Bible Commentaries

CHAPTER 21

The Prophetic Warning

1. Zedekiah’s inquiry (Jeremiah 21:1-2)

2. Jehovah’s answer through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 21:3-14)

Jeremiah 21:1-2. It has been said that this chapter is historically misplaced and therefore must be considered an evidence of the composite authorship of this book. The Spirit of God for some reason unknown to us has put it in this place. Zedekiah sent unto Jeremiah Pashur (a different one from the Pashur in the preceding chapter) to inquire as to Nebuchadrezzar, the King of Babylon. This is of course Nebuchadnezzar. The form of his name found in Jeremiah is derived more correctly from the Babylonian, which is “Nabukudurri-usur.” Here the great king is mentioned for the first time in Jeremiah. The wicked Zedekiah may have remembered God’s dealing with Hezekiah when the Lord annihilated the army of Sennacherib, the Assyrian. Then Zedekiah said: “Peradventure the LORD will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he may go up from US.”

Jeremiah 21:3-14. Zedekiah (whose name was Mattaniah), the ungodly king, who had been made king by Nebuchadrezzar after he had carried away captives from Jerusalem, heard a message of judgment from Jeremiah. The Babylonian king’s army was again before the city, because Zedekiah had revolted and broken his agreement with the king. How could Zedekiah even imagine that a righteous Lord had a message of peace for him? The Lord Himself will now fight against Jerusalem and its wicked king. The enemy will do the appointed judgment work: “he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.” The king is to be taken captive. Then he addresses the people and the house of David in no uncertain words, which need no further comment.