Jeremiah 21:1-10
1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
2 Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:
4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
7 And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
The Outcome of the Siege (588 B.C.). Zedekiah, apparently at an early stage of the siege of Jerusalem (whilst Jeremiah 37:3 refers to a similar, but later, incident) sends envoys, Pashhur (not the same as in Jeremiah 20:1) and Zephaniah (Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 37:3; Jeremiah 52:24), to ask the prophet if Yahweh will cause the besiegers to withdraw (go up, Jeremiah 34:21). Jeremiah replies that Yahweh is against Jerusalem, and will deliver king and people to the enemy. Those who choose (with Jeremiah 21:8 cf Deuteronomy 11:26; Deuteronomy 30:15) to surrender to the enemy will escape with bare life (for a prey, Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:18). There follow two fragments, Jeremiah 21:11 f. being a warning to the royal house (based on Jeremiah 22:3 and Jeremiah 4:4), and Jeremiah 21:13 f., in the present context, a warning to Jerusalem. But the topographical description is not suitable, and the original reference was perhaps to some other city.
Jeremiah 21:4. Omit I will gather them, with LXX; the Jewish defenders will be driven in.
Jeremiah 21:7. with the edge of the sword: means without quarter.
Jeremiah 21:13. habitations: dens, Nahum 2:12; Psalms 104:22.
Jeremiah 21:14. forest: used here figuratively.