So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.
All the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there—The repeated phrase sum panim (שׂוּם פָּנִים, set faces) emphasizes deliberate, willful disobedience. The comprehensive judgment follows: they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence—the threefold covenant curse (herev ra'av dever, חֶרֶב רָעָב דֶּבֶר) repeatedly invoked throughout Jeremiah (14:12, 21:7, 24:10, 27:8, 29:17-18, 32:24, 34:17, 38:2, 44:13).
This triad represents comprehensive judgment: herev (sword) signifies violent death in war; ra'av (famine) indicates agricultural failure and starvation; dever (pestilence/plague) encompasses disease and epidemic. Ironically, these were the very calamities they sought to escape by fleeing to Egypt (v. 14). By choosing Egypt for safety, they encountered the judgment they fled.
The verdict is absolute: none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. The phrase the evil that I will bring (ha-ra'ah asher ani mevi, הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא) identifies Yahweh as the agent of judgment. This was not mere political misfortune but divine retribution for covenant violation. The totality—none shall remain or escape—fulfills the Deuteronomic curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).
Historical Context
This prophecy was literally fulfilled. Jeremiah 44 records the remnant's continued idolatry in Egypt, provoking final judgment. Historical records indicate Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt circa 568 BC (Josephus, Antiquities 10.9.7; see also Jeremiah 43:10-13), bringing the very Babylonian sword they fled. Additionally, Egypt experienced internal conflicts under Pharaoh Apries (Hophra), who was overthrown by Amasis II around 570 BC. The Jewish refugee community faced the sword (war), famine (agricultural disruption), and pestilence (disease outbreaks common in unstable regions). The Elephantine papyri (5th century BC) show a later Jewish community in Egypt, but the generation that fled Judah in 582 BC perished as prophesied. Their fate validated Jeremiah's prophetic authority and demonstrated that fleeing God's will leads to the very destruction one seeks to avoid.
Questions for Reflection
How does the irony of finding in Egypt the exact calamities they fled illustrate that we cannot escape God's judgment through human schemes?
What does the threefold curse (sword, famine, pestilence) teach about the comprehensive nature of covenant judgment?
In what ways might we 'set our faces' toward worldly solutions while fleeing the very place God has called us to remain faithful?
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Analysis & Commentary
All the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there—The repeated phrase sum panim (שׂוּם פָּנִים, set faces) emphasizes deliberate, willful disobedience. The comprehensive judgment follows: they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence—the threefold covenant curse (herev ra'av dever, חֶרֶב רָעָב דֶּבֶר) repeatedly invoked throughout Jeremiah (14:12, 21:7, 24:10, 27:8, 29:17-18, 32:24, 34:17, 38:2, 44:13).
This triad represents comprehensive judgment: herev (sword) signifies violent death in war; ra'av (famine) indicates agricultural failure and starvation; dever (pestilence/plague) encompasses disease and epidemic. Ironically, these were the very calamities they sought to escape by fleeing to Egypt (v. 14). By choosing Egypt for safety, they encountered the judgment they fled.
The verdict is absolute: none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. The phrase the evil that I will bring (ha-ra'ah asher ani mevi, הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא) identifies Yahweh as the agent of judgment. This was not mere political misfortune but divine retribution for covenant violation. The totality—none shall remain or escape—fulfills the Deuteronomic curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).