7<\/strong>. after ten days<\/em> ] Pe. points out the importance of the v<\/em>., as giving us an insight into the nature of prophecy. Jeremiah distinguishes clearly between his own opinion, which was already a decisive one, and the Divine revelation that might be made to him, and he waits till the latter comes.<\/p>\n 7<\/strong>. Tahpanhes<\/em> ] See on ch. Jer 2:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n 7 22<\/strong>. See introd. summary to the section.<\/p>\n After ten days – <\/B>On previous occasions Jeremiah when consulted answered at once Jer 21:3<\/span>. The present delay (compare Jer 28:12<\/span>) was probably granted by God in order to free the minds of the people from the panic caused by the murder of Gedaliah and their fear of Chaldaean vengeance. Jeremiah could have had no doubt that the flight into Egypt was contrary to the tenor of his former prophecies.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 7<\/span>. After ten days<\/B><\/I>] All this time he was waiting upon God; for it is evident the prophets could not prophesy when they pleased, any more than the disciples of our Lord could work miracles when they wished. The gift of prophecy and the gift of miracles were both dependent on the will of the Most High, and each of them was given only for the moment; and when the necessity was over, the influence ceased.<\/P> <\/p>\n The word mentioned Jer 40:1<\/span>; to which all that we have met with from the beginning of Jer 40<\/span> is but an historical preface. <\/P> <\/p>\n 7. ten days<\/B>Jeremiah did notspeak of himself, but waited God’s time and revelation, showing thereality of his inspiration. Man left to himself would have given animmediate response to the people, who were impatient of delay. Thedelay was designed to test the sincerity of their professedwillingness to obey, and that they should have full time todeliberate (De 8:2<\/span>). Trueobedience bows to God’s time, as well as His way and will.<\/P><\/p>\n And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah.<\/strong> Abarbinel thinks it was on the tenth day of the seventh month, the day of atonement, that the answer was returned; but it is clear, from the context, that it was ten days from the time the Jews applied to the prophet to inquire of the Lord for them, and he promised to do it, that this word came from the Lord to him; not that he was praying all this while, as some think; but, having spread the case before the Lord, he waited for an answer; which was deferred, that it might have the greater weight with it when it came; and that it might appear that it was not of the prophet himself, a device of his own; and chiefly this was to mortify these people, who were impatient of an answer; and whose hypocrisy the Lord knew; and whose disobedience he foresaw; and therefore did not think fit to give the answer directly, but keep them in suspense awhile.<\/p>\n The word of the Lord.<\/em> – At the end of ten days, the reply that had been asked for came from the Lord. Hitzig and Graf think that Jeremiah had lingered ten days with the answer, in order to obtain strong and clear conviction, “matured through his own meditation, probably also in part confirmed by the arrival of further news.” This opinion is characterized by Ngelsbach as “in harmony with modern science, but unhistorical;” it should rather be called unscriptural, as resting on a denial of divine inspiration. The reason why the Lord did not make known His will to the prophet for ten days was a disciplinary one. By waiting, those who asked would get time for bethinking themselves, and for quietly considering the situation of affairs, so that they might be able, calmly and collectedly, to receive and obey the answer of God, which was far from satisfying the fears and wishes of their heart. Jer 42:8<\/span>. Jeremiah called the captains and all the people together, and announced to them as follows: Jer 42:9<\/span>. “Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel, to whom ye have sent me, that I might bring your supplication before Him: <\/em> Jer 42:10<\/span>. If ye will indeed abide in this land, then will I build you up and not pull down; and I will plant you, but not root out; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you. <\/em> Jer 42:11<\/span>. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, whom ye fear, be not afraid of him, saith Jahveh; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you out of his hand. <\/em> Jer 42:12<\/span>. And I will get pity for you, so that he shall take pity on you, and bring you back to your land. <\/em> Jer 42:13<\/span>. But if ye say, We will not remain in this land, so that ye will not obey the voice of Jahveh your God, <\/em> Jer 42:14<\/span>. Saying, Nay, but we will go to the land of Egypt, that we may not see war nor hear the wound of a trumpet, and we shall not hunger after bread, and we will dwell there. – <\/em> Jer 42:15<\/span>. Now therefore hear the word of Jahveh, ye remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye do indeed set your face to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, <\/em> Jer 42:16<\/span>. Then shall the sword, of which ye are afraid, overtake you there, in the land of Egypt, and hunger, which ye dread, shall there follow hard after you, in Egypt, and there shall ye die. <\/em> Jer 42:17<\/span>. And all the men who have set their face to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, shall die by the sword, and through hunger, and from the plague; nor shall they have any one left or escaped from the evil which I will bring on them. <\/em> Jer 42:18<\/span>. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath were poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured out upon you when ye go to Egypt, and ye shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall not see this place again. – <\/em> Jer 42:19<\/span>. Jahveh hath spoken to you, O remnant of Judah. Go not to Egypt: ye shall know for certain that I have warned you to-day. <\/em> Jer 42:20<\/span>. For ye err at the risk of your souls when ye sent me to Jahveh your God, saying, Pray for us to Jahveh our God, and according to all that Jahveh our God shall say to us, so tell us, and we will do it. <\/em> Jer 42:21<\/span>. Now I have told you to-day, and ye have not obeyed the voice of Jahveh your God, nor in anything for which He hath sent me unto you. <\/em> Jer 42:22<\/span>. Now, therefore, ye must surely know that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have been pleased to go to sojourn.”<\/em> <\/p>\n The Lord’s reply extends as far as Jer 42:18<\/span>; the last four verses (19-22) form an epilogue, a further address by the prophet, in which he once more specially impresses God’s resolution on the minds of the people. The answer of God consists (1) in the promise that, if they will remain in the land, the Lord is willing to build them up, and protect them from the wrath of the king of Babylon (Jer 42:9-12<\/span>); and (2) the threat that, if they will go to Egypt against the advice and will of the Lord, they shall certainly perish there by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer 42:13-18<\/span>). On the expression , see on Jer 36:7<\/span>. (Jer 42:10<\/span>) can only be inf. abs. of , for ; if we view it as coming from morf , we get no suitable meaning, for the thought si revertendo illuc manseritis in hc terr <\/em> (C. B. Michaelis) could not be expressed by . Certainly there is no other instance of such a form as being used for ; in a verb like , however, which drops the in the inf. constr., a like omission in the inf. abs. is quite conceivable, while the supposition of some injury having been done to the text (Olshausen, Gram<\/em>. 89) is less probable. On the expression, “I will build you,” etc., cf. Jer 24:6<\/span>; Jer 31:4<\/span>; Jer 33:7<\/span>. “I repent of the evil” is an anthropopathic expression for the cancelling of a penal sentence: cf. Joe 2:14<\/span>, etc. – In Jer 42:11<\/span>, the repetition of the words “do not fear him” produces special emphasis.<\/p>\n Jeremiah’s Address to the People.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 588.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD<\/B> came unto Jeremiah. 8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were<\/I> with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, 9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD<\/B>, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; 10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you<\/I> down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you<\/I> up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD<\/B>: for I am<\/I> with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. 13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD<\/B> your God, 14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD<\/B>, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD<\/B> of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16 Then it shall come to pass, that<\/I> the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. 17 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. 18 For thus saith the LORD<\/B> of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. 19 The LORD<\/B> hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD<\/B> your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD<\/B> our God; and according unto all that the LORD<\/B> our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.<\/I> 21 And now<\/I> I have this day declared it<\/I> to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD<\/B> your God, nor any thing<\/I> for the which he hath sent me unto you. 22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and<\/I> to sojourn.<\/P> We have here the answer which Jeremiah was sent to deliver to those who employed him to ask counsel of God.<\/P> I. It did not come immediately, not till ten days after,<\/I> v.<\/span> 7<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. They were thus long held in suspense, perhaps, to punish them for their hypocrisy or to show that Jeremiah did not speak of himself, nor what he would, for he could not speak when he would, but must wait for instructions. However, it teaches us to continue waiting upon God for direction in our way. The vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak.<\/I><\/P> II. When it did come he delivered it publicly, both to the captains<\/I> and to all the people,<\/I> from the meanest to those in the highest station; he delivered it fully and faithfully as he received it, as he had promised that he would keep nothing back from them. If Jeremiah had been to direct them by his own prudence, perhaps he could not have told what to advise them to, the case was so difficult; but what he has to advise is what the Lord the God of Israel saith,<\/I> to whom they had sent him, and therefore they were bound in honour and duty to observe it. And this he tells them,<\/P> 1. That it is the will of God that they should stay where they are, and his promise that, if they do so, it shall undoubtedly be well with them<\/I> he would have them still to abide in this land,<\/I> v.<\/span> 10<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Their brethren were forced out of it into captivity, and this was their affliction; let those therefore count it a mercy that they may stay in it and a duty to stay in it. Let those whose lot is in Canaan never quit it while they can keep it. It would have been enough to oblige them if God had only said, “I charge you upon your allegiance to abide still in the land;<\/I>” but he rather persuades them to it as a friend than commands it as a prince. (1.) He expresses a very tender concern for them in their present calamitous condition: It repenteth me of the evil that I have done unto you.<\/I> Though they had shown small sign of their repenting of their sins, yet God, as one grieved for the misery of Israel<\/I> (Judg. x. 16<\/span>), begins to repent of the judgments he had brought upon them for their sins. Not that he changed his mind, but he was very ready to change his way and to return in mercy to them. God’s time to repent himself concerning his servants is when he sees that, as here, their strength is gone, and there is none shut up or left,<\/I> Deut. xxxii. 36<\/I><\/span>. (2.) He answers the argument they had against abiding in this land. They feared the king of Babylon<\/I> (ch.<\/I><\/span> xli. 18<\/span>), lest he should come and avenge the death of Gedaliah upon them, though they were no way accessory to it, nay, had witnessed against it. The surmise was foreign and unreasonable; but, if there had been any ground for it, enough is here said to remove it (v.<\/I><\/span> 11<\/span>): “Be not afraid of the king of Babylon,<\/I> though he is a man of great might and little mercy, and a very arbitrary prince, whose will is a law, and therefore you are afraid he will upon this pretence, though without colour of reason, take advantage against you; be not afraid of him,<\/I> for that fear will bring a snare: fear not him, for I am with you;<\/I> and, if God be for you to save you, who can be against you to hurt you?” Thus has God provided to obviate and silence even the causeless fears of his people, which discourage them in the way of their duty; there is enough in the promises to encourage them. (3.) He assures them that if they will still abide in this land they shall not only be safe from the king of Babylon, but be made happy by the King of kings: “I will build you and plant you;<\/I> you shall take root again, and be the new foundation of another state, a phoenix-kingdom, rising out of the ashes of the last.” It is added (v.<\/I><\/span> 12<\/span>), I will show mercies unto you.<\/I> Note, In all our comforts we may read God’s mercies. God will show them mercy in this, that not only the king of Babylon shall not destroy them, but he shall have mercy upon them<\/I> and help to settle them. Note, Whatever kindness men do us we must attribute it to God’s kindness. He makes those whom he pities to be pitied even by those who carried them captives,<\/I> Ps. xvi. 46<\/I><\/span>. “The king of Babylon, having now the disposal of the country, shall cause you to return it to your own land,<\/I> shall settle you again in your own habitations and put you in possession of the lands that formerly belonged to you.” Note, God has made that our duty which is really our privilege, and our obedience will be its own recompence. “Abide in this land,<\/I> and it shall be your own land again and you shall continue in it. Do not quit it now that you stand so fair for the enjoyment of it again. Be no so unwise as to forsake your own mercies<\/I> for lying vanities.<\/I>“<\/P> 2. That as they tender the favour of God and their own happiness they must by no means think of going into Egypt, not thither of all places, not to that land out of which God had delivered their fathers and which he had so often warned them not to make alliance with nor to put confidence in. Observe here, (1.) The sin they are supposed to be guilty of (and to him that knew their hearts it was more than a supposition): “You begin to say, We will not dwell in this land<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 13<\/span>); we will never think that we can be safe in it, no, not though God himself undertake our protection. We will not continue in it, no, not in obedience to the voice of the Lord our God.<\/I> He may say what he please, but we will do what we please. We will go into the land of Egypt,<\/I> and there will we dwell,<\/I> whether God give us leave and go along with us or no,” v.<\/I><\/span> 14<\/span>. It is supposed that their hearts were upon it: “If you wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt,<\/I> and are obstinately resolved that you will go and sojourn there,<\/I> though God oppose you in it both by his word and by his providence, then take what follows.” Now the reason they go upon in this resolution is that “in Egypt we shall see no war, nor have hunger of bread,; as we have had for a long time in this land,” <\/I>v.<\/span> 14<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Note, It is folly to quit our place, especially to quit the holy land, because we meet with trouble in it; but greater folly to think by changing our place to escape the judgments of God, and that evil which pursues sinners in every way of disobedience, and which there is no escaping but by returning to our allegiance. (2.) The sentence passed upon them for this sin, if they will persist in it. It is pronounced in God’s name (<\/I>v.<\/span> 15<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>): “Hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah,<\/I> who think that because you are a remnant you must be spared of course (v.<\/I><\/span> 2<\/span>) and indulged in your own humour.” [1.] Did the sword and famine frighten them? Those very judgments shall pursue them into Egypt, shall overtake them, and overcome them there (Jer 42:16<\/span>; Jer 42:17<\/span>): “You think, because war and famine have long been raging in this land, that they are entailed upon it; whereas, if you trust in God, he can make even this land a land of peace to you; you think they are confined to it, and, if you can get clear of this land, you shall get out of the reach of them, but God will send them after you wherever you go.” Note, the evils we think to escape by sin we certainly and inevitably run ourselves upon. The men that go to Egypt in contradiction to God’s will, to escape the sword and famine,<\/I> shall die in Egypt by sword and famine.<\/I> We may apply it to the common calamities of human life; those that are impatient of them, and think to avoid them by changing their place, will find that they are deceived and that they do not at all better themselves. The grievances common to men will meet them wherever they go. All our removes in this world are but from one wilderness to another; still we are where we were. [2.] Did the desolations of Jerusalem frighten them? Were they willing to get as far as they could from them? They shall meet with the second part of them too in Egypt (v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>): As my anger and fury have been poured out<\/I> here upon Jerusalem, so they shall be poured out upon you in Egypt.<\/I> Note, Those that have by sin made God their enemy will find him a consuming fire wherever they go. And then you shall be an execration and an astonishment.<\/I> The Hebrews were of old an abomination to the Egyptians (Gen. xliii. 32<\/span>), and now they shall be made more so than ever. When God’s professing people mingle with infidels, and make their court to them, they lose their dignity and make themselves a reproach.<\/P> 3. That God knew their hypocrisy in their enquiries of him, and that when they asked what he would have them to do they were resolved to take their own way; and therefore the sentence which was before pronounced conditionally is made absolute. Having set before them good and evil, the blessing and the curse, in the close he makes application of what he had said. And here, (1.) He solemnly protests that he had faithfully delivered his message, v.<\/I><\/span> 19<\/span>. The conclusion of the whole matter is, “Go not down into Egypt;<\/I> you disobey the command of God if you do, and what I have said to you will be a witness against you; for know certainly<\/I> that, whether you will hear or whether you will forbear,<\/I> I have plainly admonished you;<\/I> you cannot now plead ignorance of the mind of God.” (2.) He charges them with base dissimulation in the application they made to him for divine direction (v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>): “You dissembled in your hearts;<\/I> you professed one thing and intended another, promising what you never meant to perform.” You have used deceit against your soul<\/I> (so the margin reads it); for those that think to put a cheat upon God will prove in the end to have put a damning cheat upon themselves. (3.) He is already aware that they are determined to go contrary to the command of God; probably they discovered it in their countenance and secret mutterings already, before he had finished his discourse. However, he spoke from him who knew their hearts: “You have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God;<\/I> you have not a disposition to obey it.” Thus Moses, in the close of his farewell sermon, had told them (Deu 31:27<\/span>; Deu 31:29<\/span>), I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck,<\/I> and that you will corrupt yourselves.<\/I> Admire the patience of God, that he is pleased to speak to those who, he knows, will not regard him, and deal with those who, he knows, will deal very treacherously,<\/I> Isa. xlviii. 8<\/I><\/span>. (4.) He therefore reads them their doom, ratifying what he had said before: Know certainly that you shall die by the sword,<\/I> v.<\/span> 22<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. God’s threatenings may be vilified, but cannot be nullified, by the unbelief of man. Famine and pestilence<\/I> shall pursue these sinners; for there is no place privileged from divine arrests, nor can any malefactors go out of God’s jurisdiction. You shall die in the place whither you desire to go.<\/I> Note, We know not what is good for ourselves; and that often proves afflictive, and sometimes fatal, which we are most fond of and have our hearts most set upon.<\/P><\/p>\n Vs. 7-12: THE WORD OF THE LORD<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. After ten days Jeremiah called the remnant together to report the Lord’s answer to the inquiry they had solemnly requested him to make in their behalf, (vs. 7-9).<\/p>\n a. Jeremiah makes it clear that he is not merely stating his own opinion or preference.<\/p>\n b. It was the voice of divine wisdom and authority that spoke to them: “Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel”, (vs. 9; comp. 2Ki 19:4<\/span><\/strong>; 2Ki 19:6<\/span><\/strong>; 2Ki 19:20<\/span><\/strong>; 2Ki 22:15-20<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 2. If the remnant people will dwell in their own land, the Lord will, indeed, be with them for good, (vs. 10).<\/p>\n a. He will build them up instead of pulling them down, (comp. Jer 24:6-7<\/span><\/strong>; Jer 31:28<\/span><\/strong>; Eze 36:36<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n b. He will turn from the judgment that He had threatened, (comp. Jer 18:7-8<\/span><\/strong>; Hos 11:8-9<\/span><\/strong>; Joe 2:12-13<\/span><\/strong>; Jon 3:10<\/span><\/strong>; Jon 4:1-2<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 3. There is no need for them to fear the King of Babylon; Jehovah is with them and will deliver them out of his hand, (vs. 11; 2Ch 32:7-8<\/span><\/strong>; Psa 46:7<\/span><\/strong>; Rom 8:31<\/span><\/strong>; comp. Jer 41:17-18<\/span><\/strong>).<\/p>\n 4. Not only will the Lord be merciful toward them; He will also cause the King of Babylon to show mercy (comp. Neh 1:11<\/span><\/strong>; Psa 106:46<\/span><\/strong>; Pro 16:7<\/span><\/strong>) – permitting them to dwell in their own land, (vs. 12).<\/p>\n Here Jeremiah declares what answer he received from God; and he gave it in his name to the leaders of the forces and to the whole people. The answer was, that they were to continue in the land; for this would be for their good. We shall hereafter see, that they had falsely asked counsel of God, whom they had resolved not to obey, as it has been already stated. But the Prophet shews again more clearly how perversely they acted after God had commanded them to remain quiet, and especially not to proceed to Egypt. <\/p>\n Now he says, that at the tenth day God answered him. He might have done so immediately, but he deferred, that the prophecy might have more weight. Had the Prophet been asked any question respecting the common rule of life, as a faithful expounder of the Law, he might have explained to them what their duty was; but as he had been asked on a special subject, he could not have immediately answered them. And God, as I have said, kept them for a time in suspense; not only that the Prophet’s answer might be made without ostentation, but also that. the people might embrace as coming from God what the Prophet would say; for his doctrine could not have been doubted, for he did not instantly bring forth what had arisen in his own head, but prayerfully waited to know what pleased God, and at length announced his commands. We now then perceive the cause of delay, why God did not immediately convey to his servant the answer required. <\/p>\n Let us at the same time learn from this passage, that if God does not immediately extricate us from all perplexity and doubt, we ought patiently to wait, according to the direction of Paul, who, when speaking of doctrine, admonished the faithful to remain contented until what they knew not should be revealed to them. (Phi 3:15<\/span>.) Much more should we do so, when we ask counsel as to any particular thing. When God does not immediately make known to us what we ask, we ought, as I have already said, to wait with calm and resigned minds for the time and the season when it shall be made known to us. <\/p>\n 3. The response of the Lord (Jer. 42:7-22<\/span>)<\/p>\n TRANSLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n (7) And it came to pass at the end of ten days that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. (8) And he called Johanan the son of Kareah, the officers of the forces which were with him, and all the people small and great, (9) and said unto them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom You sent me to present your petition before Him: (10) If you will continue to dwell in this land then I will build you UP; and not tear you down; I will plant you and not pluck you UP; for I am grieved concerning the calamity which I brought upon you. (11) Do not fear the king of Babylon whom you fear. Do not fear him (oracle of the LORD), for I am with you to deliver You and to save you from his hand. (12) I will extend mercies to you so he will show mercy to you and cause You to return unto your land. (13) But if you say, We will not dwell in this land, thereby disobeying the LORD your God, (14) and say, No! Surely we will go to the land of Egypt where we will see no more war nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor hunger for bread; and there we will dwell: (15) Now therefore hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If you firmly set your faces to go to Egypt and you go to sojourn there, (16) then the sword which you fear shall catch up with you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine which you dread shall hang on to you in Egypt, and there you shall die! (17) And all the men who have set their faces to go to Egypt to sojourn there will die by the sword, famine and pestilence; and none of them shall remain or escape from the calamity which I will bring against them. (18) For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: As My wrath and My anger was poured out against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, thus shall My wrath be poured out against you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an imprecation, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you will never again see this place. (19) The LORD has spoken concerning the remnant of Judah, Do not go to Egypt. Be certain of this: I have testified against you this day. (20) You made a fatal mistake when you sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray on our behalf unto the LORD our God and whatever the LORD our God shall say, tell us that and we shall do it. (21) Now I have told you this day, but you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God in regard to anything for which He sent me unto you. (22) And now be certain of this: By the sword, famine, and pestilence you shall die in the place where you wish to go to sojourn!<\/p>\n COMMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeremiah waited ten days before the Lord clearly made known His will to the mind of the prophet. It seems as though God was preparing the heart of His messenger both to receive and to communicate His word to the people. No doubt the people were perturbed by the delay. They knew what the divine directive had to be, so why delay. Each day they manifested their impatience and disgust. Still Jeremiah refused to speak until he was certain that the message was from God. After ten days of prayerful wrestling with God, the answer came. Jeremiah immediately called for the entire encampment to hear Gods word. The response of the Lord contains two parts: the way of peace (Jer. 42:10-12<\/span>), and the way to punishment (Jer. 42:13-18<\/span>). To this is added a word of exhortation by Jeremiah (Jer. 42:19-22<\/span>).<\/p>\n a) The way of Peace (Jer. 42:10-12<\/span>). The word of the Lord came as a complete shock to the assembled remnant.<\/p>\n It was Gods will that they remain in Judah! If they chose to remain in the land, God would build them up i.e., cause them to prosper. God was not angry with them. Quite the contrary. The Lord declares: I repent Me of the evil that I have done unto you (Jer. 42:10<\/span>). This is not a confession of mistake or of remorse for the disasters which He has brought upon them. Rather it means that His attitude and conduct toward His people now has changed. He is not hostile toward them any longer. Hu man reason would indicate that they flee to Egypt and place themselves under the protection of Pharaoh. To re main in the land would be an act of faith.<\/p>\n After the general promises of peace and prosperity, the Lord addressed Himself to the specific fears of the community. Their anxiety concerning the reaction of Nebuchadnezzar to the death of his governor were groundless. God was with them and would deliver them out of the hand of the Chaldean king (Jer. 42:11<\/span>) and the king whom they feared would actually show mercy to them (Jer. 42:12<\/span>).[354] How often in the life of a Christian the worst fears prove to be ungrounded.<\/p>\nFuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n