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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — YHWH speaks through Jeremiah to the Jewish remnant who have fled to Egypt after Jerusalem's fall. He delivers this declaration during their unauthorized settlement in the land of Egypt.

The words — The Hebrew verb לָקַחְתִּי (la.kach.ti) means "I will take away," and the phrase שׂמוּ פניהם (samu paneyhem) literally translates to "they set their faces," indicating a firm, deliberate resolve.

The thread — This pronouncement echoes the earlier warning in Jeremiah 42:22 that sword, famine, and plague will claim those who insist on going to Egypt, and aligns with Isaiah 65:15 where a name becomes a curse for the disobedient.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that human resolve against divine warning guarantees destruction, leaving no room for self-directed survival strategies.

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

וְלָקַחְתִּ֞יve./la.kach.Tiand/ I will take away אֶת־'et-<obj.>שְׁאֵרִ֣יתshe.'e.Rit[the] remnant of יְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahJudah אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-who שָׂ֨מוּSa.muthey set פְנֵיהֶ֜םfe.nei./Hemfaces/ their לָב֣וֹאla./Vo'to/ go אֶֽרֶץ־'e.retz-[the] land of מִצְרַיִם֮mitz.ra.YimEgypt לָג֣וּרla./Gurto/ sojourn שָׁם֒shamthere וְתַ֨מּוּve./Ta.muand/ they will meet their end כֹ֜לkholeveryone בְּאֶ֧רֶץbe./'E.retzin/ [the] land of מִצְרַ֣יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt יִפֹּ֗לוּyi.Po.luthey will fall בַּחֶ֤רֶבba./Che.revby the/ sword בָּֽרָעָב֙ba./ra.'Avby <the>/ famine יִתַּ֔מּוּyi.Ta.muthey will meet their end מִקָּטֹן֙mi./ka.Tonfrom/ [the] small וְעַד־ve./'ad-and/ unto גָּד֔וֹלga.Dol[the] great בַּחֶ֥רֶבba./Che.revby the/ sword וּבָרָעָ֖בu./va./ra.'Avand/ by <the>/ famine יָמֻ֑תוּya.Mu.tuthey will die וְהָיוּ֙ve./ha.Yuand/ they will become לְאָלָ֣הle./'a.Lah<into>/ an curse לְשַׁמָּ֔הle./sha.Mah<into>/ a horror וְלִקְלָלָ֖הve./li/k.la.Lahand/ <into>/ a curse וּלְחֶרְפָּֽה׃u./le./cher.Pahand/ <into>/ a reproach

King James Version

And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 42:15 then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there,
Jeremiah 42:22 Now therefore, know for sure that by sword and famine and plague you will die in the place where you desire to go to reside.”
Isaiah 65:15 You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.
Isaiah 1:28 But rebels and sinners will together be shattered, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
Jeremiah 18:16 They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.
Jeremiah 29:18 I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.
Jeremiah 29:22 Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
Jeremiah 44:7 So now, this is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves by cutting off from Judah man and woman, child and infant, leaving yourselves without a remnant?
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.