English · CJB

Jeremiah43

After Jeremiah delivered the LORD's command to remain in Judah, the people, led by Azariah and Johanan, rejected his words, accusing him of falsehood and Baruch of manipulation. Disobeying the LORD, they forcibly took Jeremiah, Baruch, and the remnant of Judah to Egypt. In Tahpanhes, the LORD revealed to Jeremiah that Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon, would invade and conquer Egypt, setting his throne upon hidden stones and destroying Egyptian idols.

The Remnant Disobeys and Flees to Egypt

1
When Yirmeyahu had finished telling all the people everything ADONAI their God had said, which ADONAI their God had sent him to tell them, the entire speech cited above, ​
2
then 'Azaryah the son of Hosha'yah, Yochanan the son of Kareach and all the men with him had the effrontery to say to Yirmeyahu, "You are lying! ADONAI our God did not send you to say, 'Don't go to Egypt and live there'! ​
3
Rather, Barukh the son of Neriyah is inciting you against us, so that we can be handed over to the Kasdim to be put to death or carried off as captives to Bavel." ​
4
So Yochanan the son of Kareach, all the military commanders and all the people did not heed what ADONAI said, to live in the land of Y'hudah.
5
Instead, Yochanan the son of Kareach and all the military commanders took all the remnant of Y'hudah who had returned from all the nations where they had been driven to live in the land of Y'hudah -
6
the men, the women, the children, the king's daughters, everyone N'vuzar'adan the commander of the guard had committed to G'dalyahu the son of Achikam, the son of Shafan, and Yirmeyahu the prophet and Barukh the son of Neriyah - ​
7
and went to the land of Egypt; for they did not heed what ADONAI had said; and they arrived in Tachpanches. ​

Prophecy of Babylon’s Invasion of Egypt

8
Then this word of ADONAI came to Yirmeyahu in Tachpanches: ​
9
"With the men of Y'hudah watching, take some big stones, and set them with mortar in the pavement at the entry to Pharaoh's palace in Tachpanches. ​
10
Tell them: 'This is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: "I will summon N'vukhadretzar the king of Bavel, my servant, take him and set his throne on these stones I laid here; he will come and spread his royal canopy over them. ​
11
He will come and attack the land of Egypt. Those destined for death - to death! Those destined for captivity - to captivity! Those destined for the sword - to the sword!
12
I will light a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn [those gods] or take them captive. He will fold up the land of Egypt like a shepherd folding up his cloak, and leave there victorious. ​
13
He will also break the standing-stones of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt and burn to the ground the temples of the gods of Egypt."'" ​

Study Notes for Jeremiah 43

Verse 1

This verse concludes the interaction detailed in chapter 42, where Jeremiah delivered God’s explicit command that the people must remain in Judah and not flee to Egypt.

Verse 2

Azariah and Johanan represent the military and political leadership who refuse to accept divine guidance that contradicts their own predetermined plans. They accuse Jeremiah of deceit, a common response when prophecy demands difficult obedience.

Verse 3

Baruch was Jeremiah’s faithful scribe and confidant (Jer. 36). The leaders shift blame, accusing Baruch of manipulating the prophet to force them into a situation where the Babylonians might follow them and capture them anyway.

Verse 6

The inclusion of the 'king’s daughters' suggests that some members of the royal family survived the fall of Jerusalem and Nebuchadnezzar’s purge. Crucially, Jeremiah and Baruch are forcibly taken to Egypt, demonstrating the people’s total control over the prophet.

Verse 7

Tahpanhes was a major Egyptian border fortress and administrative center in the eastern Nile Delta, often a refuge for those fleeing Palestine. This location confirms the depth of their disobedience.

Verse 8

Despite being forced into Egypt against his will, Jeremiah remains Yahweh’s prophet, and the word of the Lord continues to come to him, even on foreign soil.

Verse 9

This is a prophetic sign-act, a visible demonstration meant to teach the audience a theological truth. The hidden stones will become the foundation for Babylon’s temporary throne in Egypt.

Verse 10

Nebuchadrezzar (Nebuchadnezzar) is explicitly called 'my servant,' a title usually reserved for faithful Israelite leaders. This emphasizes that the Babylonian king, though pagan, is Yahweh’s instrument of judgment against all nations, including Egypt.

Verse 12

The imagery of the shepherd wrapping himself in a garment suggests the ease and totality with which Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Egypt and take its spoils. He will move through the land virtually unopposed.

Verse 13

Bethshemesh ('House of the Sun') is the Egyptian city of On (or Heliopolis), a major center of the sun god Re. The destruction of its images signifies that Yahweh’s judgment extends to the defeat of the powerful Egyptian pantheon.

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