The Migration to Egypt

431 But as soon as Jeremiah , whom the Lord their God had sent , had finished telling all the people all the words of the Lord their God -that is, all these words - 2 Azariah the son of Hoshaiah , and Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah , "You are telling a lie ! The Lord our God has not sent you to say , 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there '; 3 but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans , so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon ." 4 So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces , and all the people , did not obey the voice of the Lord to stay in the land of Judah . 5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the entire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away , in order to reside in the land of Judah - 6 the men , the women , the children , the king's daughters and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan , together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah - 7 and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the Lord ) and went in as far as Tahpanhes .

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 43:1-7

Commentary on Jeremiah 43:1-7

(Read Jeremiah 43:1-7)

Only by pride comes contention, both with God and man. They preferred their own wisdom to the revealed will of God. Men deny the Scriptures to be the word of God, because they are resolved not to conform themselves to Scripture rules. When men will persist in sin, they charge the best actions to bad motives. These Jews deserted their own land, and threw themselves out of God's protection. It is the folly of men, that they often ruin themselves by wrong endeavours to mend their situation.