Jeremiah 42:21

For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in all He has sent me to tell you.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jeremiah addresses the remnant of Judahites who requested his prayer and promised to obey God’s word. He speaks this rebuke immediately after their pledge and before he pronounces their impending death in Egypt.

The words — שְׁמַעְתֶּם (she.ma'.Tem) translates literally as "you have listened" or obeyed, paired with בְּקוֹל יְהוָה (be.kOl Yah.weh), meaning "to the voice of Yahweh." The verse records that the people failed to act on the specific message Jeremiah delivered that day.

The thread — The pattern of hearing divine instruction yet refusing compliance appears in Ezekiel 2:7 and Zechariah 7:11. The theme of prophetic warning and accountability also runs through Acts 20:26.

Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that hearing God’s word demands immediate obedience, not merely verbal agreement. It asks whether you treat divine instruction as a command to follow or a proposal to evaluate.

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

וָאַגִּ֥דva./'a.Gidand/ I have toldלָכֶ֖םla./Khemto <the>/ youהַיּ֑וֹםhai./Yomthis/ day וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not שְׁמַעְתֶּ֗םshe.ma'.Temyou have listened בְּקוֹל֙be./kOlto/ [the] voice of יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your וּלְכֹ֖לu./le./Kholand/ to/ all אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-that שְׁלָחַ֥נִיshe.la.Cha./nihe sent/ me אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃'a.lei./Khemto/ you

King James Version

And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 2:7 But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.
Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
Acts 20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
Deuteronomy 11:26 See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—
Deuteronomy 29:19 because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
Jeremiah 7:24 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
Ezekiel 3:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
Acts 20:20 I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,