John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 43:4

"So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of Jehovah, to dwell in the land of Judah." — Jeremiah 43:4 (ASV)

The Prophet had sufficiently shown that John, the son of Kareah, and the rest had not, in good faith, inquired of the Prophet what the will of God was. For when they saw that God’s counsel did not harmonize with their wicked and foolish desire, they rose up against the Prophet.

But he now more clearly condemns their obstinacy in not obeying God. It is emphatically stated that they did not obey the voice of God because they denied that God had spoken.

Although they sought to evade, Jeremiah, on the other hand, declares that he was a true interpreter of God’s will, that he had announced nothing but what had come from God. He then holds them all as guilty, the leaders and the whole people, so that no one might think it strange that innocent men, willing to submit to God, were driven into Egypt.

Hence, the Prophet shows here that they were all implicated in the same sin, since not only the leaders resisted the oracle, but also the whole people. It now follows.