Bible Strands
Jeremiah 42:1
Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — All the military commanders, led by Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, approach the prophet Jeremiah at Mizpah following the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. They stand with the entire surviving remnant, from the lowest to the highest, to formally present a request for divine direction.
The words — The verb וַֽיִּגְּשׁוּ (va/yi.geshu) literally means "and they approached," denoting a deliberate physical movement toward a place of counsel or mediation. The noun phrase כָּל־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים (kol-sa'arei ha-chayalim) identifies "all the commanders of the armies," highlighting the complete military leadership's unified action.
The thread — This assembly of military leaders corresponds to the gathering at Mizpah in Jeremiah 40:13 and anticipates the subsequent conflict in Jeremiah 41:11 involving the same commanders. The collective posture of the remnant contrasts with Jeremiah 6:13, where leaders from the least to the greatest pursue personal gain rather than divine guidance.
Why it lands — The text requires recognition that post-disaster survival forces military leadership to seek prophetic mediation instead of relying on strategic autonomy. It demands that readers observe how crisis conditions strip away self-sufficiency and compel authority figures to submit to external divine instruction.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 6:13 “For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
- Jeremiah 40:13 Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah
- Jeremiah 41:11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,
- Jeremiah 40:8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
- Jeremiah 42:8 and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.
- Jeremiah 44:12 And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have resolved to go to the land of Egypt to reside there; they will meet their end. They will all fall by the sword or be consumed by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine; and they will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and reproach.
- Jeremiah 8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
- Acts 8:10 and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
- 2 Kings 25:23 When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.
- Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.