Jeremiah 42:1-6

2. The request of the prophet (Jeremiah 42:1-6)

TRANSLATION

(1) Then all the officers of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great, drew near (2) and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, May our petition, we beg you, be accepted before you. Pray on our behalf unto the LORD your God on behalf of all this remnantfor we are only a few left from many, as you can observe with your own eyes(3) that the LORD your God may declare to us the way which we should go and the thing we should do. (4) And Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard. Behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words. And it shall come to pass that any word which the LORD shall answer you, I will relate to you. I will not withhold from you a thing. (5) And they said unto Jeremiah, May the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us if we do not act in accordance with every word which the LORD your God shall send you concerning us. (6) Whether it be good or bad we will hearken to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you in order that it may be well with us, because we obey the LORD our God.

COMMENTS

It is while the people were encamped near Bethlehem that Jeremiah returns to the narrative. Nothing has been recorded about his activities since he chose to dwell with Gedaliah in Mizpah (Jeremiah 40:7 to Jeremiah 41:18). Since Jeremiah is with the remnant at the inn of Chimham it would seem reasonable to assume that he had been among the captives led away by Ishmael.[352] At any rate Jeremiah now comes to the fore again as the spiritual counselor of the people. The entire group of fugitives assembled before the prophet in order to receive an oracle from the Lord. Johanan and Jezaniah[353] acted as spokesmen for the group (Jeremiah 42:1). Very courteously they made their request. They desire that God might direct their path (Jeremiah 42:2).

[352] This seems preferable to the alternative view that Jeremiah and Baruch had been absent from Mizpah during the mid of Ishmael and joined the group later by their own choice.

[353] Another Jezaniah is mentioned in Jeremiah 40:8.

Jeremiah listened to the well-worded plea of the leaders with sympathetic ears. He still loved his people dearly and so agrees to fulfill their request. Jeremiah knew, however, that these people already had their minds made up as to what they were going to do. They had decided that it was necessary to flee into Egypt and they assumed that this decision would be indorsed and confirmed by the Lord. After all, what other alternative was there? Anticipating that God would not approve of their plan, Jeremiah warns the people that he will speak only that which the Lord reveals. He will not alter the word of God to suit the present circumstances. He would not hold back the truth (Jeremiah 42:4). Somewhat over enthusiastically the people take a vow that they will act in accordance with the word of God (Jeremiah 42:5-6). It is obvious from what follows that they were not sincere in this declaration. Like so many of God's people, they were willing to follow His word only in so far as His word met with their approval.