JeremiahChapter 43

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When Jeremiah had finished telling all the people every word of the LORD their God—everything the LORD their God had sent him to tell them, all these words—

Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to settle there.'

It is Baruch son of Neriah who is inciting you against us, to hand us over to the Chaldeans, so they may kill us or carry us into exile in Babylon."

So Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people refused to obey the voice of the LORD, which told them to stay in the land of Judah.

Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the whole remnant of Judah—those who had come back from all the nations where they had been scattered, to live in the land of Judah:

the men, the women, the children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, along with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.

They went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD, and they came as far as Tahpanhes.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes:

"Take some large stones in your hand and bury them in the mortar of the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah.

Then say to them: This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried, and he will spread his royal canopy above them.

He will come and strike the land of Egypt: those destined for death, to death; those for captivity, to captivity; those for the sword, to the sword.

I will set fire to the temples of Egypt's gods; he will burn them and carry the idols off captive. He will wrap up the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps up his cloak, and he will depart from there unharmed.

He will shatter the sacred pillars of Heliopolis, the city of the sun, in the land of Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of Egypt's gods."

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Summary2

Chapter 43

Main Theme: The people's disobedience to God's word and their flight to Egypt.

Content: After Jeremiah delivers God's warnings, Azariah, Johanan, and the proud men reject the message and accuse the prophet of lying, claiming he was instigated by Baruch. They take the entire remnant of Judah, including Jeremiah and Baruch, to Egypt and arrive at Tahpanhes. There, God commands Jeremiah to hide large stones at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace as a sign that Nebuchadnezzar will come and strike Egypt with death, captivity, and the sword.

Key Words/Images:

Tahpanhes: An Egyptian border city where the refugees settled and where Jeremiah performed his symbolic act.
The Hidden Stones: A prophetic sign indicating the place where Nebuchadnezzar would set up his throne over conquered Egypt.
"Servant of the Lord" (Nebuchadnezzar): God uses this pagan king as His instrument to bring judgment upon Egypt.
Pride/Disobedience: The people's rejection of God's word in favor of their own fears and plans.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Jeremiah 43

People

Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah appear here as leaders of the remaining Judean population after Gedaliah’s murder. Azariah (Hebrew עֲזַרְיָה, "The Lord has helped") is called "Jaazaniah" (יַאֲזַנְיָה) in 42:1, which may indicate that he had two names or that this represents a textual variant. These men are described as "arrogant" (הַזֵּדִים), an expression that in Hebrew connotes arrogant rebellion against God. Johanan had previously played a positive role by warning Gedaliah about Ishmael (40:13–16), but here he shows disobedience to the prophet’s word.

Baruch son of Neriah is accused of inciting Jeremiah against the people. Baruch was Jeremiah’s secretary and scribe (chap. 36). The accusation against him may reflect that he held higher social status and influence than an ordinary scribe—his brother Seraiah was a court official under King Zedekiah (51:59). A seal impression (bulla) bearing the inscription "Belonging to Berechiah son of Neriah, the scribe" has been found archaeologically and supports his historical existence.

Places

Tahpanhes (תַּחְפַּנְחֵס) was an Egyptian border city in the eastern Nile Delta, known in Greek as Daphne (Δάφναι). The city was strategically located at the border with the Sinai Desert and served as a military garrison and trading post. For Judean refugees, this was a natural first stop upon entering Egypt. The city likely already had a significant Jewish colony at that time.

Beth Shemesh (בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ, "House of the Sun") in verse 13 does not refer to the Israelite city but to the Egyptian city Heliopolis (On), the most important center for sun worship in Egypt. The city was known for its massive obelisks and temple complex dedicated to the sun god Ra. The name is a Hebrew translation of the city’s function as a place of sun worship.

Events and Customs

Jeremiah’s symbolic act of burying large stones in the masonry at Pharaoh’s residence (verse 9) follows a pattern of prophetic sign-acts. Burying stones as a foundation for Nebuchadnezzar’s future throne was a visual prophecy that the Judean refugees were to witness. Such actions made the prophetic message concrete and memorable. The Hebrew word מַלְבֵּן can mean either "brick terrace" or "brick kiln," and likely refers to a public square or entrance area at the Egyptian royal building in Tahpanhes.

Key Terms

The word שַׁפְרִיר (saphrir) in verse 10, translated as "throne carpet" or "canopy," is a rare Hebrew word that occurs only here in the Old Testament. Its meaning is uncertain, but it probably refers to a royal tent or magnificent canopy that Nebuchadnezzar would set up as a sign of his victory and dominion over Egypt. The image of the shepherd who will "wrap himself" (יַעְטֶה) around Egypt like a cloak (verse 12) is a powerful expression of total conquest—Nebuchadnezzar would plunder the land as easily as a shepherd puts on his clothes.

Chapter-Specific Findings

At Tell Defenneh (ancient Tahpanhes), archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie conducted excavations in 1886 and discovered the remains of a large brick platform in front of a fortress-like building from the 26th Dynasty (Saite period). Petrie identified this as the place mentioned in Jeremiah 43:9, called "Pharaoh’s house at Tahpanhes." Although the identification is not certain, the findings show that there was a significant Egyptian royal or administrative building on the site during Jeremiah’s time, which aligns with the biblical description.

People12

Ahikam1 Gedaliah1 Hoshaiah1 Johanan3 Nebuchadnezzar1 Jeremiah3 Baruch (son of Zakkai, rebuilder of Jerusalem's wall (Nehemiah 3))2 Shaphan (scribe under Josiah)1 Nebuzaradan1 Kareah3 Azariah1 Neriah2

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Key words7

Nebuchadnezzar — The king of Babylon who conquered Jerusalem and took many Jews into captivity in Babylon.
Jeremiah — A prophet in the Old Testament who received God's word and delivered it to the people of Israel.
Egypt — A country in North Africa where some Israelites sought refuge after the fall of Jerusalem.
Baruch — Jeremiah's scribe and assistant, who wrote down the prophecies that Jeremiah received from God.
Tahpanhes — An Egyptian city where the Jews settled after fleeing from Babylon.
The word of the Lord — A term for God's message or instructions given through the prophet Jeremiah.
Punishment — The consequences of not following God's will, often in the form of suffering or destruction.