JeremiahChapter 42

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Then all the commanders of the forces came forward—Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest—

and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our plea come before you: pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant. For we are left few out of many, as your own eyes can see.

Let the LORD your God tell us the way we should go and what we should do."

Jeremiah the prophet answered them, "I have heard you. I will indeed pray to the LORD your God as you have asked, and whatever the LORD answers you, I will tell you; I will keep nothing back from you."

Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act on everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us.

Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."

Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.

So he called for Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and for all the people from the least to the greatest,

and said to them: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, the one to whom you sent me to lay your plea before him:

If you will indeed remain in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.

Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.

I will grant you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land.

But if you say, 'We will not stay in this land,' and so disobey the voice of the LORD your God,

saying, 'No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will see no war, hear no sound of the trumpet, and never go hungry for bread—there we will settle,'

then hear the word of the LORD, you remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: If you are determined to go to Egypt and settle there,

then the sword you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine you dread will follow close behind you into Egypt, and there you will die.

All the men who are determined to go to Egypt and settle there will die by the sword, by famine, and by plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I am bringing upon them.

For this is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: As my anger and wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach, and you will never see this place again.

The LORD has spoken to you, remnant of Judah: Do not go to Egypt. Be certain of this: I have warned you today

that you went astray at the cost of your own lives. For you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God; tell us everything the LORD our God says, and we will do it.'

I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in anything he sent me to tell you.

So now be certain of this: you will die by the sword, by famine, and by plague in the place where you want to go and settle."

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Summary2

Chapter 42

Main Theme: God warns the remnant of Judah against fleeing to Egypt and promises blessing if they remain in the land.

Content: The commanders and the people ask Jeremiah to seek God’s will regarding their future, solemnly promising to obey the answer. After ten days, God’s response comes: If they stay in Judah, God will build them up and protect them from Babylon. But if they go to Egypt, sword, famine, and plague will strike them there. Jeremiah accuses them of deceiving themselves, because they have already decided not to obey God’s word.

Key Words/Images:

Ten days: The waiting period before God answers – showing that prophetic guidance requires patience.
Build and plant: God’s promise of restoration for those who remain in the land in obedience.
Sword, famine, and plague: The threefold judgment awaiting those who flee to Egypt in disobedience.
Curse and mockery: The remnant of Judah will become an example of God’s judgment if they go to Egypt.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Jeremiah 42

People

The chapter introduces several key leadership figures among the remnant in Judah. Johanan son of Kareach (יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ) was the foremost military leader who had gathered the remaining Judeans after Gedaliah's murder (chapters 40–41). Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah (יְזַנְיָה בֶּן־הוֹשַׁעְיָה) is mentioned as another prominent officer. The name Jezaniah means "Yahweh hears"—an ironic detail given that he and the other leaders later refuse to listen to the Lord's answer. The expression "the commanders" (שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים) refers to military officers who had avoided deportation, likely because they had operated as guerrilla groups outside Jerusalem during the siege.

Places

Two geographical poles dominate the theology of this chapter: this land (הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת) and Egypt (מִצְרַיִם). At this time, the remnant was located at Gureth-Kimhan near Bethlehem (41:17), with plans to go to Egypt. In the people's argumentation, Egypt is portrayed as a refuge without war, without the sound of trumpets, and without hunger (v. 14). This reflects Egypt's historical role as a granary and place of safety in times of crisis. At the same time, fleeing to Egypt represented theological regression—a return to the land of slavery from which Israel had been delivered. Jeremiah warns that precisely the plagues they are fleeing will overtake them there.

Events and Customs

The people's appeal to Jeremiah follows an established practice for seeking God's will through a prophet. The expression "let our plea fall before your face" (תִּפָּל־נָא תְחִנָּתֵנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ) uses a respectful formula that acknowledges the prophet's role as an intermediary. The ten days Jeremiah waits for an answer (v. 7) show that prophetic revelation could not be forced but had to be received in God's own time. That the people called upon the Lord as witness with the oath "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us" (v. 5) was a solemn commitment with serious consequences if broken.

Key Terms

The chapter uses several theologically charged expressions. "To build and to plant" versus "to tear down and to uproot" (v. 10)—here God uses language of promise, showing that He intends to restore the people if they remain in the land. The verb נָחַם ("repent/comfort") in verse 10 expresses that God has "relented" from disaster—an anthropomorphic expression for God's willingness to change His course of action toward an obedient people. The threat of becoming "a curse, a horror, a reproach, and a taunt" (לְאָלָה וּלְשַׁמָּה וְלִקְלָלָה וּלְחֶרְפָּה, v. 18) is a fourfold formula describing total social and religious destruction.

People5

Hoshaiah1 Jaasanja1 Johanan2 Jeremiah3 Kareah2

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Key words9

Jeremiah — A prophet in the Old Testament who received God's word and delivered it to the people.
Babylon — An ancient city and empire in Mesopotamia, known for its power and culture, which conquered Jerusalem.
Fear — A feeling of anxiety or worry caused by a threatening danger, often linked to God's punishment.
Obedient — Being willing to follow instructions or commands, especially from God.
Sword — A symbol of war, destruction, and death, often used as an image of God's judgment and punishment.
Famine — Lack of food, leading to suffering and death; used as a picture of God's punishment.
Plague — A deadly disease that spreads quickly and causes great suffering and death; another image of God's punishment.
Refuge — A safe place where one can seek protection and security, often used as an image of God's care and grace.
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