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Jeremiah 42:4-6
Jeremiah promises to report God’s full answer, and the people call God as witness that they will obey it.
Meaning in context
Jeremiah promises to report God’s full answer, and the people call God as witness that they will obey it.
Section 2 of 6
Jeremiah agrees and they pledge obedience
Jeremiah promises to report God’s full answer, and the people call God as witness that they will obey it.
Movement
Warning before Jerusalem falls
Artifact
Prophetic lament and new covenant promise
Biblical Timeline
Kingdom
Jeremiah context: 1000 BC - 586 BC
Biblical Timeline
Kingdom
Jeremiah context
Kingdom / 1000 BC - 586 BC
Jeremiah context is set in the kingdom period, where Israel's monarchy from David and Solomon to exile.
Scripture Text
Thesis
Jeremiah promises to report God’s full answer, and the people call God as witness that they will obey it.
Verse by Verse
Jeremiah accepts the request and promises full disclosure Jeremiah responds as “the prophet,” saying he has listened. He commits to pray to Yahweh “your God” in line with what they asked. He also promises that whatever answer comes, he will report it to them and not hold anything back.
The people swear Yahweh as witness to their obedience They answer Jeremiah with a solemn pledge. They call Yahweh a “true and faithful witness” among them, invoking divine testimony against them if they fail to act according to all the message Yahweh sends through Jeremiah.
They pledge obedience regardless of outcome, aiming at their welfare They state the commitment in broad terms: whether the word seems “good” or “evil,” they will obey Yahweh’s voice—the God to whom they are sending Jeremiah. They give a reason: they expect it to go well for them when they obey.
Literary Context
This moment sits inside a larger scene where survivors after Jerusalem’s fall seek guidance about what to do next. Just before these verses, they ask Jeremiah to pray and to tell them the way they should go and what they should do. In vv. 4–6, the passage slows down to establish roles and commitments: Jeremiah as an intermediary who will ask and then fully report, and the people as those who promise obedience ahead of time. The following verses (Jeremiah 42:7–22) will test whether their stated willingness matches their later choices.
Historical Context
The setting is Judah after Babylon’s conquest and the destruction of Jerusalem, when the remaining population is fearful and unstable. Leadership has shifted to small bands and local commanders, and there is strong pressure to choose a survival strategy, including the possibility of fleeing to Egypt or staying in the land under Babylonian oversight. In this insecure context, the group approaches Jeremiah as an established prophetic voice, seeking a clear word from Yahweh about their next step and attempting to bind themselves to follow it, whatever it may be.
Theological Significance
Jeremiah 42:4–6 presents a clear exchange of roles and promises. Jeremiah, identified as a prophet, agrees to take the people’s request to in prayer and commits to report back he receives in answer. The people respond with a solemn pledge that they will do “all the word” that Yahweh sends through Jeremiah. They even call on Yahweh to serve as a reliable witness against them if they refuse.
Questions
Keep Studying
Explicitly in the text, both sides frame the coming guidance as Yahweh’s “word” delivered through Jeremiah, and the people tie obedience to hoped-for well-being.
One question is what the people mean by calling Yahweh “your God” (v. 4–5) and then “our God” (v. 6). Some read “your God” as respectful wording toward Jeremiah while still claiming loyalty. Others hear a hint of emotional or covenant distance at first (“your God”), with “our God” in v. 6 sounding more committed.
A second question is the phrase “whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (v. 6). Some understand it as “pleasant or unpleasant” from their point of view. Others take it as “beneficial or harmful outcomes,” meaning they will obey even if the instruction seems to bring loss.
A third question is the line “a true and faithful witness among us” (v. 5). Some take it generally: God will verify the sincerity of their vow. Others think it is specifically a self-curse: they are asking God to testify against them if they disobey.
Why the disagreement exists The Hebrew allows more than one nuance in relational language (“your”/“our”), value terms (“good/evil”), and legal-sounding witness language. The immediate narrative later tests their pledge, which can make interpreters listen for signs of either sincerity or hidden reluctance already present here.
What this passage clearly contributes This passage highlights two linked themes: (1) prophetic mediation is portrayed as prayerful inquiry plus faithful reporting (“I will keep nothing back”), and (2) the people’s stated ideal is total obedience to Yahweh’s voice, not selective obedience based on whether the message feels advantageous. It also connects obedience with expected “well-being,” showing that the group believes their future depends on responding rightly to Yahweh’s word (see Jeremiah 42:4–6).
word (had·dā·ḇār)