Chapter Forty-Two

1–6. The Hebrews consult Jeremiah about their plan. 7–22. The prophet, on behalf of God, advises them not to go to Egypt.

Jeremiah 42:1. Then all the military commanders, and Johanan, son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, Jeremiah 42:2. Said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our request fall before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us and for all this remnant; for we are left but a few out of many, as you can see us with your own eyes, Jeremiah 42:3. That the Lord your God may show us the way we should go and the thing we should do. Jeremiah 42:4. And Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I hear you; I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will declare to you; I will keep nothing back from you. Jeremiah 42:5. They said to Jeremiah, May the Lord be a true and faithful witness among us if we do not act according to everything that the Lord your God sends you to tell us: Jeremiah 42:6. Whether it be good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may be well with us, since we obey the voice of the Lord our God. The Hebrew leaders, before setting out for Egypt, decide to learn the will of God and turn to the prophet Jeremiah with a request to pray to God for them, so that the Lord might tell them what to do. At the same time they promise to carry out exactly what God tells them. Jer 42:7-22. Ten days later, Jeremiah informs his countrymen of the revelation he has received from God. The Hebrews should not go to Egypt. Let them live peacefully and quietly in Palestine. The Chaldeans will not touch them. But if the Hebrews do go, they will perish in Egypt from the sword, hunger, and plague.

Jeremiah 42:10. If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you and not pluck you up, for I relent of the disaster that I have brought upon you. Here we encounter an example of what is called anthropomorphism. God, like a human being, relents of the disaster that He has caused to the Hebrews. This means that the decisions of divine justice are modified according to the actions of people. God acted rightly in punishing the Hebrews, but His love for them already strives to heal the wounds inflicted on them.

Jeremiah 42:12. And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land. “Restore you” – that is, give you the opportunity to return again to your homeland, to your own settlements.

Jeremiah 42:20. Because you have made a terrible error against yourselves: for you sent me to the Lord your God saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says, declare to us, and we will do it. The conclusion of Jeremiah’s speech shows that the prophet already foresaw that the Hebrews would not listen to him. Therefore, the prophet uses verbs in the past tense: you made an error, you will not listen.