Bible Glide

Jeremiah 43

Jeremiah 43 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Jeremiah 43 records a hard turn in Judah's story. After hearing God's warning, the leaders accuse Jeremiah of lying and take the remnant to Egypt anyway. There, God gives Jeremiah a sign and announces that Egypt itself will fall under Babylon's power.

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What happens in Jeremiah 43?

When Jeremiah finishes delivering the LORD's word, Azariah, Johanan, and other proud leaders reject his message and claim he is speaking falsely. They accuse Baruch of influencing Jeremiah and lead the whole remnant, including Jeremiah and Baruch, into Egypt against God's command. Once they arrive at Tahpanhes, the LORD tells Jeremiah to hide stones in the pavement at Pharaoh's palace as a sign. God declares that Nebuchadnezzar will come to Egypt, set his throne there, defeat the land, and destroy its temples and idols.

This chapter follows Jeremiah 42, where the remnant asked Jeremiah to seek God's guidance about whether they should stay in Judah. Jeremiah then warned them not to go to Egypt. Chapter 43 shows their refusal to accept that answer and the start of their journey south. It also begins a new oracle against Egypt, showing that leaving Judah does not put them beyond God's reach.

Themes to notice

  • Rejecting God's wordThe leaders choose their own judgment over the message Jeremiah has brought from the LORD.
  • Disobedience and exileThe remnant's move to Egypt shows fear-driven disobedience instead of trust and patience.
  • God rules the nationsEven in Egypt, the LORD announces judgment and shows that foreign powers are still under His control.

Questions for Jeremiah 43

  • Why did the leaders refuse to believe Jeremiah's warning about going to Egypt?
  • What does the sign with the buried stones at Tahpanhes communicate about God's message?
  • How does this chapter show that God's authority reaches beyond Judah into Egypt?

Read the full text of Jeremiah 43 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Jeremiah 43

Jeremiah Taken to Egypt

1When Jeremiah had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God—everything that the LORD had sent him to say—2Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to reside there.’3Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, so that they may put us to death or exile us to Babylon!”

4So Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces disobeyed the command of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah.5Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the whole remnant of Judah, those who had returned to the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been scattered,6the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and everyone whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had allowed to remain with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as well as Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.7So they entered the land of Egypt because they did not obey the voice of the LORD, and they went as far as Tahpanhes.

8Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes:9“In the sight of the Jews, pick up some large stones and bury them in the clay of the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes.10Then tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones that I have embedded, and he will spread his royal pavilion over them.11He will come and strike down the land of Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword.12I will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar will burn those temples and take their gods as captives. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself in his garment, and he will depart from there unscathed.13He will demolish the sacred pillars of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

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