Jeremiah 42:5

Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. THE LORD BE A TRUE ... WITNESS BETWEEN US - (; ; ; ; )....

It hence appears that the people understood for what purpose Jeremiah, before he consulted God, assured them of his faithfulness and sincerity; for it was not without reason that they promised to be obedient to God; but as they saw that they were suspected as being not sincere by Jeremiah, and as he had promised to be a true and faithful teacher, they on the other hand declared that they would be sincere disciples, and would receive whatever God might command them. But they soon betrayed their perfidy, for when they heard that what they had resolved to do did not please God, they not only rejected the counsel of God and the Prophet, but treated him insolently, and even loaded the holy man with reproaches, as though he had told them what was false. Their hypocrisy ought at the same time to be a lesson to us, so that when God is pleased through a singular favor to shew us the way of acting...

1-6 To serve a turn, Jeremiah is sought out, and the captains ask for his assistance. In every difficult, doubtful case, we must look to God for direction; and we may still, in faith, pray to be guided by a spirit of wisdom in our hearts, and the leadings of Providence. We do not truly desire to know the mind of God, if we do not fully resolve to comply with it when we know it. Many promise to do what the Lord requires, while they hope to have their pride flattered, and their favourite lusts spared. Yet something betrays the state of their hearts....

Verse Jeremiah 42:5. _THE LORD BE A TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS_] The Lord is such; and as ye have bound yourselves to obey his voice, he will register the covenant, and bless or curse according as ye shall conduct yourselves in this matter....

BETWEEN US - Against us, as in Jeremiah 42:19 (margin.) ACCORDING TO ALL THINGS - literally, “according to the whole word as to which Yahweh thy God shall send thee to us.”...

EXPOSITION Jeremiah receives a request to inquire of God concerning the proposed emigration, and a "word of the Lord" follows. JEREMIAH 42:1 JEZANIAH THE SON OF HOSHAIAH. For "Jezaniah," the Septuagint has "Azariah," the name given in the Hebrew text of Jeremiah 43:2. JEREMIAH 42:2 SAID UNTO JEROMIAH THE PROPHET. Jeremiah, we have been already told, was one of the refugees at Mizpah (Jeremiah 40:6), and consequently was forced into the train of Ishmael ...

THEN THEY SAID TO JEREMIAH, THE LORD BE A TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS BETWEEN US,.... Which is the form of an oath; a solemn appeal to God, as a witness to what they were about to say, and to the sincerity of their hearts in it; who is true to his word, and faithful to his promises and threatenings; and who bears a true and faithful testimony, and will do what is just and right; and yet these people never intended to perform what they promised; which is a most shocking piece of atheism in a professing people; and who, at this very time, could not but observe the judgments of God upon their nation, city, and temple: IF WE DO NOT EVEN ACCORDING TO ALL THINGS FOR THE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL SEND THEE TO US; they promise to do everything the Lord should signify by the prophet as his will; and, if they did not, wish the severest judgments of God might fall upon them....

CHAPTER 42 _ 1. Jeremiah the intercessor (Jeremiah 42:1) _ 2. The answer from Jehovah (Jeremiah 42:7) Jeremiah 42:1. The remnant, the few who were left after the terrible happenings recorded in the preceding chapter were now cast upon the Lord and besought the prophet to pray for them: “That the LORD thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.” They believed in Jeremiah as a man of God. He promises to do so, and when the answer comes he will not keep back anything. Jeremiah 42:7. The answer came ten days later. Then the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah. If

JEREMIAH 42:1 TO JEREMIAH 43:7. THE MIGRATION INTO EGYPT. Jeremiah is asked by the leaders (Jeremiah 42:1 _mg.,_ with LXX) and the people to seek Yahweh's guidance, which they solemnly (Jeremiah 42:5 _mg._) promise to follow (Jeremiah 42:1). After ten days, the Divine revelation comes to the prophet and is communicated to the people, to the effect that they are to remain in Judah, where Yahweh promises to protect them from the Babylonians; their hope of prosperity in Egypt will be found delusive; Yahweh will treat them in Egypt as He has

_amongst_ better, as mg. _against_, i.e. to bear witness and punish us if we fail to do our part as we now promise. _from all the nations_ These words, as implying a much wider dispersion of inhabitants of the Southern kingdom than had actually taken place, may be a scribe's insertion from ch. Jeremiah 40:11 f. The LXX omit "from all the nations … driven....