Jeremiah Prophesies to the Jews in Egypt

441 The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt , those who were living in Migdol , Tahpanhes , Memphis , and the land of Pathros , saying , 2 "Thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , 'You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah ; and behold , this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them, 3 because e of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices and to serve other gods whom they had not known , neither they, you, nor your fathers . 4 'Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets , again and again , saying , "Oh , do not do this abominable thing which I hate ." 5 'But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness , so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods . 6 'Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem , so they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day . 7 'Now then thus says the Lord God of hosts , the God of Israel , "Why are you doing great harm to yourselves , so as to cut off from you man and woman , child and infant , from among Judah , leaving yourselves without remnant , 8 provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands , burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt , where e you are entering to reside , so that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth ? 9 "Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers , the wickedness of the kings of Judah , and the wickedness of their wives , your own wickedness , and the wickedness of your wives , which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem ? 10 "But they have not become contrite even to this day , nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes , which I have set before you and before your fathers ."' 11 "Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , 'Behold , I am going to set My face against you for woe , even to cut off all Judah . 12 'And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there , and they will all meet their end in the land of Egypt ; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine . Both small and great will die by the sword and famine ; and they will become a curse , an object of horror , an imprecation and a reproach . 13 'And I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt , as I have punished Jerusalem , with the sword , with famine and with pestilence . 14 'So there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah , to which they are longing e to return and live ; for none will return except e a few refugees .' "

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 44:1-14

Commentary on Jeremiah 44:1-14

(Read Jeremiah 44:1-14)

God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you love your own souls, do not, for it is destructive to them. Let conscience do this for us in the hour of temptation. The Jews whom God sent into the land of the Chaldeans, were there, by the power of God's grace, weaned from idolatry; but those who went by their own perverse will into the land of the Egyptians, were there more attached than ever to their idolatries. When we thrust ourselves without cause or call into places of temptation, it is just with God to leave us to ourselves. If we walk contrary to God, he will walk contrary to us. The most awful miseries to which men are exposed, are occasioned by the neglect of offered salvation.