Jeremiah 42:4

42:1-6 To serve a turn, Jeremiah is sought out, and the captains ask for his assistance. In every difficult, doubtful case, we must look to God for direction; and we may still, in faith, pray to be guided by a spirit of wisdom in our hearts, and the leadings of Providence. We do not truly desire to know the mind of God, if we do not fully resolve to comply with it when we know it. Many promise to do what the Lord requires, while they hope to have their pride flattered, and their favourite lusts spared. Yet something betrays the state of their hearts.

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you,.... He took notice of what they said to him, and found himself disposed to comply with their request, and readily granted it: behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God, according to your words; be an intercessor for them; use his interest with his God, and their God; and, on account of relation, might expect to be heard; whom he would humbly entreat to direct what they should do, as they desired: and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you; but faithfully make known the whole mind and will of God, just as it is delivered, be it in what way soever: and though it is not expressed, he might suggest that he had some doubt on his mind whether they would obey it or not; and that he expected they would be open and free in declaring themselves on that point; since he had so readily complied with their request, and was determined to act the faithful part to them; hence the following reply:

Jeremiah 42:4-6 . Then Jeremiah said, I have heard you, &c. — That is, I will do for you what you desire. I will pray unto the Lord your God — They called the Lord Jeremiah’s God: here Jeremiah calls him their God, both to remind them of God’s relation to them, and of their duty toward him. And whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer, I will declare — I will be faithful in giving you an account of what God shall reveal to me to be his will concerning you. Then they said, The Lord be a true and faithful witness, &c. — The words of this and the following verse imply a perfect oath, the form of which lies in appealing to God as a witness of the sincerity of the hearts of those that swear, for a security to those to whom the oath is given: which also includes a secret challenging of God to take vengeance upon those that give that security, if they should not act according to their promise. The thing these men promise is, that they would perfectly obey God’s will, whether agreeable or disagreeable to them. And they further declare they were convinced that their prosperity and happiness entirely depended upon their complying with God’s will, adding, That it may be well with us, &c.

Among those delivered by Johanan from Ishmael had been Jeremiah and Baruch Jeremiah 43:6 ; and to them now all, without exception, come for counsel. Jezaniah - He is called Azariah in Jeremiah 43:2. The Septuagint, in both places, call him Azariah. Since there is little reason for identifying him with Jezaniah the Maachathite Jeremiah 40:8, it is probable that the Septuagint is right in calling him in both places Azariah, and that the reading Jezaniah arose from some scribe assuming that his name must be found in the earlier list.

I have heard you; that is, I will do for you according as you desire. And I will be faithful in giving you an account of what God shall reveal to me to be his will on your behalf. They called God Jeremiah’s God, here Jeremiah calls him their God , both to mind them of God’s relation to them, and their duty towards him.

Jeremiah replies: "I have heard (i.e., acceded to your request); behold, I will pray to Jahveh your God, according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatever Jahveh answers you I will tell you, I will not keep anything from you." Jeremiah 42:5 . They said further: "Let Jahveh be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not just according to all the word which Jahveh thy God shall send thee (to declare) unto us. Jeremiah 42:6 . Whether it be good or bad, we shall obey the voice of Jahveh our God, to whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of Jahveh our God." עד, Proverbs 14:25 , and נאמן, Isaiah 8:2 ; Psalm 89:38 . Both predicates occupy emphatic positions. God is to be a faithful witness, not in regard to the truth of what they say, but as regards the fulfilment of their promise, so that, if they would not obey His word, He might come forward to punish them. ישׁלחך is construed with a double accusative: to send away a person with something, i.e., to give him a commission. After "whether it be good or evil," there is no need for supplying "in our eyes" (בּעינינוּ), as Hitzig and Graf allege: "whether it please us or not;" the subject is הדּבר: "we will obey the word, whether it be good or evil," i.e., whether it announce good or evil to come (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14 ).

The Kethib אנוּ occurs only in this passage in the Old Testament; the Qeri accordingly substitutes אנחנוּ: the former, however, is taken from the vulgar tongue, and should not be altered here. כּי נשׁמע does not mean "because we obey," but "when we obey." The hearing is the condition, not the cause of the prosperity.

afraid —lest the Chaldeans should suspect all the Jews of being implicated in Ishmael's treason, as though the Jews sought to have a prince of the house of David (Jeremiah 41:1). Their better way towards gaining God's favor would have been to have laid the blame on the real culprit, and to have cleared themselves. A tortuous policy is the parent of fear. Righteousness inspires with boldness (Psalms 53:5; Proverbs 28:1). ## CHAPTER 42 Jeremiah 42:1-22. T HE J EWS AND J OHANAN I NQUIRE OF G OD , THROUGH J EREMIAH , AS TO G OING TO E GYPT , P ROMISING O BEDIENCE TO H IS W ILL. T HEIR S AFETY ON C ONDITION OF S TAYING IN J UDEA , AND T HEIR D ESTRUCTION IN THE E VENT OF G OING TO E GYPT ,A RE F ORETOLD. T HEIR H YPOCRISY IN A SKING FOR C OUNSEL W HICH T HEY M EANT N OT TO F OLLOW , IF C ONTRARY TO T HEIR O WN D ETERMINATION , I S R EPROVED. 2. Jeremiah —He probably was one of the number carried off from Mizpah, and dwelt with Johanan (Jeremiah 41:16). Hence the expression is, "came near" (Jeremiah 42:1), not "sent." Let … supplication be accepted —literally, "fall" (see on Jeremiah 36:7; Jeremiah 37:20). pray for us —(Genesis 20:7; Isaiah 37:4; James 5:16). thy God —(Jeremiah 42:5). The Jews use this form to express their belief in the peculiar relation in which Jeremiah stood to God as His accredited prophet. Jeremiah in his reply reminds them that God is their God (" your God") as well as his as being the covenant people (Jeremiah 42:4).

18 . incline … and behold (lit. see )] Almost exactly the words in Hezekiah’s prayer, 2 Kings 19:16 (= Isaiah 37:17 ). desolations ] Daniel 9:26 : cf. Isaiah 49:19 ; Isaiah 61:4 (twice). over which thy name hath been called ] i.e. of which Thou art the Owner. The sense of the expression appears from 2 Samuel 12:28 , ‘lest I take the city, and my name be called over it ,’ in token, viz. of my having conquered it. The expression is often used, especially in Deuteronomic writers, of the people of Israel, Jerusalem, or the Temple, as Daniel 9:19 ; Deuteronomy 28:10 ; Jeremiah 7:10-11 ; Jeremiah 7:14 ; Jeremiah 7:30 ; Jeremiah 14:9 ; Jeremiah 25:29 ; 1 Kings 8:43 ; Isaiah 63:10 . The paraphrase of A.V., R.V., ‘which is called by my name,’ weakens and obscures the real force of the expression. Cf. further on Amos 9:12 . present ] lit. cause to fall : so Daniel 9:20 , Jeremiah 38:26 ; Jeremiah 42:2 ; Jeremiah 42:9 ; cf. Jeremiah 36:7 (lit ‘ their supplication will fall before Jehovah’), Jeremiah 37:20 (here in the sense of being accepted). The expression does not occur elsewhere in the O.T.: Prof. Kirkpatrick compares, however, Bar 2:19 ( οὐ … καταβάλλομεν τὸν ἔλεον we do not cast down our supplication). for … for ] properly on (the ground of). thy great compassions ] Daniel 9:9 . The same expression in Nehemiah 9:19 ; Nehemiah 9:27 ; Nehemiah 9:31 (A.V., R.V., ‘manifold mercies’): cf. 2 Samuel 24:14 (‘for his compassions are great’), Psalm 119:156 .

this. Their request was, that he would put up his prayer to God for the remnant, for now there was but a small remnant of Jews left, a few of many. Jeremiah 42:3 The thing they would have him pray to God for, was direction what they should do in this desolate state into which God had brought them. What could be more pious? a practice founded upon a Divine precept, and encouraged by a promise, Pro_3:6, Acknowledge him in all thy ways, and he shall direct thy steps. But we may well apply here what God had said to their forefathers, Deu_5:29, when they had so freely promised their obedience to the law of God, Oh that there were such an heart in them, &c. ## Jeremiah 42:4 I have heard you; that is, I will do for you according as you desire. And I will be faithful in giving you an account of what God shall reveal to me to be his will on your behalf. They called God Jeremiah’s God, here Jeremiah calls him their God , both to mind them of God’s relation to them, and their duty towards him. Jeremiah 42:5 No text from Poole on this verse.