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Jeremiah 43

Jeremiah exposes the remnant’s disobedience and declares that Egypt itself stands under the judgment of the God they refused to obey.

Azariah, Johanan, and the other proud men reject Jeremiah’s message that the people must stay in Judah. They accuse him of lying and blame Baruch for turning him against them. Johanan and the commanders take the remnant into Egypt, including Jeremiah and Baruch. At Tahpanhes, God tells Jeremiah to hide stones near Pharaoh’s house as a sign: Nebuchadnezzar will establish his throne there, bringing conquest and destruction upon Egypt and its gods.

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1When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,
2then Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You shall not go into Egypt to live there;’
3but Baruch the son of Neriah has turned you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.”
4So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, didn’t obey the LORD’s voice, to dwell in the land of Judah.
5But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah, who had returned from all the nations where they had been driven, to live in the land of Judah—
6the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
7They came into the land of Egypt, for they didn’t obey the LORD’s voice; and they came to Tahpanhes.
8Then the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
9“Take great stones in your hand and hide them in mortar in the brick work which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah.
10Tell them, the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his royal pavilion over them.
11He will come, and will strike the land of Egypt; such as are for death will be put to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as are for the sword to the sword.
12I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt. He will burn them, and carry them away captive. He will array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment; and he will go out from there in peace.
13He will also break the pillars of Beth Shemesh that is in the land of Egypt; and he will burn the houses of the gods of Egypt with fire.’”
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Key verses
Jeremiah 43:7The arrival at Tahpanhes marks the people’s deliberate refusal to obey God’s command to remain in Judah.
Jeremiah 43:2The leaders reject Jeremiah’s authority by denying that God sent the very command they refuse to follow.
Jeremiah 43:10God names Nebuchadnezzar as his servant, placing Egypt’s coming conquest under his rule and giving the hidden stones their meaning.
Where this chapter reaches

Isaiah shares warnings against trusting Egypt for safety, while Ezekiel also names Nebuchadnezzar in prophecies of judgment against Egypt. Exodus shares the theme of God’s judgment on Egypt’s gods, a link sharpened here by the announced burning of their houses and breaking of their pillars.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What do the accusations against Jeremiah and Baruch reveal about how the leaders respond to God’s command?

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How does the sign of the hidden stones challenge the hope of finding safety in Egypt?

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Questions people ask about Jeremiah 43

Why did the people go to Egypt in Jeremiah 43?

The leaders feared death or captivity at the hands of the Chaldeans and rejected Jeremiah’s command to remain in Judah. They claimed Baruch had turned Jeremiah against them. Johanan and the commanders then took the remnant to Egypt. The narrator identifies this move as disobedience to God’s voice.

What do the hidden stones mean in Jeremiah 43?

God tells Jeremiah to hide large stones in the brickwork at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, where the men of Judah can see. The stones mark the place where God says Nebuchadnezzar will set his throne and royal pavilion. The sign announces Babylonian conquest within Egypt itself.

Why does God call Nebuchadnezzar his servant?

In verse 10, God calls Nebuchadnezzar his servant because the Babylonian king will carry out God’s announced judgment against Egypt. The title describes his role in this act of judgment. It does not establish that Nebuchadnezzar worships Israel’s God or that God approves every action of his reign.

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What the Bible says about fear →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).