2 Kings 25:26

2Ki 25:26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

Ver. 26. And came to Egypt.] Their rendezvous was at Bethlehem; where when the prophet Jeremiah had forbidden them from God to go to Egypt upon pain of utter destruction, they nevertheless would needlessly go, and did: taking along with them also Jeremiah and Baruch. {Jer 43:4}

“ Ah quoties docta plus valet arte malum! ”

Jeremiah, though their prisoner, ceased not to reprove them in Egypt for their obstinacy and idolatry, and to foretell their destruction: for the which his ungrateful countrymen stoned him to death, as other histories report. Hoc fuit διδακτρον, saith one. This was the reward that that faithful servant of God received for his one and forty years’ pains taken amongst them.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 25:26. And all the people arose, and came to Egypt — Contrary to the persuasion of Jeremiah, who pressed them to stay in the land, that it might not altogether lie uncultivated, (seeing they were to be settled in it again, according to the word of the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah, chap. Isa 44:28, and Isa 45:1,) assuring them that they should be safe if they would stay in the land of Judah, but should perish if they went into Egypt. See Jer 42:9-10, &c. But they would not hearken. Thus this populous and fertile country was laid waste and desolate, part of the people being carried captive to Babylon, part of those who were left in the land being slain with Gedaliah, and the remainder fleeing into Egypt. So that it was left to be overrun with briers and thorns, and to be inhabited by wild beasts. Only some of the neighbouring nations seem to have settled themselves in some parts of it. And from hence the Jews found much greater difficulty when they came to be restored than they would have done if some of them had continued in their country and cultivated it. For they were afraid of the Chaldees —

The Chaldeans had reason enough to be offended at the murder of Gedaliah; but, if those that remained had humbly remonstrated to them, that it was only the act of Ishmael and his party, we may suppose they who were innocent of it, nay, who suffered greatly by it, would not have been punished for it: but, under pretence of this apprehension they all went into Egypt, where, it is probable, they mixed with the Egyptians by degrees, and were never heard of more as Israelites. Thus there was a full end made of them by their own folly and disobedience, and Egypt had the last of them, that the last verse of that chapter of threatenings might be fulfilled after all the rest, (Deu 28:68,) The Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again. For a more particular account of these events see the prophecy of Jeremiah, from chap. 40. to chap. 45.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25:26 Then all the people of Judah, led by Johanan, fled in panic to Egypt against Jeremiah’s counsel (see Jer 42:1–43:7).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Contrary to Jeremiah’s counsel, Jer. 40-43.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

and all the people . . . came to Egypt--In spite of Jeremiah's dissuasions (Jer 43:7-8) they settled in various cities of that country (Jer 44:1).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(26) Arose and came to Egypt.—They took Jeremiah with them (Jer_43:6). This verse only gives the end of the story as it is told in Jeremiah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. all the people … and the captains of the armies [R.V. forces] arose and came to Egypt] Feeling now sure that there would be reason to fear because of the servants of the Chaldæans. They were in a panic, and fled away in spite of the exhortations of Jeremiah, and they carried Jeremiah with them into Egypt (Jer_43:1-7). On their arrival at Tahpanhes and on the prophetic action of Jeremiah there, read Jer_43:8-13. Other Jewish settlements in Egypt mentioned by the prophet (Jer_44:1) are Migdol, Noph and the country of Pathros.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Chaldees. They went under the conduct of Johanan, in opposition to the declaration of Jeremias, xliii. 7., and xliv. 1. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

26. Both small and great — All classes and all ages.

Captains of the armies — Commanders of the military forces that had been subject to Gedaliah. At the head of them was Johanan, who had just taken command, and had led them successfully against Ishmael.

Came to Egypt — Against the word of the Lord and the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah. Chap. 42. They thought it best for them now to seek the protection of that power that had interposed to help them during the late siege of Jerusalem, and had obliged the Chaldees for a time to retire from the city. Jer_37:5-11.

They were afraid of the Chaldees — So fearful an impression had the horrors of the late siege and the Chaldean power made upon them, that they could not feel safe anywhere in the dominions of Nebuchadnezzar. They had been made to feel the tremendous power of that “bitter and hasty nation… terrible and dreadful,” of whom Habakkuk had prophesied. Hab_1:5-11.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies (see above, ver. 23). The leader of the movement was Johanan, the son of Careah. Having first attacked Ishmael, and forced him to fly to the Ammonites, (Jer_41:15) he almost immediately afterwards conceived a fear of Nebuchadnezzar, who would, he thought, resent the murder of Gedaliah, and even avenge it upon these who had done all they could to prevent it. He therefore gathered together the people, and made a preliminary retreat to Chimham, near Bethlehem, (Jer_41:17) on the road to Egypt, whence he subsequently, against the earnest remonstrances and prophetic warnings of Jer_42:9-22, carried them on into Egypt itself. (Jer_43:1-7) The first settle-merit was made at Tahpanhes, or Daphnae. Arose, and came into Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees. (see Jer_41:18 Jer_43:3) There does not appear to have been any real reason for this fear.

Nebuchadnezzar might have been trusted to distinguish between the act of an individual and conspiracy on the part of the nation.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Egypt - And here they probably mixt with the Egyptians by degrees, and were heard of no more as Israelites.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.