Jeremiah 44:28

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²⁰Then Jeremiah said to all the people who were answering him, both men and women, ²¹"As for the incense you burned in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem-you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land-did the LORD not remember and bring this to mind? ²²So the LORD could no longer endure the evil deeds and detestable acts you committed, and your land became a desolation, a horror, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as it is today. ²³Because you burned incense and sinned against the LORD, and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in His instruction, His statutes, and His testimonies, this disaster has befallen you, as you see today." ²⁴Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all those of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. ²⁵This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words, "We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows! ²⁶Nevertheless, hear the word of the LORD, all you Jews living in Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that My name will never again be invoked by anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "As surely as the Lord GOD lives." ²⁷I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off. ²⁸Those who escape the sword will return from Egypt to Judah, few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah who went to dwell in the land of Egypt will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs!²⁹This will be a sign to you, declares the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, so you may know that My threats of harm against you will surely stand.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a small: Jeremiah 44:14, Isaiah 10:19, Isaiah 10:22, Isaiah 27:12, Isaiah 27:13

shall know: Jeremiah 44:16, Jeremiah 44:17, Jeremiah 44:25, Jeremiah 44:26, Jeremiah 44:29, Numbers 14:28, Numbers 14:29, Numbers 14:41, Psalms 33:11, Isaiah 14:24-27, Isaiah 28:16-18, Isaiah 46:10, Isaiah 46:11, Lamentations 3:37, Lamentations 3:38, Zechariah 1:6, Matthew 24:35

mine, or theirs: Heb. from me or them

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:38 - General Numbers 11:23 - thou shalt 2 Kings 10:10 - fall unto the earth Psalms 119:21 - cursed Isaiah 4:2 - them that are escaped Isaiah 9:9 - And all Isaiah 19:17 - the land Isaiah 24:13 - there Isaiah 26:11 - they shall Isaiah 28:18 - your covenant Isaiah 37:31 - remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah Jeremiah 36:28 - General Jeremiah 39:16 - Behold Jeremiah 42:17 - none Jeremiah 44:7 - to leave Jeremiah 44:13 - General Jeremiah 51:50 - escaped Ezekiel 6:8 - General Ezekiel 6:10 - General Ezekiel 7:16 - they Ezekiel 12:28 - There shall Obadiah 1:17 - deliverance

Cross-References

Genesis 37:33
His father recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!"

Genesis 42:36
Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is happening against me!"

Genesis 42:38
But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow."

Genesis 44:13
Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

Genesis 44:14
When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet a small number that shall escape the sword,.... The sword of the king of Babylon, and the other judgments, and which would be but very few; "men of number" k, as in the Hebrew text, which might easily be numbered; Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah, and some few righteous persons among them, as Kimchi and Abarbinel observe:

shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah; they shall make their escape out of the land of Egypt, whither they did not go willingly; and, by one providence or another, shall come back to their native country, the land of Judea, When the rest will not; which must be a distinguishing your to them:

and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know what words shall stand, mine or theirs; those that are left of the sword, famine, and pestilence, shall know experimentally, by facts laid down, whose words have their effect and accomplishment, stand firm and sure; whether theirs, that promised impunity and safety, peace and prosperity, in their idolatrous practices; or the Lord's, which threatened with ruin and destruction. The Lord is true, and every man a liar; whatever devices are in a man's heart, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

k מתי מספר "viri numeri", Montanus, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Earnest as was the preceding expostulation, Jeremiah sees that it has produced no effect. He therefore utters his last warning, and with this last resistance to the sins of a debased and godless people, his earthly ministry closed.

Jeremiah 44:25

And fulfilled with your hand - Your hands. Jeremiah pointed to their hands, in which they were carrying the crescent-shaped cakes which they had vowed to the goddess. Their idolatry therefore was an accomplished deed, as the symbols held in their hands testified.

Ye will surely accomplish - Or, Accomplish then your vows. It is not a prediction, but is ironical, and means that as they will take no warning, they must needs have their way.

Jeremiah 44:26

My name shall no more be named ... - God swears by His own great Name that He will be their national God no longer. Yahweh repudiates His covenant-relation toward them.

Jeremiah 44:27

I will watch - I am watching over them, not for good, but for evil: like a panther Jeremiah 5:6 lying in wait to spring upon passengers.

Shall be consumed - This is the result of Yahweh’s repudiation of thee covenant. When He was their God He watched over them for good: now His protection is withdrawn, and He is their enemy, because of the wickedness whereby their rejection was made necessary. See the Jeremiah 6:9 note.

Jeremiah 44:28

Literally, “And fugitives from the sword (see Jeremiah 44:14) shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, mere of number, i. e., so few that they can be counted: and all the remnant of Jadah that are going etc.” So unendurable shall be their sufferings in Egypt, that the men now abandoning Judaea in the hope of finding an asylum there shall be glad to return like runaways from a lost battle.

Whose words ... - Whose word shall stand, from Me or from them, i. e., the one prediction, that their descent into Egypt would be their ruin, which they denied.

Jeremiah 44:30

Pharaoh-Hophra came to the throne the year before Jerusalem was captured. He reigned for 19 years, probably the last 10 years as a prisoner. See the notes at Jeremiah 37:5; notes at Jeremiah 46:12.