Verse 3

That the LORD thy God may show us the way in which we may walk, and the thing that we may a do.

(a) This declares the nature of hypocrites who would know of God's word what they should do, but will not follow it, unless it agrees with that thing which they have purposed to do.

Verse 5

Then they said to Jeremiah, b The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

(b) There are as ready to abuse the Name of God and take it in vain as the hypocrites who colour their falsehood, use it without all reverence and make it a means for them to deceive the simple and the godly.

Verse 7

c And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.

(c) Here is declared the vision and the opportunity of it, of which mention was made, (Jeremiah 40:1).

Verse 10

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull [you] down, and I will plant you, and not pluck [you] up: for I d repent of the evil that I have done to you.

(d) {See (Jeremiah 18:8) }

Verse 11

Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I [am] with you to save you, and to deliver you e from his hand.

(e) Because all king's hearts and ways are in his hands, he can turn them and dispose them as it pleases him, and therefore they need not fear man, but only obey God, (Proverbs 21:1).

Verse 16

Then it shall come to pass, [that] the sword, which ye feared, f shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, of which ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

(f) Thus God turns the policy of the wicked to their own destruction: for they thought themselves sure in Egypt, and there Nebuchadnezzar destroyed them and the Egyptians, (Jeremiah 46:25).

Verse 18

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As my anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an horror, and a g curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

(g) Read (Jeremiah 26:6) showing that this would come on them for their infidelity and stubbornness.

Verse 20

For ye were h hypocrites in your hearts, when ye sent me to the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do [it].

(h) For you were fully intending to go into Egypt, whatever God spoke to the contrary.

Verse 22

Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, i in the place where ye desire to go [and] to sojourn.

(i) That is, in Egypt.