Tyndale Open Study NotesJeremiah 43

Johanan and the others broke their promise (Jeremiah 42:20) when they decided not to trust the Lord's message through Jeremiah.

The reason Baruch was blamed is unknown.

The city of Tahpanhes (Jeremiah 2:16; Ezekiel 30:18), now called Tell Dafneh, protected the road entering Egypt at its northeast corner.

Nebuchadnezzar: Compare Jeremiah 42:2–22; Ezekiel 29:19–20. An Akkadian inscription states that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt in 568 to 567 BC, less than twenty years after Jeremiah's message.

In the ancient Near East, people saw temples and idols as power centers. Successful invaders usually destroyed them.

• The ancient Egyptians greatly valued the sacred pillars.

• In the temple of the sun, or in Heliopolis, the sun was the main god of their religion. The ruins of this city are about six miles northeast of modern Cairo.