Jeremiah 42:5
in Jeremiah 42Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act upon every word that the LORD your God sends you to tell us.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful witness amongst us, if we do not according to all the word wherewith Jehovah thy God shall send thee to us.
KJV
Then they said to Jeremiah, The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.
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This verse in Jeremiah 42
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Between us - Against us, as in Jer 42:19 (margin.) According to all things - literally, “according to the whole word as to which Yahweh thy God shall send thee to us.”
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
May the LORD be a true and faithful witness
The people call the LORD to witness against them. Albert Barnes reads the witness as against them if they fail to obey, as at verse 19. Adam Clarke says the LORD will keep the promise on record, and bless or curse as they obey or refuse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Nothing could be better than this was: Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, that it may be well with us.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:85%@v4-6
Then they said to Jeremiah, the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us,....
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,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Lord be a true and faithful Witness - The Lord is such; and as ye have bound yourselves to obey his voice, he will register the covenant, and bless or curse according as ye shall conduct yourselves in this matter.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| אָמְר֣וּ | ʾameru | they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ | yirmeyahu | Jeremiah | H3414 → | 147 times |
| יְהִ֤י | yehi | may he become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בָּ֔נוּ | banu | on <the> us | ||
| לְעֵ֖ד | leed | <into> a witness of | H5707 → | 70 times |
| אֱמֶ֣ת | ʾemet | truth | H571 → | 127 times |
| וְנֶאֱמָ֑ן | veneeman | and faithful | H539 → | 106 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֡א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כְּֽכָל־ | kekhol- | according to every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַ֠דָּבָר | hadavor | <the> word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֜ | yishlachakha | he will send you | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יְהוָ֧ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֵלֵ֖ינוּ | ʾeleinu | to us | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֵּ֥ן | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ | naaseh | we will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וְהֵ֙מָּה֙and they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
אָמְר֣וּthey said
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יִרְמְיָ֔הוּJeremiah
yirmeyahuH3414 →147 times
יְהִ֤יmay he become
yehiH1961 →3559 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בָּ֔נוּon <the> us
banu
לְעֵ֖ד<into> a witness of
leedH5707 →70 times
אֱמֶ֣תtruth
ʾemetH571 →127 times
וְנֶאֱמָ֑ןand faithful
veneemanH539 →106 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֡אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
כְּֽכָל־according to every
kekhol-H3605 →5413 times
הַ֠דָּבָר<the> word
hadavorH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֜he will send you
yishlachakhaH7971 →845 times
יְהוָ֧הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֵלֵ֖ינוּto us
ʾeleinuH413 →5510 times
כֵּ֥ןso
kenH3651 →771 times
נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃we will do
naasehH6213 →2628 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
Malachi 3:5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud…
it leads to
- James 5:8–9
You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
- Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
- Deuteronomy 5:11
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
- James 5:4
Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
- Deuteronomy 27:19
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- James 5:8–9
Through
Malachi 2:14Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your…
it leads to
- Malachi 2:15
Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the…
- Genesis 31:50
If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Malachi 2:15
Through
Genesis 31:50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:23
For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 29:23
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.