“And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 42:2 Mean?
The remnant comes to Jeremiah desperate. Jerusalem has fallen. The temple is destroyed. The governor Babylon appointed has been assassinated. They're a handful of survivors surrounded by ruin, terrified of what comes next. And they come to the prophet with what sounds like genuine humility: pray for us. Ask God what we should do. We'll listen.
The language is deferential, almost groveling: "Let our supplication be accepted before thee." They call God "the LORD thy God" — not our God, but yours. There's a distance in that phrasing. They respect Jeremiah's access to God but seem uncertain of their own. The parenthetical is heartbreaking: "for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us." Look at us. Count us. This is all that's left.
On the surface, this looks like a model prayer request — humble, desperate, submitted. But the chapters that follow reveal the devastating truth: they'd already decided what to do before they asked. They wanted to flee to Egypt. When Jeremiah came back ten days later with God's answer — stay in the land, don't go to Egypt — they accused him of lying and went to Egypt anyway. The supplication was theater. The humility was performance.
This is one of the most psychologically honest passages in Scripture. It captures the moment when people go through all the motions of seeking God while having no intention of obeying what He says. They wanted divine confirmation, not divine direction.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever asked God for direction on something you'd already decided? What happened when His answer didn't match your plan?
- 2.What's the difference between seeking God's direction and seeking God's permission for what you've already chosen?
- 3.Why do you think the remnant called God 'the LORD thy God' instead of 'our God'? What does that distance reveal?
- 4.How can you tell whether your posture of submission before God is genuine or performative? What are the honest indicators?
Devotional
You've probably done this. Not consciously, not with bad intentions, but you've done it. You prayed about a decision you'd already made. You asked God for guidance while your bags were packed. You sought counsel from people you knew would agree with you and called it wisdom.
The remnant's request sounds so right. Humble words. Desperate posture. Acknowledge God's prophet. Ask for prayer. Wait for an answer. Every step is correct — except the heart behind it. They didn't want to know what God thought. They wanted God to think what they thought. And when He didn't, they went ahead with their plan anyway.
This is one of the most subtle spiritual dangers there is: using the language of submission to avoid actual submission. Going through the motions of seeking God because it makes you feel responsible, spiritual, covered — while the decision was never really on the table. It's not that you're lying to God. You're lying to yourself.
The test of whether you're genuinely seeking God's direction is simple: are you willing to hear no? Are you willing to hear something you don't want to hear? If the answer has to match the plan you've already made, you're not seeking direction. You're seeking permission. And there's a world of difference between the two.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet,.... That is, some one of them, as the mouth of the whole body, very probably…
We have reason to wonder how Jeremiah the prophet escaped the sword of Ishmael; it seems he did escape, and it was not…
be accepted For mg. See on Jer 36:7.
then spake Azariah See on ch. Jer 42:1.
all the proud men, saying The word in MT.…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture