King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 42:11 Mean?

Jeremiah 42:11 in the King James Version says “Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to ...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 42 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.”

Jeremiah 42:11 · KJV

Fear & CourageSalvation

Context

9

And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

10

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

11

Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

12

And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

13

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,

Read Jeremiah 42 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
God directly addresses the remnant's fear: 'Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.' The repetition 'be not afraid...be not afraid' emphasizes the command—fear is disobedience when God promises protection. The phrase 'of whom ye are afraid' acknowledges their terror's reality without validating it; God recognizes their fear but commands them to overcome it through trust. The promise 'for I am with you' echoes assurances given to Abraham (Genesis 26:24), Isaac (Genesis 26:24), Jacob (Genesis 28:15), Moses (Exodus 3:12), Joshua (Joshua 1:5, 9), Gideon (Judges 6:16), and repeatedly throughout Scripture. Divine presence guarantees security regardless of circumstances. The verbs 'to save you, and to deliver you' promise both preservation (salvation from danger) and liberation (deliverance from oppression). The phrase 'from his hand' indicates God's power exceeds Babylon's—Nebuchadnezzar's 'hand' cannot reach what God protects. This verse offers what the remnant desperately needed: assurance that their rational fear (Babylonian reprisal for Gedaliah's assassination) could be overcome through trusting God's specific promise of protection if they remained in Judah. Their subsequent rejection of this promise revealed that fear had become more authoritative than faith.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The remnant's fear of 'the king of Babylon' was historically justified by Nebuchadnezzar's reputation for brutal reprisals against rebellion. His campaigns throughout the Levant (605-586 BC) included systematic destruction of resisting cities, mass deportations, and execution of leaders. The murder of Gedaliah (Babylon's appointed governor) and Babylonian officials at Mizpah (41:1-3) would normally trigger severe military response—likely a punitive expedition to crush remaining Jewish population. Ancient Near Eastern empires routinely practiced collective punishment, making the remnant's fear for their lives rational from a human perspective. However, God's promise 'I am with you' trumped these realistic dangers. Similar divine assurances throughout Israel's history consistently proved reliable when trusted: Israel survived Egyptian bondage, wilderness wandering, Canaanite opposition, Philistine threats, and Assyrian invasion when they relied on God's presence and promises. The tragedy was that the remnant, having witnessed Jeremiah's prophecies of judgment against Jerusalem prove accurate, should have trusted his prophecies of protection for the obedient remnant. Instead, they trusted their fear-driven calculations over God's explicit word. Their flight to Egypt (chapter 43) demonstrated that intellectual knowledge of God's past faithfulness doesn't automatically translate to present trust when fear dominates.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does God's acknowledgment 'of whom ye are afraid' show He understands our fears while still commanding we trust Him rather than be controlled by them?
  2. What does the promise 'I am with you' teach about the sufficiency of divine presence to overcome even realistic threats?
  3. Why do believers sometimes trust fear-driven risk assessment more than God's specific promises of protection, even after witnessing His past faithfulness?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
אַל1 of 22
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּֽירְא֤וּ2 of 22

“Be not afraid”

H3372

to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten

מִפָּנָ֑יו3 of 22

“of”

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

מֶ֣לֶךְ4 of 22

“the king”

H4428

a king

בָּבֶ֔ל5 of 22

“of Babylon”

H894

babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire

אֲשֶׁר6 of 22
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

אַתֶּ֥ם7 of 22
H859

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

יְרֵאִ֖ים8 of 22

“ye are afraid”

H3373

fearing; morally, reverent

מִפָּנָ֑יו9 of 22

“of”

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

אַל10 of 22
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּֽירְא֤וּ11 of 22

“Be not afraid”

H3372

to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten

מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙12 of 22
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

נְאֻם13 of 22

“of him saith”

H5002

an oracle

יְהוָ֔ה14 of 22

“the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

כִּֽי15 of 22
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

אִתְּכֶ֣ם16 of 22
H854

properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc

אָ֔נִי17 of 22
H589

i

לְהוֹשִׁ֧יעַ18 of 22

“for I am with you to save”

H3467

properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e., (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor

אֶתְכֶ֛ם19 of 22
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

וּלְהַצִּ֥יל20 of 22

“you and to deliver”

H5337

to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense

אֶתְכֶ֖ם21 of 22
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

מִיָּדֽוֹ׃22 of 22

“you from his hand”

H3027

a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 42:11 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 42:11 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Romans 8:31Jeremiah 1:8Jeremiah 1:19Isaiah 43:22 Chronicles 32:7-8Isaiah 43:5

Places in This Verse

Babylon 1Settlement · Modern: Babylon · 32.54°N, 44.42°E296 verses across 15 books
View all places in Jeremiah 42 →

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