Jeremiah 44:26-28

As these vv. stand, there is, if we take them literally, a considerable amount of contradiction (cp. Jeremiah 44:14). The Egyptian Jews are (Jeremiah 44:26) to perish completely; but (Jeremiah 44:27) some are to escape into Judah, while survivors in Egypt (Jeremiah 44:28) shall know whose word shall stand. Du., Erbt and Co. consider that Jeremiah 44:26 was originally a continuation of the irony of Jeremiah 44:25 ("establish then, etc.") and that it should accordingly read, "letmy name be no more, etc." (i.e. let my worship and with it all oaths taken in my name cease), while Jeremiah 44:27 and the first part of Jeremiah 44:28 are a subsequent addition, the second part of the latter remaining as genuine. At any rate we find from the Assuan papyri (see Introd. p. xix.) that the gloomy anticipations of the MT. were not in fact fulfilled; for the Egyptian Jews in the century following were a flourishing community and were worshippers of Jehovah and not idolaters.