What number verse is Jeremiah 44:14 in the Bible?

Jeremiah 44:14 is the 20,025th verse of the Bible. Counting straight through the King James canon — all 31,102 verses from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 — Jeremiah 44:14 sits at position 20,025.

Translation

King James Version

So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.

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KJV (with Strong's)

So that none of the remnant ^H7611 of Judah ^H3063, which are gone ^H935 into the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714 to sojourn ^H1481 there, shall escape ^H6412 or remain ^H8300, that they should return ^H7725 into the land ^H776 of Judah ^H3063, to the which they have ^H5375 a desire ^H5315 to return ^H7725 to dwell ^H3427 there: for none shall return ^H7725 but such as shall escape ^H6405.

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Complete Jewish Bible

so that none of the remnant of Y'hudah who went into the land of Egypt to live as aliens will escape or remain, to be able to return to the land of Y'hudah. They long to return and live there, but none will return except a few refugees.'"

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Berean Standard Bible

so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone to reside in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, where they long to return and live; for none will return except a few fugitives.”

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American Standard Version

so that none of the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or be left, to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return save such as shall escape.

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World English Bible Messianic

so that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, shall escape or be left, to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for no one shall return save such as shall escape.

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Geneva Bible (1599)

So that none of the remnant of Iudah, which are gone into the lande of Egypt to dwell there, shall escape or remaine, that they shoulde returne into the land of Iudah to the which they haue a desire to returne to dwell there: for none shall returne, but such as shall escape.

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Young's Literal Translation

and there is not an escaped and remaining one of the remnant of Judah, who are entering into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, even to turn back to the land of Judah, whither they are lifting up their soul to return to dwell, for they do not turn back, except those escaping.'

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Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 44:14 delivers a profound and unyielding divine decree concerning the Jewish remnant who, in direct defiance of God's explicit command, had sought refuge in the land of Egypt after the devastating fall of Jerusalem. This verse emphatically declares that virtually none of this disobedient group would escape the impending judgment awaiting them in Egypt, nor would they ever fulfill their fervent desire to return to their beloved homeland of Judah. It stands as a stark and somber testament to the absolute certainty of God's word and the severe, irreversible consequences of willful rebellion against His revealed will, sealing the tragic fate of those who chose human security and idolatry over divine obedience.

CONTEXT

Literary Context: Jeremiah 44:14 is situated within the final major prophetic address of Jeremiah, specifically directed at the Jewish remnant who had migrated to Egypt. The preceding chapters, particularly Jeremiah 42 and Jeremiah 43, detail the events leading up to this pronouncement. After the assassination of Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor, the remaining Judahites, gripped by fear of further Babylonian retribution, consulted Jeremiah about whether to stay in Judah or flee to Egypt. God, through Jeremiah, explicitly warned them against going to Egypt, promising protection and blessing if they remained in the land but certain judgment by sword, famine, and pestilence if they disobeyed and went to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:15-18). Despite this clear divine instruction, they defiantly chose to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 43:1-7), even compelling Jeremiah to accompany them. Chapter 44 then records God's severe judgment against them in Egypt, largely due to their continued and blatant idolatry, particularly their persistent worship of the "Queen of Heaven" (Jeremiah 44:17-19). Verse 14, therefore, serves as a direct and definitive consequence of their persistent rebellion and deep-seated spiritual apostasy.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for Jeremiah 44 is the turbulent and desperate period immediately following the final destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. The Babylonians had established control over Judah, appointing Gedaliah as governor, but his assassination by Ishmael plunged the region into further chaos and profound fear. This led many remaining Judahites to believe that fleeing to Egypt, a long-standing regional power and historical rival of Babylon, offered the only hope of safety and survival. Culturally, Egypt had historically been a place of both refuge and profound spiritual temptation for Israel, often leading to syncretism and idolatry, as tragically demonstrated during the Exodus narrative and in later periods of Israelite history. The Judahites' decision to seek refuge in Egypt, while reflecting a common ancient Near Eastern practice of seeking alliances or asylum with powerful nations, in this instance directly contradicted God's specific and unambiguous command. Their continued worship of foreign deities, especially the "Queen of Heaven," even while in Egypt, indicates a deep-seated spiritual apostasy that had plagued Judah for generations and persisted even in their exiled state, demonstrating a profound spiritual blindness and a rejection of their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
Key Themes: Jeremiah 44:14 powerfully underscores several major theological and narrative themes prevalent throughout the prophetic book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Divine Judgment and Consequences, demonstrating God's unwavering resolve to execute His righteous judgment upon those who willfully and defiantly disobey His explicit commands. Their fervent desire to return to Judah is utterly thwarted by the irreversible consequences of their rebellion, illustrating that human desires and plans, no matter how strong, cannot override or circumvent divine decree when it is a matter of judgment for disobedience. Secondly, the verse emphasizes the Futility of Disobedience; despite their longing for their homeland and their perceived need for security, their decision to flee to Egypt against God's will sealed their tragic fate, proving that true security and flourishing are found only in unwavering obedience to God, not in human strategies, foreign alliances, or self-reliance. Thirdly, it reinforces the Sovereignty and Certainty of God's Word. What God declares, whether it be blessing for faithfulness or severe judgment for rebellion, will inevitably come to pass with absolute certainty. Finally, this passage helps to refine the concept of the "remnant." While God always preserves a faithful remnant for His redemptive purposes (e.g., those who would return from Babylonian captivity as prophesied in Jeremiah 29:10-14), this particular group in Egypt, though numerically a "remnant" of Judah, is clearly distinguished as a disobedient and unfaithful portion, illustrating that not all who survive a catastrophe are part of God's blessed, preserved, and covenantally faithful remnant.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

remnant (Hebrew, shᵉʼêrîyth', H7611): This term, derived from the root meaning "to remain," refers to a remainder or residual portion, specifically the surviving Judahites who fled to Egypt. While "remnant" often carries a positive theological connotation in prophetic literature, referring to the faithful few preserved by God for His redemptive purposes (e.g., Isaiah 10:20), here it describes a group who, despite their physical survival, are characterized by disobedience and are subject to God's judgment, distinguishing them from the truly blessed and preserved remnant of Israel.
sojourn (Hebrew, gûwr', H1481): This primitive root means "to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e., sojourn (as a guest)." It implies a temporary stay in a foreign land. The Judahites intended their stay in Egypt to be temporary, a place of refuge until they could return to Judah. However, God's judgment through Jeremiah negates this intention, declaring that their "sojourning" would become permanent in a tragic sense, as they would not return to Judah. The term can also carry connotations of fear or being a stranger, which aligns with their desperate flight from Babylonian threats.
desire (Hebrew, nephesh', H5315): This word, often translated as "soul" or "life," here means "desire" or "appetite." The phrase "they have a desire to return" indicates a deep, heartfelt longing or yearning of the Judahites to go back to their homeland. This highlights the profound irony and tragedy of their situation: despite this intense, innate human desire for their ancestral land, their will is utterly powerless against the divine decree of judgment resulting from their rebellion.
return (Hebrew, shûwb', H7725): A primitive root meaning "to turn back," "go back," or "come again." This word is central to the verse, appearing multiple times (three times explicitly, and implied in "shall return"). It expresses the deep desire of the Judahites to return to their homeland, Judah, a longing for restoration and normalcy after the trauma of Jerusalem's fall. However, the repeated use of "return" in the negative ("none shall return") underscores the divine reversal of their human desire, highlighting the finality and impossibility of their longed-for repatriation due to their disobedience.

Verse Breakdown

"So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there,": This opening clause precisely identifies the specific group under divine judgment: the surviving Judahites who, having fled Jerusalem and Judah, deliberately entered Egypt with the intention of temporarily residing there as refugees. This act was in direct defiance of God's explicit command delivered through His prophet Jeremiah, thereby setting the stage for the pronouncement of their dire and inescapable fate.
"shall escape or remain,": This phrase emphasizes the totality and comprehensiveness of the impending judgment. It means that no one from this disobedient group will manage to flee or evade the judgment that will befall them in Egypt, nor will any survive in a way that allows them to fulfill their desires or maintain their existence as they envisioned. The judgment will be absolute, leaving no avenue for evasion, survival, or continued flourishing in their self-chosen place of refuge.
"that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there:": This segment highlights the profound irony and deep tragedy of their situation. Despite their earnest longing, their deep-seated desire (expressed by the repetition of "return" and the phrase "have a desire," referring to their very soul's yearning) to go back to their ancestral land and re-establish their lives there, this aspiration will be utterly thwarted. Their intense human will and emotional yearning are rendered completely powerless and futile against the unyielding divine decree.
"for none shall return but such as shall escape.": This concluding declaration re-emphasizes and seals the judgment with a powerful rhetorical flourish. It does not imply that a significant or even noticeable number will escape and return, but rather, it is an emphatic statement that the number will be negligible, if any. The "escape" here refers to a very small, almost non-existent number, perhaps a handful who might flee Egypt for other lands (but certainly not back to Judah), or it functions as an ironic statement underscoring the near-absolute nature of the judgment. It leaves virtually no hope for their desired return, reinforcing the severity and finality of God's verdict.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 44:14 employs several potent literary devices to convey its stark and uncompromising message. The most prominent is Repetition, particularly of the Hebrew word shûwb ("return"). This repetition, appearing multiple times in the verse, serves to underscore the deep, natural desire of the Judahites to go back to their homeland, while simultaneously emphasizing the absolute certainty of God's decree that they will not. This creates a powerful Contrast between human will and divine sovereignty. The phrase "none shall return but such as shall escape" is a powerful form of Understatement or Meiosis, which, in context, functions as a hyperbolic denial. On the surface, it might seem to suggest a small possibility of return, but in reality, it implies that the number of those who escape and return will be so infinitesimally small as to be practically non-existent. This creates a poignant sense of Divine Irony, where human desire and will are directly contradicted and ultimately crushed by the sovereign will of God as a direct consequence of their persistent disobedience. The entire verse functions as a definitive Prophetic Oracle of Judgment, delivering an irreversible divine verdict characterized by its declarative, uncompromising, and highly authoritative tone.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 44:14 stands as a stark theological warning about the gravity of persistent disobedience and the certainty of divine judgment. It underscores the profound principle that seeking security, refuge, or solutions outside of God's explicitly revealed will is not only futile but inevitably invites His righteous wrath and severe consequences. The Judahites' flight to Egypt, driven by fear and a profound lack of faith in God's promise of protection in Judah, exemplifies a tragic spiritual misdirection. Their natural desire to return to Judah, though understandable, was rendered impossible precisely because their initial act of rebellion had set them on a path of irreversible consequences. This passage powerfully teaches that God's warnings are not idle threats but are expressions of His holy character, His covenant faithfulness, and the inevitable outcome of rejecting His divine authority and covenant stipulations. It highlights the inherent tension between human autonomy and divine sovereignty, ultimately affirming that God's word and His sovereign will will prevail, even over the most fervent human desires and well-intentioned (but disobedient) plans.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 44:14 serves as a timeless and sobering reminder of the critical importance of absolute obedience to God's revealed will, especially when faced with overwhelming fear, profound uncertainty, or the seductive allure of what seems like a "safer" or more rational path. The Judahites, despite having God's direct and unambiguous word through Jeremiah, chose to trust in their own reasoning, their perceived security in Egypt, and their own desires rather than divine wisdom. Their tragic story cautions us profoundly against seeking solutions to our problems or pursuing paths in life that directly contradict divine guidance, reminding us that true safety, peace, and flourishing are found only within the boundaries of God's perfect will. When we stubbornly pursue our own desires or plans, even if they seem rational, beneficial, or necessary in the short term, we risk placing ourselves outside of God's protective hand and inviting unintended, often severe, and irreversible consequences. This verse challenges us to deeply examine our own lives: are we truly trusting God's word and His providence, even when His path seems counter-intuitive, difficult, or demands significant sacrifice? Or are we prone to devising our own "escape routes" that ultimately lead us further from His intended path and purpose for our lives? It calls for a profound introspection into the depth of our faith and commitment, urging us to prioritize divine obedience above all else, recognizing that God's warnings are not punitive acts but expressions of His profound love and His desire for our ultimate good and flourishing.

Questions for Reflection

In what specific areas of my life might I be tempted to seek security or solutions outside of God's clear will, especially when facing fear or uncertainty?
How does my desire for immediate comfort, perceived safety, or personal autonomy sometimes override my commitment to faithful obedience to God's commands?
What specific warnings or clear instructions from God's Word am I currently taking lightly or rationalizing away, and what might be the potential long-term consequences of such disregard?
How can I cultivate a deeper, more unwavering trust in God's promises and His sovereign plan, even when His path seems more difficult, less appealing, or less logical than my own carefully crafted plans?

FAQ

Why did the remnant go to Egypt despite God's clear warnings through Jeremiah?

Answer: The remnant went to Egypt primarily out of a profound sense of fear and a deep-seated lack of faith in God's promises. After the assassination of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon, they were gripped by terror of further retribution from the Babylonians (Jeremiah 41:16-18). They sought divine counsel from Jeremiah, but it became clear that they had already decided in their hearts to go to Egypt. They viewed Egypt as a place of safety and provision, where they would not "see war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread" (Jeremiah 42:14). Despite Jeremiah's explicit warning from the Lord that going to Egypt would inevitably lead to their demise by sword, famine, and pestilence (Jeremiah 42:15-18), they defiantly accused Jeremiah of lying and proceeded to Egypt (Jeremiah 43:1-7), even forcing Jeremiah to accompany them. Their decision was rooted in a stubborn refusal to trust God's protection and a clear preference for human strategy and perceived security over divine command, further compounded by their ongoing and deeply entrenched idolatry.

What does "for none shall return but such as shall escape" truly mean in this context?

Answer: This phrase is a powerful rhetorical device employed to emphasize the near-total destruction and permanent exile of the disobedient remnant in Egypt. It does not imply that a significant or even measurable number would escape the impending judgment and successfully return to Judah. Instead, it means that the number of those who would genuinely "escape" the comprehensive judgment in Egypt and manage to return to Judah would be so infinitesimally small as to be practically zero, effectively an absolute denial of their return. The "escape" here might refer to a handful of individuals who might manage to flee Egypt for other lands (though certainly not back to Judah), or it functions as an ironic statement highlighting the absolute and inescapable nature of the judgment – only those who miraculously evade the comprehensive destruction would return, implying virtually no one would. It underscores the finality and severity of God's judgment against this particular disobedient group, contrasting sharply with the promise of return given to the exiles who were faithfully taken to Babylon (Jeremiah 29:10).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 44:14, with its depiction of a disobedient remnant facing irreversible judgment for seeking refuge outside God's divine will, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Judahites sought safety in Egypt, a symbol of worldly power and false security, only to find judgment and destruction there. In stark contrast, Jesus Christ is presented as the true and ultimate refuge, the only safe and secure haven for all humanity. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering deliverance not from physical enemies or foreign lands, but from the far greater and eternal threat of sin, death, and divine judgment. Whereas the Judahites' fervent desire to return to their earthly homeland was tragically thwarted by their rebellion, Christ offers a spiritual return and a true, eternal dwelling place in the heavenly Jerusalem for all who believe and obey Him. The "remnant" in the New Testament is no longer defined by physical lineage or geographical location, but by faith in Christ (Romans 9:6-8). Those who truly "escape" judgment are not those who flee to a foreign land, but those who are found "in Christ," having been supernaturally delivered from the power of darkness and sovereignly transferred into His glorious kingdom (Colossians 1:13). Jesus' own prophetic flight to Egypt as an infant (Matthew 2:13-15) foreshadows His perfect obedience as the true Son of God, who perfectly fulfills God's will, ultimately leading His people not to an earthly land, but to the true promised land of eternal life, where there is no more sorrow, pain, or death, for the former things have passed away.

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Commentary on Jeremiah 44 verses 1–14

1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,

3 Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.

4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.

7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

9 Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.

12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:

14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.

The Jews in Egypt were now dispersed into various parts of the country, into Migdol, and Noph, and other places, and Jeremiah was sent on an errand from God to them, which he delivered either when he had the most of them together in Pathros (Jer 44:15) or going about from place to place preaching to this purport. He delivered this message in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, and in it,

I. God puts them in mind of the desolations of Judah and Jerusalem, which, though the captives by the rivers of Babylon were daily mindful of (Psa 137:1), the fugitives in the cities of Egypt seem to have forgotten and needed to be put in mind of, though, one would have thought, they had not been so long out of sight as to become out of mind (Jer 44:2): You have seen what a deplorable condition Judah and Jerusalem are brought into; now will you consider whence those desolations came? From the wrath of God; it was his fury and his anger that kindled the fire which made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah waste and desolate (Jer 44:6); whoever were the instruments of the destruction, they were but instruments: it was a destruction from the Almighty.

II. He puts them in mind of the sins that brought those desolations upon Judah and Jerusalem. It was for their wickedness. It was this that provoked God to anger, and especially their idolatry, their serving other gods (Jer 44:3) and giving that honour to counterfeit deities, the creatures of their own fancy and the work of their own hands, which should have been given to the true God only. They forsook the God who was known among them, and whose name was great, for gods that they knew not, upstart deities, whose original was obscure and not worth taking notice of: "Neither they nor you, nor your fathers, could give any rational account why the God of Israel was exchanged for such impostors." They knew not that they were gods; nay, they could not but know that they were no gods.

III. He puts them in mind of the frequent and fair warnings he had given them by his word not to serve other gods, the contempt of which warnings was a great aggravation of their idolatry, Jer 44:4. The prophets were sent with a great deal of care to call to them, saying, Oh! do not this abominable thing that I hate. It becomes us to speak of sin with the utmost dread and detestation as an abominable thing; it is certainly so, for it is that which God hates, and we are sure that hid judgment is according to truth. Call it grievous, call it odious, that we may by all means possible put ourselves and others out of love with it. It becomes us to give warning of the danger of sin, and the fatal consequences of it, with all seriousness and earnestness: "Oh! do not do it. If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you love your own souls do not, for it is destructive to them." Let conscience do this for us in an hour of temptation, when we are ready to yield. O take heed! do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates; for, if God hates it, though shouldst hate it. But did they regard what God said to them? No: "They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear (Jer 44:5); they still persisted in their idolatries; and you see what came of it, therefore God's anger was poured out upon them, as at this day. Now this was intended for warning to you, who have not only heard the judgments of God's mouth, as they did, but have likewise seen the judgments of his hand, by which you should be startled and awakened, for they were inflicted in terrorem, that others might hear and fear and do no more as they did, lest they should fare as they fared."

IV. He reproves them for, and upbraids them with, their continued idolatries, now that they had come into Egypt (Jer 44:8): You burn incense to other gods in the land of Egypt. Therefore God forbade them to go into Egypt, because he knew it would be a snare to them. Those whom God sent into the land of the Chaldeans, though that was an idolatrous country, were there, by the power of God's grace, weaned from idolatry; but those who went against God's mind into the land of the Egyptians were there, by the power of their own corruptions, more wedded than ever to their idolatries; for, when we thrust ourselves without cause or call into places of temptation, it is just with God to leave us to ourselves. In doing this, 1. They did a great deal of injury to themselves and their families: "You commit this great evil against your souls (Jer 44:7), you wrong them, you deceive them with that which is false, you destroy them, for it will be fatal to them." Note, In sinning against God we sin against our own souls. "It is the ready way to cut yourselves off from all comfort and hope (Jer 44:8), to cut off your name and honour; so that you will, both by your sin and by your misery, become a curse and a reproach among all nations. It will become a proverb, As wretched as a Jew. It is the ready way to cut off from you all your relations, all that you shave have joy of and have your families built up in, man and woman, child and suckling, so that Judah shall be a land lost for want of heirs." 2. They filled up the measure of the iniquity of their fathers, and, as if that had been too little for them, added to it (Jer 44:9): "Have you forgotten the wickedness of those who are gone before you, that you are not humbled for it as you ought to be, and afraid of the consequences of it?" Have you forgotten the punishments of your fathers? so some read it. "Do you not know how dear their idolatry cost them? And yet dare you continue in that vain conversation received by tradition from you fathers, though you received the curse with it?" He reminds them of the sins and punishments of the kings of Judah, who, great as they were, escaped not the judgments of God for their idolatry; yea, and they should have taken warning by the wickedness of their wives, who had seduced them to idolatry. In the original it is, And of his wives, which, Dr. Lightfoot thinks, tacitly reflects upon Solomon's wives, particularly his Egyptian wives, to whom the idolatry of the kings of Judah owed its original. "Have you forgotten this, and what came of it, that you dare venture upon the same wicked courses?" See Neh 13:18, Neh 13:26. "Nay, to come to your own times, Have you forgotten your own wickedness and the wickedness of your wives, when you lived in prosperity in Jerusalem, and what ruin it brought upon you? But, alas! to what purpose do I speak to them?" (says God to the prophet, Jer 44:10) "they are not humbled unto this day, by all the humbling providences that they have been under. They have not feared, nor walked in my law." Note, Those that walk not in the law of God do thereby show that they are destitute of the fear of God.

V. He threatens their utter ruin for their persisting in their idolatry now that they were in Egypt. Judgment is given against them, as before (Jer 42:22), that they shall perish in Egypt; the decree has gone forth, and shall not be called back. They set their faces to go into the land of Egypt (Jer 44:12), were resolute in their purpose against God, and now God is resolute in his purpose against them: I will set my face to cut off all Judah, Jer 44:11. Those that think not only to affront, but to confront, God Almighty, will find themselves outfaced; for the face of the Lord is against those that do evil, Psa 34:16. It is here threatened concerning these idolatrous Jews in Egypt, 1. That they shall all be consumed, without exception; no degree nor order among them shall escape: They shall fall, from the least to the greatest (Jer 44:12), high and low, rich and poor. 2. That they shall be consumed by the very same judgments which God made use of for the punishment of Jerusalem, the sword, famine, and pestilence, Jer 44:12, Jer 44:13. They shall not be wasted by natural deaths, as Israel in the wilderness, but by these sore judgments, which, by flying into Egypt, they thought to get out of the reach of. 3. That none (except a very few that will narrowly escape) shall ever return to the land of Judah again, Jer 44:14. They thought, being nearer, that they stood fairer for a return to their own land than those that were carried to Babylon; yet those shall return, and these shall not; for the way in which God has promised us any comfort is much surer than that in which we have projected it for ourselves. Observe, Those that are fretful and discontented will be uneasy and fond of change wherever they are. The Israelites, when they were in the land of Judah, desired to go into Egypt (Jer 42:22), but when they were in Egypt they desired to return to the land of Judah again; they lifted up their soul to it (so it is in the margin), which denotes an earnest desire. But, because they would not dwell there when God commanded it, they shall not dwell they were they desire it. If we walk contrary to God, he will walk contrary to us. How can those expect to be well off who would not know when they were so, though God himself told them?

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–14. Public domain.

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Cyril of AlexandriaAD 444

FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH IN CATENA

When God inflicts the punishment, no one can save those in harm’s way. Wherever they go, his wrath will follow.

Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.

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Cross-References

Romans 9:27
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Jeremiah 22:26
And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
Jeremiah 22:27
But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.
Isaiah 4:2
¶ In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Jeremiah 42:17
So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.
Isaiah 10:20
¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Jeremiah 44:27
Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.