Jeremiah 42:22 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 42:22 mean?

Jeremiah 42:22 is a final warning to the people who remained in Judah after Jerusalem’s fall. Jeremiah tells them that their planned move to Egypt will not provide the safety they seek. They will die there through war, hunger, and disease.

Jeremiah speaks to people who had asked him to seek God’s direction for them. After saying in verse 21 that they had not obeyed, he ends his message with a direct statement about the place where they intend to live.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 42:22

• “know certainly” — יָדַע (yadaʿ): This means to know, and the Hebrew repeats the word in a way that adds emphasis. The warning is presented as something the listeners can be sure of.
• “desire” — חָפֵץ (ḥafets): This can mean to want or take pleasure in something. It points to the people’s own wish to go to Egypt.
• “sojourn” — גּוּר (gur): This means to live as a newcomer or resident in a place that is not one’s home. The word gives the sense of settling in Egypt rather than merely passing through.

Why Jeremiah 42:22 matters

• The verse identifies Egypt as the destination by pointing to “the place whither ye desire to go.” Earlier in the passage, the people had spoken of going to Egypt to escape war and hunger (Jeremiah 42:13–14).
• The three dangers answer the hope of safety directly. The people feared “the sword” and “the famine” in Judah, but Jeremiah names both among the dangers awaiting them in Egypt (Jeremiah 42:16).
• The warning follows a choice the people had been given. Jeremiah had told them that God promised to care for them if they stayed in Judah, but warned them against going to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:10–16).