Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 43:5
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;
All the remnant of Judah that were returned – In this way, the utter depopulation of the land was completed. Thus was fulfilled the predictions of Jer 24:8-10, and the sole hope of the nation now centered in the exiles at Babylon Jer 24:5-7.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This resolution they presently put in practice. Though it is certain that Jeremiah and Baruch were not willing to go along with them, and probably that many of the people were not willing, yet these rebellious captains forced them all along with them, so as many of them were now a kind of prisoners to their own countrymen.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. remnant . . . returned from allnations (Jer 40:11;Jer 40:12).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces,…. Who were united in their resolution to go into Egypt, contrary to the declared will of God:
took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; both such who were left in the land, when the rest were carried captive into Babylon, more particularly mentioned in Jer 43:6; and those, who upon the invasion of the land, and siege of Jerusalem, had fled to other countries, but now were returned from thence, in order to settle in it; having heard that a governor from among the Jews was appointed over it; as from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries; see Jer 40:11; these, some of their own accord, others through persuasion, and others by force, went along with, or were taken and carried by the above captains into Egypt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet now gives us a narrative of what he had briefly touched upon. He then says that John and the rest of the leaders took the remnant of the people, who were there alive, and those who had returned from various countries; for many had become fugitives among the Moabites and the Idumeans, when they saw the city surrounded by the forces of King Nebuchadnezzar. Then they fled here and there, as it usually happens, and waited for the issue of the war. But after Nebuchadnezzar had departed, and a permission had been given to Gedaliah to collect what remained of the people and to place them in cities and towns, many returned into the land, now desolate; for they had dwelt with aliens, and had been miserably treated. As then they could not settle out of their own land nor find any quiet habitation, they returned, as it is usual with men reduced to want, who have no settled dwelling. They then returned, that they might live under the protection of Gedaliah.
Now the Prophet says, that they were taken by John and brought into. Egypt. This then was the way in which they shewed their obstinacy. We hence see how audacious must these leaders have been, that they hesitated not to go into Egypt, though it was shewn to be a fatal step. There was not indeed at that time any army of Nebuchadnezzar in Judea, though his vengeance might have been dreaded. And then, having fled to: Egypt, they might have been ill-treated there, and not hospitably received.: But we hence perceive, that when men once shake off the yoke of God, they are hurried on by a diabolical madness, so that there is nothing insurmountable to them. Had they been asked whether they acted rightly, they might have raised a thousand arguments as excuses; but when they followed their own propensity, they in a manner, so to speak, leaped over the clouds. Impiety then is always full of rashness and audacity. But as we see that the ungodly thus rush headlong into ruin, even when God pronounces a curse on their counsels and proceedings, let us learn to take encouragement ever to obey God; for he promises a joyful and blessed issue at all times when we follow the ways pointed out by him. John then and the other leaders of the forces took the remnant of the people
And then he shews how little those exiles consulted their own good, who had returned to dwell in the land of Judea; for they might have still rested in safety among the nations who had in kindness received them; but in Egypt God soon executed his judgments on the natives as well as on strangers. But they deserved such a reward, because they preferred to obey the command of the perverse and obstinate, rather than to obey the voice of God speaking by his Prophet.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
5. Remnant returned from all nations This language only describes the people in this company. It coming to be known that the administration of the Chaldeans was friendly and fostering, there was a tendency on the part of the people who had fled before the invading army and taken refuge among other peoples to return. Hence such a phrase as this of the text describes them much as “and all those who were still alive, having escaped the calamities of the time.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 43:5 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;
Ver. 5. But Johanan took all the remnant of Judah.] Whose preservation had been but a reservation to further mischief, a just punishment of their incorrigibleness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
whither, &c. Compare Jer 40:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
took: Jer 40:11, Jer 40:12, Jer 41:15, Jer 41:16, 1Sa 26:19
Reciprocal: Jer 40:8 – Johanan Jer 41:10 – even Jer 42:1 – all the Jer 44:1 – concerning
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 43:5. This revolt was headed by Johanan and included the scattered citizens of Judah from various territories.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
43:5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that had returned from all {f} nations, where they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;
(f) As from the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites, Jer 40:11 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
These leaders took this remnant, which included Jews who had returned to the land from neighboring countries, Jews whom the Babylonians had left in the land, Jeremiah, and Baruch, and proceeded to Egypt. They stopped at Tahpanhes (Gr. Daphne; cf. Jer 2:16), an Egyptian frontier town in the northeastern Nile Delta region on the road from Canaan, perhaps to obtain permission to settle in the land. [Note: See the map of the ancient Near East at the end of these notes.] They did this in disobedience to the Lord. Note the continued emphasis on the people’s disobedience throughout this whole chapter.
"Think of it! Abraham’s descendants returned to Egypt long after their liberation from it. With great suffering they had been delivered from their bondage in Egypt only to return there a defeated and hopeless remnant nearly nine hundred years later . . ." [Note: Feinberg, "Jeremiah," p. 637.]
It is difficult to tell whether Jeremiah went with them as a prisoner or by his own choice. It seems unlikely that this group of rebels against God’s messages through Jeremiah would have forced him (and Baruch) to accompany them, knowing that he would continue to be a thorn in their side. If Jeremiah went to Egypt by his own choice, he must have done so convinced that Yahweh wanted him to be His voice among the rebels. At the same time, he could not have gone to escape danger and still have remained completely faithful to his Lord, since he had preached cooperation and submission to the Babylonians as God’s will. Many of the commentators speculate that he did not go voluntarily (cf. Jer 32:6-15; Jer 40:1-6; Jer 42:13-18), and I tend to agree.