Jeremiah 42:2
in Jeremiah 42Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, even for all this remnant (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us),
KJV
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)
⋯
This verse in Jeremiah 42
Commentary
9 notes on this verseTheir words are full of piety but do not agree with their actions. When ten days had passed, the prophet obtained his reply. But I think that the delay of the response was for the benefit of those who had made the request, so that …
This site's exposition
all the people from the least to the greatest
on Jeremiah 42:1-6
The commanders and “all the people” ask Jeremiah to pray and to tell them “the way we should walk and the thing we should do.” They bind themselves with an oath: “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act upon every word.”
This site's exposition
pray to the LORD your God
The people call the LORD Jeremiah's God, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that in verse 4 he answers by calling him theirs. Matthew Henry hears a real sense of need. Theodoret of Cyrus observes that their words are full of piety but do not agree with their actions.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
) and indulged in your own humour." [1.] Did the sword and famine frighten them? Those very judgments shall pursue them into Egypt, shall overtake them, and overcome them there (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+odd-straight-quotes
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet,....
Pray to the Lord thy God, for we are unworthy to call him ours, nor have we reason to expect any favour from him." 3. With a great sense of their need of divine direction. They speak of themselves as objects of compassion: " We are but a remnant, but a few of many; how easily will such a remnant be swallowed up, and yet it is a pity that it should.
The message at large which God sent them, in answer to their enquiry, in which, 1. They are commanded and encouraged to continue in the land of Judah, and assured that if they did so it should be well with them,
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Jas 5:16). thy God-- (Jer 42:5). The Jews use this form to express their belief in the peculiar relation in which Jeremiah stood to God as His accredited prophet. Jeremiah in his reply reminds them that God is their God ("your God") as well as his as being the covenant people (Jer 42:4).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ | yirmeyahu | Jeremiah | H3414 → | 147 times |
| הַנָּבִ֗יא | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| תִּפָּל־ | tipol- | may it fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| נָ֤א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| תְחִנָּתֵ֙נוּ֙ | techinatenu | supplication our | H8467 → | 25 times |
| לְפָנֶ֔יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤ל | vehitpalel | and pray | H6419 → | 84 times |
| בַּעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙ | baadenu | for us | H1157 → | 105 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּעַ֖ד | bead | for | H1157 → | 105 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַשְּׁאֵרִ֣ית | hasheerit | the remnant | H7611 → | 66 times |
| הַזֹּ֑את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִשְׁאַ֤רְנוּ | nisharnu | we are left | H7604 → | 133 times |
| מְעַט֙ | meat | a few | H4592 → | |
| מֵֽהַרְבֵּ֔ה | meharbeh | from many | H7235 → | 227 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עֵינֶ֖יךָ | ʾeineikha | eyes your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| רֹא֥וֹת | root | [are] seeing | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֹתָֽנוּ׃ | ʾotanu | <obj.> us | H853 → | 10935 times |
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יִרְמְיָ֣הוּJeremiah
yirmeyahuH3414 →147 times
הַנָּבִ֗יאthe prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
תִּפָּל־may it fall
tipol-H5307 →435 times
נָ֤אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
תְחִנָּתֵ֙נוּ֙supplication our
techinatenuH8467 →25 times
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
וְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤לand pray
vehitpalelH6419 →84 times
בַּעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙for us
baadenuH1157 →105 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
בְּעַ֖דfor
beadH1157 →105 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַשְּׁאֵרִ֣יתthe remnant
hasheeritH7611 →66 times
הַזֹּ֑את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נִשְׁאַ֤רְנוּwe are left
nisharnuH7604 →133 times
מְעַט֙a few
meatH4592 →
מֵֽהַרְבֵּ֔הfrom many
meharbehH7235 →227 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
עֵינֶ֖יךָeyes your
ʾeineikhaH5869 →887 times
רֹא֥וֹת[are] seeing
rootH7200 →1300 times
אֹתָֽנוּ׃<obj.> us
ʾotanuH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 1:9Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
it leads to
- Romans 9:29
It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
- Isaiah 37:31–32
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above.
- Genesis 19:24
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.
- Lamentations 3:22
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
- Romans 9:29
Through
Jeremiah 37:3Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 21:1–2
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,
- Jeremiah 21:1–2
Through
Leviticus 26:22I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:24
They will be wasted from hunger and ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague; I will send the fangs of wild beasts against them, with the venom of vipers that slither in the dust.
- Ezekiel 14:15
Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,
- Deuteronomy 32:24
Through
Jeremiah 36:7Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each one will turn from his wicked way; for great are the anger and fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 36:3
Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their…
- Jeremiah 36:3
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ON JEREMIAH 8:42.