Jeremiah 43

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 43

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,

2Then 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:

3But 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.

4So 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.

5But 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.

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

8¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

9Take 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;

10And 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.

11And 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.

12And 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.

13He 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

Jeremiah concluded speaking all the LORD's words, instructing the people not to go to Egypt. However, Azariah and Johanan, along with other proud men, accused Jeremiah of lying, claiming the LORD had not sent him with such a message. They further alleged that Baruch was instigating Jeremiah to deliver them into the hands of the Chaldeans. Consequently, Johanan and the captains, with all the people, disobeyed the LORD's voice and refused to dwell in Judah. Instead, they gathered the remnant of Judah, including men, women, children, the king's daughters, Jeremiah, and Baruch, and journeyed into Egypt, arriving at Tahpanhes. There, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, commanding him to hide great stones in the clay of the brickkiln at Pharaoh's house. God declared that Nebuchadrezzar, His servant, would set his throne upon these stones, smite Egypt, and burn the houses of their gods.

Long Summary

Upon Jeremiah's completion of delivering all the words of the LORD their God, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men vehemently rejected his message. They accused Jeremiah of speaking falsely, asserting that the LORD had not commanded them to refrain from going into Egypt. Instead, they claimed that Baruch the son of Neriah was inciting Jeremiah against them, intending to hand them over to the Chaldeans for death or captivity in Babylon. Consequently, Johanan the son of Kareah, along with all the captains of the forces and the entire populace, defiantly disobeyed the voice of the LORD, refusing to remain in the land of Judah. They then took all the remnant of Judah, including those who had returned from various nations, encompassing men, women, children, the king's daughters, and every person Nebuzaradan had left with Gedaliah. Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah were also forcibly taken with them. Thus, they journeyed into the land of Egypt, having directly disobeyed the LORD's command, and settled in Tahpanhes. There, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, instructing him to take great stones and hide them in the clay of the brickkiln at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah. The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, then declared that He would send Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, His servant, to set his throne upon these very stones. Nebuchadrezzar would smite the land of Egypt, delivering some to death, others to captivity, and still others to the sword. Furthermore, the LORD proclaimed that Nebuchadrezzar would kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, burning them, carrying away captives, and arraying himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd puts on his garment, departing in peace. He would also break the images of Bethshemesh and burn the houses of the Egyptian gods with fire.

Core Concepts

  • Rejection of ProphecyThe people, led by Azariah and Johanan, refused to believe Jeremiah's words from the LORD, accusing him of falsehood and attributing his message to Baruch's manipulation.
  • Disobedience to God's CommandDespite clear divine instructions to remain in Judah, the people, under the leadership of Johanan and the captains, deliberately chose to defy the LORD and flee to Egypt.
  • Forced Migration to EgyptThe remnant of Judah, including Jeremiah and Baruch, were forcibly taken by the captains and the people into Egypt, settling in the city of Tahpanhes.
  • Divine Judgment on EgyptThe LORD revealed through Jeremiah that Egypt would face severe judgment, being invaded and conquered by Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon.
  • Nebuchadrezzar as God's InstrumentGod explicitly refers to Nebuchadrezzar as 'my servant,' indicating his role as an instrument of divine will to execute judgment not only on Judah but also on Egypt.
  • Symbolic ProphecyJeremiah was commanded to perform a symbolic act of hiding stones, which would serve as the foundation for Nebuchadrezzar's royal throne in Egypt, signifying his future conquest.
  • Destruction of IdolatryA key aspect of the judgment against Egypt was the burning of the houses of their gods and the breaking of their images, demonstrating the LORD's absolute power over pagan deities.