And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

JEREMIAH 43:12KJV
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Jeremiah 43:12 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 43:12 mean?

Jeremiah 43:12 describes how God will allow Egypt’s gods and temples to be destroyed and plundered by a coming invader, who will take Egypt’s treasures as easily as a shepherd puts on his coat and then leave unharmed. The verse uses vivid imagery to show that Egypt’s power and religion will be helpless before this conqueror.

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah, warning them about the consequences of fleeing to Egypt for safety. The verse pictures the invader—historically understood as the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar—burning the temples of Egypt’s gods, carrying off their idols, and leaving the land peacefully, showing total dominance. The language emphasizes both the ease of the conquest and the helplessness of Egypt’s gods and people.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 43:12

  • בָּתֵּי (battei, "houses") and אֱלֹהֵי (’elohē, "gods"): The phrase "houses of the gods" refers specifically to the temples where Egypt’s gods were worshiped, highlighting that even the most sacred places would not be spared.
  • וְלָבַשׁ (velavash, "array himself"): This word means to put on or wear, and the verse compares the conqueror taking Egypt’s wealth to a shepherd simply putting on his garment, stressing how effortless the victory will be.
  • שָׁלוֹם (shalom, "peace"): The word for "peace" here means the conqueror will leave without harm or resistance, underlining the completeness of Egypt’s defeat.

Why Jeremiah 43:12 matters

  • Jeremiah 43:12 makes clear that Egypt, often seen as a place of refuge and strength, will not be able to protect itself or those who trust in it from God’s judgment.
  • The verse highlights the futility of relying on foreign gods or nations for safety, a key theme in Jeremiah’s warnings to Judah.
  • By describing the invader’s actions as easy and unchallenged, Jeremiah 43:12 emphasizes the total authority of God over all nations and their gods, reinforcing the message that no earthly power can stand against His will.

Where else these words appear

“array” Hebrew H5844 · used in 15 verses

  • Leviticus 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
  • Psalms 89:45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
  • Isaiah 22:17 Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

“kindle” Hebrew H3341 · used in 28 verses

  • Joshua 8:8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
  • Isaiah 9:18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
  • Jeremiah 46:19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

“captives” Hebrew H7617 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
  • 1 Kings 8:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
  • 2 Chronicles 28:11 Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

“burn” Hebrew H8313 · used in 107 verses

  • Genesis 11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
  • Joshua 7:15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
  • Nehemiah 4:2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?