Chs. Jeremiah 42:1 to Jeremiah 43:7. Migration of the people to Egypt in spite of Jeremiah’s protest

The narrative here is generally admitted to be a trustworthy extract from Baruch’s memoirs. Du., however, excepts from this judgement Jeremiah’s reply (Jeremiah 42:7-22), as providing, according to him, an irresistible opportunity to a supplementer to add extensively to the genuine nucleus which he admits to exist in Jeremiah 42:19-21.

The section may be summarized as follows.

(i) Jeremiah 42:1-6. The captains and people beg Jeremiah to pray to the Lord on behalf of those who remain for guidance as to their course of action. The prophet undertakes to do so, while the people swear that they will abide by the result, whether it be for good or for evil. (ii) Jeremiah 42:7-22. After ten days Jeremiah summons the applicants and announces that if they abide in the land, Jehovah will prosper them, as He has now changed His attitude towards them. They need not fear further hurt from Nebuchadnezzar. If on the other hand they insist on going to Egypt with a view to security, then sword and famine shall follow them there with fatal results to all. The prophet adds that they are not in earnest in asserting that they will abide by the Divine message, whatever it prove to be. As disobedience has been their characteristic in past time, so will it be now, and in consequence they shall be consumed by sword, famine, and pestilence. (iii) Jeremiah 43:1-7. The prophet’s hearers refuse to believe that the message comes from Jehovah, but attribute it to Baruch, who, they say, desires to have them carried away by the Chaldaeans to Babylon. Accordingly, the captains take all the people to Tahpanhes in Egypt.

1. Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah] See mg. We should probably (with LXX) read Azariah here as well. The name Jezaniah may be due to a copyist who thought that the names of captains here must correspond as closely as might be with the list in ch. 40 (see on Jeremiah 42:8 there).

from the least even unto the greatest] i.e. all, without exception.

2. be accepted] For mg. See on Jeremiah 36:7.

2. then spake Azariah] See on ch. Jeremiah 42:1.

all the proud men, saying] The word in MT. (’ômĕrim) corresponding to “saying” here does not represent the ordinary Hebrew idiom. We should therefore, by a slight change in the original, read the proud and defiant (hammôrim) men.

Thou speakest falsely, etc.] The attack upon Baruch, and only indirectly and through him upon the prophet, may have arisen from their being reluctantly compelled to acknowledge that Jeremiah himself at any rate was possessed of integrity of purpose. This he had shewn by his refusal to seek protection and honourable treatment from the Chaldaeans, whose favour the worse section of his countrymen always suspected him of seeking.

3. that the Lord thy God may shew us] They make up their minds to flee into Egypt, and only after they have done this, proceed to enquire God’s will. Hence we cannot acquit them of hypocrisy. Cp. Ahab in 1 Kings 22:3 ff.

5. amongst] better, as mg. against, i.e. to bear witness and punish us if we fail to do our part as we now promise.

5. from all the nations] These words, as implying a much wider dispersion of inhabitants of the Southern kingdom than had actually taken place, may be a scribe’s insertion from ch. Jeremiah 40:11 f. The LXX omit “from all the nations … driven.”

7. after ten days] Pe. points out the importance of the v., 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.

7. Tahpanhes] See on ch. Jeremiah 2:16.

7–22. See introd. summary to the section.

9–22. Du. (see introd. note to section) considers Jeremiah 42:15-18 as wholly an addition, and Jeremiah 42:9-14 as containing much editorial matter.

10. then will I build you, etc.] Cp. Jeremiah 1:10, Jeremiah 24:6 for these figures.

I repent me] an anthropomorphic figure. I change my conduct towards you, which with men is commonly caused by change of purpose.

11. of whom ye are afraid] They may well have feared that the king’s vengeance for the murder of Gedaliah would involve innocent and guilty alike.

12. cause you to return] better (seeing that they were already there), with a difference of vocalisation only in the original, cause you to dwell in.

14. we shall see no war] We shall be in a land further from Babylon, and therefore not so liable to invasion.

19. This connects well with Jeremiah 42:14, assuming (see introd. note) that Jeremiah 42:15-18 are by a supplementer.

20. have dealt deceitfully against your own souls] i.e. selves or lives; mg. (less well) in your souls. It is best (with slight modification of the MT.) to render with LXX “ye have done evil against,” etc.

Jeremiah 43:1-7. See introd. summary to the section.