Jeremiah 42:11
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 from his hand.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The remnant's fear of 'the king of Babylon' was historically justified by Nebuchadnezzar's reputation for brutal reprisals against rebellion. His campaigns throughout the Levant (605-586 BC) included systematic destruction of resisting cities, mass deportations, and execution of leaders. The murder of Gedaliah (Babylon's appointed governor) and Babylonian officials at Mizpah (41:1-3) would normally trigger severe military response—likely a punitive expedition to crush remaining Jewish population. Ancient Near Eastern empires routinely practiced collective punishment, making the remnant's fear for their lives rational from a human perspective. However, God's promise 'I am with you' trumped these realistic dangers. Similar divine assurances throughout Israel's history consistently proved reliable when trusted: Israel survived Egyptian bondage, wilderness wandering, Canaanite opposition, Philistine threats, and Assyrian invasion when they relied on God's presence and promises. The tragedy was that the remnant, having witnessed Jeremiah's prophecies of judgment against Jerusalem prove accurate, should have trusted his prophecies of protection for the obedient remnant. Instead, they trusted their fear-driven calculations over God's explicit word. Their flight to Egypt (chapter 43) demonstrated that intellectual knowledge of God's past faithfulness doesn't automatically translate to present trust when fear dominates.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's acknowledgment 'of whom ye are afraid' show He understands our fears while still commanding we trust Him rather than be controlled by them?
- What does the promise 'I am with you' teach about the sufficiency of divine presence to overcome even realistic threats?
- Why do believers sometimes trust fear-driven risk assessment more than God's specific promises of protection, even after witnessing His past faithfulness?
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Analysis & Commentary
God directly addresses the remnant's fear: '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 from his hand.' The repetition 'be not afraid...be not afraid' emphasizes the command—fear is disobedience when God promises protection. The phrase 'of whom ye are afraid' acknowledges their terror's reality without validating it; God recognizes their fear but commands them to overcome it through trust. The promise 'for I am with you' echoes assurances given to Abraham (Genesis 26:24), Isaac (Genesis 26:24), Jacob (Genesis 28:15), Moses (Exodus 3:12), Joshua (Joshua 1:5, 9), Gideon (Judges 6:16), and repeatedly throughout Scripture. Divine presence guarantees security regardless of circumstances. The verbs 'to save you, and to deliver you' promise both preservation (salvation from danger) and liberation (deliverance from oppression). The phrase 'from his hand' indicates God's power exceeds Babylon's—Nebuchadnezzar's 'hand' cannot reach what God protects. This verse offers what the remnant desperately needed: assurance that their rational fear (Babylonian reprisal for Gedaliah's assassination) could be overcome through trusting God's specific promise of protection if they remained in Judah. Their subsequent rejection of this promise revealed that fear had become more authoritative than faith.