“Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 42:22 Mean?
"Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn." The people asked God's guidance about going to Egypt (verse 2-3). God answered: stay (verse 10). They decided to go anyway (verse 19). Now Jeremiah delivers the consequence: the sword, famine, and pestilence they fled from in Judah will meet them in the Egypt they fled TO. The escape produces the very thing they escaped from.
The phrase "know certainly" (yado'a ted'u — knowing you shall know) is an emphatic warning: this isn't a possibility or a risk assessment. It's a CERTAINTY. Know it with absolute conviction: you will die there. The emphasis eliminates every 'maybe' and 'perhaps.' The outcome is guaranteed.
The "in the place whither ye desire to go" (bammaqom asher chaphatztem lavo lagur sham — in the place where you DESIRED to go to sojourn) is the cruelest irony: the destination they DESIRED — the place they WANTED to go, the location they CHOSE over God's instruction — is where they'll die. Their desire chose their death-place. Their preference selected their grave. The place of desire becomes the place of destruction.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What are you fleeing to that might produce the very consequences you're fleeing from?
- 2.What does judgment following you to your desired destination teach about the impossibility of outrunning God?
- 3.How does asking God's guidance but ignoring His answer describe your relationship with divine instruction?
- 4.What 'desired place' might be your death-place if you go against God's clear direction?
Devotional
You will die — by sword, famine, and pestilence — in the EXACT PLACE you wanted to go. The judgment you fled from in Judah follows you to the Egypt you fled to. The escape route is the death route. The desired destination is the destruction destination.
The 'know certainly' eliminates every hope of exception: God doesn't say 'you might face consequences.' He says KNOW — with absolute certainty, with emphatic doubling — that you will die there. The certainty is the warning. The emphatic knowing is the alarm. The people who asked for guidance and ignored it now receive a certainty they can't escape.
The 'in the place whither ye desire to go' is the irony that kills: the place you DESIRED. The location you CHOSE. The destination your heart was already set on before you asked God's opinion. The asking of God was performative — the decision was already made. And the place your heart desired is the place your body will die. The desire selected the death-place. The wanting chose the grave.
The sword, famine, and pestilence — Jeremiah's signature triad — followed them: the three forms of judgment that destroyed Jerusalem now pursue the refugees to Egypt. You can't outrun divine consequences. The judgment isn't tied to geography. It's tied to the relationship. When you flee God's instruction, the consequences flee with you. The sword doesn't stay in Judah because you moved to Egypt.
What are you fleeing TO that will produce the very consequences you're fleeing FROM?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
We have here the answer which Jeremiah was sent to deliver to those who employed him to ask counsel of God.
I. It did…
Du. (see introd. note to section) considers Jer 42:15-18 as wholly an addition, and Jer 42:9-14 as containing much…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture