431 When Jeremiah finished telling all the people the whole Message that their God had sent him to give them - all these words - 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah, backed by all the self-important men, said to Jeremiah, "Liar! Our God never sent you with this message telling us not to go to Egypt and live there. 3 Baruch son of Neriah is behind this. He has turned you against us. He's playing into the hands of the Babylonians so we'll either end up being killed or taken off to exile in Babylon." 4 Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers, and the people along with them, wouldn't listen to God's Message that they stay in the land of Judah and live there. 5 Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers gathered up everyone who was left from Judah, who had come back after being scattered all over the place - 6 the men, women, and children, the king's daughters, all the people that Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had left in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and last but not least, Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 They entered the land of Egypt in total disobedience of God's Message and arrived at the city of Tahpanhes.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 43:1-7
Commentary on Jeremiah 43:1-7
(Read Jeremiah 43:1-7)
Only by pride comes contention, both with God and man. They preferred their own wisdom to the revealed will of God. Men deny the Scriptures to be the word of God, because they are resolved not to conform themselves to Scripture rules. When men will persist in sin, they charge the best actions to bad motives. These Jews deserted their own land, and threw themselves out of God's protection. It is the folly of men, that they often ruin themselves by wrong endeavours to mend their situation.