Jeremiah 42:1

JEREMIAH 42

PROPHETIC WARNING FOR ISRAEL TO STAY IN PALESTINE

The divisions of this chapter are: (1) the people request God's Word of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42:1-3); (2) Jeremiah promises to pray for them, and the people promise to obey God's Word (Jeremiah 42:4-6); (3) after ten days, God replies (Jeremiah 42:7-8); (4) the command to remain in Judea (Jeremiah 42:9-12); (5) severe warning against moving to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:13-18); (6) and a prophecy of destruction for those going to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:19-22).

Jeremiah 42:1-3

REQUEST FOR JEREMIAH'S PRAYERS AND PROPHECIES

"Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least even unto the greatest, came near, and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, even for all this remnant (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us), that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do." This passage confirms the presence of the prophet as being a part of the company rescued by Johanan from Ishmael. It was not necessary to "go to him," for he was already among them. hence the words, "all the people ... came near" (Jeremiah 42:1).

"Pray for us ..." (Jeremiah 42:2). The prophet had previously been forbidden to pray for the rebellious people (Jeremiah 7:17; Jeremiah 11:14, and Jeremiah 14:11); "But he was now free to do so."[1] Jeremiah at once agreed to do so, but not on the basis that the God to which he prayed was any other than the God of all the people. The people said "pray to thy God (Jeremiah 42:3,4); but Jeremiah said, "I will pray to your God (Jeremiah 42:4).

"That God may show us the way ... and the thing that we should do ..." (Jeremiah 42:3). Some scholars believe that this was a hypocritical request; but it may be that the people really thought they desired to know God's will, when actually, they merely wanted God to confirm what they had already decided to do. We do not certainly know which it was.

"Jezaniah ..." (Jeremiah 42:1). This man's name is given as Azariah in Jeremiah 43:2; but, as Ash said, "He may have had two names, or there may be a textual confusion."[2]