Jeremiah 43

General context

When Jeremiah finishes speaking all the words the Lord sent him to say, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah and all the proud men tell him he speaks falsely: the Lord has not sent him to forbid going to Egypt, but Baruch the son of Neriah has set him on against them so that the Chaldeans may kill them or carry them to Babylon. Johanan, the captains and all the people do not obey the voice of the Lord to dwell in Judah. They take the whole remnant that had returned from the nations, men, women, children, the king's daughters, everyone Nebuzar-adan had left with Gedaliah, together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch, and come into Egypt as far as Tahpanhes. There the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah. He is to take great stones and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln at the entry of Pharaoh's house, in the sight of the men of Judah, and say that the Lord will send for Nebuchadrezzar his servant, set his throne on those hidden stones and spread his royal pavilion over them. When he comes he will smite Egypt, handing over those marked for death, captivity and sword to each. The Lord will kindle a fire in the houses of Egypt's gods; the king will burn them and carry them away, wrap himself in the land of Egypt as a shepherd puts on his garment, and leave in peace. He will break the images of Beth-shemesh in Egypt and burn the houses of the Egyptian gods.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 43:1, Jeremiah 43:2, Jeremiah 43:3, Jeremiah 43:4, Jeremiah 43:5, Jeremiah 43:6, Jeremiah 43:7, Jeremiah 43:9, Jeremiah 43:10, Jeremiah 43:11, Jeremiah 43:12, Jeremiah 43:13

Jeremiah 43 (KJV)

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Historical context

Azariah the son of Hoshaiah speaks here, where chapter 42 named Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah among the leaders; the text does not say whether these are one man. The charge that Baruch is behind Jeremiah's message is the speakers' claim, and the narrator labels them "all the proud men"; nothing in the book shows Baruch doing what they allege. Jeremiah and Baruch are listed among those the captains "took" into Egypt, and the text does not say they went willingly. The narrator states twice that the people did not obey the voice of the Lord. The remnant is described as those who had returned from all nations to dwell in Judah, the same group gathered in chapter 40, plus everyone Nebuzar-adan had left with Gedaliah. Tahpanhes is the only Egyptian place named, with Pharaoh's house and a brickkiln at its entry. Nebuchadrezzar is again called the Lord's servant, as in chapter 27, and the threefold sentence of death, captivity and sword repeats an earlier oracle's form. The sign is commanded, but the chapter does not narrate Jeremiah hiding the stones or record any reaction from the men of Judah. Beth-shemesh is marked by the text itself as the one "in the land of Egypt." No year is given, and the book does not narrate the king of Babylon's arrival in Egypt.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 43:2, Jeremiah 42:1, Jeremiah 43:3, Jeremiah 43:5, Jeremiah 43:6, Jeremiah 43:4, Jeremiah 43:7, Jeremiah 40:12, Jeremiah 43:9, Jeremiah 43:10, Jeremiah 27:6, Jeremiah 15:2, Jeremiah 43:13

Literary context

The refusal that chapter 42 foretold is narrated in a single exchange. The people's "Thou speakest falsely" turns back on Jeremiah the words he used at the gate of Benjamin, "It is false," so accuser and accused have traded places. The narrator's verdict, "obeyed not the voice of the Lord," is repeated before and after the journey and frames it. Chapter 41 listed those Johanan recovered as mighty men of war, women, children and eunuchs; here the roll runs men, women, children and the king's daughters, and ends with two more names, Jeremiah and Baruch, so the prophet and the scribe are carried off in the same sentence as the king's daughters. The sign at Tahpanhes is a hidden one: the stones are buried in clay, yet in sight of witnesses, and the promised throne rests on what cannot be seen. The Lord's speech pairs his own act with the king's, "I will kindle a fire" and "he shall burn them," and closes with an image of a shepherd putting on a garment, a quiet picture for the taking of a land. The chapter's last word is fire in the houses of the gods, and the next chapter opens with the Jews settled in that same land.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 43:2, Jeremiah 37:14, Jeremiah 43:4, Jeremiah 43:7, Jeremiah 41:16, Jeremiah 43:6, Jeremiah 43:9, Jeremiah 43:10, Jeremiah 43:12, Jeremiah 43:13, Jeremiah 44:1

Key moments

1. Thou speakest falsely (Jeremiah 43:2). Azariah, Johanan and the proud men deny that the Lord sent Jeremiah.
2. Baruch blamed (Jeremiah 43:3). The speakers accuse Baruch of setting Jeremiah against them.
3. Jeremiah and Baruch taken (Jeremiah 43:6). The captains take the whole remnant, including the prophet and the scribe.
4. Arrival at Tahpanhes (Jeremiah 43:7). The remnant enters Egypt in disobedience to the Lord's voice.
5. Stones hidden in the brickkiln (Jeremiah 43:9). Jeremiah is told to bury great stones at the entry of Pharaoh's house.
6. A throne on the stones (Jeremiah 43:10). The Lord says Nebuchadrezzar will set his throne over the hidden stones.
7. Fire in the houses of the gods (Jeremiah 43:12). Egypt's gods' houses will be burned and the land taken like a garment.

For reflection

The people answer Jeremiah by saying Baruch has set him on against them. What makes it easier to blame a messenger's companion than to answer the message itself?

People in this chapter

• Jeremiah
• Judah
• Baruch
• Jacob
• Nebuchadnezzar

Also indexed here:

• Johanan
• Kareah
• Neriah
• Ahikam
• Gedaliah
• Hophra
• Hoshaiah
• Jezaniah
• Nebuzaradan
• Shaphan