Jeremiah 42:22 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 42:22 kjv
Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.
Jeremiah 42:22 nkjv
Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell."
Jeremiah 42:22 niv
So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle."
Jeremiah 42:22 esv
Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live."
Jeremiah 42:22 nlt
So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going."
Jeremiah 42 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Obedience and Disobedience | ||
| Dt 28:15 | But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these curses shall come... | Consequences of disobedience |
| Lev 26:14, 25-26 | But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments... I will bring a sword upon you... | Covenant curses for disobedience |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? | Obedience prioritized over ritual |
| Prov 16:25 | There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. | Deceptive human wisdom leading to destruction |
| Mt 7:26-27 | And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man... great was its fall. | Listening without doing is ruinous |
| Heb 3:17-19 | And with whom was he provoked forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? | Disobedience leads to failure to enter rest |
| Consequences of Going to Egypt | ||
| Jer 43:11 | And he shall strike the land of Egypt, bringing... death to those who are destined for death... | Judahites in Egypt will still face judgment |
| Jer 44:12 | I will set my face against you for disaster, to cut off all Judah, even those who have set their faces to come... | Judgment for those who went to Egypt |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine... and flee to Egypt..." | Trusting Egypt leads to shame |
| Isa 31:1 | Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots... but do not look... | Relying on Egypt instead of God is woe |
| Ezek 29:16 | It shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, reminding them of their iniquity... | Egypt will cease to be Israel's false hope |
| Divine Judgment Triad: Sword, Famine, Pestilence | ||
| Ezek 5:12 | A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine... and a third part shall fall by the sword... | Standard covenant curses |
| Jer 14:12 | Though they fast, I will not hear their cry... I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. | God rejects offerings when judgment is due |
| Jer 24:10 | And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence among them, till they are utterly destroyed... | A common list of devastating judgments |
| Rev 6:8 | And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, with pestilence... | Apocalyptic judgment reflecting OT curses |
| God's Sure Word and Foreknowledge | ||
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said... | God's word is reliable and unwavering |
| Isa 55:11 | so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty... | God's word will accomplish its purpose |
| Dt 18:22 | If the prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the word does not come to pass... | A prophet's true word is always fulfilled |
| Jer 28:9 | When the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet. | Fulfillment confirms a true prophet |
| Ez 12:28 | Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words will be delayed any longer...' | God's judgments will not be postponed |
| Consequences of Deceptive Hearts | ||
| Jer 17:9-10 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick... I the LORD search the heart and test the mind... | God sees through human pretense |
| Mt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other... | Cannot serve God and personal desires |
Jeremiah 42 verses
Jeremiah 42 22 meaning
Jeremiah 42:22 conveys a definitive and somber divine pronouncement to the Judean remnant: their assured fate of death if they proceed to Egypt, a place they perceive as a refuge. Despite their solemn oath to obey God's guidance, their hearts were inclined toward Egypt. God, through Jeremiah, exposes this predisposition and unequivocally states that their presumed place of safety will become the location of their demise through the dire consequences of warfare, starvation, and disease, all resulting from their willful disobedience to His direct command.
Jeremiah 42 22 Context
Jeremiah 42 occurs after the fall of Jerusalem (587/586 BC) and the assassination of Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor. The surviving Judean remnant, fearing Babylonian retaliation and seeking stability, approached Jeremiah with Johanan leading them. They implored Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord for guidance on whether to stay in Judah or migrate to Egypt, solemnly vowing to obey whatever the Lord commanded (Jer 42:1-6). After ten days of seeking the Lord, Jeremiah delivered God's explicit answer: stay in Judah, and God would bless and protect them (Jer 42:9-12); but if they chose to go to Egypt, motivated by fear and distrust of God, they would face disaster, including the very sword, famine, and pestilence they sought to escape (Jer 42:13-17). Jeremiah 42:22 is the emphatic concluding statement of this divine warning, underscoring the certainty of the grim fate awaiting them in Egypt because their professed obedience was a facade for their already predetermined intention to go there.
Jeremiah 42 22 Word analysis
- Now therefore: This adverbial phrase, wa‘attah (וְעַתָּה), functions as a logical connector, drawing a conclusion from the preceding discourse (God's clear warning in Jer 42:9-17) and introducing the inescapable consequence. It marks the transition to a firm, decisive verdict.
- know certainly: The Hebrew phrase yādoʿa tēdʿū (יָדוֹעַ תֵּדְעוּ) is a powerful construction using an infinitive absolute before the finite verb, literally meaning "to know, you shall know." This idiomatic form is employed to emphasize certainty, ensuring there is no doubt or room for misunderstanding about the impending judgment. It underscores divine resolve.
- that you shall die: The verb tāmūṭū (תָּמֻתוּ) is in the masculine plural, addressing the entire group seeking guidance, indicating a collective fate. It is a direct and blunt declaration of an inevitable outcome for disobedience, contrasting with their hope for "living" (v. 22, v. 10) in Egypt.
- by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence: This triad—baḥerev, bārā'āv, ūvaddever (בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר)—is a recurring formula throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos) signifying a complete and devastating divine judgment against covenant unfaithfulness. These are the classic agents of God's wrath, demonstrating His sovereignty over life and death, even in a foreign land.
- in the place where you desire to go to live: The phrase ba'ǎšer ʾattem ḥăpēṣīm lāgūr šām (בַּאֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם חֲפֵצִים לָגוּר שָׁם) pinpoints their intended destination, Egypt, but also highlights the tragic irony. They desired (ḥăpēṣīm) to go there to live (lāgūr šām), seeking security and life. However, God declares that this very place, chosen against His will, will become the scene of their death. This illustrates a severe polemic against trusting human will and foreign protection over divine command, as their "refuge" would become their grave.
Jeremiah 42 22 Bonus section
The remnant's desire (חפץ - chaphets) to go to Egypt was not a mere preference but indicated a deeply rooted inclination, reflecting a long-standing historical pattern of Israel looking to Egypt for political and military security instead of Yahweh. This act of seeking security elsewhere, rather than trusting in God's explicit promises of protection and blessing in the land, revealed their true lack of faith despite their verbal commitment to obey. This verse, therefore, is not merely a prophecy of doom but a profound indictment of a disobedient heart that had already decided its path before consulting God. The explicit contrast between "live" (Jer 42:10) and "die" (Jer 42:22) underpins the theological choice at hand: life with God's presence in Judah versus death in an ungodly land of their own choosing.
Jeremiah 42 22 Commentary
Jeremiah 42:22 is the grim climax of God's response to the remnant, a sharp counterpoint to their initial plea and false piety. Having explicitly warned them against going to Egypt and promised protection if they remained in Judah, this verse lays bare the inevitable consequences of their impending disobedience. The repetition of the certainty ("know certainly") emphasizes the divine immutability and the absence of any ambiguity regarding their fate. The three instruments of judgment—sword, famine, and pestilence—are not arbitrary but are frequently invoked by God as His means of corrective and retributive justice in the Old Testament, signifying a comprehensive desolation. The cruel irony highlighted in the verse is that the very place they desired to go to live would become their place of death, an outcome of rejecting divine guidance for human pragmatism. This illustrates the futility of seeking security and life outside God's prescribed path, underscoring His sovereignty and the perilous nature of self-reliance veiled by supposed obedience.