Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah and Zedekiah and the Fall of Jerusalem (37-39)

CHAPTER 37

1. Jeremiah’s warning (Jeremiah 37:1-10)

2. Jeremiah’s arrest (Jeremiah 37:11-21)

Jeremiah 37:1-10. To understand more fully these chapters it must be remembered that the besieging army before the gates of Jerusalem was temporarily withdrawn, because an Egyptian army had appeared against it. This was no doubt an occasion for the false prophets to preach their false hope, so that the people were deceived. Once more Zedekiah sent to the prophet a deputation (Jeremiah 21:1) after Nebuchadnezzar had made him king. The occasion was on account of the withdrawal of the Chaldean army (Jeremiah 37:5). They thought that it was surely a good sign and expected a favorable message. The false hope with which they were deceiving themselves was swept away by the word of Jehovah as it came to the prophet (Jeremiah 37:7-10). There was no hope and after Zedekiah had rebelled (see our annotations on 2 Kings 24:1-20; 2 Kings 25:1-30, the king of Babylon came and burnt the city with fire.

Jeremiah 37:11-21. When the Chaldean army had left, Jeremiah went forth to go to his hometown Anathoth, for what is not revealed. He may have gone to claim his portion which belonged to him as priest. When, in the gate of Benjamin a captain arrested him, charging the prophet with desertion, he denied the charge. Such a charge could easily be made on account of Jeremiah’s former exhortation to submit to the Chaldeans. He is put in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; but later the dungeon is changed to the court of the prison. (See the annotations to Jeremiah 32:2.)

We give a diagram which illustrates the chronology of the siege of Jerusalem and the fall of the city.

I. The Siege begun in the ninth year

Jeremiah 39:1...................................................Siege begun

Jeremiah 34:10.............................Manumission of slaves

II. The Siege raised temporarily in the ninth or tenth year

Jeremiah 37:3-10============Jeremiah 21:1-7........Jeremiah consulted by deputies from the king.

Jeremiah 34:8-22 ........................Re-enthralment of slaves.

Jeremiah 37:11-16...........................................Jeremiah seized, and imprisoned in Jonathan’s house.

III. The Siege renewed in the ninth or tenth year

Jeremiah 37:17-21=Jeremiah 32:1-5 = Jeremiah 34:1-7 Jeremiah brought in tenth year to be secretly consulted by the king: put afterwards in court of guard.

Jeremiah 32:6-44 Field bought by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 33:1-26 Further prophecy in court of guard.

Jeremiah 38:1-3=Jeremiah 21:8-10.Jeremiah advises people to desert to Chaldeans.

Jeremiah 38:4-6.Jeremiah put in miry dungeon.

Jeremiah 38:7-13.Jeremiah restored by Ebed-melech to court of guard.

Jeremiah 38:14-28.Jeremiah consulted by king in third entry of Temple: remanded to court of guard.

IV. The Siege ended in the eleventh year

Jeremiah 39:1-14.City taken and destroyed.