Around Egypt In the previous chapter, we left the remnant of Judah in Egypt, specifically in the city of Tahpanhes. As this chapter opens, it addresses Judeans who are spread out over a wider area: “Migdol, and Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and in the land of Pathros” (Jeremiah 44:1). “Migdol” (meaning “watchtower”) was located nearby. Memphis (Hebrew Noph) was the ancient northern capital of Egypt, not far from modern Cairo. Pathros, on the other hand, was a region, not a city. Egypt had two major regions: the north and south (literally “Lower” and “Upper”, referring to the elevation with Lower being […]

Egypt or Bust In the previous chapter, the people promised they would follow God’s instructions regarding staying in Israel or going to Egypt. Jeremiah passed on his revelation from the Lord, which unambiguously stated to stay. In this chapter, the people respond by going to Egypt. Why? Their excuse is that Jeremiah wasn’t delivering God’s message. Rather, he’d been pressured to give the answer by his scribe. They hadn’t believed Jeremiah when he said Jerusalem would be destroyed. He was proved to be right. Therefore, they come up with a new excuse to not obey. “My Servant” They settle in […]

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.” Jeremiah 42:5-6 The people come to Jeremiah with a question to bring before the Lord: should we flee to Egypt or stay in Israel? It’s a reasonable question. The Babylonian-installed governor […]