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Jeremiah 42:16

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then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 16

Johanan and the captains being strongly bent upon going into Egypt, either their affections or politics advising them to take that course, they had a great desire that God should direct them to do so too like Balaam, who, when he was determined to go and curse Israel, asked God leave. Here is, I. The fair bargain that was made between Jeremiah and them about consulting God in this matter (Jer 42:1-6). II. The message at large which God sent them, in answer to their enquiry, in which, 1. They are commanded and encouraged to continue in the land of Judah, and assured that if they did so it should be well with them (Jer 42:7-12). 2. They are forbidden to go to Egypt, and are plainly told that if they did it would be their ruin (Jer 42:13-18). 3. They are charged with dissimulation in their asking what God's will was in this matter and disobedience when they were told what it was; and sentence is accordingly passed upon them (Jer 42:19-22).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 16

חֶרֶב (chereb, H2719) — drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or… יָרֵא (yârêʼ, H3373) — fearing; morally, reverent נָשַׂג (nâsag, H5381) — to reach (literally or figuratively) אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim, H4714) — Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt רָעָב (râʻâb, H7458) — hunger (more or less extensive) דָּאַג (dâʼag, H1672) — be anxious דָּבַק (dâbaq, H1692) — properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit אַחַר (ʼachar, H310) — properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various… מוּת (mûwth, H4191) — to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Jeremiah 44:27rank 5

I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off.

Ezekiel 11:8rank 5

You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you, declares the Lord GOD.

John 11:48rank 3

If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

Jeremiah 42:13rank 2

But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and you thus disobey the voice of the LORD your God,

Deuteronomy 28:15rank 2

If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Deuteronomy 28:45rank 2

All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the LORD your God and keep the commandments and statutes He gave you.

Proverbs 13:21rank 2

Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 28:22rank 2

The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew; these will pursue you until you perish.

Zechariah 1:6rank 2

But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

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