4. Midst of the fire. Many of the remnant that were left were to perish by violence, which was tragically fulfilled in the conspiracy of Ishmael against Gedaliah and the calamities that followed in its wake (Jer. 40; 41). This was the occasion for many going down into Egypt, where they were consumed according to the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer. 42:13-17). Those who remained in the land suffered a further removal by Nebuzar-adan (Jer. 52:30), so that the ultimate result was the entire emptying of the land.