Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 42

Verses 1-22

Jeremiah opposes going to Egypt (42:1-22)

As Jeremiah had been living at Mizpah, he was probably among the people who had been captured by Ishmael and who were now thinking of fleeing to Egypt. These people therefore asked him to seek God’s guidance for them (42:1-3). Jeremiah agreed to their request, and they promised to do whatever God said, whether it pleased them or not (4-6).
After ten days Jeremiah received God’s answer, and quickly passed it on to the people (7-9). God’s directions were clear. The people were to stay in the land and were not to fear Babylon. God would give them protection and provision (10-12).
If the people disobeyed, thinking that by going to Egypt they would escape war and hardship, they would be disappointed. God would punish them by bringing upon them in Egypt the war and hardship they had tried to escape (13-17). As the people in Jerusalem had been punished for disobeying God, so would these people, if they rejected God’s word through Jeremiah (18).
Jeremiah knew that the people had already decided to go to Egypt before they asked him for God’s guidance. He therefore warned them of the terrible consequences of their stubbornness (19-22).