Jeremiah 43:6 - the men, and the women, and the children, and the king’s daughters, and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah;

Generated Verse: Jeremiah 43:6

What does "Jeremiah 43:6" mean?


This verse from Jeremiah 43:6 lists the people who were being forcibly taken to Egypt. Let's break it down:

"the men, and the women, and the children": This is a general way to indicate that all segments of the population were being taken - families, not just fighting men.

"and the king's daughters": These were the royal princesses, highlighting that even the elite and protected were not exempt from this forced exile.

"and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan": This is a key part. Gedaliah was appointed by the Babylonians as governor over Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 40:5). Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian captain of the guard, had left a remnant of the population with Gedaliah to rebuild and administer the land. These were likely the poor and those deemed not a threat to Babylonian rule. However, Gedaliah was assassinated (Jeremiah 41).

"and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah": Jeremiah, a prominent prophet who warned of the Babylonian invasion, and his scribe Baruch, were also among this group. Jeremiah had been given the option to go to Babylon or stay in Judah after the fall of Jerusalem, and he chose to stay with Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40:4-6).

In essence, the verse describes a complete cross-section of the remaining population of Judah after the Babylonian conquest, including the prophet Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch, who were being taken against their will to Egypt out of fear and mistrust after Gedaliah's murder. The fear of Babylonian reprisal after Gedaliah's assassination drove the people to seek refuge in Egypt, ignoring Jeremiah's warnings.

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