Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 42:1-6

"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, and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us: that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do. Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatsoever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. 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. 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 42:1-6 (ASV)

1. Here, the instruction for the gathered people begins, and it is divided into two parts. The first part addresses the general instruction of the people. The second part addresses the particular instruction for Baruch, from the text the word that Jeremiah spoke to Baruch (Jeremiah 45:1).

Regarding the general instruction, there are two points. First is the prophet’s instruction. Second is the people's objection, found in the verse, it came to pass when Jeremiah finished speaking to the people (Jeremiah 43:1).

Focusing on the prophet's instruction, there are again two points. First is the people's request for instruction. Second is the instruction itself, which begins at now, when ten days were accomplished (Jeremiah 42:7).

Regarding the people's request, there are two points to consider. First, they seek the intercession of prayer. This is seen in their petition, let our supplication be accepted before you, as if to say, “Let it find a place with you.” Through this, they seek to gain his favor. The Scripture says, The prayer of the one who humbles himself will penetrate the clouds, and until it draws near he will not be comforted, and he will not depart until the Most High beholds .

They continue by asking for kindness with the words, And pray for us, which recalls Isaiah’s plea: Raise a prayer, therefore, for the remnant which is left (Isaiah 37:4). They then appeal to his mercy by saying, For we have been left a few, reminding him of the prophecy, You shall be left few in number, who before were like the stars of heaven for number (Deuteronomy 28:62).

With the request, And tell, they express their longing for the fruit of prayer. They ask for a word from The Lord, for as Isaiah asks, Should not the people seek a vision of their God for the living and the dead? (Isaiah 8:19). They ask to be shown The way because they had decided not to go to Egypt. This reflects what was stated previously: a man’s way is not his own, nor does it belong to a man to walk and direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23). It also echoes the prayer, Since we do not know what we should do, we only have this left: to direct our eyes to you (2 Chronicles 20:12).

In response, the prophet’s promise is given, beginning with but Jeremiah said. He promises to pray for them, saying, behold, I will pray for you, which is consistent with Samuel’s words: Far be this sin against the Lord from me, that I should cease praying for you (1 Samuel 12:23). He also promises a declaration: and I will tell you every word that he will answer me. This is similar to Paul’s statement, For I have not hesitated to declare to you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

Second, they make a promise of obedience which they did not intend to keep, beginning with the words, and they said. This is similar to the promise in Exodus 19:8: all that the Lord has spoken to us we will do.