# Jeremiah 42 š: Warning Against Egypt
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[[-Jeremiah Overview]] | [[Jeremiah 41]] | [[Jeremiah 43]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#š Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#š Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#š§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#āļø Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#š Key Principles / š Life Application]]
> [[#š¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#āļø Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#š Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#š Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#š Internal Notes]]
## š Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### The Survivors Ask the Lord for Advice but Refuse to Follow It
[[#Verse 01.]]Ā Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of HoshaiahĀ and all the people of every class,Ā went to the prophet Jeremiah.Ā
[[#Verse 02.]]Ā They said to him, āPlease grant our requestĀ and pray to theĀ LordĀ your God for all those of us who are still left alive here.Ā For, as you yourself can see, there are only a few of us left out of the many there were before.Ā
[[#Verse 03.]]Ā Pray that theĀ LordĀ your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.āĀ
[[#Verse 04.]]Ā The prophet Jeremiah answered them, āAgreed!Ā I will indeed pray to theĀ LordĀ your God as you have asked. I will tell you everything theĀ LordĀ replies in response to you.Ā I will not keep anything back from you.āĀ
[[#Verse 05.]]Ā They answered Jeremiah, āMay theĀ LordĀ be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not do just asĀ theĀ LordĀ your God sends you to tell us to do.Ā
[[#Verse 06.]]Ā We will obey what theĀ LordĀ our God to whom we are sending you tells us to do. It does not matter whether we like what he tells us or not. We will obey what he tells us to do so that things will go well for us.ā
[[#Verse 07.]]Ā Ten days later theĀ Lordās message came to Jeremiah.Ā
[[#Verse 08.]]Ā So Jeremiah summoned Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people of every class.Ā
[[#Verse 09.]]Ā Then Jeremiah said to them, āYou sent me to theĀ LordĀ God of Israel to make your request known to him. Here is what he says to you:Ā
[[#Verse 10.]]Ā āIf you will only stayĀ in this land, I will build you up. I will not tear you down. I will firmly plant you.Ā I will not uproot you. For I am filled with sorrow because of the disaster that I have brought on you.Ā
[[#Verse 11.]]Ā Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon whom you now fear.Ā Do not be afraid of him because I will be with you to save you and to rescue you from his power. I, theĀ Lord, affirm it!Ā
[[#Verse 12.]]Ā I will have compassion on you so that he in turn will have mercy on you and allow you to return to your land.ā
[[#Verse 13.]]Ā āYou must not disobey theĀ LordĀ your God by saying, āWe will not stay in this land.āĀ
[[#Verse 14.]]Ā You must not say, āNo, we will not stay. Instead we will go and live in the land of Egypt where we will not face war,Ā or hear the enemyās trumpet calls,Ā or starve for lack of food.āĀ
[[#Verse 15.]]Ā If you people who remain in Judah do that, then listen to theĀ Lordās message. This is what theĀ LordĀ of Heavenās Armies, the God of Israel,Ā has said, āIf you are so determinedĀ to go to Egypt that you go and settle there,Ā
[[#Verse 16.]]Ā the wars you fear will catch up with you there in the land of Egypt. The starvation you are worried about will follow you there toĀ Egypt. You will die there.Ā
[[#Verse 17.]]Ā All the people who are determined to go and settle in Egypt will die from war, starvation, or disease. No one will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.āĀ
[[#Verse 18.]]Ā ForĀ theĀ LordĀ of Heavenās Armies, the God of Israel,Ā says, āIf you go to Egypt, I will pour out my wrath on you just as I poured out my anger and wrath on the citizens of Jerusalem. You will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example of those who have been cursed and that people use in pronouncing a curse.Ā You will never see this place again.ā
[[#Verse 19.]]āTheĀ LordĀ has told you people who remain in Judah, āDo not go to Egypt.ā Be very sure of this: I warn youĀ here and now.Ā
[[#Verse 20.]]Ā You are making a fatal mistake.Ā For you sent me to theĀ LordĀ your God and asked me, āPray to theĀ LordĀ our God for us. Tell us what theĀ LordĀ our God says, and we will do it.āĀ
[[#Verse 21.]]Ā This dayĀ I have told you what he said.Ā But you do not want to obey theĀ LordĀ your God by doing what he sent me to tell you.Ā
[[#Verse 22.]]Ā So now be very sure of this: You will die from war, starvation, or disease in the place where you want to go and live.ā
## š Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
## š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Johanan, Jezaniah (likely the same man called Azariah in 43:2), and all the people asked Jeremiah to pray for direction (42:1-2).
2. The people called Jeremiah's God "the Lord your God" (42:2), and Jeremiah reminded them He was "your God" too (42:4).
3. The people promised to obey whether the answer was good or bad (42:6).
4. God's answer came after ten days (42:7), a test of their patience.
5. "Build... not tear down... plant... not uproot" (42:10) echoes Jeremiah's call in 1:10.
6. God says He "relents" or grieves over the disaster He brought (42:10).
7. God promised to make the king of Babylon show them compassion (42:12).
8. Egypt seemed safe because it was far from war and had plenty of food (42:14).
9. The law had warned Israel's kings not to send people back to Egypt (Deuteronomy 17:16).
10. Jeremiah warned that the sword and famine they feared would follow them to Egypt (42:16).
## š§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## āļø Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Son who said to the Father, "Not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). The people promised to obey whether the word was good or bad (42:6) but did not, while Jesus obeyed perfectly, even to the cross.
## š Key Principles / š Life Application
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š¬ Discussion Questions
1. The people asked Jeremiah to pray and promised to obey whatever God said (42:5-6). Why is it easy to ask for God's will when we have already made up our minds?
2. God promised to build them up and plant them if they stayed (42:10). What does staying put in faith look like when fear tells you to run?
3. Jeremiah said they had deceived themselves (42:20). How do we deceive ourselves when we ask God for direction?
## āļø Key Verses to Remember
- š verse 6: Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the Lord our God.
- š verse 10: If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down.
- š verse 11: Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, for I am with you to save you.
## š Related Passages/Cross Reference
- š [[Luke 22#Verse 42.|Luke 22:42]] - Not My will, but Yours be done.
- š [[James 01#Verse 22.|James 1:22]] - Be doers of the word, not hearers only.
- š [[Isaiah 30#Verse 01.|Isaiah 30:1-3]] - Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help.
- š [[Deuteronomy 17#Verse 16.|Deuteronomy 17:16]] - Do not return to Egypt.
- š [[Psalm 46#Verse 01.|Psalm 46:1-2]] - God is our refuge, so we will not fear.
## š Devotional Reflection
š SOAP: [[Jeremiah 42 - SOAP|Whether We Like it or Not]]
## š Internal Notes