Jeremiah 43:1-7

4. The rashness of the leaders (Jeremiah 43:1-7)

TRANSLATION

(1) And it came to pass after Jeremiah finished speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God which the LORD their God sent him, even all these words, (2) that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men began saying unto Jeremiah, You are speaking falsehood! The LORD our God did not send you to say, Do not go to Egypt to sojourn there. (3) But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us in order to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans that they might slay us or take us captive to Babylon. (4) And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the officers of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD to dwell in the land of Judah. (5) And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the officers of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which the LORD had driven them in order to sojourn in the land of Judah(6) the men, women, children, and daughters of the king, even every soul which Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah; (7) and they went to the land of Egypt for they would not obey the voice of the LORD. And they came to Tahpanhes,

COMMENTS

While the people heard the prophet, it was obvious that the word of God was not getting through to them. Scarcely had he finished speaking when opposition arose. A certain Azariah, most likely a brother of Jezaniah (Jeremiah 42:1),[356] seems to have assumed the role of chief spokesman. Joining with him were all the proud men. The Hebrew word used here is used of those arrogant, insolent loud mouths who have the audacity to speak out against God and question His word. You are a liar! they yelled at the prophet. God did not send you to say, -Do not go down to Egypt!-' They did not attempt to answer Jeremiah's arguments; instead they challenge his integrity and veracity. They point the finger of accusation at Baruch and hurl a groundless but vicious charge at the faithful scribe: Baruch has set you against us in order to give us into the hands of the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 43:3). Just what the basis of this violent outburst against Baruch was is not made clear. Defiant disobedience must be rationalized and Baruch was made the scapegoat. Perhaps he was in the employ of the Chaldeans in some capacity. At any rate the attack made against him was patently absurd. Jeremiah does not even bother to try to dissuade the crowd, which by this time had become a mob, from their course of action. Unbelief had hardened into apostasy. The die was cast. To Egypt they would go.

[356] Some scholars think that Jezahiah of Jeremiah 42:1 and the Azariah here are one and the same. Both are said to be the son of Hoshaiah.

Having determined to disobey the commandment of God, Johanan instructed the people to hastily make preparation for the flight to Egypt. Too much time had already been wasted waiting on Jeremiah to deliver his oracle. They could feel, so they thought, Nebuchadnezzar breathing down their neck. Therefore all the men, women, children, and the king's daughters are told to pack their meager belongings for the trip southward. Jeremiah and Baruch are both listed among those who went down to Egypt, It is impossible to imagine that this faithful man of God agreed to join the refugees of his own accord since he knew that the whole venture was contrary to the will of God. The angry leaders must have forced the old man and his faithful companion to go with them in order that they might share whatever fate awaited the group in Egypt.

One of the saddest verses in the whole book of Jeremiah is Jeremiah 43:7. So they come into the land of Egypt; for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord; thus they came even to Tahpanhes. How ironical. The Israelites, who tine hundred years earlier had been delivered from Egypt, have now returned. Those who were seeking peace and security were marching into the jaws of death. Those who were trying to avoid confrontation with Nebuchadnezzar would shortly face their dreaded foe on foreign soil. The remnant ended their flight at Tahpanhes (modern Daphne), a fortress city just inside the Egyptian border.