Jeremiah 42:17So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to live 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 on them.
The setting
Judean survivors gathered around Jeremiah, hearing God's final warning before their planned escape to Egypt. Near Jerusalem, 586 BC.
The emotion here: sorrowful finality, like a parent watching a child choose destruction
The original word
sum (שׂוּם) — to set, place firmly, indicating their determined, fixed decision
Why it matters
Many Jews did flee to Egypt and established communities there, but they never returned to the promised land
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 42:17
The phrase 'set their faces' means they've already made up their minds — this isn't a warning to consider, but a final pronouncement
Common misconceptionPeople read this as God being harsh, but He's actually giving them a final chance to reconsider by clearly showing them the consequences of their predetermined choice.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 42:17
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 42:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 42:17 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 2% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, death, consequences. Notable phrases: they shall die; sword famine pestilence; all the men. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 42:17 mean to you, today?
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