(The previous post covered the exchange between Zedekiah and Jeremiah immediately before Nebuchadnezzar's invasion, as well as the release from prison for Jeremiah and the blinding of Zedekiah immediately after the invasion.)
Jeremiah 40
(Chapter 40 transitioned to the Word of God directed towards the remnant left in Judah and lasted through chapter 44.)
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah, that were carried away captive unto Babylon.
2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, Jehovah thy God pronounced this evil upon this place;
(After Nebuzaradan (Nebuchadnezzar's captain) let Jeremiah go, he stated that Jeremiah's God had pronounced this evil upon Jerusalem. Jeremiah was being favored by the Babylonian leaders because the prophecies he spoke favored the Babylonians.)
3 and Jehovah hath brought it, and done according as he spake: because ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which are upon thy hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will look well unto thee; but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee; whither it seemeth good and right unto thee to go, thither go.
(Nebuzaradan told Jeremiah to go where he pleased but first asked Jeremiah if he would come to Babylon where Nebuzaradan would take care of him.)
5 Now while he was not yet gone back, Go back then, said he, to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth right unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a present, and let him go.
(Nebuzaradan also recommended Jeremiah go to Gedaliah, the governor of Judah, to dwell with the remnant. However, Nebuzaradan again gave Jeremiah the right to choose where he would go.)
6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
(Jeremiah chose to go to Gedaliah in Mizpah. Mizpah was a city in the lowlands of Judah.)
7 Now when all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poorest of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
8 then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to wit, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
(Gedaliah told the remnant to not fear serving the Babylonians because if they served the Babylonians, it would be well with them.)
10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans that shall come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.
(Gedaliah told the people he would deal with the Babylonians. He told the people to go to their cities and gather wine, fruit, and oil.)
11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan;
12 then all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
(The Jews who were in Moab, the Jews who were among the Ammonites, and the Jews who lived in Edom heard these things about Gedaliah and also went to gather wine and fruits. Moab and Ammon were from Lot. Edom was from Esau.)
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14 and said unto him, Dost thou know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take thy life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.
(Gedaliah was warned that Ishmael was sent by the King of the Ammonites to kill him. Gedaliah did not believe this warning.)
15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he take thy life, that all the Jews that are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?
16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.
(Johanan, the man who warned Gedaliah, asked if he could kill Ishmael in secret. Johanan thought if Ishmael was dead that all the remnant of the Jews would be scattered. Gedaliah told him no. Gedaliah believed Johanan was speaking falsely about Ishmael.)
Jeremiah 41
1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.
(Ishmael, who was a descendant of the king of the Ammonites and one of his chief officers, went to Mizpah with ten other men.)
2 Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
(Gedaliah was wrong: Ishmael killed Gedaliah.)
3 Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, to wit, with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, the men of war.
(Ishmael and his ten men also killed all the Jews and Babylonian soldiers that were with Gedaliah.)
4 And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,
5 that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of Jehovah.
(Eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria came with offerings for the temple. They did not know Gedaliah was dead.)
6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.
7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.
(Ishmael lured the eighty men into the city of Mizpah. He told the men to come and see Gedaliah. When the men entered the city, Ishmael killed them as well.)
8 But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.
(Ten of the men that were lured by Ishmael were not dead. They pleaded to Ishmael not to kill them in exchange for their wheat, barley, oil, and honey. Ishmael agreed to this deal.)
9 Now the pit wherein Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain, by the side of Gedaliah (the same was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel,) Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.
(The pit that Ishmael cast those who were slain into was filled with dead bodies.)
10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.
(Ishmael did exactly what Johanan warned Gedaliah about: the remnant in Mizpah was going to be taken away from Judah and scattered.)
11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
12 then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.
(Johanan heard about Ishmael taking the remnant captive and brought men with him to war against Ishmael.)
13 Now it came to pass that, when all the people that were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.
14 So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.
(When the people saw Johanan and his men, they were glad and turned from Ishmael towards Johanan.)
15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.
(Ishmael escaped with eight men and returned to the Ammonites.)
16 Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to wit, the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon:
17 and they departed, and dwelt in Geruth Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
18 because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.
(Johanan took the remnant he rescued and purposed to enter Egypt because of fear of the Babylonians.)
Jeremiah 42
1 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,
2 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:
(Johanan and the people asked Jeremiah to pray for them.)
3 that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do.
(The reason for asking Jeremiah to pray was so they would know the way they should walk and the thing they should do. They stated they wanted God to direct their path and actions.)
4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatsoever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.
(Jeremiah agreed and said he would tell them everything God said.)
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful witness amongst us, if we do not according to all the word wherewith Jehovah thy God shall send thee to us.
6 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of Jehovah our God.
(Johanan and the people stated that they would obey God's Words whether what Jeremiah said was good or evil. It seemed as though they were about the causes regardless of the effects. Their actions would prove this out…)
7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah.
(It took ten days for God to speak to Jeremiah regarding this matter. How long do you wait for God to answer your prayers?)
8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
9 and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him:
(Jeremiah prepared the people to hear the Word of God.)
10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.
11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith Jehovah: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
(Johanan and the people were told to stay and God would build them up. They should not be afraid of the king of Babylon.)
12 And I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land; so that ye obey not the voice of Jehovah your God,
(Next, God was going to tell them what would happen if they disobeyed His Words…)
14 saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:
15 now therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, O remnant of Judah: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, If ye indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;
16 then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
(If they disobeyed God and went to Egypt, there would be the sword and famine…the same things they were afraid would happen if they stayed among the Babylonians.)
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.
(Those who went to Egypt would die.)
18 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my wrath hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt; and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
19 Jehovah hath spoken concerning you, O remnant of Judah, Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have testified unto you this day.
(Jeremiah stated to them they just heard God's answer to their request.)
20 For ye have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us unto Jehovah our God; and according unto all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it:
21 and I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God in anything for which he hath sent me unto you.
(Up until that day, the people had not obeyed the Words of God through Jeremiah. Would they this time?)
22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn there.
(Jeremiah was convinced they would enter Egypt and that they would certainly die by sword, famine, and pestilence in Egypt.)
Jeremiah 43
(The previous chapter recorded God, speaking through Jeremiah, warning the people not to go to Egypt or they would die. They were told to stay under the authority of the Babylonians and if they did it would be well with them. Jeremiah was convinced the people would disobey God. What would they do?)
1 And it came to pass that, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of Jehovah their God, wherewith Jehovah their God had sent him to them, even all these words,
2 then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: Jehovah our God hath not sent thee to say, Ye shall not go into Egypt to sojourn there;
(The people told Jeremiah that he was speaking falsely regarding God saying not to go to Egypt.)
3 but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death, and carry us away captive to Babylon.
(The people blamed Baruch (the man who wrote the words of Jeremiah in a book) for putting Jeremiah up to this.)
4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of Jehovah, to dwell in the land of Judah.
(The people were disobedient, just as Jeremiah said they would be.)
5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all the nations whither they had been driven, to sojourn in the land of Judah;
6 the men, and the women, and the 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;
7 and they came into the land of Egypt; for they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah: and they came unto Tahpanhes.
(Johanan took the people, including Jeremiah, and brought them to Egypt in spite of God telling them not to.)
8 Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
(Jeremiah received a Word from God in Tahpanhes (a city in Egypt)…)
9 Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in mortar in the brickwork, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;
10 and say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah 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.
11 And he shall come, and shall smite the land of Egypt; such as are for death shall be given to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as are for the sword to the sword.
12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captive: 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.
13 He shall also break the pillars of Beth-shemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of Egypt shall he burn with fire.
(God would send Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt to rule over the land. Nebuchadnezzar would also break their images and burn the houses of their gods.)
Jeremiah 44
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, that dwelt at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
(The Word of God went to Jeremiah concerning the Jews in Egypt...)
2 Thus saith Jehovah 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,
(The cities of Judah were desolate because of the evil God brought to that land.)
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, that they knew not, neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers.
(The people's wickedness was the cause for God bringing evil to that land.)
4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up 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.
(God sent prophets to warn the people to repent of their wickedness but the people refused to hear God's Words.)
6 Wherefore my wrath 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 it is this day.
7 Therefore now thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you none remaining;
8 in that ye provoke me unto anger with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to sojourn; that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
(The people had been burning incense to other gods in Egypt. They were committing the same offenses against God while they were being judged for their offenses.)
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 committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
(God asked them if they remembered the cause of their judgment.)
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.
(The judgment they were experiencing was not causing them to humble themselves. They were not considering they could be wrong.)
11 Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.
(They were given the chance to learn through understanding: "have you forgotten your fathers?" Next, they were going to learn through experience: "I will set my face against you.")
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; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall 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.
(Those who fled for Egypt against God’s command would die there.)
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, 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.
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great assembly, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jehovah, we will not hearken unto thee.
(The people told Jeremiah they would not hear the words he spoke.)
17 But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
(The people told Jeremiah that they would do according to their own words. The "queen of heaven" was a heathen fertility goddess.)
18 But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?
20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people that had given him that answer, saying,
(Jeremiah responded…)
21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not Jehovah remember them, and came it not into his mind
(Jeremiah asked them if they thought God did not remember when they worshipped idols in their own land.)
22 so that Jehovah could not longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
(In fact, their fornication was why their land was desolate.)
23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as it is this day.
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of Jehovah, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
(Jeremiah continued…)
25 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her: establish then your vows, and perform your vows.
(God told the people to do as they said they would. However, God also gave them the effects of their wickedness…)
26 Therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith Jehovah, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, As the Lord Jehovah liveth.
27 Behold, I 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.
(The Jews in Egypt would see evil and not good. They would be consumed until they were ended.)
28 And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, mine, or theirs.
29 And this shall be the sign unto you, saith Jehovah, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
(The people would know God spoke these words when they experienced the judgment that was pronounced on them.)
30 Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy, and sought his life.
(God would destroy Egypt by giving them into the hands of their enemies.)
(This post covered prophecies to the remnant left in Judah and the judgments that would come if they attempted to escape to Egypt.)
Day 237
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