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.

JEREMIAH 42:5KJV
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Jeremiah 42:5 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 42:5 mean?

Jeremiah 42:5 records the people promising Jeremiah that they will obey whatever message the LORD gives through him, calling God as their witness if they fail to do so. They are making a serious vow, asking God to hold them accountable if they do not follow through on what they have pledged.

In this verse, the people of Judah are speaking to the prophet Jeremiah after asking him to seek God’s guidance for them. They assure Jeremiah that they will do everything the LORD commands, no matter what it is. This sets the stage for the seriousness of their request and highlights their awareness that God, described here as a "true and faithful witness," sees and judges their intentions and actions.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 42:5

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing that the people are appealing to the specific, covenant-keeping God of Israel.
  • true (אֱמֶת, ’emet) and faithful (נֶאֱמָן, ne’eman): These words stress God’s reliability and trustworthiness as a witness, showing that the people recognize God cannot be deceived or manipulated.
  • witness (עֵד, ‘ed): Calling God a witness means inviting Him to observe and judge their faithfulness to their promise, making their vow especially weighty in the ancient context.

Why Jeremiah 42:5 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the people are not just making a casual promise; they are invoking God’s character and presence as a guarantee, which in their culture made the vow extremely serious.
  • It shows the tension in the story: even though the people promise obedience, the following verses reveal whether they truly mean it, setting up a contrast between words and actions.
  • Understanding these words helps readers see how the people viewed God—not just as a distant deity, but as an active, personal witness to their commitments.

Where else these words appear

“witness” Hebrew H5707 · used in 59 verses

  • Genesis 31:44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
  • Joshua 22:27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.
  • Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

“faithful” Hebrew H539 · used in 102 verses

  • Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
  • 2 Kings 10:5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
  • Psalms 106:12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

“true” Hebrew H571 · used in 125 verses

  • Genesis 24:27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.
  • Psalms 26:3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
  • Proverbs 22:21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

“Jeremiah” Hebrew H3414 · used in 133 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
  • Jeremiah 28:15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
  • Jeremiah 38:7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;