Jeremiah 43 8

Jeremiah 43:8 kjv

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

Jeremiah 43:8 nkjv

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

Jeremiah 43:8 niv

In Tahpanhes the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 43:8 esv

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes:

Jeremiah 43:8 nlt

Then at Tahpanhes, the LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,

Jeremiah 43 8 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Jeremiah 7:18"The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven..."Condemns worship of Queen of Heaven
Jeremiah 7:30"They have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to pollute it."Abominations in God's house
Jeremiah 19:13"...and have poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger."Provoking God with other gods
Isaiah 9:6"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder..."Prophecy of Messiah
Jeremiah 2:11"Has a nation changed its gods? Yet they are not gods! But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit."Idolatry vs. God's profit
2 Kings 21:3-5"...and set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah... and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them."Manasseh's idolatry
Deuteronomy 17:3"...and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or worshiped the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven..."Prohibits sun/moon worship
Jeremiah 44:17"But rather we will carry out every word that has gone out of our mouth, to offer to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem."Claim to uphold past practice
Jeremiah 44:19"And when we made cakes for the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did our husbands then not know that we were making her cakes for her, and pouring out drink offerings to her?"Accusation against husbands
Jeremiah 17:1"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars..."Judah's sin etched deeply
Acts 17:16-34Paul at Athens confronting idolatry and proclaiming the true God.Contrasting belief systems
Romans 1:21-25God giving them up to dishonorable passions due to idolatry and exchanging the truth for a lie.Consequences of idolatry
1 Corinthians 10:20"No, I will say that what they sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to be sharing with demons."Sacrificing to demons
Galatians 3:1"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?"Israel's foolishness
John 14:15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."Obedience as proof of love
John 10:10"...I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."Christ's abundant life
Matthew 6:33"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."Prioritizing God's kingdom
Jeremiah 42:10-11God's promise to them if they would stay in the land.God's conditional promise
Jeremiah 44:29"And this shall be the sign to you, declares the LORD, that I will punish you in this place..."Sign of punishment
1 John 5:19"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."World under evil influence
2 Thessalonians 2:11"Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false..."Strong delusion from God
Ephesians 5:11"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."Avoid works of darkness

Jeremiah 43 verses

Jeremiah 43 8 Meaning

This verse marks a pivotal moment where the remaining Judean leaders, despite God's pronouncements through Jeremiah, decide to disregard the prophet and pursue their own counsel, fleeing to Egypt. They assert their intention to offer incense and sacrifices to the "Queen of Heaven," explicitly linking their actions to the past practices of their ancestors and rulers, whom they claim found prosperity.

Jeremiah 43 8 Context

Following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile of the remnant of Judah, a group of Judeans, including the military leaders Johanan son of Kareah and Ishmael son of Nethaniah, along with the people, approached the prophet Jeremiah. They claimed to have been spared by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, and requested that Jeremiah inquire of the LORD concerning their path. Jeremiah, after ten days, delivered God's message: stay in the land, and God would build them up and plant them; but if they went to Egypt, they would perish by sword and famine. The people, particularly the women, rejected Jeremiah's prophecy, insisting that their misfortune was due to their ceasing to make offerings to the "Queen of Heaven." They are now carrying out their decision to flee to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them against his will. This action is a direct defiance of God's word and a continuation of the idolatry that brought about their nation's downfall.

Jeremiah 43 8 Word analysis

  • "Then it came to pass,": Marks the unfolding of events. A common narrative phrase.

  • "that Johanan": A specific individual leading the dissent.

  • "son of Kareah,": Identifying his lineage, linking him to prominent families.

  • "and Ishmael": Another significant leader involved in the rebellion.

  • "son of Nethaniah,": Identifying his lineage as well.

  • "and all the proud men": Indicates a collective defiance fueled by arrogance and self-reliance, contrary to true submission to God. This "pride" reflects a rejection of God's humbling actions.

  • "spake unto Jeremiah,": The act of addressing the prophet, but not in submission.

  • "saying,": Introduces their declaration.

  • "Thou speakest falsely:": A direct accusation against the prophet. They are calling God's messenger a liar.

  • "the LORD our God": A claim of ownership, yet their actions contradict this relationship. They acknowledge Him formally but disregard His commands.

  • "hath not sent thee": A denial of Jeremiah's divine commission. This is a direct challenge to God's authority.

  • "to say,": Introducing their distortion of Jeremiah's message.

  • "That we shall not go": Rejection of the specific instruction from God not to go to Egypt.

  • "into Egypt to sojourn there:": Specifies their intended destination, highlighting their wilful choice.

  • "But Baruch": Implicating another individual, potentially associating him with misleading Jeremiah or having ulterior motives.

  • "the son of Neriah": Identifying Baruch's lineage.

  • "setteth thee on against us,": An accusation that Baruch is instigating Jeremiah to oppose them, casting him as the antagonist.

  • "to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans,": Their fear and primary motivation—to avoid capture by the Babylonians. They believe Jeremiah's message, influenced by Baruch, serves their destruction.

  • "that they might put us to death,": The ultimate fear: complete annihilation.

  • "and carry us away captives into Babylon.": Their worst-case scenario, enslavement in a foreign land.

  • "So Baruch the son of Neriah": Repeating Baruch's identity, emphasizing the focus of their accusation.

  • "heard it, when he spake unto them the words of the LORD in the": Setting the scene where Baruch was relaying Jeremiah's message.

  • "prophet:": Referencing Jeremiah's role.

  • "according to the hearing of the prophet.": Emphasizes that Baruch was merely conveying Jeremiah's message faithfully.

  • Group analysis: The core of this statement is a blatant denial of God's communication through Jeremiah. The "proud men," led by Johanan and Ishmael, choose to believe their own interpretations and fears over the direct word of God. They shift blame to Baruch, revealing their unwillingness to confront the divine truth. Their fear of the Chaldeans overrides their faith in God's provision and protection, a common theme in the book of Jeremiah where fear of men leads to disobedience.

Jeremiah 43 8 Bonus section

This verse is a stark illustration of the principle that refusing to obey God's command, especially when motivated by fear of men or human tradition, leads to destruction. The leaders are so consumed by their fear of the Babylonians and their clinging to what they perceive as the "better" path (fleeing to Egypt, continuing past practices) that they label the true messenger of God as a liar. This mirrors how the Sanhedrin later rejected Jesus, accusing His followers of stealing His body, prioritizing their human structures over divine revelation. Their eventual fate in Egypt, as foretold by Jeremiah, would be a terrible testament to the consequences of this rebellion.

Jeremiah 43 8 Commentary

The defiant stance of Johanan, Ishmael, and the "proud men" exemplifies profound spiritual rebellion. They not only disregard Jeremiah's prophetic message but actively accuse him and his scribe, Baruch, of malicious intent. Their claim that God has not sent Jeremiah reveals their selective faith—acknowledging God’s name while rejecting His voiced commands. This attitude stems from a deeply rooted fear of human adversaries (the Chaldeans) rather than trust in divine sovereignty. Their desire to "sojourn in Egypt" is presented as a pragmatic solution to avoid death, yet it’s framed as an act of obedience to their own will and a misremembered tradition (idolatry to the Queen of Heaven, as per v. 44:15-19) rather than a genuine turning to God for guidance. This verse starkly contrasts faith that trusts God's promises (Jer 42:10-11) with fear that leads to disobedience and further judgment.