1 And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah H3414 had made an end H3615 of speaking H1696 unto all the people H5971 all the words H1697 of the LORD H3068 their God, H430 for which the LORD H3068 their God H430 had sent H7971 him to them, even all these words, H1697
2 Then spake H559 Azariah H5838 the son H1121 of Hoshaiah, H1955 and Johanan H3110 the son H1121 of Kareah, H7143 and all the proud H2086 men, H582 saying H559 unto Jeremiah, H3414 Thou speakest H1696 falsely: H8267 the LORD H3068 our God H430 hath not sent H7971 thee to say, H559 Go H935 not into Egypt H4714 to sojourn H1481 there:
3 But Baruch H1263 the son H1121 of Neriah H5374 setteth thee on H5496 against us, for to H4616 deliver H5414 us into the hand H3027 of the Chaldeans, H3778 that they might put us to death, H4191 and carry us away captives H1540 into Babylon. H894
4 So Johanan H3110 the son H1121 of Kareah, H7143 and all the captains H8269 of the forces, H2428 and all the people, H5971 obeyed H8085 not the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 to dwell H3427 in the land H776 of Judah. H3063
5 But Johanan H3110 the son H1121 of Kareah, H7143 and all the captains H8269 of the forces, H2428 took H3947 all the remnant H7611 of Judah, H3063 that were returned H7725 from all nations, H1471 whither they had been driven, H5080 to dwell H1481 in the land H776 of Judah; H3063
6 Even men, H1397 and women, H802 and children, H2945 and the king's H4428 daughters, H1323 and every person H5315 that Nebuzaradan H5018 the captain H7227 of the guard H2876 had left H3240 with Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 and Jeremiah H3414 the prophet, H5030 and Baruch H1263 the son H1121 of Neriah. H5374
7 So they came H935 into the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 for they obeyed H8085 not the voice H6963 of the LORD: H3068 thus came H935 they even to Tahpanhes. H8471
8 Then came the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 unto Jeremiah H3414 in Tahpanhes, H8471 saying, H559
9 Take H3947 great H1419 stones H68 in thine hand, H3027 and hide H2934 them in the clay H4423 in the brickkiln, H4404 which is at the entry H6607 of Pharaoh's H6547 house H1004 in Tahpanhes, H8471 in the sight H5869 of the men H582 of Judah; H3064
10 And say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 Behold, I will send H7971 and take H3947 Nebuchadrezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 my servant, H5650 and will set H7760 his throne H3678 upon H4605 these stones H68 that I have hid; H2934 and he shall spread H5186 his royal pavilion H8237 over them.
11 And when he cometh, H935 he shall smite H5221 the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and deliver such as are for death H4194 to death; H4194 and such as are for captivity H7628 to captivity; H7628 and such as are for the sword H2719 to the sword. H2719
12 And I will kindle H3341 a fire H784 in the houses H1004 of the gods H430 of Egypt; H4714 and he shall burn H8313 them, and carry them away captives: H7617 and he shall array H5844 himself with the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 as a shepherd H7462 putteth on H5844 his garment; H899 and he shall go forth H3318 from thence in peace. H7965
13 He shall break H7665 also the images H4676 of Bethshemesh, H1053 that is in the land H776 of Egypt; H4714 and the houses H1004 of the gods H430 of the Egyptians H4714 shall he burn H8313 with fire. H784
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 43
Commentary on Jeremiah 43 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 43
Jer 43:1-13. The Jews Carry Jeremiah and Baruch into Egypt. Jeremiah Foretells by a Type the Conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, and the Fate of the Fugitives.
2. Azariah—the author of the project of going into Egypt; a very different man from the Azariah in Babylon (Da 1:7; 3:12-18).
proud—Pride is the parent of disobedience and contempt of God.
3. Baruch—He being the younger spake out the revelations which he received from Jeremiah more vehemently. From this cause, and from their knowing that he was in favor with the Chaldeans, arose their suspicion of him. Their perverse fickleness was astonishing. In the forty-second chapter they acknowledged the trustworthiness of Jeremiah, of which they had for so long so many proofs; yet here they accuse him of a lie. The mind of the unregenerate man is full of deceits.
5. remnant … returned from all nations—(Jer 40:11, 12).
6. the king's daughters—Zedekiah's (Jer 41:10).
7. Tahpanhes—(See on Jer 2:16); Daphne on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, near Pelusium. They naturally came to it first, being on the frontier of Egypt, towards Palestine.
9. stones—to be laid as the foundation beneath Nebuchadnezzar's throne (Jer 43:10).
clay—mortar.
brick-kiln—Bricks in that hot country are generally dried in the sun, not burned. The palace of Pharaoh was being built or repaired at this time; hence arose the mortar and brick-kiln at the entry. Of the same materials as that of which Pharaoh's house was built, the substructure of Nebuchadnezzar's throne should be constructed. By a visible symbol implying that the throne of the latter shall be raised on the downfall of the former. Egypt at that time contended with Babylon for the empire of the East.
10. my servant—God often makes one wicked man or nation a scourge to another (Eze 29:18, 19, 20).
royal pavilion—the rich tapestry (literally, "ornament") which hung round the throne from above.
11. such as are for death to death—that is, the deadly plague. Some he shall cause to die by the plague arising from insufficient or bad food; others, by the sword; others he shall lead captive, according as God shall order it (see on Jer 15:2).
12. houses of … gods—He shall not spare even the temple, such will be His fury. A reproof to the Jews that they betook themselves to Egypt, a land whose own safety depended on helpless idols.
burn … carry … captives—burn the Egyptian idols of wood, carry to Babylon those of gold and other metals.
array himself with the land, &c.—Isa 49:18 has the same metaphor.
as a shepherd, &c.—He shall become master of Egypt as speedily and easily as a shepherd, about to pass on with his flock to another place, puts on his garment.
13. images—statues or obelisks.
Beth-shemesh—that is, "the house of the sun," in Hebrew; called by the Greeks "Heliopolis"; by the Egyptians, "On" (Ge 41:45); east of the Nile, and a few miles north of Memphis. Ephraim Syrus says, the statue rose to the height of sixty cubits; the base was ten cubits. Above there was a miter of a thousand pounds weight. Hieroglyphics are traced around the only obelisk remaining in the present day, sixty or seventy feet high. On the fifth year after the overthrow of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar, leaving the siege of Tyre, undertook his expedition to Egypt [Josephus, Antiquities, 10.9,7]. The Egyptians, according to the Arabs, have a tradition that their land was devastated by Nebuchadnezzar in consequence of their king having received the Jews under his protection, and that it lay desolate forty years. But see on Eze 29:2; Eze 29:13.
shall he burn—Here the act is attributed to Nebuchadnezzar, the instrument, which in Jer 43:12 is attributed to God. If even the temples be not spared, much less private houses.