as the shepherd kings had done before, in the days of the patriarchs), he should “array himself with the land of Egypt” as with a garment. Egypt’s gods and their people would be destroyed in that day, and it would be vain for the men of Judah to seek relief from his vengeance (Jer 43:10-13).
With more fulness of detail the same theme is taken up in the next chapter.
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets
CHAPTER 43
1. The rebellion against Jeremiah (Jer 43:1-7)
2. Jeremiahs prediction about the conquest of Egypt (Jer 43:8-13)
Jer 43:1-7. No sooner had Jeremiah finished communicating the divine answer, but the captains and the proud men denounced him. They charged him that he spoke falsely, that all he had said was at the instigation of Baruch, that both were traitors. Then the leaders did not obey the voice of the Lord to dwell in the land; they took the remnant of Judah (Jer 43:5 is explained by Jer 40:11-12) all the people, including Jeremiah and Baruch, to lead them down to Egypt, and finally they settled in Tahpanhes (Daphne), which was in the northeastern part, on the road out of Egypt to Palestine.
Jer 43:8-13. Then Jeremiah was commanded by the Lord to take great stones and bury them at the entry of Pharaohs house in Tahpanhes, so that all the men of Judah could be witnesses of it. In 1886 the Egyptologist, Professor Petrie, excavated at Tahpanhes a brick pavement before a kind of a palace, which probably was the place where Jeremiah hid the stones. The ruin was Kasr el BintJehudi, which means, the palace of the daughter of Judah, the place evidently assigned to the daughters of Zedekiah. (See Jer 43:6.) The word brick-kiln means a pavement of bricks. Then, after having buried the stones, he announced that Nebuchadnezzar would come and set his throne there also, that he would conquer Egypt, smite it and burn the idol temples there. Such an invasion took place about 568 B.C., when the Egyptian King Amasis was defeated. The pillars mentioned in Jer 43:13 are obelisks, and Beth-Shemesh means the house of the Sun (Heliopolis or On).
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
had made: Jer 26:8, Jer 42:22, Jer 51:63
all the words: Jer 1:7, Jer 1:17, Jer 26:2, Jer 42:3-5, Exo 24:3, 1Sa 8:10, Mat 28:20, Act 5:20, Act 20:27
Reciprocal: Jer 24:8 – and them Jer 43:2 – Azariah Eze 33:31 – and they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 43:1. When Jeremiah spoke all the words of the Lord he fulfilled the promise he made to these people as recorded in Jer 42:1.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 43:3. Baruch setteth thee on against us, in our purpose to seek an asylum in Egypt. Jeremiahs character as a prophet, having received the seals of providence, they durst not deny him the glory, but artfully threw the blame on Baruch.
Jer 43:7. Tahpanhes, is Pelusium, and called Hanes in Isa 30:4. It was the frontier fortress of Egypt, and is now the residence of the court. It is by others called Daphn.
Jer 43:13. Bethshemesh, the house of the sun, which the LXX read, Heliopolis, the city of the sun. It was situate between Alexandria and the Coptus, and so called because it had a temple dedicated to the sun, and was the grand seat of Egyptian idolatry. Its inhabitants were reckoned the most enlightened and ingenious of all the Egyptians. See Strabo, lib. 17., and Herodotus.
REFLECTIONS.
No sooner had Jeremiah closed his speech, and delivered his revelation from the Lord, than it was rejected, and slandered as a lie of Baruchs forgery. Nay, so violent were those men, that they forcibly carried away Jeremiah, and all the people into Egypt. They forsook the wings of JEHOVAH to trust in the bruised reeds of Egypt, which had so often proved faithless to the Hebrews. God sends a spirit of infatuation on wicked men who reject his word, and they go from evil to evil till they go to their own place.
The wicked often involve their children in their own calamities. They carried away the kings daughters, who were of course in nonage and infancy, as Zedekiahs reign was short. Thus the iniquities of the fathers, by a mysterious providence, were temporally visited on the children to the third and fourth generation.
When the wicked flee from one country to another, they take their guilt with them, and their punishment is sure to follow. Scarcely had these refugees received the promises of protection from Pharaoh, scarcely had they got settled in the places assigned them for a dwelling, before Jeremiah troubled them with new predictions. He threw great stones into the brick kiln as a sort of pedestal for Nebuchadnezzars throne, who is called the Lords servant, because he accomplished his pleasure in scourging the impious nations. He described all the horrors of his invasion. He saw the cities stormed, he saw the carnage of the sword, he saw the princes led to execution, and the best looking of the younger people delivered to captivity. Nay, more: he saw the temples of Egypt, in which these apostate Jews had sought refuge, all in flames, as the defiled temple of Jerusalem. When the sanctuary of God becomes impure with crimes, it is not long before the Lord purifies it with vengeance. May sinners learn never to speak against religion, because it is the only hope and refuge of man.
The burning of the Egyptian temples claims a farther thought. When God inspires an army to do his awful pleasure, they astonish the earth by their ardour, their courage and achievements. Rabshakeh scarcely deigned to mention the conquests of nations, being so much taken up with the conquests of the gods of Hamath, Arphad, and Damascus. Belshazzar boasted with equal pride of the gods his grandfather had subdued. Isaiah 36. Daniel 5. Xerxes with equal pride burnt the temples of Greece and Asia in his career of devastation. Hence Jeremiah showed his apostate countrymen the temple of the sun in Bethshemesh, this most ancient seat of idolatry, all in flames, that they might make a just transition in their own thoughts to the unquenchable fire about to receive them, unless a radical work of repentance ensued.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 42:1 to Jer 43:7. The Migration into Egypt.Jeremiah is asked by the leaders (Jer 42:1 mg., with LXX) and the people to seek Yahwehs guidance, which they solemnly (Jer 42:5 mg.) promise to follow (Jer 42:1-6). After ten days, the Divine revelation comes to the prophet and is communicated to the people, to the effect that they are to remain in Judah, where Yahweh promises to protect them from the Babylonians; their hope of prosperity in Egypt will be found delusive; Yahweh will treat them in Egypt as He has treated Jerusalem. They are doing harm to themselves by their (intended) disobedience after the pledge given (Jer 42:7-22). The leaders (as Jeremiah had anticipated, from Jer 42:17 ff.) refuse to obey the oracle, alleging that it is not genuine, but inspired by Baruch. They migrate to Egypt, and reach Tahpanhes (Daphne, a frontier fortress, Jer 2:16).
Jer 42:12. Read to dwell in for to return to, with Syr. Vulg.
Jer 42:20. dealt deceitfully: should be, with LXX, done evil.souls: simply selves.
Jer 43:2. saying: read instead, with Giesebrecht, and defiant.
Jer 43:5. Cf. Jer 40:11 f.
Jer 43:6. Cf. Jer 41:10.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
As soon as Jeremiah had finished telling the remnant what God’s will was, Azariah, Johanan, and other arrogant men among them accused Jeremiah of lying to them. They claimed that Baruch was the source of the advice Jeremiah had given them, rather than Yahweh. They believed that Baruch wanted the Chaldeans to slay or exile them. Baruch was Jeremiah’s scribe, and both men were loyal to Yahweh (cf. ch. 45). Perhaps these opponents felt that Baruch was unduly influencing the prophet.
"Here is a good example of a man [Azariah] who was so persuaded that his own wrong views were right that his mind was completely closed to any other possibility-an age-old phenomenon." [Note: Thompson, p. 668.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
CHAPTER XIV
THE DESCENT INTO EGYPT
Jer 42:1-22 Jer 43:1-13
“They came into the land of Egypt, for they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah.”- Jer 43:7
THUS within a few days Jeremiah had experienced one of those sudden and extreme changes of fortune which are as common in his career as in a sensational novel. Yesterday the guide, philosopher, and friend of the governor of Judah, today sees him once more a helpless prisoner in the hands of his old enemies. Tomorrow he is restored to liberty and authority, and appealed to by the remnant of Israel as the mouthpiece of Jehovah. Johanan ben Kareah and all the captains of the forces, “from the least even unto the greatest, came near” and besought Jeremiah to pray unto “Jehovah thy God,” “that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing we may do.” Jeremiah promised to make intercession and to declare faithfully unto them whatsoever Jehovah should reveal unto him.
And they on their part said unto Jeremiah: “Jehovah be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not according to every word that Jehovah thy God shall send unto us by thee: We will obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee, Whether it be good or evil, that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of Jehovah our God.”
The prophet returned no hasty answer to this solemn appeal. As in his controversy with Hananiah, he refrained from at once announcing his own judgment as the Divine decision, but waited for the express confirmation of the Spirit. For ten days prophet and people were alike kept in suspense. The patience of Johanan and his followers is striking testimony to their sincere reverence for Jeremiah.
On the tenth day the message came, and Jeremiah called the people together to hear Gods answer to their question, and to learn that Divine will to which they had promised unreserved obedience. It ran thus:-
“If you will still abide in this land,
I will build you and not pull you down,
I will plant you and not pluck you up.”
The words of Jeremiahs original commission seem ever present to his mind:-
“For I repent Me of the evil I have done unto you.”
They need not flee from Judah as an accursed land; Jehovah had a new and gracious purpose concerning them, and therefore:-
“Be not afraid of the king of Babylon,
Of whom ye are afraid;
Be not afraid of him-it is the utterance of Jehovah-
For I am with you,
To save you and deliver yon out of his hand.
I will put kindness in his heart toward you,
And he shall deal kindly with you,
And restore you to your lands.”
It was premature to conclude that Ishmaels crime finally disposed of the attempt to shape the remnant into the nucleus of a new Israel. Hitherto Nebuchadnezzar had shown himself willing to discriminate; when he condemned the princes, he spared and honoured Jeremiah, and the Chaldeans might still be trusted to deal fairly and generously with the prophets friends and deliverers. Moreover the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, like that of all earthly potentates, was in the hands of the King of Kings.
But Jeremiah knew too well what mingled hopes and fears drew his hearers towards the fertile valley and rich cities of the Nile. He sets before them the reverse of the picture: they might refuse to obey Gods command to remain in Judah; they might say, “No, we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor hunger for bread, and there will we dwell.” As of old, they craved for the flesh pots of Egypt; and with more excuse than their forefathers. They were worn out with suffering and toil, some of them had wives and children; the childless prophet was inviting them to make sacrifices and incur risks which he could neither share nor understand. Can we wonder if they fell short of his inspired heroism, and hesitated to forego the ease and plenty of Egypt in order to try social experiments in Judah?
“Let what is broken so remain.
The Gods are hard to reconcile:
Tis hard to settle order once again.
Sore task to hearts worn out by many wars.”
But Jeremiah had neither sympathy nor patience with such weakness. Moreover, now as often, valour was the better part of discretion, and the boldest course was the safest. The peace and security of Egypt had been broken in upon again and again by Asiatic invaders; only recently it had been tributary to Nineveh, till the failing strength of Assyria enabled the Pharaohs to recover their independence. Now that Palestine had ceased to be the seat of war the sound of Chaldean trumpets would soon be heard in the valley of the Nile. By going down into Egypt, they were leaving Judah where they might be safe under the broad shield of Babylonian power, for a country that would soon be afflicted by the very evils they sought to escape:-
“If ye finally determine to go to Egypt to sojourn there,
The sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt.
The famine whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt,
And there shall ye die.”
The old familiar curses, so often uttered against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, are pronounced against any of his hearers who should take refuge in Egypt:-
“As Mine anger and fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
So shall My fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter in Egypt.”
They would die “by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence”; they would be “an execration and an astonishment, a curse and a reproach.”
He had set before them two alternative courses, and the Divine judgment upon each: he had known beforehand that, contrary to his own choice and judgment, their hearts were set upon going down into Egypt; hence, as when confronted and contradicted by Hananiah, he had been careful to secure divine confirmation before he gave his decision. Already he could see the faces of his hearers hardening into obstinate resistance or kindling into hot defiance; probably they broke out into interruptions which left no doubt as to their purpose. With his usual promptness, he turned upon them with fierce reproof and denunciation:
“Ye have been traitors to yourselves.
Ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying,
Pray for us unto Jehovah our God;
According unto all that Jehovah our God shall say,
Declare unto us, and we will do it.
I have this day declared it unto you,
But ye have in no wise obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God.
Ye shall die by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,
In the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn.”
His hearers were equally prompt with their rejoinder; Johanan ben Kereah and “all the proud men” answered him:-
“Thou liest! It is not Jehovah our God who hath sent thee to say, Ye shall not go into Egypt to sojourn there; but Baruch ben Neriah setteth thee on against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may slay us or carry us away captive to Babylon.”
Jeremiah had experienced many strange vicissitudes, but this was not the least striking. Ten days ago the people and their leaders had approached him in reverent submission, and had solemnly promised to accept and obey his decision as the word of God. Now they called him a liar; they asserted that he did not speak by any Divine inspiration, but was a feeble impostor, an oracular puppet, whose strings were pulled by his own disciple.
Such scenes are, unfortunately, only too common in Church history. Religious professors are still ready to abuse and to impute unworthy motives to prophets whose messages they dislike, in a spirit not less secular than that which is shown when some modern football team tries to mob the referee who has given a decision against its hopes.
Moreover we must not unduly emphasise the solemn engagement given by the Jews to abide Jeremiahs decision. They were probably sincere, but not very much in earnest. The proceedings and the strong formulae used were largely conventional. Ancient kings and generals regularly sought the approval of their prophets or augurs before taking any important step, but they did not always act upon their advice. The final breach between Saul and the prophet Samuel seems to have been due to the fact that the king did not wait for his presence and counsel before engaging the Philistines. (Samuel 13) Before the disastrous expedition to Ramoth Gilead, Jehoshaphat insisted on consulting a prophet of Jehovah, and then acted in the teeth of his inspired warning. {1Ki 22:1-53}
Johanan and his company felt it essential to consult some divine oracle; and Jeremiah was not only the greatest prophet of Jehovah, he was also the only prophet available. They must have known from his consistent denunciation of all alliance with Egypt that his views were likely to be at variance with their own. But they were consulting Jehovah-Jeremiah was only His mouthpiece; hitherto He had set His face against any dealings with Egypt, but circumstances were entirely changed, and Jehovahs purpose might change with them, He might “repent.” They promised to obey, because there was at any rate a chance that Gods commands would coincide with their own intentions. But lets remark that men may be expected to act “not only upon an even chance, but upon much less,” specially applies to such promises as the Jews made to Jeremiah. Certain tacit conditions may always be considered attached to a profession of willingness to be guided by a friends advice. Our newspapers frequently record breaches of engagements that should be as binding as that entered into by Johanan and his friends, and they do so without any special comment. For instance, the verdicts of arbitrators in trade disputes have been too often ignored by the unsuccessful parties; and-to take a very different illustration-the most unlimited professions of faith in the infallibility of the Bible have sometimes gone along with a denial of its plain teaching and a disregard of its imperative commands. While Shylock expected a favorable decision, Portia was “a Daniel come to judgment”: his subsequent opinion of her judicial qualities has not been recorded. Those who have never refused or evaded unwelcome demands made by an authority whom they have promised to obey may cast the first stone at Johanan.
After the scene we have been describing, the refugees set out for Egypt, carrying with them the princesses and Jeremiah and Baruch. They were following in the footsteps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of Jeroboam, and many another Jew who had sought protection under the shadow of Pharaoh. They were the forerunners of that later Israel in Egypt which, through Philo and his disciples, exercised so powerful an influence on the doctrine, criticism, and exegesis of the early Christian Church.
Yet this exodus in the wrong direction was by no means complete. Four years later Nebuzaradan could still find seven hundred and forty-five Jews to carry away to Babylon, {Jer 52:30} Johanans movements had been too hurried to admit of his gathering in the inhabitants of outlying districts.
When Johanans company reached the frontier, they would find the Egyptian officials prepared to receive them. During the last few months there must have been constant arrivals of Jewish refugees, and rumour must have announced the approach of so large a company, consisting of almost all the Jews left in Palestine. The very circumstances that made them dread the vengeance of Nebuchadnezzar would ensure them a hearty welcome in Egypt. Their presence was an unmistakable proof of the entire failure of the attempt to create in Judah a docile and contented dependency and outpost of the Chaldean Empire. They were accordingly settled at Tahpanhes and in the surrounding district.
But no welcome could conciliate Jeremiahs implacable temper, nor could all the splendour of Egypt tame his indomitable spirit. Amongst his fellow countrymen at Bethlehem, he had foretold the coming tribulations of Egypt. He now renewed his predictions within the very precincts of Pharaohs palace, and enforced them by a striking symbol. At Tahpanhes- the modern Tell Defenneh-which was the ancient Egyptian frontier fortress and settlement on the more westerly route from Syria, the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in mortar in the brick pavement, at the entry of Pharaohs palace in Tahpanhes, in the presence of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah Sabaoth, the God of Israel:
“Behold, I will send and take My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon:
I will set his throne upon these stones which I have hid,
And he shall spread his state pavilion over them.”
He would set up his royal tribunal, and decide the fate of the conquered city and its inhabitants.
“He shall come and smite the land of Egypt;
Such as are for death shall be put to death,
Such as are for captivity shall be sent into captivity,
Such as are for the sword shall be slain by the sword.
I will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt;
He shall burn their temples, and carry them away captive:
He shall array himself with the land of Egypt
As a shepherd putteth on his garment.”
The whole country would become a mere mantle for his dignity, a comparatively insignificant part of his vast possessions.
“He shall go forth from thence in peace.”
A campaign that promised well at the beginning has often ended in despair, like Sennacheribs attack on Judah, and Pharaoh Nechos expedition to Carchemish. The invading army has been exhausted by its victories, or wasted by disease and compelled to beat an inglorious retreat. No such misfortune should overtake the Chaldean king. He would depart with all his spoil, leaving Egypt behind him subdued into a loyal province of his empire.
Then the prophet adds, apparently as a kind of afterthought:-
“He also shall break the obelisks of Heliopolis, in the land of Egypt” (so styled to distinguish this Beth-Shemesh from Beth-Shemesh in Palestine),
“And shall burn with fire the temples of the gods of Egypt.”
The performance of this symbolic act and the delivery of its accompanying message are not recorded, but Jeremiah would not fail to make known the Divine word to his fellow country men, It is difficult to understand how the exiled prophet would be allowed to assemble the Jews in front of the main entrance of the palace, and hide “great stones” in the pavement. Possibly the palace was being repaired, or the stones might be inserted under the front or side of a raised platform, or possibly the symbolic act was only to be described and not performed. Mr. Flinders Petrie recently discovered at Tell Defenneh a large brickwork pavement, with great stones buried underneath, which he supposed might be those mentioned in our narrative. He also found there another possible relic of these Jewish emigres in the shape of the ruins of a large brick building of the twenty-sixth dynasty-to which Pharaoh Hophra belonged-still known as the “Palace of the Jews Daughter.” It is a natural and attractive conjecture that this was the residence assigned to the Jewish princesses whom Johanan carried with him into Egypt.
But while the ruined palace may testify to Pharaohs generosity to the Royal House that had suffered through its alliance with him, the “great stones” remind us that, after a brief interval of sympathy and cooperation, Jeremiah again found himself in bitter antagonism to his fellow countrymen. In our next chapter we shall describe one final scene of mutual recrimination.