INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 37 This chapter makes mention of the reign of Zedekiah, and what happened in it; of his message to Jeremiah, to pray for the kingdom; of the king of Babylonian's raising the siege of Jerusalem, on hearing the king of Egypt was coming to its relief; of the assurance the prop... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING ZEDEKIAH THE SON OF JOSIAH REIGNED,.... The brother of Jehoiakim, whose untimely death, and want of burial, are prophesied of in the preceding chapter. The name of Zedekiah was Mattaniah before he was king; his name was changed by the king of Babylon, who made him king, 2 Kings 24:17; INST... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NEITHER HE, NOR HIS SERVANTS, NOR THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND,.... The king, his courtiers and subjects the royal family, nobility, and common people; they were all degenerate and corrupt. Jarchi observes, that Jehoiakim was wicked, and his people righteous; and that Zedekiah was righteous, and his p... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ZEDEKIAH THE KING SENT JEHUCAL THE SON OF SHELEMIAH, AND ZEPHANIAH THE SON OF MAASEIAH THE PRIEST,.... That is, Zephaniah the priest, as the accents shaw; though his father Maaseiah was doubtless a priest too; according to the Syriac version, both Jehucal, called Jucal, Jeremiah 38:1; and Zephan... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW JEREMIAH CAME IN AND WENT OUT AMONG THE PEOPLE,.... Was at full liberty, and could go out of the city, and come in, when he pleased; or go into any part of it, and converse with the people, and prophesy to them; which he could not do in the latter part of Jehoiakim's reign, who sent persons afte... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PHARAOH'S ARMY WAS COME FORTH OUT OF EGYPT,.... At the time the above message was sent to Jeremiah. Zedekiah, though he had took an oath of homage to the king of Babylon, rebelled against him, and entered into a league with the king of Egypt, to whom he sent for succours in his distress; and wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME THE WORD OF THE LORD UNTO THE PROPHET JEREMIAH,.... At the time when the messengers came to him from the king to pray for them; for Jeremiah 37:4 are to be included in a parenthesis: SAYING; as follows: which is an answer to the messengers.... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Which are the usual titles and characters the Lord takes to himself, when he spake by the prophet; see Jeremiah 34:2; THUS SHALL YE SAY TO THE KING OF JUDAH, THAT SENT YOU UNTO ME, TO INQUIRE OF ME; in an oracular way; for by this it seems that they were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHALDEANS SHALL COME AGAIN,.... To Jerusalem, after they have defeated or drove back the Egyptian army: AND FIGHT AGAINST THIS CITY; with fresh rigour and resolution; being exasperated by the methods taken to oblige them to raise the siege: AND TAKE IT, AND BURN IT WITH FIRE; as they did,... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, DECEIVE NOT YOURSELVES,.... Or, "your souls"; with a false opinion, a vain persuasion and belief of the departure of the Chaldeans never to return; which they would have confirmed by the Lord; or, "lift not up your souls" b; with vain hopes of the above things: self or soul dece... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOUGH YE HAD SMITTEN THE WHOLE ARMY OF THE CHALDEANS THAT FIGHT AGAINST YOU,.... Supposing the whole army of the Chaldeans had been vanquished and slain by the Egyptians, the confederates of the Jews; or should they be slain by them in a second siege of them, excepting a few next mentioned: AN... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN THE ARMY OF THE CHALDEANS WERE BROKEN UP FROM JERUSALEM,.... When the siege of the city was broken up and raised: or, when they "went up from Jerusalem" c; were gone from it; FOR FEAR OF PHARAOH'S ARMY; or rather "because of Pharaoh's army" d. The word "fear" is not i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JEREMIAH WENT FORTH OUT OF JERUSALEM,.... At least he attempted to do so, taking the opportunity of the siege of the city being broke up: what were his reasons for it are not certain; whether that he might not be put into prison, which he might fear for what he had just prophesied of concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS IN THE GATE OF BENJAMIN,.... One of the gates of the city so called, either because it stood in the tribe of Benjamin, as part of Jerusalem did; or because it led to the land of Benjamin, whither the prophet was going: and just as he had got to that gate, and was going through it, he... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JEREMIAH, [IT IS] FALSE,.... Or a "falsehood" k; as undoubtedly it was; I FALL NOT AWAY TO THE CHALDEANS; for the Chaldean army was gone from the city; nor did Jeremiah like so well to be with an idolatrous people; for after the city was taken, when Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard ga... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE THE PRINCES WERE WROTH WITH JEREMIAH,.... For attempting to depart the city, and go off to the Chaldeans, as Irijah had suggested to them, and to whom they hearkened; and perhaps would not hear what the prophet had to say for himself; and if they did, it had no weight with them: AND SMOTE... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JEREMIAH WAS ENTERED INTO THE DUNGEON,.... Or, "into the house of the pit" l; a dungeon, like a pit or ditch, dark, dirty, or dismal: AND INTO THE CABINS; or "cells" m; into a place more inward than the cells, as the Targum; into the innermost and worst part in all the prison, where a man coul... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ZEDEKIAH THE KING SENT AND TOOK HIM OUT,.... After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time; and the Chaldean army being returned, and having renewed their siege, the king is frightened; and knowing the prophet was in prison, sends a messenger to take him out from thence, and bring him to him;... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, JEREMIAH SAID UNTO KING ZEDEKIAH,.... Having this opportunity with him alone, and perhaps observing the king was melted and softened with what he had said; however, finding liberty in his own mind, he enlarges his discourse, and freely expostulates with him in the following manner: WHAT H... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE [ARE] NOW YOUR PROPHETS THAT PROPHESIED UNTO YOU,.... Your false prophets, as the Targum; what is become of their prophecies? where is the truth of them, to which general credit has been given? where are they? let them appear and defend themselves, if they can, from the charge of lying, and of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE HEAR NOW, ONE PRAY THEE, O MY LORD THE KING,.... When the prophet spoke in the name of the Lord, and the words of the Lord, it was with great boldness and majesty; but when he spoke for himself, and on his own behalf, it was with great submission, as it became a subject to his king; and wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ZEDEKIAH THE KING COMMANDED THAT THEY SHOULD COMMIT JEREMIAH INTO THE COURT OF THE PRISON,.... He did not think fit to discharge him entirely, lest it should give offence to the princes, who had committed him; but he ordered him to be put in a court belonging to the prison, where he might breat... [ Continue Reading ]