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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 42:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 42:1	Strong Concordance	Then all the captains [08269] of the forces [02428], and Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and Jezaniah [03153] the son [01121] of Hoshaiah [01955], and all the people [05971] from the least [06996] even unto the greatest [01419], came near [05066],
	King James	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,

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Among those delivered by Johanan from Ishmael had been Jeremiah and Baruch Jer 43:6; and to them now all, without exception, come for counsel. Jezaniah - He is called Azariah in Jer 43:2. The Septuagint, in both places, call him Azariah. Since there is little reason for identifying him with Jezaniah the Maachathite Jer 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.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Among those delivered by Johanan from Ishmael had been Jeremiah and Baruch Jer 43:6; and to them now all, without exception, come for counsel.

Jezaniah - He is called Azariah in Jer 43:2. The Septuagint, in both places, call him Azariah. Since there is little reason for identifying him with Jezaniah the Maachathite Jer 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.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
"And there drew near all the captains, namely, Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from little to great, Jer 42:2. And said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our supplication come before thee, and pray for us to Jahveh thy God, for all this remnant (for we are left a few out of many, as thine eyes see us); Jer 42:3. That Jahveh thy God may tell us the way in which we should go, and the thing that we should do." Of the captains, two, viz., Johanan and Jezaniah, are mentioned as the leaders of the people and the directors of the whole undertaking, who also, Jer 42:1., insolently accuse the prophet of falsehood, and carry out the proposed march to Egypt. Jezaniah is in Jer 40:8 called the Maachathite; here he is named in connection with his father, "the son of Hoshaiah;" while in Jer 43:2, in conjunction with Johanan the son of Kareah, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah is mentioned, which name the lxx also have in Jer 42:1 of this chapter. Hitzig, Ewald, etc., are consequently of the opinion that יזניה in our verse has been written by mistake for עזריה. But more probable is the supposition that the error is in the עזריה of Jer 43:2, inasmuch as there is no reason to doubt the identity of Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah with the Jezaniah descended from Maacha (Jer 40:8); and the assumption that יזניה is incorrect in two passages (Jer 42:1 and Jer 40:8) is highly improbable. They go to the prophet Jeremiah, whom they had taken with them from Mizpah, where he was living among the people, with the rest of the inhabitants of the place (Jer 41:16). תּפּל־נא as in Jer 37:20; see on Jer 36:7. The request made to the prophet that he would intercede for them with the Lord, which they further urge on the ground that the number left out of the whole people is small, while there is implied in this the wish that God may not let this small remnant also perish; - this request Nהgelsbach considers a piece of hypocrisy, and the form of asking the prophet "a mere farce," since it is quite plain from Jer 43:1-6 that the desire to go to Egypt was already deeply rooted in their minds, and from this they would not allow themselves to be moved, even by the earnest warning of the prophet. But to hypocrites, who were playing a mere farce with the prophet, the Lord would have probably replied in a different way from what we find in Jer 42:8-22. As the Searcher of hearts, He certainly would have laid bare their hypocrisy. And however unequivocally the whole address implies the existence of disobedience to the voice of God, it yet contains nothing which can justify the assumption that it was only in hypocrisy that they wished to learn the will of God. We must therefore assume that their request addressed to the prophet was made in earnest, although they expected that the Lord's reply would be given in terms favourable to their intention. They wished to obtain from God information as to which way they should go, and what they should do, - not as to whether they should remain in the country or go to Egypt. "The way that we should go" is, of course, not to be understood literally, as if they merely wished to be told the road by which they would most safely reach Egypt; neither, on the other hand, are the words to be understood in a merely figurative sense, of the mode of procedure they ought to pursue; but they are to be understood of the road they ought to take in order to avoid the vengeance of the Chaldeans which they dreaded, - in the sense, whither they ought to go, in order to preserve their lives from the danger which threatened them. Jer 42:4-6 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." Jer 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. Jer 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, Pro 14:25, and נאמן, Isa 8:2; Psa 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. Ecc 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.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

"And there drew near all the captains, namely, Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from little to great, Jer 42:2. And said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our supplication come before thee, and pray for us to Jahveh thy God, for all this remnant (for we are left a few out of many, as thine eyes see us); Jer 42:3. That Jahveh thy God may tell us the way in which we should go, and the thing that we should do." Of the captains, two, viz., Johanan and Jezaniah, are mentioned as the leaders of the people and the directors of the whole undertaking, who also, Jer 42:1., insolently accuse the prophet of falsehood, and carry out the proposed march to Egypt. Jezaniah is in Jer 40:8 called the Maachathite; here he is named in connection with his father, "the son of Hoshaiah;" while in Jer 43:2, in conjunction with Johanan the son of Kareah, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah is mentioned, which name the lxx also have in Jer 42:1 of this chapter. Hitzig, Ewald, etc., are consequently of the opinion that יזניה in our verse has been written by mistake for עזריה. But more probable is the supposition that the error is in the עזריה of Jer 43:2, inasmuch as there is no reason to doubt the identity of Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah with the Jezaniah descended from Maacha (Jer 40:8); and the assumption that יזניה is incorrect in two passages (Jer 42:1 and Jer 40:8) is highly improbable. They go to the prophet Jeremiah, whom they had taken with them from Mizpah, where he was living among the people, with the rest of the inhabitants of the place (Jer 41:16). תּפּל־נא as in Jer 37:20; see on Jer 36:7. The request made to the prophet that he would intercede for them with the Lord, which they further urge on the ground that the number left out of the whole people is small, while there is implied in this the wish that God may not let this small remnant also perish; - this request Nהgelsbach considers a piece of hypocrisy, and the form of asking the prophet "a mere farce," since it is quite plain from Jer 43:1-6 that the desire to go to Egypt was already deeply rooted in their minds, and from this they would not allow themselves to be moved, even by the earnest warning of the prophet. But to hypocrites, who were playing a mere farce with the prophet, the Lord would have probably replied in a different way from what we find in Jer 42:8-22. As the Searcher of hearts, He certainly would have laid bare their hypocrisy. And however unequivocally the whole address implies the existence of disobedience to the voice of God, it yet contains nothing which can justify the assumption that it was only in hypocrisy that they wished to learn the will of God. We must therefore assume that their request addressed to the prophet was made in earnest, although they expected that the Lord's reply would be given in terms favourable to their intention. They wished to obtain from God information as to which way they should go, and what they should do, - not as to whether they should remain in the country or go to Egypt. "The way that we should go" is, of course, not to be understood literally, as if they merely wished to be told the road by which they would most safely reach Egypt; neither, on the other hand, are the words to be understood in a merely figurative sense, of the mode of procedure they ought to pursue; but they are to be understood of the road they ought to take in order to avoid the vengeance of the Chaldeans which they dreaded, - in the sense, whither they ought to go, in order to preserve their lives from the danger which threatened them.

Jer 42:4-6

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." Jer 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. Jer 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, Pro 14:25, and נאמן, Isa 8:2; Psa 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. Ecc 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.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The captains of the forces - The different leaders of the small bands or companies, collected from different parts of the land. The principal are those here named.

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⁸ Then they came [0935] to Gedaliah [01436] to Mizpah [04708], even Ishmael [03458] the son [01121] of Nethaniah [05418], and Johanan [03110] and Jonathan [03129] the sons [01121] of Kareah [07143], and Seraiah [08304] the son [01121] of Tanhumeth [08576], and the sons [01121] of Ephai [05778] the Netophathite [05200], and Jezaniah [03153] the son [01121] of a Maachathite [04602], they and their men [0582].

² Then spake [0559] Azariah [05838] the son [01121] of Hoshaiah [01955], and Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and all the proud [02086] men [0582], saying [0559] unto Jeremiah [03414], Thou speakest [01696] falsely [08267]: the LORD [03068] our God [0430] hath not sent [07971] thee to say [0559], Go [0935] not into Egypt [04714] to sojourn [01481] there:

⁶ Even men [01397], and women [0802], and children [02945], and the king's [04428] daughters [01323], and every person [05315] that Nebuzaradan [05018] the captain [07227] of the guard [02876] had left [03240] with Gedaliah [01436] the son [01121] of Ahikam [0296] the son [01121] of Shaphan [08227], and Jeremiah [03414] the prophet [05030], and Baruch [01263] the son [01121] of Neriah [05374].

¹⁴ For God [0430] shall bring [0935] every work [04639] into judgment [04941], with every secret thing [05956], whether it be good [02896], or whether it be evil [07451].

³⁸ But thou hast cast off [02186] and abhorred [03988], thou hast been wroth [05674] with thine anointed [04899].

² And I took [05749] unto me faithful [0539] witnesses [05707] to record [05749], Uriah [0223] the priest [03548], and Zechariah [02148] the son [01121] of Jeberechiah [03000].

²⁵ A true [0571] witness [05707] delivereth [05337] souls [05315]: but a deceitful [04820] witness speaketh [06315] lies [03577].

⁶ Whether it be good [02896], or whether it be evil [07451], we will obey [08085] the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] our God [0430], to whom we [0580] send [07971] thee; that it may be well [03190] with us, when we obey [08085] the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] our God [0430].

⁵ Then they said [0559] to Jeremiah [03414], The LORD [03068] be a true [0571] and faithful [0539] witness [05707] between us, if we do [06213] not even according to all things [01697] for the which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] shall send [07971] thee to us.

⁴ Then Jeremiah [03414] the prophet [05030] said [0559] unto them, I have heard [08085] you; behold, I will pray [06419] unto the LORD [03068] your God [0430] according to your words [01697]; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing [01697] the LORD [03068] shall answer [06030] you, I will declare [05046] it unto you; I will keep [04513] nothing [01697] back [04513] from you.
⁵ Then they said [0559] to Jeremiah [03414], The LORD [03068] be a true [0571] and faithful [0539] witness [05707] between us, if we do [06213] not even according to all things [01697] for the which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] shall send [07971] thee to us.
⁶ Whether it be good [02896], or whether it be evil [07451], we will obey [08085] the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] our God [0430], to whom we [0580] send [07971] thee; that it may be well [03190] with us, when we obey [08085] the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] our God [0430].

⁸ Then called [07121] he Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and all the captains [08269] of the forces [02428] which were with him, and all the people [05971] from the least [06996] even to the greatest [01419],
⁹ And said [0559] unto them, Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068], the God [0430] of Israel [03478], unto whom ye sent [07971] me to present [05307] your supplication [08467] before [06440] him;
¹⁰ If ye will still [07725] abide [03427] in this land [0776], then will I build [01129] you, and not pull you down [02040], and I will plant [05193] you, and not pluck you up [05428]: for I repent [05162] me of the evil [07451] that I have done [06213] unto you.
¹¹ Be not afraid [03372] of [06440] the king [04428] of Babylon [0894], of whom [06440] ye are afraid [03373]; be not afraid [03372] of him, saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: for I am with you to save [03467] you, and to deliver [05337] you from his hand [03027].
¹² And I will shew [05414] mercies [07356] unto you, that he may have mercy [07355] upon you, and cause you to return [07725] to your own land [0127].
¹³ But if ye say [0559], We will not dwell [03427] in this land [0776], neither obey [08085] the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] your God [0430],
¹⁴ Saying [0559], No; but we will go [0935] into the land [0776] of Egypt [04714], where we shall see [07200] no war [04421], nor hear [08085] the sound [06963] of the trumpet [07782], nor have hunger [07456] of bread [03899]; and there will we dwell [03427]:
¹⁵ And now therefore hear [08085] the word [01697] of the LORD [03068], ye remnant [07611] of Judah [03063]; Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], the God [0430] of Israel [03478]; If ye wholly [07760] set [07760] your faces [06440] to enter [0935] into Egypt [04714], and go [0935] to sojourn [01481] there;
¹⁶ Then it shall come to pass, that the sword [02719], which ye feared [03373], shall overtake [05381] you there in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714], and the famine [07458], whereof ye were afraid [01672], shall follow close [01692] after [0310] you there in Egypt [04714]; and there ye shall die [04191].
¹⁷ So shall it be with all the men [0582] that set [07760] their faces [06440] to go [0935] into Egypt [04714] to sojourn [01481] there; they shall die [04191] by the sword [02719], by the famine [07458], and by the pestilence [01698]: and none of them shall remain [08300] or escape [06412] from [06440] the evil [07451] that I will bring [0935] upon them.
¹⁸ For thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], the God [0430] of Israel [03478]; As mine anger [0639] and my fury [02534] hath been poured forth [05413] upon the inhabitants [03427] of Jerusalem [03389]; so shall my fury [02534] be poured forth [05413] upon you, when ye shall enter [0935] into Egypt [04714]: and ye shall be an execration [0423], and an astonishment [08047], and a curse [07045], and a reproach [02781]; and ye shall see [07200] this place [04725] no more.
¹⁹ The LORD [03068] hath said [01696] concerning you, O ye remnant [07611] of Judah [03063]; Go [0935] ye not into Egypt [04714]: know [03045] certainly [03045] that I have admonished [05749] you this day [03117].
²⁰ For ye dissembled [08582] in your hearts [05315], when ye sent [07971] me unto the LORD [03068] your God [0430], saying [0559], Pray [06419] for us unto the LORD [03068] our God [0430]; and according unto all that the LORD [03068] our God [0430] shall say [0559], so declare [05046] unto us, and we will do [06213] it.
²¹ And now I have this day [03117] declared [05046] it to you; but ye have not obeyed [08085] the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] your God [0430], nor any thing for the which he hath sent [07971] me unto you.
²² Now therefore know [03045] certainly [03045] that ye shall die [04191] by the sword [02719], by the famine [07458], and by the pestilence [01698], in the place [04725] whither ye desire [02654] to go [0935] and to sojourn [01481].

¹ And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah [03414] had made an end [03615] of speaking [01696] unto all the people [05971] all the words [01697] of the LORD [03068] their God [0430], for which the LORD [03068] their God [0430] had sent [07971] him to them, even all these words [01697],
² Then spake [0559] Azariah [05838] the son [01121] of Hoshaiah [01955], and Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and all the proud [02086] men [0582], saying [0559] unto Jeremiah [03414], Thou speakest [01696] falsely [08267]: the LORD [03068] our God [0430] hath not sent [07971] thee to say [0559], Go [0935] not into Egypt [04714] to sojourn [01481] there:
³ But Baruch [01263] the son [01121] of Neriah [05374] setteth thee on [05496] against us, for to [04616] deliver [05414] us into the hand [03027] of the Chaldeans [03778], that they might put us to death [04191], and carry us away captives [01540] into Babylon [0894].
⁴ So Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and all the captains [08269] of the forces [02428], and all the people [05971], obeyed [08085] not the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068], to dwell [03427] in the land [0776] of Judah [03063].
⁵ But Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and all the captains [08269] of the forces [02428], took [03947] all the remnant [07611] of Judah [03063], that were returned [07725] from all nations [01471], whither they had been driven [05080], to dwell [01481] in the land [0776] of Judah [03063];
⁶ Even men [01397], and women [0802], and children [02945], and the king's [04428] daughters [01323], and every person [05315] that Nebuzaradan [05018] the captain [07227] of the guard [02876] had left [03240] with Gedaliah [01436] the son [01121] of Ahikam [0296] the son [01121] of Shaphan [08227], and Jeremiah [03414] the prophet [05030], and Baruch [01263] the son [01121] of Neriah [05374].

⁷ It may be they will present [05307] their supplication [08467] before [06440] the LORD [03068], and will return [07725] every one [0376] from his evil [07451] way [01870]: for great [01419] is the anger [0639] and the fury [02534] that the LORD [03068] hath pronounced [01696] against this people [05971].

²⁰ Therefore hear [08085] now, I pray thee, O my lord [0113] the king [04428]: let my supplication [08467], I pray thee, be accepted [05307] before [06440] thee; that thou cause me not to return [07725] to the house [01004] of Jonathan [03083] the scribe [05608], lest I die [04191] there.

¹⁶ Then took [03947] Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and all the captains [08269] of the forces [02428] that were with him, all the remnant [07611] of the people [05971] whom he had recovered [07725] from Ishmael [03458] the son [01121] of Nethaniah [05418], from Mizpah [04709], after [0310] that he had slain [05221] Gedaliah [01436] the son [01121] of Ahikam [0296], even mighty [01397] men [0582] of war [04421], and the women [0802], and the children [02945], and the eunuchs [05631], whom he had brought again [07725] from Gibeon [01391]:

¹ Then all the captains [08269] of the forces [02428], and Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], and Jezaniah [03153] the son [01121] of Hoshaiah [01955], and all the people [05971] from the least [06996] even unto the greatest [01419], came near [05066],

³ That the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] may shew [05046] us the way [01870] wherein we may walk [03212], and the thing [01697] that we may do [06213].

² And said [0559] unto Jeremiah [03414] the prophet [05030], Let, we beseech thee, our supplication [08467] be accepted [05307] before [06440] thee, and pray [06419] for us unto the LORD [03068] thy God [0430], even for all this remnant [07611]; (for we are left [07604] but a few [04592] of many [07235], as thine eyes [05869] do behold [07200] us:)