What Does Jeremiah 42:6 Mean in the King James?

Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 42:6 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The vow holds even when the answer seems bad: in Hebrew, hearing the LORD’s voice already carries the sense of responding to it.

THE MEANING

The verse places you where a word may seem good or bad to you. It binds hearing to response either way, repeating that the voice belongs to the LORD your God. Its hope is that responding to that voice will make things well with you.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that a word deserves a response only when its outcome feels good: the vow extends to what seems evil as well as good.

THE ROOT

נִשְׁמַע

nishmaʿ

GROWS FROM

שמע

Hear; when receiving a voice or command, hear and respond.

The verb translated “obey” is ⁨נִשְׁמַע⁩ (nishmaʿ, “we will hear and respond”), from ⁨שָׁמַע⁩ (shamaʿ, “hear”). Hebrew folds response into this hearing, so obeying the voice is not a separate act added after listening. The repeated ⁨קוֹל⁩ (qol, “voice, sound”) is the voice being received.

ALSO GROWS

shamaʿ: Hear; heed or respond.

שָׁמַע

The root verb shows why “obey” can also be heard as responsive listening: the voice is received in a way that answers it.

shemuʿah: Report, tidings; something heard.

שְׁמוּעָה

This branch names a message as what has been heard, connecting the received voice with the response it calls forth.

THE PATTERN

In scripture, hearing a word becomes real as a response that takes shape in action.

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Genesis 22:18 · KJVThe verse names Abraham’s response as hearing the voice, using the same Hebrew root ⁨שמע⁩ (shamaʿ, “hear and respond”).

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Isaiah 55:3 · KJVHearing is joined to coming, showing the response already carried within ⁨שמע⁩ (shamaʿ, “hear”).

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22 · KJVThe verse makes the same pattern explicit: hearing that stops short of response has not become living reception.

THE THREAD

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Jeremiah 7:23 · KJV

Jeremiah 7:23 pairs ⁨שמע⁩ (shamaʿ, “hear and respond”) with the words “that it may be well unto you.” Jeremiah 42:6 echoes that same movement in the people’s vow: they will respond to the voice whether its message seems good or bad, with well-being as their hope.

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