Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 42
Albert Barnes Commentary
Jeremiah 42
Albert Barnes Commentary
Jeremiah 42
"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," — Jeremiah 42:1 (ASV)
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, calls 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.
"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." — Jeremiah 42:5 (ASV)
Between us - Against us, as in Jeremiah 42:19 (margin).
According to all things - literally, “according to the whole word with which Yahweh your God will send you to us.”
"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." — Jeremiah 42:6 (ASV)
We - The form used here occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, but is the regular form of the pronoun in the Talmud. It is one out of many instances of Jeremiah using the popular instead of the literary language of his times.
"And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah." — Jeremiah 42:7 (ASV)
After ten days - On previous occasions Jeremiah when consulted answered at once (Jeremiah 21:3). The present delay was probably granted by God in order to free the minds of the people from the panic caused by the murder of Gedaliah and their fear of Chaldaean vengeance. Jeremiah could have had no doubt that the flight into Egypt was contrary to the tenor of his former prophecies.
"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." — Jeremiah 42:10 (ASV)
I repent - As punishment had been inflicted, the divine justice was satisfied.
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