Commentary on Jeremiah Part 11 (No. F024xi)

Chapter 41

In the seventh month, Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah, son of Eli'shama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah, ²Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land. ³Ish'mael also slew all the Jews who were with Gedali'ah at Mizpah, and the Chalde'an soldiers who happened to be there. ⁴On the day after the murder of Gedali'ah, before any one knew of it, ⁵eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Sama'ria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing cereal offerings and incense to present at the temple of the LORD. ⁶And Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, "Come in to Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam." ⁷When they came into the city, Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah and the men with him slew them, and cast them into a cistern. ⁸But there were ten men among them who said to Ish'mael, "Do not kill us, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields." So he refrained and did not kill them with their companions. ⁹Now the cistern into which Ish'mael cast all the bodies of the men whom he had slain was the large cistern which King Asa had made for defense against Ba'asha king of Israel; Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah filled it with the slain. ¹⁰Then Ish'mael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebu'zarad'an, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam. Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. ¹¹But when Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil which Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah had done, ¹²they took all their men and went to fight against Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah. They came upon him at the great pool which is in Gibeon. ¹³And when all the people who were with Ish'mael saw Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced. ¹⁴So all the people whom Ish'mael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah. ¹⁵But Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah escaped from Joha'nan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. ¹⁶Then Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the leaders of the forces with him took all the rest of the people whom Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah had carried away captive from Mizpah after he had slain Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam--soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Joha'nan brought back from Gibeon. ¹⁷And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt ¹⁸because of the Chalde'ans; for they were afraid of them, because Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah had slain Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

Intent of Chapter 41

Gedaliah served well as governor at Mizpah. He was not of the royal family. Ishmael was of the Royal family and, encouraged by Baalis of Amon for political reasons, he plotted the assassination of Gedaliah at Mizpah and the assassination of the Chaldean guard there. Gedaliah discredited the report as we saw in Ch. 40 (Part X). That was a fatal error by an honourable man who credited others with his integrity.

vv. 1-3 Massacre at Mizpah

v. 3 Murder of Gedaliah

vv. 4-10 In what is thought to have been September 582 BCE at approx. the Seventh Month (see also 52:30). The day after the slaughter of Gedaliah, his entourage and the Chaldean garrison, Ishmael intercepted a group coming from the north on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

He lured them into Mizpah and slaughtered all but ten of them who purchased their freedom with stores of food. They cast the bodies into an old cistern (1Kgs. 15:22). Ishmael's party took the remaining people in Mizpah and headed for Ammon.

41:11-18 An avenging group under Johanan overtook Ishmael at Gibeon (28:1; 2Sam. 2:13). The party was freed with only Ishmael and eight of his conspirators escaped to Ammon (40:14). Fearing Babylonian reprisals, Johanan's group turned towards Egypt. They camped en route at Geruth Chimham (thought to perhaps be “Chimham's Inn” near Bethlehem; see OARSV n).

The RSV Ch. 41 is Ch. 48 in the LXX

Ch. 41 in the LXX is Ch. 34 in the MT of the RSV

English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible.

Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L...

Chapter 41 ^41:1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord (now Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the country of his dominion, were warring against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Juda,) saying, ² Thus has the Lord said; Go to Sedekias king of Juda, and thou shalt say to him, Thus has the Lord said, This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it, and shall burn it with fire: ³ and thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt certainly be taken, and shalt be given into his hands; and thine eyes shall see his eyes, and thou shalt enter into Babylon. ⁴ But hear the word of the Lord, O Sedekias king of Juda; Thus saith the Lord, ⁵ Thou shalt die in peace: and as they wept for thy fathers that reigned before thee, they shall weep also for thee, saying, Ah lord! and they shall lament for thee down to the grave: for I have spoken the word, said the Lord. ⁶ And Jeremias spoke to king Sedekias all these words in Jerusalem. ⁷ And the host of the king of Babylon warred against Jerusalem, and against the cities of Juda, and against Lachis, and against Azeca: for these strong cities were left among the cities of Juda. ⁸ The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias, after king Sedekias had concluded a covenant with the people, to proclaim a release; ⁹ That every one should set at liberty his servant, and every one his handmaid, the Hebrew man and Hebrew woman, that no man of Juda should be a bondman. ¹⁰ Then all the nobles, and all the people who had entered into the covenant, engaging to set free every one his man-servant, and every one his maid, turned, ¹¹ and gave them over to be men-servants and maid-servants. ¹² And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying, ¹³ Thus saith the Lord; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day wherein I took them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, ¹⁴ When six years are accomplished, thou shalt set free thy brother the Hebrew, who shall be sold to thee: for he shall serve thee six years, and then thou shalt let him go free: but they hearkened not to me, and inclined not their ear. ¹⁵ And this day they turned to do that which was right in my sight, to proclaim every one the release of his neighbour; and they had concluded a covenant before me, in the house whereon my name is called. ¹⁶ But ye turned and profaned my name, to bring back every one his servant, and every one his handmaid, whom ye had sent forth free and at their own disposal, to be to you men-servants and maid-servants. ¹⁷ Therefore thus said the Lord; Ye have not hearkened to me, to proclaim a release every one to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a release to you, to the sword, and to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will give you up to dispersion among all the kingdoms of the earth. ¹⁸ And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, who have not kept my covenant, which they made before me, the calf which they prepared to sacrifice with it, ¹⁹ the princes of Juda, and the men in power, and the priests, and the people; ²⁰ I will even give them to their enemies, and their carcases shall be food for the birds of the sky and for the wild beasts of the earth. ²¹ And I will give Sedekias king of Judea, and their princes, into the hands of their enemies, and the host of the king of Babylon shall come upon them that run away from them. ²² Behold, I will give command, saith the Lord, and will bring them back to this land; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire, and the cities of Juda; and I will make them desolate without inhabitants.

Chapter 42

Then all the commanders of the forces, and Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and Azari'ah the son of Hoshai'ah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near ²and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our supplication come before you, and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all this remnant (for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us), ³that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do." ⁴Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you; behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your request, and whatever the LORD answers you I will tell you; I will keep nothing back from you." ⁵Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us. ⁶Whether it is good or evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God." ⁷At the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. ⁸Then he summoned Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, ⁹and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before him: ¹⁰If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent of the evil which I did to you. ¹¹Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not fear him, says the LORD, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. ¹²I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. ¹³But if you say, 'We will not remain in this land,' disobeying the voice of the LORD your God ¹⁴and saying, 'No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war, or hear the sound of the trumpet, or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,' ¹⁵then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, ¹⁶then the sword which you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow hard after you to Egypt; and there you shall die. ¹⁷All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; they shall have no remnant or survivor from the evil which I will bring upon them. ¹⁸"For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more. ¹⁹The LORD has said to you, O remnant of Judah, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day ²⁰that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and whatever the LORD our God says declare to us and we will do it.' ²¹And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in anything that he sent me to tell you. ²²Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live."

Intent of Chapter 42

42:1-43:7 Flight to Egypt.

42:1-6 Jeremiah was thought to possibly be one of the captives freed by Johanan (41:16). Jeremiah was asked to intercede (15:11) for the group who were uncertain as to the best course of action and where they might go. To remain they might suffer in the Chaldean reprisals that was sure to come from Babylon as they did (see 52:30). Their flight to Egypt would have been taken as an admission of guilt by the Babylonians.

42:7-22 After ten days Jeremiah brought God's reply to their request. It was God's will that they remain (29:1-14; 32:6-15). If they remained they would receive God's Blessing. To flee would only bring suffering on the fugitives.

Chapter 42 in the RSV is at Chapter 49 in the LXX.

Chapter 42 in the LXX is at chapter 35 in the RSV.

English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible.

Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L...

Chapter 42 ^42:1 THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAS from the Lord in the days of Joakim, king of Juda, saying, ² Go to the house of the Archabin, and thou shalt bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the courts, and give them wine to drink. ³ So I brought forth Jechonias the son of Jeremin the son of Chabasin, and his brethren, and his sons, and all the family of the Archabin; ⁴ and I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Joanan, the son of Ananias, the son of Godolias, a man of God, who dwells near the house of the princes that are over the house of Maasaeas the son of Selom, who kept the court. ⁵ And I set before them a jar of wine, and cups, and I said, Drink ye wine. ⁶ But they said, We will on no account drink wine, for our father Jonadab the son of Rechab commanded us, saying, Ye shall on no account drink wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: ⁷ nor shall ye at all build houses, nor sow any seed, nor shall ye have a vineyard: for ye shall dwell in tents all your days; that ye may live many days upon the land, in which ye sojourn. ⁸ And we hearkened to the voice of Jonadab our father, so as to drink no wine all our days, we, and our wives, and our sons, and our daughters; ⁹ and so as to build no houses to dwell in: and we have had no vineyard, nor field, nor seed: ¹⁰ but we have dwelt in tents, and have hearkened, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. ¹¹ And it came to pass, when Nabuchodonosor came up against the land, that we said we would come in; and we entered into Jerusalem, for fear of the host of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the host of the Assyrians: and we dwelt there. ¹² And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹³ Thus saith the Lord, Go, and say to the men of Juda, and to them that dwell in Jerusalem, Will ye not receive correction to hearken to my words? ¹⁴ The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the word which he commanded his children, that they should drink no wine; and they have not drunk it: but I spoke to you early, and ye hearkened not. ¹⁵ And I sent to you my servants the prophets, saying, Turn ye every one from his evil way, and amend your practices, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell upon the land which I gave to you and to your fathers: but ye inclined not your ears, and hearkened not. ¹⁶ But the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command of their father; but this people has not hearkened to me. ¹⁷ Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring upon Juda and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evils which I pronounced against them. ¹⁸ Therefore thus saith the Lord; Since the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have hearkened to the command of their father, to do as their father commanded them: ¹⁹ there shall never be wanting a man of the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab to stand before my face while the earth remains.

Chapter 43

When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them, ²Azari'ah the son of Hoshai'ah and Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to live there'; ³but Baruch the son of Neri'ah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chalde'ans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon." ⁴So Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah. ⁵But Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven-- ⁶the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard had left with Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neri'ah. ⁷And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they arrived at Tah'panhes. ⁸Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tah'panhes: ⁹"Take in your hands large stones, and hide them in the mortar in the pavement which is at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tah'panhes, in the sight of the men of Judah, ¹⁰and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrez'zar the king of Babylon, my servant, and he will set his throne above these stones which I have hid, and he will spread his royal canopy over them. ¹¹He shall come and smite the land of Egypt, giving to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword. ¹²He shall kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them and carry them away captive; and he shall clean the land of Egypt, as a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin; and he shall go away from there in peace. ¹³He shall break the obelisks of Heliop'olis which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.'"

Intent of Chapter 43

43:1-7 Over the ten days the pro Egyptian party prevailed in the camp over the party who wished to abide by the Oracle of God through Jeremiah. They accused Jeremiah of being unduly influenced by Baruch, whom they distrusted as a prophet. It has been suggested and noted in the OARSV n. that 42:19-22 should come between vv. 3 and 4 as Jeremiah's response to Azariah and his colleagues since 42:19-22 may indicate that the decision had already been made to go to Egypt; Jeremiah reminded them of their earlier resolve and the danger of disobeying God's Will.

Nevertheless they decided to go, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them, perhaps to ensure they continued to receive the Oracles of God, even though they treated them as mere suggestions.

v. 7 Tahpanhes the Egyptian border fortress also known as Baal-Zephon, Gr. Daphne, the modern Tel el Defneh (2:16).

43:8-45:5 Jeremiah in Egypt

43:8-13 This oracle was intended to show that Egypt was no safe refuge from Nebuchadrezzar (referred to as My servant (25:9; 27:6) He defeated Necho in 605 BCE and led a successful raid against Amasis (Ahmosis II) in 568/567 BCE after this oracle (46:13-26);

Clean his cloak lit. “delouse” shows God's low opinion of Egypt.

Heliopolis (called ON in Gen. 41:45). It is six miles (9KM) North East of Cairo and was anciently the centre of Sun Worship as Re or Ra (see Isa. 19:18 n.) God prophesied through Isaiah (19:19) that an altar would be constructed there and in the year 160 BCE, under Onias IV, the Temple was constructed there in anticipation of the Messiah being sent there ca 5 BCE, with his parents, to save him from Herod.

Obelisks are monuments of slightly tapered square granite shafts topped by a pyramidion. They are phallic symbols referred to as Ben-ben by sun worshippers and Satanists.

The RSV in Ch. 43 is found in the LXX in Ch. 50. The LXX Ch. 43 is at Ch. 36 in the MT of the RSV. (see also Summary)

English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible.

Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L...

Chapter 43 ^43:1 IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF JOAKIM son of Josias king of Juda, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² Take thee a roll of a book, and write upon it all the words which I spoke to thee against Jerusalem, and against Juda, and against all the nations, from the day when I spoke to thee, from the days of Josias king of Juda, even to this day. ³ Perhaps the house of Juda will hear all the evils which I purpose to do to them; that they may turn from their evil way; and so I will be merciful to their iniquities and their sins. ⁴ So Jeremias called Baruch the son of Nerias: and he wrote from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken to him, on a roll of a book. ⁵ And Jeremias commanded Baruch, saying, I am in prison; I cannot enter into the house of the Lord: ⁶ so thou shalt read in this roll in the ears of the people in the house of the Lord, on the fast day; and in the ears of all Juda that come out of their cities, thou shalt read to them. ⁷ Peradventure their supplication will come before the Lord, and they will turn from their evil way: for great is the wrath and the anger of the Lord, which he has pronounced against this people. ⁸ And Baruch did according to all that Jeremias commanded him—reading in the book the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house. ⁹ And it came to pass in the eighth year of king Joakim, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem, and the house of Juda, proclaimed a fast before the Lord. ¹⁰ And Baruch read in the book the words of Jeremias in the house of the Lord, in the house of Gamarias son of Saphan the scribe, in the upper court, in the entrance of the new gate of the house of the Lord, and in the ears of all the people. ¹¹ And Michaeas the son of Gamarias the son of Saphan heard all the words of the Lord, out of the book. ¹² And he went down to the king’s house, into the house of the scribe: and, behold, there were sitting there all the princes, Elisama the scribe, and Dalaeas the son of Selemias, and Jonathan the son of Acchobor, and Gamarias the son of Saphan, and Sedekias the son of Ananias, and all the princes. ¹³ And Michaeas reported to them all the words which he had heard Baruch reading in the ears of the people. ¹⁴ And all the princes sent to Baruch son of Nerias Judin the son of Nathanias, the son of Selemias, the son of Chusi, saying, Take in thine hand the roll in which thou readest in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch took the roll, and went down to them. ¹⁵ And they said to him, Read it again in our ears. And Baruch read it. ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, that they took counsel each with his neighbour, and said, Let us by all means tell the king all these words. ¹⁷ And they asked Baruch, saying, Where didst thou write all these words? ¹⁸ And Baruch said, Jeremias told me from his own mouth all these words, and I wrote them in a book. ¹⁹ And they said to Baruch, Go, and hide, thou and Jeremias; let no man know where ye are. ²⁰ And they went in to the king into the court, and gave the roll to one to keep in the house of Elisama; and they told the king all these words. ²¹ And the king sent Judin to fetch the roll: and he took it out of the house of Elisama: and Judin read in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood round the king. ²² Now the king was sitting in the winter house: and there was a fire on the hearth before him. ²³ And it came to pass when Judin had read three or four leaves, he cut them off with a penknife, and cast them into the fire that was on the hearth, until the whole roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. ²⁴ And the king and his servants that heard all these words sought not the Lord, and rent not their garments. ²⁵ But Elnathan and Godolias suggested to the king that he should burn the roll. ²⁶ And the king commanded Jeremeel the king’s son, and Saraeas the son of Esriel, to take Baruch and Jeremias: but they were hidden. ²⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, after the king had burnt the roll, even all the words which Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremias, saying, ²⁸ Again take thou another roll, and write all the words that were on the roll, which king Joakim has burnt. ²⁹ And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast burnt this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come in, and destroy this land, and man and cattle shall fail from off it? ³⁰ Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Joakim king of Juda; He shall not have a man to sit on the throne of David: and his carcass shall be cast forth in the heat by day, and in the frost by night. ³¹ And I will visit him, and his family, and his servants: and I will bring upon him, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the land of Juda, all the evils which I spoke of to them; and they hearkened not. ³² And Baruch took another roll, and wrote upon it from the mouth of Jeremias all the words of the book which Joakim had burnt: and there were yet more words added to it like the former.

Chapter 44

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tah'panhes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, ²"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, ³because of the wickedness which they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. ⁴Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!' ⁵But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their wickedness and burn no incense to other gods. ⁶Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured forth and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. ⁷And now thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving you no remnant? ⁸Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth? ⁹Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes which I set before you and before your fathers. ¹¹"Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, to cut off all Judah. ¹²I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed; from the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine; and they shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. ¹³I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, ¹⁴so that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to live in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return to dwell there; for they shall not return, except some fugitives." ¹⁵Then all the men who knew that their wives had offered incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who dwelt in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: ¹⁶"As for the word which you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. ¹⁷But we will do everything that we have vowed, burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no evil. ¹⁸But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine." ¹⁹And the women said, "When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out libations to her, was it without our husbands' approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out libations to her?" ²⁰Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: ²¹"As for the incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember it? Did it not come into his mind? ²²The LORD could no longer bear your evil doings and the abominations which you committed; therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day. ²³It is because you burned incense, and because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies, that this evil has befallen you, as at this day." ²⁴Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt, ²⁵Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out libations to her.' Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! ²⁶Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the LORD, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, 'As the Lord GOD lives.' ²⁷Behold, I am watching over them for evil and not for good; all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. ²⁸And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. ²⁹This shall be the sign to you, says the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil: ³⁰Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedeki'ah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life."

Intent of Chapter 44

44:1-14 This Oracle is a warning to the Jewish Diaspora in Egypt. It is an expansion of the warning against repeating the mistakes of their fathers in Judah and suffering the consequences (see 42:14-18).

v. 1 Migdol The present day Tell el-Heir east of Tahpanhes (43:7) Memphis (2:16) Pathros “land of the South”, upper, or Southern Egypt, There may have already been a Jewish Colony at Elephantine. There certainly was one well established there under the Persian Satrap Arsames well before 419 BCE and well before the completion of the Temple in Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah (see No. 013).

(See also Bullinger’s notes on verse 1 below.)

44:15-28 The refugees returned to the worship of the “queen of heaven” (7:16-20). That was the Babylonian Assyrian goddess Ishtar, or Easter, as the goddess is known in the English speaking world. She is the goddess of the star Venus. She is the Canaanite Astarte consort of Baal, the sun God, whose day is Sunday and the Solstice on 25 December and the festival of Easter named for the goddess; Greek Aphrodite; Roman Venus. The European peoples are entrenched with the festivals and the Cult of Baal (and those of Attis, Mithras, Adonis and Osiris and the consort Easter (and also as Isis), those of the Virgin brought into the churches in Syria. These festivals and days of worship of false gods are stated to be stamped out at the return of the Messiah and the Loyal Host (see ## 235; 141E, 141E_2; 141F and F066, ii, iii, iv, v).

Some scholars think it was first introduced presumably by Manasseh (2Kgs. 21:1-18), suppressed by Josiah (2Kgs. 23:4-14) and restored by Jehoiakim (2Kgs. 23:36-24:7) (see OARSV n) However, the system was well entrenched in Egypt as we see from the Golden Calf (No. 222).

They originated in the Middle East from Assyria and Babylon and moved south into Canaan and Egypt, and east with the Sumerians into India and West with the Hittite Celts (see Mysticism B7_1).

44:29-30 Hophra (Apries 588-569 BCE; 37:5) was assassinated by Ahmosis II (Amasis, 569-526 BCE). He was a former court official, co-regent for three years and founder of the Twenty-seventh (Libyan) Dynasty. For similar signs, see Isa. 7:11-17; Ex. 3:12.

Ch 44 of the LXX is at Ch. 37 of the MT of the RSV.

English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible.

Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L...

Chapter 44 ^44:1 And Sedekias the son of Josias reigned instead of Joakim, whom Nabuchodonosor appointed to reign over Juda. ² And he and his servants and the people of the land hearkened not to the words of the Lord, which he spoke by Jeremias. ³ And king Sedekias sent Joachal son of Selemias and Sophonias the priest son of Maasaeas to Jeremias, saying, Pray now for us to the Lord. ⁴ Now Jeremias came and went through the midst of the city: for they had not put him into the house of the prison. ⁵ And the host of Pharao was come forth out of Egypt; and the Chaldeans heard the report of them, and they went up from Jerusalem. ⁶ And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying, ⁷ Thus said the Lord; Thus shalt thou say to the king of Juda who sent to thee, to seek me; Behold, the army of Pharao which is come forth to help you: they shall return to the land of Egypt: ⁸ and the Chaldeans themselves shall turn again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. ⁹ For thus saith the Lord; Suppose not in your hearts, saying, The Chaldeans will certainly depart from us: for they shall not depart. ¹⁰ And though ye should smite the whole host of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there should be left a few wounded men, these should rise up each in his place, and burn this city with fire. ¹¹ And it came to pass, when the host of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem for fear of the host of Pharao, ¹² that Jeremias went forth from Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to buy thence a property in the midst of the people. ¹³ And he was in the gate of Benjamin, and there was there a man with whom he lodged, Saruia the son of Selemias, the son of Ananias; and he caught Jeremias, saying, Thou art fleeing to the Chaldeans. ¹⁴ And he said, It is false; I do not flee to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; and Saruia caught Jeremias, and brought him to the princes. ¹⁵ And the princes were very angry with Jeremias, and smote him, and sent him into the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made this a prison. ¹⁶ So Jeremias came into the dungeon, and into the cells, and he remained there many days. ¹⁷ Then Sedekias sent, and called him; and the king asked him secretly, saying, Is there a word from the Lord? and he said, There is: thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon. ¹⁸ And Jeremias said to the king, Wherein have I wronged thee, or thy servants, or this people, that thou puttest me in prison? ¹⁹ And where are your prophets who prophesied to you saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against this land? ²⁰ Now therefore, my lord the king, let my supplication come before thy face: and why dost thou send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe? and let me not on any account die there. ²¹ Then the king commanded, and they cast him into the prison, and gave him a loaf a day out of the place where they bake, until the bread failed out of the city. So Jeremias continued in the court of the prison.

*****

Bullinger’s Notes on chs. 41-44 (for KJV)

Chapter 41

Verse 1

Elishama.. seal has been found with his name on it.

even. and.

Gedaliah. See note on Jeremiah 26:24. and Compare Jeremiah 39:14, and Jeremiah 40:5.

Mizpah. See note on Jeremiah 40:6.

Verse 2

Ishmael. See note on Jeremiah 40:8.

had made. Compare Jeremiah 40:5.

Verse 3

and. Some codices, with Vulg, and three early printed editions, read this "and" in the text.

Verse 5

Shiloh. The last of five references to Shiloh in Jeremiah. Compare Jeremiah 7:12; Jeremiah 7:14; Jeremiah 26:6; Jeremiah 26:9.

offerings. These would be meal-offerings, according to Leviticus 2:1. Flesh sacrifices were now impossible. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 2:1). Probably for the feast of the fifteenth (Leviticus 23:23; Leviticus 23:34.Numbers 29:12.Deuteronomy 16:13; Deuteronomy 16:13).

to the house, &c. Still recognised as the place which Jehovah had chosen.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Verse 6

weeping all along as he went. going on and on weeping.

Verse 8

treasures. hidden [treasures, or stores].

Verse 9

the pit: or, cistern. Not mentioned elsewhere, but see 1 Kings 15:22 and 2 Chronicles 16:6.

because of. besides.

Verse 10

was it. By regrouping the letters, this reads "[was]. large pit which", &c.

the king's daughters. See note on Jeremiah 43:7.

Nebuzaradan. See note on Jeremiah 39:9.

the guard. the executioners (2 Kings 25:8).

Verse 11

evil. calamity. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44.

Verse 12

Gibeon. Now e. Jib, about five miles north of Jerusalem, where Joab treacherously slew Amasa (2 Samuel 20:8; 2 Samuel 20:10).

Verse 14

cast about. turned round.

Verse 15

eight. Two had been slain in the encounter above.

Verse 17

habitation. Khan, or inn. Hebrew. geruth. Occurs only here. Probably erected by Barzillai (2 Samuel 19:31-40). Near here was the inn where Joseph and Mary could find no room (Luke 2:7).

whom, &c. See Jeremiah 40:5.

Chapter 42

Verse 1

As Jeremiah 41 records the infamous treachery of Ishmael, so Jeremiah 42. records the obstinate disobedience of Johanan. These incidents are recorded (instead of many others) because they show us something of the moral character of the People; and thus furnish us with the reasons for the calamities which overtook them.

Jezaniah. In Jeremiah 43:2 he has. second name, "Azariah". The Septuagint reads this name here.

Verse 2

thy.. special various reading, called Sevir (App-34), reads "our", as in Jeremiah 42:20.

a few. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:22).

as. according as.

Verse 3

thy. See note on Jeremiah 42:2. but here the reading "our" is supported by several codices and one early printed edition.

Verse 4

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

Verse 6

evil. ill. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44.

that it may be well, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 6:3).

Verse 9

The Thirty-Seventh Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).

the LORD, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 11:3.

Verse 10

build... pull you down... plant... pluck you up. Compare Jeremiah 1:10.

I repent Me. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 6:6; Deuteronomy 32:36).

Verse 11

saith the LORD. [is] Jehovah's oracle.

I am with you. See the Structure, above.

Verse 12

land. soil.

Verse 14

hunger of bread. Which they had experienced.

Verse 15

And now. Now.

the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 7:3. The same in Jeremiah 42:18.

wholly set your faces. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 17:16).

Verse 16

afraid. apprehensive.

Verse 19

Go ye not into Egypt. This had ever been. standing command for Israel (Deuteronomy 17:16; Isaiah 31:1.Ezekiel 17:15; Ezekiel 17:15).

admonished. testified against.

Verse 20

ye dissembled, &c. None but Jehovah could know this. Compare Jeremiah 41:17; Psalms 139:2. Joh 1:48. John 2:24; John 2:25.

hearts. souls. Hebrew. nephesh.

Verse 21

this day declared. declared this day. See note on Deuteronomy 4:26.

Verse 22

by the sword, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:6; Leviticus 26:25; Leviticus 26:33; Leviticus 26:36; Deuteronomy 28:22). App-92.

Chapter 43

Verse 1

all. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6, for the greater part, not all without exception.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

Verse 2

men. Plural of 'enosh. App-14.

Verse 3

Baruch.. man of noble family (Jeremiah 32:12) suspected here. The reason may be found in Jeremiah 45:1-5.

Verse 5

whither, &c. Compare Jeremiah 40:12.

Verse 6

men. Hebrew, plural of geber. App-14.

children. young children.

person. soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

Gedaliah. See note on Jeremiah 41:1.

Verse 7

Tahpanhes. An Egyptian fortress on the eastern or Syrian frontier of Lower Egypt (Compare Jeremiah 2:16), where the Pharaoh had his palace. See Jeremiah 43:9. Now Tell Defenneh; where Petrie discovered (in 1886). ruin called Kasr el Bint Yehudi = the palace of the daughter of Judah, assigned doubtless to the daughters of king Zedekiah. See Jeremiah 43:6, above; and Jeremiah 41:10. See App-87.

Verse 8

The Thirty-Eighth Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).

Then. And. The Structure shows that. new member commences here.

Verse 9

the brickkiln. the brick pavement before the royal palace. Laid bare in 1886 by Flinders Petrie. See note on 2 Samuel 12:31. There could be no "brickkiln "close to the entrance of the palace. But such. platform is seen to-day outside all great, and most small, houses in Egypt. It is called mastaba, and is kept clean, and swept. Often made of beaten clay, edged with bricks. For this particular brickwork pavement, see App-87. See note on Jeremiah 43:7.

Verse 10

the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 7:3. The longer title is used to show the solemnity of the utterance.

Nebuchadrezzar... will set, &c. This was fulfilled to the letter. Josephus records it (A. t. x. 9, 10), but Egyptian history is naturally silent. It took place five years after his destruction of Jerusalem.

Verse 11

such as are, &c. See note on 2 Samuel 12:31.

Verse 12

as. according as.

43:13

images. standing images, or obelisks. Probably Asherim. See App-42.

Beth-shemesh. Hebrew. House (or Temple) of the Sun; Greek, "Heliopolis"; Egyptian, "On"; about ten miles northeast of Cairo.

that is in the land of Egypt. This is to distinguish it from the Beth-shemesh of Joshua 15:10. Jdg 1:33. 1 Samuel 6:9; 1 Samuel 6:19. See note on Isaiah 19:19. and App-81.

Chapter 44

Verse 1

The Thirty-Ninth Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).

This was Jeremiah's Thirty-Ninth and latest prophecy (see book comments for Jeremiah) relating to Israel. Chapter s 46-51 relate to the Gentiles.

which dwell, &c. See longer note below.

Migdol. See note on Exodus 14:2.

Tahpanhes. See note on Jeremiah 43:7.

Noph.. contraction of the Egyptian Manu fr. the abode of the good. Hebrew. Moph in Hosea 9:6. afterward. Memphis; now Abu Sir. Compare Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 46:14; Jeremiah 46:19.

Pathros.. part of Upper Egypt, south of Memphis. Compare Isaiah 11:11.Ezekiel 29:14; Ezekiel 30:14.

LONGER NOTE ON JEREMIAH: Chapter s 42-44.

"The Jews which dwell in the land op Egypt " (Jeremiah 44:1).

As the end of the kingdom of Judah drew near, many of the Jews were determined to go into Egypt. and this in spite of the warning given by Jehovah through Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 44 we have the latest prophecy concerning those who had gone thither; which declared that they should not escape, but should be consumed there (Jeremiah 44:27, &c). This prophecy must have been fulfilled concerning that generation; but their successors, or others that subsequently followed, continued there. little longer, until the time came for Egypt itself to fall into the hands of Babylon. Recent discoveries of Papyri in the ruins of Elephantine (an island in the Nile, opposite Assouan), dating from the fifth century BC, bear witness to two great facts:

(1) That Jews were then dwelling there (in 424-405 BC).

(2) That they were observing the Feast of the Passover, "as it is written in the law of Moses".

The importance of these Papyri lies in the fact that modern critics confidently assert and assume that the greater part of the Pentateuch was not written till after the Exile. and even then neither collectively as whole, nor separately in its distinctive books.

In App-92. it is shown that all through the prophets (who lived at the time of the kings in whose reigns they prophesied) there is constant reference to the books of the Pentateuch, which conclusively proves that their contents were well known both to the prophets themselves and those whom they addressed. The Pentateuch, being full of legal expressions, technical ceremonial terms, and distinctive phraseology, affords abundant evidence of the above fact, and makes it easy to call continuous attention to it in the notes of The Companion Bible.

But there is further evidence found in the Papyri now discovered in the ruins at Elephantine in Upper Egypt.

They show that the Jews who dwelt there had a temple of their own and offered up sacrifices therein. That once, when this their temple was destroyed by the Egyptians, they appealed to the Persian governor of Judah, asking permission to restore it (Papyrus I).

There is. list preserved, registering the contributions towards the upkeep of the temple (containing the names of many ladies).

But the most interesting and important of these Papyri is one dated in the year 419 BC which is. Passover "announcement" of the approaching feast, such as were made from the earliest times to the present day (see Nehemiah 8:15), containing. brief epitome of its laws and requirements. This particular announcement shows that the following passages were well known: Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7-8; Numbers 9:1-14.Deuteronomy 16:6.

This Papyrus has been recently published by Professor Edward Sachau, of Berlin: Aramdische Papyrus una Ostraka aus einer jildischen Militarkolonie zu Elephantine. Altorientalische Sprachdenkmaler des 5. Jahrhunderts vor Chr., mit 75 Lichtdrucktafalein. Leipzig, 1911.. small edition (texts only) by Professor Ungnad, of Jena, is published also under the title of Aramaische Papyrus aus Elephantine.

Nearly 2,400 years, since this announcement by Hananjah to the Jews in Egypt, have gone by. Elephantine is now. heap of ruins. The colony of Jews has passed away (unless the "Falashas" of Abyssinia are their descendants), but the Jewish nation still exists, and continues to keep the Passover,. standing witness to their truth of holy Scripture.

Verse 2

the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 7:3.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

evil. calamity. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44.

Verse 3

wickedness. Hebrew. ra'a. App-44.

serve other gods. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 13:6; Deuteronomy 32:17).

Verse 4

rising early, &c. See note on Jeremiah 7:13.

Verse 7

the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 35:17.

God. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, omit "the God".

against your souls. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 16:38).

souls. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

man. Hebrew. ish. App-14.

child. little one.

out of Judah. out of the midst of Judah.

Verse 8

works. Some codices, with five early printed editions (one, margin), and Syriac, read "work" (singular)

gone. come.

dwell. sojourn.

among. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "to".

Verse 9

wickedness. wickednesses, or wicked ways. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44. Note the Figure of speech Repetitio, used for great emphasis.

their wives. See Jeremiah 44:15.

Verse 10

humbled. contrite.

Verse 11

I will set My face, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 20:5; Leviticus 20:6). App-92.

Verse 13

as. according as.

Verse 14

have. desire. lift up their soul. Hebrew. nephesh, App-13.

Verse 15

all. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), for the specified part.

men. Hebrew, plural of enosh App-14: i.e. the husbands.

multitude. assembly.

Verse 17

whatsoever thing goeth forth, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 30:12.Deuteronomy 23:23; Deuteronomy 23:23). App-92.

victuals. Hebrew "bread". Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), for all kinds of food.

Verse 20

men. Hebrew, plural of geber. App-14.

Verse 21

them: i.e. your fathers.

it: i.e. the incense.

into His mind. upon His heart. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia..

Verse 22

bear. forbear.

44:26

I have sworn, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 22:16).

The Lord GOD. Hebrew Adonai Jehovah. App-4.

Verse 28

shall return, &c. So that the king '. daughters either returned to Judah or remained in Egypt.

Verse 30

them. Not Nebuchadnezzar; but, as the monuments now tell us, the soldiers who revolted against Hophra. He was delivered into their hands, as Zedekiah had already been delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

life. soul. Hebrew. nephesh.

as. according as.

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