Yirmiyahu 43-44

This perek describes the first prophecy of Yirmiyahu in Egypt. Yirmiyahu is commanded in his prophecy to perform an action which will symbolize the "laying of the cornerstone" of Nevuchadnezzar's rule over Egypt.

In perek 44 we see that despite the fact that Yirmiyahu's prophecies of the destruction of Judah have come true, the people have not learned their lesson and have continued to worship idols. This causes a harsh confrontation between Yirmiyahu and the Judeans who are now in Egypt. Yirmiyahu chastises the men and their wives for their sin of idolatry, while reminding them of the process which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah. He warns them that calamity will continue to befall them (1-14). The people react to this speech by reinterpreting history such that the cause of the fall of Judah and the destruction was that the people ceased worshipping idols in the time of Yoshiyahu and therefore they conclude that they must return to idolatry (15-19). The confrontation ends with a prophecy of doom for the Jews living in Egypt (20-30). On this harsh note we conclude the last prophecy of Yirmiyahu to Israel in our book, from here on the book brings prophecies for the gentile nations and historical descriptions.