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.
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The Remnant Disobeys and Flees to Egypt

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, ​
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: ​
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. ​
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.
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;
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. ​
7
So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes. ​

Prophecy of Babylon’s Invasion of Egypt

8
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, ​
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; ​
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. ​
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.
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. ​
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. ​

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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