Chapter 42
Instruction of the remnant
Lecture 1
The remnant asks for prayers
42:1 And all the captains of the men of war, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, the son of Hoshaiah, and the rest of the people, from the least to the greatest, came near,
42:2 and they said to Jeremiah the prophet, ‘Let our supplication be accepted before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant, for we have been left a few from many, as your eyes see us.
42:3 And let the Lord your God tell us the way by which we should go, and the word which we should do.’
42:4 But Jeremiah said to them, ‘Listen. Behold, I shall pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and shall tell you every word that he shall answer me, and I shall hide nothing from you.’
42:5 And they said to Jeremiah, ‘Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to every word with which the Lord your God shall send you to us.
42:6 Whether it is good, or whether it is evil, we shall obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we shall hearken to the voice of the Lord our God.’
213 . Here, the instruction of the gathered people begins, and it is divided into two parts.
First, the general instruction of the people is spoken of;
second, the particular instruction of Baruch, the word that Jeremiah spoke to Baruch (Jer 45:1).
Concerning the former, there are two points.
First, the prophet’s instruction is given;
second, the objection of the people, at it came to pass when Jeremiah finished speaking to the people (Jer 43:1).
Concerning the former, there are two points.
First, the request for instruction is given;
second, the instruction, at now, when ten days were accomplished (Jer 42:7).
Concerning the former, there are two points.
First, they seek the intercession of prayer when the petition is spoken of: let our supplication be accepted before you , as though saying, “Let it have a place with you.” The prayer of the one who humbles himself shall penetrate the clouds, and until it draws nigh he shall not be consoled, and he will not depart until the Most High behold (Sir 35:21). By this they gain his benevolence. And pray for us , when they seek kindness. Raise a prayer, therefore, for the remnant which is left (Isa 37:4). For we have been left a few , by which they turn him towards mercy. You shall be left few in number, who before were like the stars of heaven for number (Deut 28:62).
And tell , by which they express their longing for the fruit of prayer. The Lord . Should not the people seek a vision of their God for the living and the dead? (Isa 8:19). The way , because they had decided not to go to Egypt. Above: a man’s way is not his own, nor does it pertain to a man to walk and direct his steps (Jer 10:23). Since we know not what we should do, this only have we left, that we should direct our eyes to you (2 Chr 20:12).
The promise of the prophet is also spoken of, at but Jeremiah said . For he promises prayers: behold, I . Far be this sin against the Lord from me, that I should cease praying for you (1 Sam 12:23). And the declaration: and shall tell you every word that he shall answer me . For I have not spared to declare to you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
Second, they make a promise of obedience, which they were not going to keep: and they said . Likewise, Exodus 19:8, all that the Lord has spoken to us we shall do .
Lecture 2
God’s promises to the remnant
42:7 Now, when ten days were accomplished, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
42:8 And he called Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the men of war who were with him, and all the people, from the least to the greatest.
42:9 And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, to whom you sent me that I should lay your prayers before him:
42:10 if you shall remain quiet in this land, I shall build you up, and not pull you down. I shall plant, and not pull up, for now I am appeased for the evil which I have done to you.
42:11 Do not fear because of the king of Babylon, of whom you are greatly afraid. Do not fear him, says the Lord , for I am with you, and I shall save you, and rescue you out of his hand.
42:12 And I shall give you mercies, and I shall have mercy upon you, and I shall make you to dwell in your own land.
42:13 But if you should say, ‘We will not dwell in this land, neither shall we listen to the voice of the Lord our God,’
42:14 saying, ‘By no means, but we shall go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war, and we shall not hear the sound of the trumpet, and we shall not endure famine, and we shall dwell there.’
42:15 Because of this, now hear the word of the Lord to the remnant of Judah: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: if you should set your face to enter Egypt, and you enter and live there,
42:16 the sword which you fear shall take you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, which you fear, shall cleave to you in Egypt, and there you shall die.
42:17 And all the men who set their face that they should enter Egypt, to live there, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and pestilence; none of them shall remain, neither shall they escape from before the evil which I shall bring upon them.
42:18 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘As my indignation was poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my indignation be poured out upon you when you have entered Egypt; and you shall be as an oath, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and by no means shall you see this place again.’
42:19 The word of the Lord is upon you, O remnant of Judah: do not enter Egypt. Know certainly that I have adjured you this day,
42:20 for you have deceived your own souls. For you sent me to the Lord our God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all whatsoever the Lord our God shall say to you, tell us, and we shall do it.’
42:21 And I have told it to you this day, and you have not listened to the voice of the Lord your God concerning everything for which he sent me to you.
42:22 Now, therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, and by famine and pestilence, in the place into which you desired to enter, to dwell therein.
214 . Here, the instruction is given; concerning this, there are three points.
First, he speaks of the authority of the one revealing this: thus says the Lord , as a mediator between you and God, bearing your prayers to God and his response to you. I was a mediator, and stood between you and God at that time, that I might tell you his words (Deut 5:5).
Second, he exhorts them to a quiet life in two ways.
By excluding the evils of a divine punishment, when he speaks of the promise: I shall build you up , by conferring good things: I shall plant , by strengthening. And when he excludes any hindrance: for now I am appeased . And the Lord was appeased, that he should not do evil against his people (Exod 32:14). He shall not be angry forever, neither shall he always threaten (Ps 102:9).
And he excludes the fear of persecution by the enemy when he guarantees their security: do not fear . Who are you to fear a mortal man, and a son of man, who shall wither away as the grass? (Isa 51:12).
And he promises them help: for I am with you . Above: the Lord is with me, as a mighty man of war; therefore, those who persecute me shall fall and be weak; they shall be greatly ashamed, for they have not understood the eternal reproach, which shall never be blotted out (Jer 20:11). The Lord God is my helper, therefore, I shall not be put to shame (Isa 50:7).
[St. Thomas was unable to complete his literal commentary on Jeremiah before his death.]