Jeremiah 42 records the moment a frightened remnant of Judah asks the prophet Jeremiah to seek God’s direction for them, and then refuses to accept the answer they receive. These questions are for small groups, Sunday classes, and personal study. Each set is designed to move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it shapes the way we live.
Jeremiah 42 at a Glance
After Jerusalem has fallen and Gedaliah has been killed, the surviving leaders and people come to Jeremiah. They ask him to pray and to tell them whether to stay in the land or flee to Egypt, promising to obey whatever God says. Ten days pass before the Lord speaks, and the answer is clear: stay in Judah, do not fear the king of Babylon, and God will build them up again.
The chapter turns on a warning. If they go to Egypt, the very disasters they fear will follow them there. Jeremiah closes by reminding them that they made their promise to obey while already intending to do the opposite, and he tells them their fate is now sealed.
Observation Questions
Use these questions at the start of the session to slow the group down and make sure everyone has read the text carefully. Let people answer from the passage itself before anyone offers an interpretation, and resist the urge to explain too quickly.
Q: In verses 1-3, what exactly do the people ask Jeremiah to do for them?
1 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, came near, 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us; 3 that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the things that we should do.”
Jeremiah 42:1-3 (WEB)
They ask Jeremiah to present their supplication before the Lord and to pray that God would show them the way to walk and the things to do. Notice that the request is for guidance, not just for prayer in general. Ask the group to name the two specific things they are asking God to reveal.
Q: In verses 5-6, what promise do the people make, and how strong is it?
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness among us, if we don’t do according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is good, or whether it is bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send you; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”
Jeremiah 42:5-6 (WEB)
They call on the Lord as a true and faithful witness and promise to obey whatever He says, whether it is good or bad. The language is emphatic, with an oath before God. Ask the group to note how sweeping the promise sounds, since the rest of the chapter will test whether it is sincere.
Q: According to verses 9-12, what does God say He will do if the people remain in the land?
9 And said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before him, says: 10 ‘If you will still live in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you. 11 Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Don’t be afraid of him,’ says the LORD: ‘for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to return to your own land.
Jeremiah 42:9-12 (WEB)
God promises to build them and plant them, not pull them down or pluck them up. He also says He grieves over the distress that has come upon them and will grant them mercy. Help the group list the four actions God names, so they can see that the promise is constructive and not merely a delay of judgment.
Q: What warning does the Lord give in verses 15-17 about going into Egypt?
15 Now therefore hear the LORD’s word, O remnant of Judah: The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to live there; 16 then it will happen that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are afraid, will follow close behind you there in Egypt; and you will die there. 17 So will it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to live there. They will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. None of them will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.’
Jeremiah 42:15-17 (WEB)
The sword, famine, and pestilence they fear in Judah will overtake them in Egypt, and none will escape. The warning is specific and repeated, which emphasizes how certain it is. Ask the group why the people might have believed Egypt would be safer, and what fear was driving that belief.
Interpretation Questions
These questions help the group think about what the chapter means in its historical and theological setting. Encourage people to support their answers with the wording of the text. Some groups find it helpful to read the chapter aloud once before starting this section.
Q: In verses 19-21, what does Jeremiah say the people have actually done when they asked him to pray?
19 “The LORD has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah, ‘Don’t go into Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have testified to you today. 20 For you have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God says, so declare to us, and we will do it.’ 21 I have declared it to you today; but you have not obeyed the LORD your God’s voice in anything for which he has sent me to you.
Jeremiah 42:19-21 (WEB)
He says they have dealt deceitfully against their own souls, because they asked for God’s word while already determined to do their own will. The problem is not that they lacked a question but that they lacked honest intent. Ask the group what it looks like to ask God for direction while quietly deciding the answer in advance.
Q: Why does Jeremiah say God “grieves” over the distress of the people in verse 10?
‘If you will still live in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you.
Jeremiah 42:10 (WEB)
The word suggests God’s real sorrow over the suffering that judgment has brought, even while He is still disciplining His people. It shows that God’s justice and His compassion are both active in this chapter. Invite the group to consider how divine grief and divine judgment can exist together without contradiction.
Q: What does the phrase “the remnant of Judah” tell us about how God views this group in verses 15 and 19?
Now therefore hear the LORD’s word, O remnant of Judah: The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to live there…
Jeremiah 42:15 (WEB)
The remnant is the small surviving portion of God’s people, and calling them by that name reminds them that God still regards them as His own. Their survival is itself a sign that God has not abandoned the covenant. Ask the group how it changes the reading of the chapter to see the people addressed as a remnant rather than simply as rebels.
Q: In verse 22, why does Jeremiah conclude so firmly that they will die where they desire to go?
Now therefore know certainly that you will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live there.”
Jeremiah 42:22 (WEB)
He has already declared God’s word openly, and they have been warned clearly, so the conclusion follows from their refusal to obey. The chapter presents this not as a new decree but as the consequence of a choice already made. Ask the group to trace how the earlier verses build toward this final statement.
Application Questions
These questions bring the chapter into everyday life. Give people time to think quietly before sharing, and encourage honesty without pressure. The aim is to help each person see where they might be asking God for direction while secretly preferring a different path.
Q: In verses 2-3, what would it look like for us to ask others to pray for us with truly open hearts?
2 And said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us; 3 that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the things that we should do.”
Jeremiah 42:2-3 (WEB)
The people asked for prayer and guidance, which is a good thing to do, but their request was only as honest as their willingness to obey. Ask the group to consider whether they ask for prayer while already holding onto a decision. Suggest that asking for prayer should include a readiness to accept what comes back.
Q: How do verses 10-12 encourage us to trust God when we feel afraid of a threat we cannot control?
10 ‘If you will still live in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you. 11 Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Don’t be afraid of him,’ says the LORD: ‘for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to return to your own land.
Jeremiah 42:10-12 (WEB)
God tells the people not to fear the king of Babylon because He is with them to save and deliver them. The fear was real, but the promise of God’s presence was greater. Ask the group to name a current fear and to consider what God’s promise of presence might mean in that situation.
Key Verses to Read Aloud
Memory Verse for Jeremiah 42
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before You as people who often ask for guidance and then hesitate to follow it. Search our hearts and show us where we have been asking You for direction while holding on to our own plans. Give us the courage to obey Your word, whether it is comforting or hard to receive. Thank You that You grieve with us in our distress and that You are with us to save and deliver. Help us to trust Your presence more than our fears. Amen.
