Jer. 43:1 ¶ And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,
Jer. 43:2 Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:
Jer. 43:3 But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.
Again, this chapter continues in a chronological flow from the last chapter.
Once Jeremiah had delivered God’s message to the people, the two main leaders, Azariah and Johanan, with the support of all other arrogant men who had decided that they knew better than God, accused Jeremiah of lying. I liked a quote used by JFB on this section of verses: “Pride is the parent of disobedience and contempt of God.”
These men reasoned that Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe/assistant, had talked him into delivering them to the Babylonians to be taken as captives. Presumably, they felt that Jeremiah and Baruch were trying to better their own standing with the Babylonians.
Those who have chosen to reject God often try to justify their actions at the expense of people of faith. I think that they didn’t trust Jeremiah and Baruch because they themselves were so untrustworthy. It seems that they had asked for prayer with the mindset of expecting God to affirm their own desires. Do we not often do the same?
Jer. 43:4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.
Jer. 43:5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;
Jer. 43:6 Even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
Jer. 43:7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.
Johanan seemed to be the de facto leader with the support of several other influential men. They easily persuaded the people to disobey God’s word as delivered by Jeremiah and leave Judah. Evidently, the whole group was under the command of Johanan. They took every person that had been left with Gedaliah to Egypt—including Jeremiah and Baruch. I do not believe they were given the option of staying, because I believe Jeremiah and Baruch would have obeyed God.
We are told that they stopped in Tahpanhes, a fortress city on the border of the Sinai Desert. According to the IVP Old Testament Commentary, there were other existing Jewish settlements in Egypt in the cities of Migdol, Memphis, Pathros and Elephantine. Adam Clarke notes that according to St. Jerome, it was in Tahpanhes that Jeremiah was killed by stoning.
Jer. 43:8 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
Jer. 43:9 Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;
Jer. 43:10 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
Jer. 43:11 And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.
Once in Tahpanhes, God once again spoke to Jeremiah. He instructed Jeremiah to gather some large stones and hide them in the mixture in the kiln that was used to make bricks at the entry to Pharaoh’s house and to do it in plain view of the men of Judah. He was then to declare the word of the LORD, the God of Israel. His message—God is going to send Nebuchadnezzar to conquer Egypt and establish his throne over Egypt on this very spot. When he comes, many will be killed and many will be taken captive. Point was made that Nebuchadnezzar will be acting as God’s servant in judgment.
Yet again we are reminded that God uses some of the most unexpected people and methods of accomplishing His purposes.
Jer. 43:12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.
Jer. 43:13 He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.
The LORD is determined to destroy the temples to the false gods in Egypt by fire. Nebuchadnezzar is going to take away the ornate idols along with other treasures, and the wording indicates that he will meet with little resistance.
Bethshemesh is also know as Heliopolis or On, the city of the sun, and was about six miles northeast of Cairo. This city was known as the center of worship to the sun god.
Some commentaries note that there is no evidence that Babylon conquered Egypt. The NIV Commentary has the following notation: “A fragmentary text in the British museum indicates that Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Egypt occurred in the thirty-seventh year of his reign (568–567 B.C.).” The following quote comes from Burton Coffman’s Commentary: “…both the Babylonian historian Berossus ‘confirms the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar’; and the Jewish historian Josephus flatly declared that, "Nebuchadnezzar fell upon Egypt to subdue it; and he slew the king that then reigned and set up another.”
Isn’t it sad that the people continued to trust the wisdom of men rather than the proven word of God as delivered by His prophet. Again I hear that familiar verse echoing in my brain…
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Jer. 44:1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
Jer. 44:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
Jer. 44:3 Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.
Jeremiah received yet another word from the LORD to deliver to the Jews living in Egypt. The wording indicates that they had been there a while at least. As is often the case, people misunderstand the circumstances in relation to God’s prophecies as a result of timing. Babylon had not yet come to conquer Egypt, and the people had once again joined the culture around them in the worship of idols. Solomon addressed this thought process in his writings.
Ecclesiastes 8:11–13 “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”
So Jeremiah reminded them of the judgment that had so recently befallen Judah and Jerusalem at the hand of God. The people are reminded that this judgment from God was a direct result of their wickedness in turning to the worship of idols.
Jer. 44:4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
Jer. 44:5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
Jer. 44:6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
The LORD also reminds the people that He had been faithful to send them His prophets to warn them and plead with them to repent of their sin and turn back to Him in obedience. The people, however, chose to ignore the prophets and continue in idolatry. This infuriated the LORD and resulted in the destruction and devastation so evident in Jerusalem and Judah at that time.
Jer. 44:7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
Jer. 44:8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Jer. 44:9 Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Jer. 44:10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
Considering what they had experienced, the LORD questions how they could once again involve themselves in the worship of idols. Why do they insist on maintaining a lifestyle that causes Him to put them in a position of contempt and disgrace before the nations? Is it possible that they had already put such recent judgment of their nation and their people out of their mind?
You would think that they would have learned from the wisdom of Solomon.
Proverbs 8:36 “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.”
Jer. 44:11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
Jer. 44:12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
Jer. 44:13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
Jer. 44:14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
Because of their continued disobedience, the LORD has determined to destroy all the Jews that had chosen to take refuge in Egypt in direct disobedience to Him. This judgment will add to the contempt and disgrace with which they are regarded among the nations. Their judgment will be commensurate with the judgment experienced by the people in Judah and Jerusalem through the actions of the Babylonians.
The wording of verse 14 makes me think that the few who are allowed to escape judgment would include only people who had not deliberately chosen to disobey God.
Jer. 44:15 ¶ Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
Jer. 44:16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
Jer. 44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
Jer. 44:18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
Jer. 44:19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
As is often the case with those who boldly choose their own way in rejection of God’s way, they brazenly and publicly declared to Jeremiah that they were not interested in what God had to say. They intended to continue in their worship of idols. They even dared to say that they were better off worshipping idols than they were when worshipping God.
Again the words of Solomon apply.
Proverbs 1:32 “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.”
Side note: Isn’t it interesting that Pope Benedict refers to Mary as the Queen of heaven and earth: “Mary is taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of heaven and earth….” According to the research of the authors of “Queen of All,” in one of her appearances she boldly and heretically proclaimed: “I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.” (www.eternal-productions.org/catholicism.html)
Jer. 44:20 ¶ Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,
Jer. 44:21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?
Jer. 44:22 So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
Jer. 44:23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
I think my paraphrase of this section would be: Your thinking is warped. Don’t you understand that Jerusalem and Judah were destroyed as a result of rejecting God and worshipping idols. Though in His mercy He allowed you time to repent, that delay in judgment was not due to the intervention of your false gods. Judgment came at the time determined appropriate by God, and it was a direct result of your idol worship and all the evil you practiced in association with those practices.
Burton Coffman referenced a very insightful quote from Hegel in his Philosophy of History: “What experience and history teach is this: people and governments never have learned anything from human history, or acted upon the principles deduced from it.”
Jer. 44:24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
Jer. 44:25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
Jer. 44:26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.
Jer. 44:27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
I think it is important to note that throughout this chapter Jeremiah is referencing the influence of the women on their husbands and families in encouraging their participation in idol worship.
Jeremiah’s message at this point reveals that God understands that His people are determined to cling to their idols. Because of that, He is going to ensure that none of them survive to invoke His name for any purpose. He is determined to act against them in judgment and destroy them.
Isn’t it sad that we are so determined to cling to our idols with such determined effort, but reject God with so little consideration. Why? Because serving idols fulfills the desires of the flesh; serving God requires that we deny the flesh. Serving idols allows us to stay on the throne; serving God requires that we place Him on the throne.
As I look at verse 26-27, I am again reminded of those in leadership in America in our government and in the big corporations. The LORD is no longer named in their mouths with reverence or truth. Their actions indicate that the LORD has abandoned them to their evil ways as was warned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. The LORD is watching over them for evil, and not for good.
Romans 1:28–32 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Jer. 44:28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
Jer. 44:29 And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
Jer. 44:30 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.
Jeremiah reveals that a small remnant will escape to return to Judah to testify to God’s faithfulness to His word. Again, I believe the wording indicates that this remnant will consist of those who were there against their will. The LORD declares that the Pharaoh would fall victim to his enemies just as surely as did King Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar.
The fulfillment of this prophecy is described in an excerpt from Scribner’s Bible Commentary: “In the writings of Herodotus, Pharaoh-Hophra is called Apries; he was defeated by the people of Cyrene, and a mutiny followed, after which Amasis became Pharaoh; after treating Hophra kindly for some years, Amasis finally gave him over to his enemies, by whom he was strangled. Thus, the words of Jeremiah here were literally fulfilled.”